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(Update 24. May 2018)





Major Havoc (Atari 1983)


[ Game Info | Pictures | Manuals/Datasheets | Repair/Restore | ROMs | Reproductions/Spares | Mixed Stuff ]

NEW (5. December 2007)

Game Info
Overview - The "Adventures of Major Havoc"  is a pretty rare Color Vector Game from Atari. The dedicated cabinet version is even rarer.

Description - Major Havoc was one of the last successful Vector Games of Atari. It was also the last one of the game designer Owen Rubin working for ATARI before he moved on to Bally. After about one year of development, Mark Cerny joined the team to work on some ofthe higher levels and components. The development time overall was about 18 months. Like many other XY games the story was science fiction related. After the opening screen the game start with a flight through a kind of tunnel like in TacScan, whereafter the player needs to destroy some hostile spaceships. After that the challenge is to land with your own spaceship on a reducing platformum in lunar lander stayle. Then the most challenging part of the game starts by entering am underground maze to destroy the space station's reactor. In a jump & run style the player is confronted with oxygen limitations, electric shocks, robot guards and artifical gravity which makes it hard to land precisely where you want to. Luckily enough the game has an ideal controller, a roller for left-right movement. With that roller and two action buttons the gameplay is really good. Owners of converted Tempests and Space Duels need to use a spinner controller which is pretty good as well.

Cabinet Types - Major Havoc was released as an Upright in 1983. Shortly thereafter coversion kits were sold for Tempest and for the SpaceDuel/BlackWidow/Gravitar kind of cabinets.

PCB(s) - The game PCB is really large and positioned on the inner side of the rear door. The PCB incorporates logic components like the two 6502A CPUs, ROMs, RAM, the Analog Vector Generator, a quad POKEY chip for sound generation, drivers for the XY Monitor, so all except the Voltage Regulators and Sound Amplifier. The latter two are contained in Atari's well known Audio-Regulator Board II (also named AR2).

Monitor -
The monitor used is an Amplifone 19" xy color monitor. This monitor was said to be very unreliable due to the regular breakdown of the High Voltage transformer. Being red in color, common saying was, "Red is Dead". Fortunately enough there are Reproductions  available (as of 2007).

Clones/Bootlegs  - 
not known

Prototypes  -  Tollian Web, Alpha 1, Rex Havoc... gute Infos auf Game Archive und Owen Rubin's page

Other Links
» Major Havoc on K.L.O.V. ( The "Killer" List of Video Games) - www.klov.com
» Major Havoc on GameArchive - http://www.gamearchive.com/....major_havoc.html
» Major Havoc on Arcade Flyers - http://www.arcadeflyers.com/....dedicated - ...Tempest Conversion
» Major Havoc on Owen Rubin's page - http://www.atarimuseum.com/...mhavoc.html

» Upright Dedicated  - [link]
» Monitor Amplifone 19" - [link]
» Upright Conversions from Tempest and Space Duel  ....

   
      Tempest                             Space Duel



Manuals/Datasheets/Technical Info

Major Havoc - Dedicated
» Service Manual  - [ link ]
» Schematics  - [ link ]
» Troubleshooting inc. Signature Analysis  - [ link ]
» Amplifone Monitor Service Manual incl. Schematics - Manual  - Waveforms of HV Unit

Major Havoc - Conversions
» Documents on arcarc.xmission.com... - [ link ]
» Documents on www.ionpool.net... - [ link ]

Major Havoc - all  models

» Datasheets for electronic components - to follow



Repair/Restore

Repair Tips
» Amplifone Color Vector FAQ (Version 1.2)  - http://www.ionpool.net/arcade/tech/ampfaq_12.pdf
»

Restore Pages

»

Artwork
»
Reproductions from Archer - Final Samples





ROMs (EPROM/PROM) - from www.ionpool.net

Roms are only for restoring boards back to life, not to use them on any emulator!!!
For the standard Version Rev. 3 und 2 you will need 7 EPROMs Type 27128 und 1 EPROM Type 2764.
» Major Havoc Rev. 3  -  [ link ]
» Major Havoc Rev. 2  -  [ link ]
» Major Havoc Prototype  -  [ link ]
» Alpha One (5 lives)  -  [ link ]
» Alpha One (3 lives)  -  [ link ]
» Major Havoc - Return to Vax  -  [ link ]



Reproductions/Spares/Improvements

Reproductions - For Major Havoc you will find a couple of new reproductions released in 2007, especially the roller controller by ram controls is worth mentioning. Have a look in the "Link Collection" section as well.
» Marquees and Control Panel Overlays at www.mamemarquees.com -  [ link ]
» Marquees and Control Panel Overlays by Archer McLean (top quality) -  [ link ]
» Roller Controller (Whirly Gig) bei www.ram-controls.com -  [ link ]
         
» HV Unit for Amplifone Monitor - arcadeshop.com (USA) - cinelabs.com (USA) - email Simon Hanlon (UK)
       
» AVG (Analog Vector Generator) Chip -  [ link ]
          
» Cabinet (planned) ... www.ram-controls.com -  [ link ]


Spares - Generally have a look at the "Link Collection" section to find sources. I can help out with single electronic items, if you don't find them elsewhere. A non conclusive List is in the "Electronics / Parts" section.



Mixed Stuff

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