| Accurately Dumping an Astrocade ROM | This process describes how to dump the Astrocade ROM using only an Astrocade and software (no EPROM/ROM reader needed). This technique can be used to archive versions of the Astrocade ROM that have not been dumped or for dumping the ROM for use with an Astrocade emulator (such as MESS). (April 23, 2007) |
| Astrocade Arcade Games | A list of the arcade games that use the Astrocade chip set (November 24, 2001) |
| Astrocade Cartridge PD Release | Article on the PD release of two Astrocade cartridges (May 14, 2001) |
| 1) Astrocade Screen Operations - pdf 2)Astrocade Screen Operations - Text |
Explanation of how Astro BASIC stores programs on the "screen" (May 14, 2001) |
| Bally Arcade "Retro Astro" Handheld Unit by ToyMax! | An article about the new handheld Bally Arcade (called "Retro Astro") by Toymax, makers of the Atari Classics 10 In 1 TV Games. (April 1, 2006) |
| Bally's Blitter | The best article that describes how Bally BASIC uses 4K of screen RAM for text and video AND the BASIC program. Perkins, John "Tutorial (1) Screen Operations," ARCADIAN, 1, no. 6 (May 1979): 40. (November 17, 2002) |
| Bally Cassette Format | Article about the Bally cassette format (February 2001) |
| BASIC Demo Cart | Article about the Bally BASIC Demo Cartridge (September 29, 2001) |
| BASIC Differences | Differences between Bally and Astro BASIC (July 24, 2002) |
| Bally Arcade "Retro Astro" Handheld Unit by ToyMax! | (April 1, 2006) |
| Bob Fabris Letter From Adam Trionfo | A letter written by Adam Trionfo to Bob Fabris in 1994. Bob was the editor on the Arcadian newsletter from 1978 - 1986 and Adam started Ballyalley.com in 2001. (April 14, 2006) |
| Homebrew Game Ideas | Some ideas for Homebrew Astrocade games (November 14, 2001) |
| General History and Background of Astrocade, Inc. | This general history of Astrocade, Inc. is an excerpt from the Astrocade, Inc. bankruptcy plans filed on February 10, 1984 in Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. The case number is 2-82-04677. (Added December 27, 2007) |
| How the Wavemakers 'Masters' Update Come About | How the Wavemakers 'Masters' Update Come About by Paul Thacker. The Astrocade community is fortunate to have been able to contact Mike Peace, the programmer of WaveMaker games. He sent his master tapes to Paul Thacker to be archived. Paul wrote a great article about how this was accomplished. (March 10, 2007) |
| 1) Identify Bally ROM - PDF 2) Identify Bally ROM - doc |
How to identify the Astrocade's on-baord ROM (August 5, 2001) |
| Official Astrocade Scoreboard | This is the last high-score table that the Arcadian newsletter published. ("Official Astrocade Scoreboard," ARCADIAN, 6, no. 11/12 (Oct. 31 1984): 111.) Not all of the titles are cartridges (some are tape games). This is meant to be a start toward a list of that games could be played against each other using the Yahoogroups Bally Alley message board. (September 16, 2007) |
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Playing ICBM Attack Using the MESS Astrocade Emulator By Paul Thacker and Adam Trionfo December 28, 2010 "ICBM Attack" by Spectre Systems is a third-party game for the Bally Arcade/Astrocade game console. This Missile Command-type game was released in 1982. It is one of the most difficult cartridges to find for the Astrocade system. It is unique because the game does not use the regular Astrocade "hand controller" that every other cartridge game uses. Each "ICBM Attack" cartridge came with an analog controller that is absolutely required to play the game. In order to play "ICBM Attack" using the MESS emulator, it is absolutely essential to setup MESS correctly. This article explains how to go about doing that. The default article includes screenshots and pictures. This is the preferred method of reading the article. However, it can also be read in plain text format, here. The original document in Word format is available here. |
| Poor Man's RAM Expansion | An article by Craig Anderson (Anderson, C.J. "Poor Man's Memory Expansion," CURSOR 2, no. 3 (October 1980): 67-68). Described is how to use a tape as RAM (really!) (January 11, 2002) |
| Sneak Up and Bite Ya | Article by Craig Anderson that I've retyped from the Arcadian newsletter (From Arcadian, Vol. 5, No. 3, Pg. 49). This is one of the first descriptions of a way to differentiate between the on-board ROMS. (Jan. 14, 1983) |
| Top Ten Astrocade Games | In 2006 I posted a list to the Bally Alley Yahoo message board of my favorite Bally / Astrocade cartridge games and asked for others to reply, giving a list of their own favorite games. In 2010 I went ahead and found that list for someone that asked for a list of good games. This article is the result of those postings. I've added most of the comments and lists that other people made too, so it is a comprehensive, fun read. (May 1, 2006) |
| 1) UV-1 Computer - HTML 2)UV-1 Computer - Text |
Overview of the Astrocade and Its Relation to the UV-1 Computer (Apr. 18, 2001) |
| Xonox and Perkins | Xonox and John Perkins connection - Did you know that he wrote four Atari 2600 games? (July 9, 2002) |
| Z-80 Books | Four good Z-80 books recommended (September 26, 2002) |
