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=== In music === |
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=== In music === |
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Many games for the Atari 2600 have detailed and easily identifiable music, and its distinctive sound makes it ideal for use in modern [[lo-fi]] and [[industrial music]]. In 2002, [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] musician and visual artist [[Paul Slocum]] developed a cartridge called [[Synthcart]] for the Atari 2600, which allows the user to turn an Atari 2600 into a two-voice synthesizer and drum machine. Adapters have also been developed by amateurs enabling the Atari 2600's use with [[MIDI]] devices. A number of bands, such as [[8 Bit Weapon]], [[MIKE BISON]], [[Bud Melvin]], [[TEMPHUiBIS]], [[Black Moth Super Rainbow]] and The Squigs, as well as Slocum's own band [[Tree Wave]], use Synthcart to make modern music on the Atari 2600.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Some [[effects units]] like the [[MXR Blue Box]] are often cited for their ability to produce an Atari-like sound. Phonte from the hip-hop group [[Little Brother]], along with fellow lyricist Eccentric, formed a mock-group named Unheralded Symmetrics, and recorded a tribute to the system, entitled "Atari 2600". |
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Many games for the Atari 2600 have detailed and easily identifiable music, and its distinctive sound makes it ideal for use in modern [[lo-fi]] and [[industrial music]]. In 2002, [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] musician and visual artist [[Paul Slocum]] developed a cartridge called [[Synthcart]] for the Atari 2600, which allows the user to turn an Atari 2600 into a two-voice synthesizer and drum machine. Adapters have also been developed by amateurs enabling the Atari 2600's use with [[MIDI]] devices. A number of bands, such as [[8 Bit Weapon]], [[MIKE BISON]], [[Bud Melvin]], [[TEMPHUiBIS]], [[Black Moth Super Rainbow]] and The Squigs, as well as Slocum's own band [[Tree Wave]], use Synthcart to make modern music on the Atari 2600.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Some [[effects units]] like the [[MXR Blue Box]] are often cited for their ability to produce an Atari-like sound. Phonte from the hip-hop group [[Little Brother]], along with fellow lyricist Eccentric, formed a mock-group named Unheralded Symmetrics, and recorded a tribute to the system, entitled "Atari 2600". |
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=== Emulation === |
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Atari 2600 emulation is available for most major [[operating system]]s and is now very accurate. Despite the relative simplicity of the 2600 system, it is not an easy system to emulate. While it does not require a lot of computational power to emulate the 2600, it is hard to accurately do so. For example, because of the lack of a [[frame buffer]], 2600 [[Video game console emulator|emulators]] must not only emulate the console, but the television as well. Due to the longevity of the system, many 2600 games used undocumented features, and even exploited bugs in the [[Computer hardware|hardware]] to squeeze the most out of the system, doing things even the original designers would deem impossible (a notable example is the starfield of the game ''[[Cosmic Ark]]''). It took some time for the emulator programmers to mature their software to properly emulate the undocumented features, bugs and quirks of the system. |
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The [[MESS]] emulator supports recording and playing back of Atari 2600 emulation sessions. The Home Action Replay Page<ref> [www.homeactionreplay.org] Home Action Replay Page<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (aka HARP) allows Atari 2600 users to archive their favorite play sessions of the Atari 2600 system and its games. |
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Some well known Atari 2600 emulators today are: |
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* [[Stella (emulator)|Stella]] - An [[open source]], [[multiplatform]] emulator ([[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[Mac OS X]], [[Linux]], [[Dreamcast]], [[Nintendo DS]], [[Wii]], [[GP2X]]). |
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* [[z26]] - Another open source, multiplatform customizable emulator (Windows, [[MS-DOS]], Linux) |
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* [[PC Atari Emulator]] - Easy to use, very fast emulator (Windows, MS-DOS). Handles the Cosmic Ark starfield effect correctly. |
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* [[MESS]] - the multi system emulator that supports all old Atari console systems |
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* The Pocket VCS — PPC —Easy to use, very fast and emulator (Windows CE).{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}} |
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* GP2X-2600 - An emulator for the [[GP2X]] handheld console |
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<!--all the statements in this section need cites, but I didn't want to clog it up with 4-8 "citation needed" tags--> |
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=== Homebrews === |
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=== Homebrews === |
