Stell-A-Sketch [Image] Stell-A-Sketch is the newest release from RetroWare for the Supercharger that allows you to draw on your TV using your Atari 2600! Stell-A-Sketch allows you to draw with a joystick, driving controllers, an Amiga mouse, or an Atari ST mouse. A CD version of Stell-A-Sketch/Okie Dokie is available for $15 shipped in the US via Priority Mail. A cassette version is available, and comes with instructions, full color label and full color cassette case insert. The cassettes will contain high-quality tape recorded from a digitally mastered CD. The cassettes sell for $10 each shipped in the US via Priority Mail, and there will be no limits to the number made. As an added bonus, a Supercharger version of Okie Dokie wll also be included! This is the full 4k version as previously sold in cartridge form. Please e-mail rcolbert@novia.net if you are interested, and specify which option (cassette or CD) you are interested in! Below are the instructions for Stell-A-Sketch: Overview Stell-A-Sketch is a high resolution drawing program for the Atari 2600 VCS! By moving a pointer around the drawing area, you can create patterns or paint pictures! Tired of the picture you're working on? Be prepared to shake Stell-A-Sketch until the drawing area is clear! Setup With the Atari 2600 VCS turned off, gently insert your Supercharger into the cartridge slot. Plug a joystick, Amiga mouse, or an Atari ST mouse into the left controller port, or 1 Indy 500 driving controller in each controller port. Turn the Atari 2600 VCS on. You should see the Supercharger's star field screen with the message "Rewind Tape Press Play". If you do not see the star field, or do not see the cassette player message, turn the Atari 2600 VCS off, remove the Supercharger, and repeat the setup process. Insert the audio plug from the Supercharger into the headphone jack of your audio card or tape player (if you have recorded the .wav files to tape) and set the volume to the middle of the volume control's range. You may need to adjust the volume to get Stell-A-Sketch to load properly as each cassette player is different. Loading the Game into a real Supercharger Press play (on either your .wav player or tape player) and after a short pause, you should see bars move in from the sides of the screen, this indicates that the game is loading properly. If at any time before the two bars meet in the middle of the screen you see the star field and "Rewind Tape Press Play" message, the load failed and you will have to replay the .wav file, rewind the tape and try again or try loading the slow loading version. Some hints for better loading: Volume levels between 1/2 and 3/4 of the volume control range are generally the best. Leave all audio controls at a flat level. Place the cassette player on a flat, steady surface. Loading the Game into an emulator The Stell-A-Sketch 8448 byte .bin file can be used with the PC Atari emulator 1.5 and up. It does not currently work with the Stella emulator, though I will be sending the file to the author to reconcile that problem. Simply copy the sas.bin file to your PC Atari Emulator page, start the emulator, and choose the sas.bin file to begin drawing! Starting Stell-A-Sketch After Stell-A-Sketch is loaded, you will be presented with the title page. To begin using Stell-A-Sketch, press the RESET BUTTON, which will clear the drawing field and present you with a list of controller options. Note: While pressing reset at the title screen automatically erases the titles screen completely, you will have to WORK to erase any subsequent masterpieces! Selecting a Controller You have four choices of controllers to use to draw with: Joystick Indy 500 Controllers Amiga Mouse Atari ST Mouse To select a device, press the SELECT BUTTON until your choice is highlighted, then press the RESET BUTTON. If you press the SELECT BUTTON when the last device is highlighted, you will be returned to your drawing without changing the input device. Note: It is not recommended to unplug or plug controllers into the Atari 2600 VCS while it is on. You may notice that the Indy 500 Controllers have fairly poor response. This is due to their low resolution and is unavoidable. If after selecting a device, Stell-A-Sketch seems to draw by itself, then you may have selected the incorrect device. In this case, press the SELECT BUTTON and choose the correct device. Difficulty Switches LEFT DIFFICULTY SWITCH - This switch controls the drawing mode. When in Amateur mode, Stell-A-Sketch only draws when either the joystick or mouse button is pressed. This allows you to move the cursor around without drawing. When this switch is in Expert mode, Stell-A-Sketch draws whenever the cursor is moved. This switch has no effect when the Indy 500 controllers are selected. RIGHT DIFFICULTY SWITCH - This switch controls the speed that the joystick moves the cursor around the screen. In the Amateur position, the cursor moves slowly. In the Expert position, the cursor moves quickly. Erasing a Picture To erase a picture, you must "shake" the screen until the picture disappears. Pressing the RESET BUTTON while in the drawing mode (not in the device menu) will shake the screen and erase an area of your picture. You must continuously press and release the RESET BUTTON to successfully erase a picture! About Stell-A-Sketch Stell-A-Sketch was written using a PC, an Amiga 1200, a Supercharger, the DASM assembler by Matt Dillon and Makewave by Bob Colbert. It began as a test to see what type of high resolution graphics could be produced on the Atari 2600 VCS and evolved into what you now have. Disclaimer Bob Colbert and RetroWare make no guarantees, written or implied, on this software. We are not responsible for any damage due to the use of this software. Credits Stell-A-Sketch would not have been possible without the help and support of the following people: Dan Borris - My technical advisor who thought of the name. Ben Johnson - He sent me a pair of driving controllers for free! My Wife - Boy was she mad when she didn't see her name here ;) Mom and Dad - Couldn't have done it without them, they made me the happiest kid alive when they bought me an Atari 2600! Okie - My cat (R.I.P.), thanks for being there for 18 years! The #rgvc irc channel - When you need to talk to some friendly people, drop on in!