Stella
A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Release 2.2
User's Guide
- Introduction
- What You Will Need
- Installation
- Games
- Starting A Game
- Changing Options
- Settings File
- Keyboard Layout
- Event Remapping
- Cheatcode Manager
- Integrated Debugger
- Game Properties
- Stelladaptor Support
- Acknowledgments
- License and Disclaimer
February 1999 - April 2006
The Stella Team
Stella Homepage
A Brief History of the Atari 2600
In the early 1970's, video arcade games gained commercial success for the
first time. The American public was introduced to Pong, Tank, and other
interactive video games which populated amusement parks, bars, and arcades.
The games were successful enough to create interest for home versions, so in
1975 Atari released Home Pong and it was a smash hit. Other companies such as
Magnavox and Coleco followed suit and released their own dedicated console
games. Then in 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F
system, the first cartridge based home video game system. The industry
recognized that cartridge systems were the future of video gaming, and began
development in that direction. In January 1977, RCA released the Studio II,
another cartridge based system, although it only projected in black and white
and seemed to be focused on educational titles. Then, in October 1977, Atari
released the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with an initial offering of nine
games. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, took the industry by storm
and dominated the marketplace for years to come.
Because of oversupply, the Christmas season of 1977 was very rough on the
video game industry, and the Atari 2600 was the only system that managed to
emerge unscathed. Atari enjoyed strong sales in 1978 and a fantastic holiday
season, as Atari released more games such as Outlaw, Spacewar, and Breakout.
Internally however, Atari was at odds. Nolan Bushnell, the inventor of pong and
founder of Atari, wound up leaving the company and purchased Pizza Time Theater,
which later became the successful Chuck E. Cheese! In 1979 Atari continued
their trend and released 12 more games which met with continued success.
However, Atari was now facing some stiffer competition from the Mattel
Intellivision and the Magnavox Odyssey2.
Atari needed a mega-hit in 1980 in order to squash the competition, and they
found it in the home version of a game from Japan called Space Invaders. It was
so popular that people were buying the Atari 2600 just so they could play Space
Invaders at home. Following that, Atari released Adventure, which was the first
video game to contain an Easter Egg - placing an object in a certain area
revealed the programmer's name, Warren Robinett. 1980 was important for another
reason - the creation of the first ever third party software producer, Activision.
The company was formed by four Atari employees who were unsatisfied with the
working conditions at the company. They released four games initially: Dragster,
Fishing Derby, Checkers and Boxing. The games were very well received by the
public, and revealed that the Atari 2600 was capable of better games than
Atari themselves had been producing. Atari tried to prevent Activision from
selling games, but they failed and Activision grossed $70 million that year.
By 1981, the video game industry was basically a horse race between the 2600
and the Intellivision. While the Intellivision was technologically superior in
some respects, the 2600 continued to lead in sales. Atari released the home
version of Asteroids, which was a huge success. Inspired by the success of
Activision, another software development group called Imagic was formed. They
would not release any games until 1982 however. Another company, Games by Apollo,
was formed in Texas and released several games that year.
Coleco entered the market in 1982 with the release of ٘B'Crzb5T{مyx_A##S}Lk db]K t:?9-Cª[U$Bcˤ 2NUn50Sn $[mXho c"%`}'
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Stella - A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Stella
A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Release 2.2
User's Guide
- Introduction
- What You Will Need
- Installation
- Games
- Starting A Game
- Changing Options
- Settings File
- Keyboard Layout
- Event Remapping
- Cheatcode Manager
- Integrated Debugger
- Game Properties
- Stelladaptor Support
- Acknowledgments
- License and Disclaimer
February 1999 - April 2006
The Stella Team
Stella Homepage
A Brief History of the Atari 2600
In the early 1970's, video arcade games gained commercial success for the
first time. The American public was introduced to Pong, Tank, and other
interactive video games which populated amusement parks, bars, and arcades.
The games were successful enough to create interest for home versions, so in
1975 Atari released Home Pong and it was a smash hit. Other companies such as
Magnavox and Coleco followed suit and released their own dedicated console
games. Then in 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F
system, the first cartridge based home video game system. The industry
recognized that cartridge systems were the future of video gaming, and began
development in that direction. In January 1977, RCA released the Studio II,
another cartridge based system, although it only projected in black and white
and seemed to be focused on educational titles. Then, in October 1977, Atari
released the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with an initial offering of nine
games. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, took the industry by storm
and dominated the marketplace for years to come.
Because of oversupply, the Christmas season of 1977 was very rough on the
video game industry, and the Atari 2600 was the only system that managed to
emerge unscathed. Atari enjoyed strong sales in 1978 and a fantastic holiday
season, as Atari released more games such as Outlaw, Spacewar, and Breakout.
Internally however, Atari was at odds. Nolan Bushnell, the inventor of pong and
founder of Atari, wound up leaving the company and purchased Pizza Time Theater,
which later became the successful Chuck E. Cheese! In 1979 Atari continued
their trend and released 12 more games which met with continued success.
However, Atari was now facing some stiffer competition from the Mattel
Intellivision and the Magnavox Odyssey2.
Atari needed a mega-hit in 1980 in order to squash the competition, and they
found it in the home version of a game from Japan called Space Invaders. It was
so popular that people were buying the Atari 2600 just so they could play Space
Invaders at home. Following that, Atari released Adventure, which was the first
video game to contain an Easter Egg - placing an object in a certain area
revealed the programmer's name, Warren Robinett. 1980 was important for another
reason - the creation of the first ever third party software producer, Activision.
The company was formed by four Atari employees who were unsatisfied with the
working conditions at the company. They released four games initially: Dragster,
Fishing Derby, Checkers and Boxing. The games were very well received by the
public, and revealed that the Atari 2600 was capable of better games than
Atari themselves had been producing. Atari tried to prevent Activision from
selling games, but they failed and Activision grossed $70 million that year.
By 1981, the video game industry was basically a horse race between the 2600
and the Intellivision. While the Intellivision was technologically superior in
some respects, the 2600 continued to lead in sales. Atari released the home
version of Asteroids, which was a huge success. Inspired by the success of
Activision, another software development group called Imagic was formed. They
would not release any games until 1982 however. Another company, Games by Apollo,
was formed in Texas and released several games that year.
Coleco entered the market in 1982 with the release of ٘B'Crzb5T{مyx_A##S}Lk db]K t:?9-Cª[U$Bcˤ 2NUn50Sn $[mXho c"%`}'
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Stella - A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Stella
A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Release 2.2
User's Guide
- Introduction
- What You Will Need
- Installation
- Games
- Starting A Game
- Changing Options
- Settings File
- Keyboard Layout
- Event Remapping
- Cheatcode Manager
- Integrated Debugger
- Game Properties
- Stelladaptor Support
- Acknowledgments
- License and Disclaimer
February 1999 - April 2006
The Stella Team
Stella Homepage
A Brief History of the Atari 2600
In the early 1970's, video arcade games gained commercial success for the
first time. The American public was introduced to Pong, Tank, and other
interactive video games which populated amusement parks, bars, and arcades.
The games were successful enough to create interest for home versions, so in
1975 Atari released Home Pong and it was a smash hit. Other companies such as
Magnavox and Coleco followed suit and released their own dedicated console
games. Then in 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F
system, the first cartridge based home video game system. The industry
recognized that cartridge systems were the future of video gaming, and began
development in that direction. In January 1977, RCA released the Studio II,
another cartridge based system, although it only projected in black and white
and seemed to be focused on educational titles. Then, in October 1977, Atari
released the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with an initial offering of nine
games. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, took the industry by storm
and dominated the marketplace for years to come.
Because of oversupply, the Christmas season of 1977 was very rough on the
video game industry, and the Atari 2600 was the only system that managed to
emerge unscathed. Atari enjoyed strong sales in 1978 and a fantastic holiday
season, as Atari released more games such as Outlaw, Spacewar, and Breakout.
Internally however, Atari was at odds. Nolan Bushnell, the inventor of pong and
founder of Atari, wound up leaving the company and purchased Pizza Time Theater,
which later became the successful Chuck E. Cheese! In 1979 Atari continued
their trend and released 12 more games which met with continued success.
However, Atari was now facing some stiffer competition from the Mattel
Intellivision and the Magnavox Odyssey2.
Atari needed a mega-hit in 1980 in order to squash the competition, and they
found it in the home version of a game from Japan called Space Invaders. It was
so popular that people were buying the Atari 2600 just so they could play Space
Invaders at home. Following that, Atari released Adventure, which was the first
video game to contain an Easter Egg - placing an object in a certain area
revealed the programmer's name, Warren Robinett. 1980 was important for another
reason - the creation of the first ever third party software producer, Activision.
The company was formed by four Atari employees who were unsatisfied with the
working conditions at the company. They released four games initially: Dragster,
Fishing Derby, Checkers and Boxing. The games were very well received by the
public, and revealed that the Atari 2600 was capable of better games than
Atari themselves had been producing. Atari tried to prevent Activision from
selling games, but they failed and Activision grossed $70 million that year.
By 1981, the video game industry was basically a horse race between the 2600
and the Intellivision. While the Intellivision was technologically superior in
some respects, the 2600 continued to lead in sales. Atari released the home
version of Asteroids, which was a huge success. Inspired by the success of
Activision, another software development group called Imagic was formed. They
would not release any games until 1982 however. Another company, Games by Apollo,
was formed in Texas and released several games that year.
Coleco entered the market in 1982 with the release of ٘B'Crzb5T{مyx_A##S}Lk db]K t:?9-Cª[U$Bcˤ 2NUn50Sn $[mXho c"%`}'
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Stella - A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Stella
A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Release 2.2
User's Guide
- Introduction
- What You Will Need
- Installation
- Games
- Starting A Game
- Changing Options
- Settings File
- Keyboard Layout
- Event Remapping
- Cheatcode Manager
- Integrated Debugger
- Game Properties
- Stelladaptor Support
- Acknowledgments
- License and Disclaimer
February 1999 - April 2006
The Stella Team
Stella Homepage
A Brief History of the Atari 2600
In the early 1970's, video arcade games gained commercial success for the
first time. The American public was introduced to Pong, Tank, and other
interactive video games which populated amusement parks, bars, and arcades.
The games were successful enough to create interest for home versions, so in
1975 Atari released Home Pong and it was a smash hit. Other companies such as
Magnavox and Coleco followed suit and released their own dedicated console
games. Then in 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F
system, the first cartridge based home video game system. The industry
recognized that cartridge systems were the future of video gaming, and began
development in that direction. In January 1977, RCA released the Studio II,
another cartridge based system, although it only projected in black and white
and seemed to be focused on educational titles. Then, in October 1977, Atari
released the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with an initial offering of nine
games. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, took the industry by storm
and dominated the marketplace for years to come.
Because of oversupply, the Christmas season of 1977 was very rough on the
video game industry, and the Atari 2600 was the only system that managed to
emerge unscathed. Atari enjoyed strong sales in 1978 and a fantastic holiday
season, as Atari released more games such as Outlaw, Spacewar, and Breakout.
Internally however, Atari was at odds. Nolan Bushnell, the inventor of pong and
founder of Atari, wound up leaving the company and purchased Pizza Time Theater,
which later became the successful Chuck E. Cheese! In 1979 Atari continued
their trend and released 12 more games which met with continued success.
However, Atari was now facing some stiffer competition from the Mattel
Intellivision and the Magnavox Odyssey2.
Atari needed a mega-hit in 1980 in order to squash the competition, and they
found it in the home version of a game from Japan called Space Invaders. It was
so popular that people were buying the Atari 2600 just so they could play Space
Invaders at home. Following that, Atari released Adventure, which was the first
video game to contain an Easter Egg - placing an object in a certain area
revealed the programmer's name, Warren Robinett. 1980 was important for another
reason - the creation of the first ever third party software producer, Activision.
The company was formed by four Atari employees who were unsatisfied with the
working conditions at the company. They released four games initially: Dragster,
Fishing Derby, Checkers and Boxing. The games were very well received by the
public, and revealed that the Atari 2600 was capable of better games than
Atari themselves had been producing. Atari tried to prevent Activision from
selling games, but they failed and Activision grossed $70 million that year.
By 1981, the video game industry was basically a horse race between the 2600
and the Intellivision. While the Intellivision was technologically superior in
some respects, the 2600 continued to lead in sales. Atari released the home
version of Asteroids, which was a huge success. Inspired by the success of
Activision, another software development group called Imagic was formed. They
would not release any games until 1982 however. Another company, Games by Apollo,
was formed in Texas and released several games that year.
Coleco entered the market in 1982 with the release of ٘B'Crzb5T{مyx_A##S}Lk db]K t:?9-Cª[U$Bcˤ 2NUn50Sn $[mXho c"%`}'
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Stella - A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Stella
A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Release 2.2
User's Guide
- Introduction
- What You Will Need
- Installation
- Games
- Starting A Game
- Changing Options
- Settings File
- Keyboard Layout
- Event Remapping
- Cheatcode Manager
- Integrated Debugger
- Game Properties
- Stelladaptor Support
- Acknowledgments
- License and Disclaimer
February 1999 - April 2006
The Stella Team
Stella Homepage
A Brief History of the Atari 2600
In the early 1970's, video arcade games gained commercial success for the
first time. The American public was introduced to Pong, Tank, and other
interactive video games which populated amusement parks, bars, and arcades.
The games were successful enough to create interest for home versions, so in
1975 Atari released Home Pong and it was a smash hit. Other companies such as
Magnavox and Coleco followed suit and released their own dedicated console
games. Then in 1976, Fairchild Camera and Instrument introduced the Channel F
system, the first cartridge based home video game system. The industry
recognized that cartridge systems were the future of video gaming, and began
development in that direction. In January 1977, RCA released the Studio II,
another cartridge based system, although it only projected in black and white
and seemed to be focused on educational titles. Then, in October 1977, Atari
released the Atari VCS (Video Computer System) with an initial offering of nine
games. This system, later renamed the Atari 2600, took the industry by storm
and dominated the marketplace for years to come.
Because of oversupply, the Christmas season of 1977 was very rough on the
video game industry, and the Atari 2600 was the only system that managed to
emerge unscathed. Atari enjoyed strong sales in 1978 and a fantastic holiday
season, as Atari released more games such as Outlaw, Spacewar, and Breakout.
Internally however, Atari was at odds. Nolan Bushnell, the inventor of pong and
founder of Atari, wound up leaving the company and purchased Pizza Time Theater,
which later became the successful Chuck E. Cheese! In 1979 Atari continued
their trend and released 12 more games which met with continued success.
However, Atari was now facing some stiffer competition from the Mattel
Intellivision and the Magnavox Odyssey2.
Atari needed a mega-hit in 1980 in order to squash the competition, and they
found it in the home version of a game from Japan called Space Invaders. It was
so popular that people were buying the Atari 2600 just so they could play Space
Invaders at home. Following that, Atari released Adventure, which was the first
video game to contain an Easter Egg - placing an object in a certain area
revealed the programmer's name, Warren Robinett. 1980 was important for another
reason - the creation of the first ever third party software producer, Activision.
The company was formed by four Atari employees who were unsatisfied with the
working conditions at the company. They released four games initially: Dragster,
Fishing Derby, Checkers and Boxing. The games were very well received by the
public, and revealed that the Atari 2600 was capable of better games than
Atari themselves had been producing. Atari tried to prevent Activision from
selling games, but they failed and Activision grossed $70 million that year.
By 1981, the video game industry was basically a horse race between the 2600
and the Intellivision. While the Intellivision was technologically superior in
some respects, the 2600 continued to lead in sales. Atari released the home
version of Asteroids, which was a huge success. Inspired by the success of
Activision, another software development group called Imagic was formed. They
would not release any games until 1982 however. Another company, Games by Apollo,
was formed in Texas and released several games that year.
Coleco entered the market in 1982 with the release of ٘B'Crzb5T{مyx_A##S}Lk db]K t:?9-Cª[U$Bcˤ 2NUn50Sn $[mXho c"%`}'
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Stella - A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Stella
A multi-platform Atari 2600 VCS emulator
Release 2.2
User's Guide
- Introduction
- What You Will Need
- Installation
- Games
- Starting A Game
- Changing Options
- Settings File
- Keyboard Layout
- Event Remapping
- Cheatcode Manager
- Integrated Debugger
- Game Properties
- Stelladaptor Support
- Acknowledgments
- License and Discla