Editing Starpath Supercharger

{{Short description|Video game expansion peripheral cartridge}}{{Infobox computer hardware
| name = Starpath Supercharger
| logo = 
| image = Starpath Supercharger and games.jpg
| caption = The Supercharger and a few game boxes
| invent-date = 
| invent-name = 
| conn1 = 
| via1_1 = 
| class-name = 
| class1 = 
| manuf1 = 
| designfirm = [[Starpath]]
| manufacturer = Starpath
| introduced = {{start date and age|1982|08}}<ref name=billboard1982intro>[https://books.google.com/books?id=1yQEAAAAMBAJ&dq=Supercharger+Arcadia&pg=PT31 Upgrades Atari Capacity:Arcadia Sets 'Supercharger Unit], By John Sippel, Page 32, Billboard, 21 Aug 1982, ''...comes to market later this month...''</ref>
| discontinued = {{end date|1984}}
| cost = 69.95 US$ (included one game: Phaser Patrol)<ref name=billboard1982intro />
| type = Expansion peripheral cartridge
| processor = 
| frequency = 
| memory = 6 [[kilobyte|KB]] [[random-access memory|RAM]]
| coprocessor = 
| connection = Cable [[earphone]] jack for [[Compact Cassette|cassette]]
| ports = 
| power = 
| weight = 
| dimensions = 
}}

The '''Starpath Supercharger''' (originally called the '''Arcadia Supercharger''') is an expansion peripheral cartridge created by [[Starpath]], for playing cassette-based proprietary games on the [[Atari 2600]] [[video game console]].<ref>{{cite web | url         = http://www.atariage.com/company_page.html?CompanyID=32 | title       = Companies: Starpath | first       = Albert
 | last        = Yarusso | work        = [[AtariAge]] | accessdate  = December 3, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
 | title       = Game console hacking: have fun while voiding you warranty | first1       = Joe | last1        = Grand
 | first2      = Frank | last2       = Thornton | first3      = Albert | last3       = Yarusso | publisher   = Syngress
 | year        = 2005 |pages=393, 504 | isbn        = 1-931836-31-0 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | first = Simon
 | last = Carless | authorlink = Simon Carless | title = Gaming Hacks: 100 Industrial-Strength Tips & Tools | publisher = [[O'Reilly Media]] | year = 2005 | pages = 15–16 | isbn = 0-596-00917-8 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title     = Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Videogames | first     = Leonard | last      = Herman | publisher = Rolenta Press | year      = 1997 | page      = 277 | isbn      = 0-9643848-2-5 }}</ref>

The device consists of a long cartridge with a handle on the end, and an audio cassette cable. It adds 6 [[kilobyte|KB]] to the Atari 2600's 128&nbsp;[[byte]]s of [[random-access memory|RAM]] for a total of 6,272 bytes of RAM,<ref>[http://www.atarimagazines.com/v2n2/atarivcs.html Games Department: Atari VCS], By Dan Gutman, ANTIC VOL. 2, NO. 2 / MAY 1983</ref> allowing for the creation of specially compatible games which are larger and have higher resolution graphics than normal cartridges. A cable coming out of the side of the cartridge plugs into the [[earphone]] jack of any standard [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] player, for loading all Supercharger games from standard audio cassettes.

==Games==
All Supercharger games were developed by Starpath.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/computer-video-games-magazine-021/CVG021_Jul_1983#page/n18/mode/1up  Advertisement:Silica shop:Supercharger] Page 19, Computer and Video Games Magazine Issue 021, Published July 1983</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/computer-video-games-magazine-021/CVG021_Jul_1983#page/n19/mode/1up  Article:Surpercharge a VCS and load up games from cassette tapes] Page 20-21, Computer and Video Games Magazine Issue 021, Published July 1983</ref>

;Initial releases
Listed in order of release:
#''[[Phaser Patrol]]''
#''[[Communist Mutants from Space]]''
#''[[Fireball (video game)|Fireball]]''
#''Suicide Mission''
#''[[Escape from the Mindmaster]]'' (prototype is called ''Labyrinth'')
#''[[Dragonstomper]]'' (prototype is called ''Excalibur'')
#''Killer Satellites''
#''[[Rabbit Transit (game)|Rabbit Transit]]''
#''[[Frogger]], The Official''
#''[[Party Mix (video game)|Party Mix]]''

;Mail order releases
These games were available only via mail order after Starpath declared bankruptcy.
*''[[Sword of Saros]]''
*''Survival Island'' <ref>{{YouTube|dLYqOF9R0kE|Survival Island (1982)(Demo)}}</ref>

;Prototypes
*''[[Summer Games (video game)|Sweat: The Decathlon Game]]''<ref name="starpath">[http://thedoteaters.com/?bitstory=epyx The Dot Eaters - Epyx | The Dot Eaters], ''Scott Nelson, one of the former Starpath programmers, had created a decathlon game for the Supercharger called Sweat!, but when the company merges with Epyx the project is shelved.''</ref>
*''Going Up??''

==Compatibility==
[[File:Starparth.jpg|thumb|The Starpath Supercharger by itself. The device has a unique shape.]]
The Supercharger is compatible with [[Atari 2600]], [[Atari 2600#Atari 2600 Jr.|Atari 2600 Jr.]], and the [[Sears Video Arcade]] consoles.

Due to the shape of the Supercharger, it does not normally fit into the [[ColecoVision#Expansion Modules and accessories|ColecoVision's Expansion Module #1]], which is an adapter that allows the [[ColecoVision]] to play [[Atari 2600]] games.  However, if the cover of the expansion module is removed or an extender is used, the Supercharger will work. Extenders were sent to customers who called Starpath about such issues.<ref name = "RE Jun 1983">{{cite magazine | last = Goodman | first = Danny | title = Starpath's Supercharger for Atari |magazine=Radio-Electronics | volume = 54 | issue = 6 | pages =65–67 | date = June 1983}}</ref>

The Supercharger does not work on many [[Atari 7800]] systems (which is typically backward compatible with the [[Atari 2600]]), although it does with some early models of the system. After Atari installed a circuit to fix a compatibility issue with the 2600 version of ''[[Dark Chambers]]'', it subsequently caused incompatibility with the Supercharger and some other games that use the FE [[bank switching]] method.<ref name = "HH 2004">{{cite book |last=Yarusso |first=Albert |editor-first=Joe |editor-last=Grand |title=Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty |publisher=Syngress |year=2004 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/hardwarehackingh00gran/page/228 228–232] |chapter=Chapter 7: Hack Your Atari 2600 and 7800 |isbn=1-932266-83-6 |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/hardwarehackingh00gran/page/228 }}</ref>

==Reception==
[[Danny Goodman]] of ''[[Creative Computing|Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games]]'' said that the Supercharger's "graphics are something else", reporting that the diagonal lines in one game under development were among the smoothest he had seen in any console.<ref name="goodman1983spring">{{Cite magazine |last=Goodman |first=Danny |author-link=Danny Goodman |date=Spring 1983 |title=Home Video Games: Video Games Update |url=http://www.atarimagazines.com/cva/v1n1/vgupdate.php |magazine=Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games |page=32}}</ref>

==Legacy==
The complete library of games, including the prototype ''Sweat'', was also released on audio CD as ''Stella Gets A New Brain'' by CyberPuNKS (Jim Nitchals, Dan Skelton, Glenn Saunders and Russ Perry Jr.). There are two releases, both sanctioned by [[Atari]] and Bridgestone Multimedia, who had obtained the rights to the Starpath library some time ago.  The first release is a limited number not-for-profit product, which also includes the previously unreleased [[Atari]] prototype, ''Polo'' by [[Carol Shaw (video game designer)|Carol Shaw]].  The second release includes the Supercharger prototypes ''Meteoroid'' (an early version<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/suicidemission/suicidemission.htm |title=Suicide Mission |accessdate=2021-01-25 |publisher=Atariprotos.com}}</ref> of ''Suicide Mission'') and Excalibur (an early version<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/dragonstomper/dragonstomper.htm |title=Dragonstomper |accessdate=2021-01-25 |publisher=Atariprotos.com}}</ref> of ''[[Dragonstomper]]''), in addition to a number of [[Atari 2600 homebrew|homebrew]] games by permission of their respective authors, and the song ''Atari 2600'' by [[Splitsville (How I Met Your Mother)|Splitsville]], fully licensed from the band.

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.steverd.com/faqs/STARPFAQ.TXT STARPATH/ARCADIA FAQ], last modified 1/5/1995
*[http://www.digitpress.com/faq/supercharger.htm#sec2.1 GENERAL STARPATH SUPERCHARGER QUESTIONS], CYBERPUNKS" Project FAQ, last modified 3/5/2000 by Glenn Saunders

{{Atari 2600}}

[[Category:Atari 2600]]
[[Category:Video game accessories]]