2600 Games Without Scores

[nosweargamer]

A viewer recently made a comment alluding to the fact that almost all 2600 games have some sort of a scoring system. 
It got me thinking: What non-homebrew 2600 games have no scoring of any kind? (For this question, I would include timers in games as a way to keep score)

 

So far the only game I can think of is Adventure.

Edited November 13, 2017 by nosweargamer

[RadioPoultry]

The 2600 version of Star Strike has no visible score counter or timer, as far as I can tell. That's the only one I can think of right now.

[RickR]

Riddle of the Sphinx? Maybe Dragonstomper?

[StormSurge]

Haunted House?

[nosweargamer]

Haunted House?

 

 I thought of that one,  but you can count how many matches you use, which could be a way to keep score.

[Starbuck66]

Maze Craze?

[Starbuck66]

Swordquest games?

[GRay Defender]

The board games like checkers...

[slobu]

Don't think it's as rare as we all may think.  I guess my example would be Crypts of Chaos and Strawberry Shortcake: Musical Match-ups.

 

Why no homebrew?  Is it too common on the new games us modern developers are making?

Edited January 2, 2018 by slobu

[nosweargamer]

Don't think it's as rare as we all may think.  

 

My best guess is that less than 5% of the library would qualify, so it may depend on your definition of rare, but to me that would be pretty rare when over 95% of yours games have some form of scoring.

 

I guess my example would be Crypts of Chaos and Strawberry Shortcake: Musical Match-ups.

 

 

Crypts of Chaos does have scoring, but Strawberry Shortcake is a good one, although it target younger children and has a pseudo timer in some variations with the sun.

 

Why no homebrew?  Is it too common on the new games us modern developers are making?

 

I was just curious what games went against the grain during the original run of the VCS/2600.

 

So far, what I have is the following:

1. Adventure
2. 3-D Tic-Tac Toe
3. Checkers
4. Dragonstomper
5. Maze Craze
6. Riddle of the Sphinx
7. Strawberry Shortcake: Musical Match-Ups
8. Swordquest Earthworld
9. Swordquest Fireworld
10. Swordquest Waterworld
11. Video Checkers
12. Video Chess

Let me know if you can think of any others, or if one of the above games does have a form of scoring.

[yinxy]

Basic programming?

 

Superman?

[HDN]

On 1/3/2018 at 8:48 PM, yinxy said:

Basic programming?

Ah, you stole my answer!

On 1/3/2018 at 8:48 PM, yinxy said:

Superman?

That one's got a timer, sorry.

 

This is a surprisingly hard question. A lot of you stole my answers (though let's be honest this is years before I ever heard of this site). It got me thinking. What about Backgammon or Math Gran Prix?

[TrekMD]

3D Tic-Tac-Toe?

Alpha Beam with Ernie?

CGE Adventures? (Homebrew)

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by TrekMD

[TrekMD]

Other games that I think don't have scores:

Halo 2600 (homebrew)

Escape from the Mindmaster (you get ranked by the Mindmaster but there is no score)

 

[Scott Stilphen]

Riddle of the Sphinx has scores.

[EEP!]

These are called games. Games need some sort of win condition. Few games had ending, so scores were needed so you could compare your skills with others. I would love to see more games without score, but even E.T. had scores. Did Secret Quest? Did Haunted Mansion?

It's an interesting thing to watch games in the NES era have scores even though no one cared anymore as it was about finishing the game rather than high scores. Relevance was somewhat had by earing lives or continues at certain milestones. For instance, who cares about their score in Super Mario Bros.3?

Modern games have scores too, but they seem to be more win/death tallies. However, The Guitar Hero/Rock Band games are beautifully retro in nature both in gameplay and scoring!