btbfilms76

What is your Weapon of Choice?
We as Atari gamers have many options, here are mine...

 
I first picked up the Power Stick, this was an amazing experience due to the very light and responsive nature of this stick.  I didn't feel like I put up a good score but the pay was amazing.  

 
Next Wico Boss.  Was not sure how this was going to go but I was surprised by the gameplay I was getting.  Easy to control and no maze lane wandering, at first I needed to get accustomed to the Boss but very soon in I felt confident in the maze.

 
Moving on the the GripStick V61... Not too good in the maze.  Excellent for Ballblazer - Pac Man 2600... Not so much.  I did like the suction cups, thats a great feature but I was getting a ton of lane wandering and did not feel in control at all, and check out that score, I guess if I really practiced with this I could manage but after playing with the last two controllers I thought it was time to move on.

 
My personal favorite controller for Ms. Pac Man on the 7800 is the Wico Ball top controller.  This to me is the tops when it comes to 3rd party controllers, its just built like a tank, very little hand cramping and you can really slam that controller around, but this not how old Pac moves in this one.  The Ms. and this stick - great match up and you can really whip around the corners in the 7800 version, this one not so much.

 
On to the 7800 euro gamepad.  Well I had a good round - for me at least and it controlled pretty good with the pad... However, my thumb got tired real quick, like almost right off the bat.  Also I started with the thumb joystick in and as soon as I started took it out.  This got me a good score but it took a toll on my thumb.  

 
Note that when I first started the High Score Squad Challenge this month I though I would use the original joystick in a StickStand... the amount of stress it takes to make the old joysticks work is nuts.  It was making my shoulder hurt and I can't imagine it without the StickStand, and it's suppose to help.
 
So I played a few rounds, it was time to try the Power Stick one more time.

 
What say you?  What are you using for this round of Pac-Man on the 2600?
 
 

"We're Lawyers"

Then Mason grabbed the controller, (Original 2600 controller with a Slick Stick base and ball top)
And did this on his first play through...

Last round for tonight, I'm beat. Good luck friends, cant wait to see the unbelievable scores you all will post.

It’s a really important game, as flawed as it is. Let’s remember that was the ONLY way to play pac man at home, at that time. That’s what made atari in the 80s, Pac-Man set Atari apart from every other system out there. Only ATARI had Pac-Man.
 
Plus remember, Pac-Man is...
 
Totally accessible to everyone Totally iconic, as bad as it is

Little rusty, had to remember all the little nuances and that doesn't play like the arcade. The arcade drives like a fine tuned sports car, this drives like tractor trailer.

What is your Weapon of Choice?
We as Atari gamers have many options, here are mine...

 
I first picked up the Power Stick, this was an amazing experience due to the very light and responsive nature of this stick.  I didn't feel like I put up a good score but the pay was amazing.  

 
Next Wico Boss.  Was not sure how this was going to go but I was surprised by the gameplay I was getting.  Easy to control and no maze lane wandering, at first I needed to get accustomed to the Boss but very soon in I felt confident in the maze.

 
Moving on the the GripStick V61... Not too good in the maze.  Excellent for Ballblazer - Pac Man 2600... Not so much.  I did like the suction cups, thats a great feature but I was getting a ton of lane wandering and did not feel in control at all, and check out that score, I guess if I really practiced with this I could manage but after playing with the last two controllers I thought it was time to move on.

 
My personal favorite controller for Ms. Pac Man on the 7800 is the Wico Ball top controller.  This to me is the tops when it comes to 3rd party controllers, its just built like a tank, very little hand cramping and you can really slam that controller around, but this not how old Pac moves in this one.  The Ms. and this stick - great match up and you can really whip around the corners in the 7800 version, this one not so much.

 
On to the 7800 euro gamepad.  Well I had a good round - for me at least and it controlled pretty good with the pad... However, my thumb got tired real quick, like almost right off the bat.  Also I started with the thumb joystick in and as soon as I started took it out.  This got me a good score but it took a toll on my thumb.  

 
Note that when I first started the High Score Squad Challenge this month I though I would use the original joystick in a StickStand... the amount of stress it takes to make the old joysticks work is nuts.  It was making my shoulder hurt and I can't imagine it without the StickStand, and it's suppose to help.
 
So I played a few rounds, it was time to try the Power Stick one more time.

 
What say you?  What are you using for this round of Pac-Man on the 2600?
 
 

"We're Lawyers"

Cool. I have normal hands. I may need to try one.

Mason went live today and played some Urban Champion - When is the last time you thought about that game. Love how he's exploring the old games and sharing them with his friends.

6,167 played on the 7800 w/ 2600 joystick. 

Little rusty, had to remember all the little nuances and that doesn't play like the arcade. The arcade drives like a fine tuned sports car, this drives like tractor trailer.

Thanks for the Popeye coverage - we gave you a shoutout the last episode we went live. Keep up the great work!

Thanks for the Popeye coverage - we gave you a shoutout the last episode we went live. Keep up the great work!

Ep 357: Popeye

Nice joystick reviews btb!

I stick with my trusty Slik Stik for Pac Man. 

Sty with us, we're working out the bugs as we go LIVE from time to time.

Sty with us, we're working out the bugs as we go LIVE from time to time.

We're LIVE at the Jag Bar - Baldies CD anyone?

Some people really love Baldies but I could just never put the time into it. Given the Jag CD's limited retail release library, it's an odd addition over cancelled but complete titles like SoulStar, World Tour Racing and Iron Soldier 2. Fortunately, we got those last two from Telegames and a repaired version of SoulStar seems to be on the horizon.

We're LIVE at the Jag Bar - Baldies CD anyone?

Sound off gang, what say you?

Crystal Castles AF
 

Sound off gang, what say you?

That is eggggsactly the spirit in which this Squad Challenge was posted 
 
 
 
Nice post Phil. This was a good time for me to go back and watch your review of the game in Ep. 34. 
 
I think you've got to be able to look at a game like Pac-Man and say “yes, it's flawed, yes it was a turning point at Atari" and still be able to recognize it's play value. There's play value in TI-85 calculator games. This is a game that millions of kids played for the first time on their Atari 2600 and somehow found enjoyment in, even if there was some disappointment too. Pac-Man's release on a home console was a historical event. I can't and won't try to explain what Tod Frye and Atari were thinking at the time. It's okay to not like it, it's earned its reputation. I can say that there are a lot of memories attached to this game. What many of these 2600 homebrewers have done with Pac-Man, even with 4k, has been astonishing. For the past 15 years we've had the luxury of living in a coddled world of new 2600 homebrews. That wasn't always the case. The intent of this Squad Challenge is like hiking into the woods on a camping trip, it's to remind us what it was like to "rough it" when this is all we had. Sometimes you have to experience these games to appreciate their context and everything that’s come since.