Jump to content

Atari 5200 Guy

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    6,109

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    214

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Atari 5200 Guy

  1. Atari 5200 Guy
    The SMURFS.  Arguably one of the most popular cartoon icons of the 1980's.  These little blue people took America, if not the world, by storm literally overnight.  Once the cartoon aired it wasn't long before stores started loading down their shelves with everything from lunch boxes, vinyl records, figurines, dinnerware, posters, and many other items too numerous to mention.  Seriously, anything you could think of to put SMURFS on was available.  The Saturday morning cartoon series ran a full 9 seasons (1981-1989) containing 256 episodes.
    I loved the SMURFS.  Even Atari couldn't keep me from watching my favorite Saturday morning cartoon show.  The Atari was on from about 6 until the SMURFS came on which was usually about 9.  The first shows aired for about 30 minutes in my area.  After the SMURFS I usually tried to watch Saturday Supercade on another channel if it was coming in good.  If not then back on went the Atari.   
    I would pick up SMURF items during the show's run.  I had lots of figurines but never could find a Papa Smurf.  I had three of the full-length LP vinyl albums and enjoyed them.  Some songs I still remember by heart.  
     
    "10...9...8...7...5...4..."
    "Hey! You forgot 6!"
    "What?"
    "You forgot 6."
    The the sounds of a rocket ship would take off followed by a pop-rock style beat and music.  Yea, you just never forget some things from childhood.  The one thing I was blind to was the SMURF games that came out for the Atari 2600.  This was due to my owning an Atari 5200 which did not get any games made by Coleco, Mattel, and most other 3rd party software developers that graced the almighty 2600.  
    I recently acquired a SMURF game for the 2600 titled SMURF RESCUE IN GARGAMEL'S CASTLE.  SMURFS?  On the 2600?  I have to admit my first thought was, "Oh dear.  Those poor SMURFS.  Even they were not immune to the 2600."  Knowing how the 2600 really was not suppose to be capable of decent graphics I only imagined what the game would look like.  I cringed to think about how it would play.  But I loved the SMURFS so I took a chance on it.  Would I see Gargamel?  What about Azrael?  What was the point of the game?  Was I going to run for my life or was I suppose to try to get something back from Gargamel?  These questions all popped up in my head because I only had the cartridge.  I didn't have the instructions to read that might have gave some insight to what I was suppose to be doing.
    On goes the game and I immediately hear that famous "La la lala la la" theme the SMURFS would always sing.  And it wasn't that bad.  Then I start playing the game.  Make it to the next screen and ... couldn't figure out how to jump over that first fence for nothing.  I lost all five lives in about 5 seconds...or so it seems.  It might have been longer than that.  I wasn't counting. 
    I try another round.  Found the jump button!  You push UP on the joystick.  And if you time it right you can get a double jump that is significantly higher than before.  I try the double jump and VIOLA!  I'm over the fence.  Next screen...a river.  No problem.  Double jump over that no problem.  Next screen.  Oooo...a spider!  I try just walking down the hole and die.  OK.  Walking in the hole doesn't work so I tried jumping in it.  Success!  Pass the spider, jump up the other side and on to the next screen.  Another river.  I mistimed my jump and ended up taking a bath.  Another life lost.  I managed to get over it the second time.  Next screen.  Gargamel's castle.  In the top right corner is Smurfette and now it all becomes clear.  I'm to strategically work my way through screens, each with its own challenges, to try to reach Gargamel's castle before Smurfette becomes Smurf Stew.  
    The more I played the game the more I became hooked on it.  The game is very colorful and the characters actually look decent.  The controls take a bit getting use to but that's commonplace for 2600 games.  What is a rarity with most 2600 games is in-game music that plays in the background while there is action going onscreen.  Only a few games did that including Pitfall II and Moon Patrol, the latter of which did not do it very well but tried.  SMURFS on the other hand managed to get background music and sound effects without either one cancelling each other out.  It's like there is a second sound chip in the cartridge somewhere.  There probably is truth be told. 
    What is even more interesting is how well Coleco captured one of the most on-going story lines in the cartoon series.  Gargamel, an evil wizard whose schemes almost always never worked, would manage to capture a few SMURFS to try to eat.  Eww.  It was never clear why the two never got along and I remember a few episodes where the SMURFS actually helped Gargamel and his evil cat Azrael a time or two.  By the end of some of the episodes where SMURFS were about to be Smurf Stew the SMURFS captured where always rescued and Gargamel kindly cursing his loss or blaming his cat for them getting away.  And that's the plot of the game.  To save Smurfette which, surprisingly, was originally Gargamel's creation to lead the SMURFS to Gargamel's castle.
    For what it's worth SMURF RESCUE IN GARGAMEL'S CASTLE is probably the first true hidden gem I've come across on the 2600.  It's not what you would think.  This game is more like the ancestor to the Super Mario Brothers games.  It's easily the first, if not the only, side scrolling style platformer for the 2600.  Putting it down is hard to do and as you progress the harder the game gets but speeding things up.  You will soon be trying to figure out how to jump a fence and avoid a pesky hawk, avoid snakes and rivers, and much more.  No, it doesn't scroll but it fits better in that category of gaming than any other as far as I'm concerned.  
    My original thought on the game before I even played it was quickly laid to rest as soon as I started playing.  I understand that this is considered one of the more rare games on the 2600 but should one be found in the wild don't hesitate to pick it up or might miss one of the best games Coleco put out on the 2600.  If Donkey Kong on the 2600 is considered their worst then SMURF on the 2600 should be considered their best work.  Period.  Don't miss it if you find it and if you have it play it more often.  Below is a video of me playing the game the first time after I learned the controls.  This should showcase all it has to offer and why I feel it is a 2600 hidden gem.
    Enjoy the video and I hope you enjoyed this post.  And have a SMURFING Day!
  2. Atari 5200 Guy

    Jinks (Atari 7800)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    Atari 7800
    OK.  Im new to Jinks.  I have read where many people have dogged it.  I have watched video reviews on it where it didn't do so good.  Granted it is not a typical 7800 game I'm use to.  From a technical standpoint it actually does some impressive feats.
      
    I have to admit that I don't belong in those majorities.  On the contrary I find Jinks rather fun.  I did find a few flaws here and there like my ball disappearing all of a sudden or going through objects it shouldn't but the game is sit down classic fun.  It doesn't need twitchy fingers and movements to enjoy the game.  Jinks is more laid back and relaxing.  And I believe that is where the misconception is.
    Jinks is a fun game if you don't approach it as an arcade game because that is something that it's not.  If you just sit down and want to play a game where you can be immersed and have an hour to kill give Jinks a go.  It really isnt a bad game and the sounds in spots are actually quite impressive.
    UPDATE: After I wrote this post I decided to spend a few days on this game.  I can't stop playing it.  I did some research on it and it seems like the 7800 was the only game console to receive a port of this computer game.  I have not yet researched the other versions to see what differences their are BUT...once you know the game's mechanics and what every object in the game does there is a hidden gem inside that plastic cartridge. I have not found any other game on the 7800 that has the sounds like Jinks does.  Then again Jinks is my first game outside of the usual arcade ports on the system.  
    The sounds in this game are what impress me the most.  It is amazing just how far some developers went as to push new features on the 7800.  Jinks really shows just how flexible the 7800 really was even when just using TIA as the sound chip.  I mean...digitized sounds and speech??  It makes me wonder if the 7800 got any more games that did that.  Granted the actual game play sounds are full-on TIA sounds the rest of the game is all digitized sounds.  To me that is impressive.
    I don't know how it faired during the 7800's production run and I don't know what modern gamers who have reviewed this game are basing their opinions on (e.g.; other 7800 games or other Jinks ports) but my opinion stands firm:  Jinks is a hidden gem of a game and has become my number two game on the system right under Asteroids.
  3. Atari 5200 Guy
    Jungle Hunt was one of many games Atari would bring to their consoles, meaning the 2600 and 5200, that I would not have the joy of experiencing. I'm not sure why this game never made it in my library of games in the past unless we simply could not find it. But it is here now and I have been trying to enjoy the game.  
    Jungle Hunt is a side-scrolling, run-and-jump style game. You play as a guy trying to rescue a woman who has been captured by savages. Sound a bit familiar? The game offers four stages of game play and two difficulty settings. Difficulty switches are not used in this game. So, in pops the cart and on goes my 2600. I grab the controller and press the fire button.
     




    At the start of the game I'm swinging on a vine and have to jump from vine to vine to reach the next level. Timing of jumps is vital as a mistimed jump can lead to death from a nasty fall. One jump after another what seems like a few seconds and I'm on the next lever before I know it. 

    That was a breeze. My guy is swimming in what I believe is a really huge river. In this river are alligators or crocodiles, not sure which, and I don't think it would matter should one have me for lunch. On the right side of the screen just above the "water" is a diving meter. If you dive below the surface of the water the guy can only hold his breath for so long...and that meter is a timer for how long he can hold his breath. Stay underwater too long and you lose a life. I lose two lives in this round; one from an alligator and another one for not paying attention to my breath meter. Opps.
     

    The next round our guy has to avoid boulders either by jumping over or ducking under them. There are two size of boulders. The smaller boulders are not difficult and only require timed jumps. The larger boulders, however, are a bit more difficult and I soon learn it is easier to duck under them than to try to jump over them. Before I know it
     

    ...I'm suddenly standing next to a jumping savage. It takes me a few times to figure out this area and I lose all my lives and have to start over. By the time I make it back here I have managed to keep all of my lives from the start. I study the movement of the savage. Jumps to the right and then jumps back left and seems to pause for a second before jumping again. That's it! I manage to get next to him on his jump right and as he jumps left I move close to him. As soon as he lands I jump over him. Ah HA! Success!! Another savage, same move as before, and jump!
     

    And I have managed to save our jungle lady in distress ... for the first time. After my bonus points have been added up we are back at the beginning of the game, ready to do it all over again. This time things are a bit tougher than before. I only manage to make it to the swimming round because the alligators are faster than before and I can't hold my breath as long as I could before. So...game over at the swimming round.
     



    Jungle Hunt is a good game. The graphics are not that bad for being a 2600 game. It's easy to visually tell what everything is suppose to represent. There are not many sounds in this game other than when jumping, the bonus points being counted up, drowning or being eaten by alligators, and short tune between levels and at the beginning of the game. Other than that the game is pretty much quiet. The controls are tight and respond very well. It might take a while, however, to time jumps in later levels but as soon as a direction or button is pushed the game responds immediately. 
    Jungle Hunt is fun and looks good. I especially enjoy the label artwork that I would have expected to see on the side of the arcade cab. Jungle Hunt is sure to provide with a few minutes to an hour of entertainment. It should also be enjoyable sitting next to more games in a 2600 library.
  4. Atari 5200 Guy
    After all the life changes happening as of late I finally managed to sit down and play a video game on real hardware.  I decided to hook up my STe and the game I picked to play was Lotus Turbo Challenge.  Granted I have not seen this game since the Genesis days so it was nice to see it again.  

    The first thing I noticed were the graphics. To me they seemed to be better than those on the Genesis but on par with those IBM PCs equipped with EGA graphics adapters.  Those were the good ol' days.  Every screen pays tribute to the exotic Lotus sports car.  Screens detail exterior and interior designs and features, there's a 360 degree rotating render of the car, and power house tech sheets for you car buffs.  At its roots, however, LETC is a basic and simple racing game.
    The objective is really simple...place 10th or better to advance to the next race.  Should you cross the finish line in 11th place or higher then the game ends.  Do not pass GO, do not collect $200. Lotus on the ST I believe has nine tracks to race on with pit row.  It offers split screen racing for two players to have fun.  The game offers multiple music tracks to listen to while racing or you can simply turn them off.  The beginning of each track has information about that track including lane closures and pit requirements.

    The visuals of Lotus are very impressive in my opinion and remind me a lot of how Top Gear on the Super Nintendo looked like.  The controls are simple to use with a couple of control options to choose from and is controlled by a joystick.
    Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge became an instant hit then and it is easy to see why.  It's a nicely made racing game that is easy to pick up and play for one or two people.  Searching EBay for physical copies turned up very little.  Only a few were available from outside the USA.  Prices ranged from $16 to $115 at the time I did a search.  For STe owners this game got a recent upgrade in graphics and sounds and is available on Atari Mania.  This one is a classic!  So grab a buddy and lay asphalt.
     
  5. Atari 5200 Guy
    The almighty hamburger.  A hot sandwich starting with a beef patty, topped with trimmings like lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese, and smothered with ketchup and mustard.  A monetary staple for fast food drive-ins and a popular item to cook for some outdoor grillin'.  It's also one of the easiest food items to cook where almost anything on it will compliment it.  Almost.  That is until you come across evil food.  Hot dogs, eggs, and pickles are tired of being on the menu and have gone on strike!  That is the formula it takes to have a little video game called BurgerTime.
    The object of the game is to guide a chef, named Peter Pepper, through various mazes.  Each maze contains scattered ingredients that make up a hamburger which has to be assembled on plates at the bottom of the mazes.  Making hamburgers should be easy, right?  Wrong.  To add salt to a wound our chef is constantly being hunted down by food whose only goal is to stop chef from completing his mission.  The only weapon at your disposal is the almost empty pepper shaker that was grabbed at the last minute.
    For a simple sounding concept BurgerTime is anything but simple.  One false move or turn will have our chef meet his demise instantly.  And no matter which way our chef goes the food will not be far behind.  Our chef gets very little no time to stop and get a heading on where everything is.  Even stopping for a split second will end up with him being cornered with no where to run.  Hit them with pepper and he can slide by.  Catch one on a hamburger part when you make it fall will take that evil food with it for a long ride.  Want an egg on your burger?  Catch one between all the layers of the burger and it becomes part of the burger.  Pick up the desserts and side items that pop up to gain extra pepper.  
    Originally developed by Data East and released in North America by Bally/MIDWAY BurgerTime is one of those games that's a bit of an odd-ball.  Out of all the video games made there hasn't been another game that has tried to imitate or use a similar formula that makes BurgerTime tick.  My Arcade managed to cram all that into a miniature arcade cabinet that's as much fun to play as it is to look at.  But is it any good?
    On the outside BurgerTime's cabinet contains artwork that is inspired by the original but not 100% accurate.  For whatever reason the chef on the sides has an "H" on his hat where as the original chef on the real deal has a "P" for Peter Pepper.  I'm not quite sure what the "H" is all about unless his name is Hamburger Harry.  Maybe Peter got fired and Harry took his place?  Your guess is as good as mine.  At least all of the artwork fits together nicely.
    All of these My Arcade Micro Players made to date remind me of the NES standard controllers with a removable joystick handle.  With that you have a D-Pad/joystick combo that tries to act as a four-way joystick from the arcades.  The two smaller buttons are to Start and Reset the game.  The Start button doubles as a pause button for times when you need a break.  For some odd reason there are two pepper buttons.  Well, should one button fail there is a back-up.  
    Even though it uses the NES version of BurgerTime it's still a blast to play but BurgerTime on this unit is very unforgiving and very fast paced.  Before you know it food will be on top of you in the blink of an eye.  I have not managed to see if all the mazes from the arcade are here but I did manage to see five of them.  Getting that far was not an easy task at all.  Concentration is definitely the key to getting anywhere in this game.  You can sometimes trick enemies to go one way while you take off in another direction.  But not always.
    BurgerTime has its place in video game history as one of the most original and iconic designs of all time.  No matter how unforgiving this game gets its addictive and hard to put down.  It is for me anyway.  We hear more about Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Centipede, Frogger, and other popular games from the same era than we hear about BurgerTime.  And these attractable micro arcades I have found hard to resist.  My only wish is that they would have used actual arcade ROMs.  BurgerTime takes its place next to my other micro arcades where it will be enjoyed time and time again.  Not a bad way to preserve some of the arcade games my generation grew up with.
  6. Atari 5200 Guy

    Magneto Bugs (A8 Game)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    A8 Software
    Magneto Bugs is a one player, dot munching, maze game.  The objective of the game is to get as many of the white dots as possible while avoiding the bugs in the maze.  As you move you leave behind red dots that can attract the bugs.  This game is played with a joystick controller.

    I have spent my weekend trying out this game along with two others I picked up.  I kept coming back to this one.  While it might look like a Pac-Man clone it is far from that game.  The back of the package mentions that there are two mazes but I don't think the publisher actually played the game beyond a short test run.   This game appears to generate mazes randomly as I have not seen two mazes look alike. And these mazes have dead ends and if a bug is chasing you it's curtains.  
    One of the most interesting features has to be the magnifier box.  This box follows your player and is your view window to where you are.  I believe this is only game I have come across to use this feature this way.  I really like the opening tune that was used in a lot of Looney Tunes shorts.  And when you get caught the game says something that I have yet to figure out what it is saying.  You do get to rack up points as you progress and you are timed but this timer keeps track of how long you last.  Complete a maze and it's on to another maze.  You get one life.
    Despite how simple it looks and sounds I found this game to be very addictive.  The real challenge of the game is trying to get all those dots without trapping yourself in a corner or dead end.  As many times as I have played this game I have managed to complete only one maze...just one!  My only gripe is I grabbed the Main Street Publishing version which was a budget title.  It shows as there are no instructions even when the package mentions full documentation and they put the disk inside the shell without a sleeve to protect it.  Then again you get what you pay for.  The game is fun and I would recommend it.  Oh...one more thing...this game was previously released as Tumble Bugs by Datasoft...the same people that made Pole Position, Dig Dug, Moon Shuttle, and others for the A8 computers.
     
  7. Atari 5200 Guy
    Ahh. Missile Command. A game that reminds me of the ABC Network movie called The Day After. If you've never seen the movie I will share it on the forums here at Atari.IO. Watch it and you will see why I feel the two are almost connected. 
    Missile Command is an arcade-style game where the player is protecting six cities from wave after wave of attacks. First a few missiles, then a few more missiles. These are soon joined with bi-planes, satellites, and more to increase the challenge as if there already wasn't enough. It's enough to make one pull their hair out.
     



    Popping the cartridge in the 2600 I am greeted with a game screen where I can change skill levels and settings. I go with default settings. First wave of missiles I fend off easily. The next round introduces a few more missiles than before. By the third round I'm fending off bi-planes as well, by the fifth round there are these little, annoying, small triangles coming down that manage to avoid my shots. But I manage to save all six cities. I lose my first city by round eight. As the game progresses the speed at which things are coming out of the sky is overwhelming and by the tenth round it's game over.  



    Being played on the 2600 Missile Command is a very well made port. But it is also a game where the player will lose, it's only a matter of how skilled a player is and how much time they are willing to spend playing it. The visuals of the game are not too different from the arcade. I didn't notice any flickering and the sounds are OK. Despite being a track-ball game the controls are very well done for the joystick controller.  
    Missile Command appears to be about an era when worries of nuclear attacks were an everyday fear. I'm not so sure if those fears still exist or even if the underground facilities for such an event are still around either. Missile Command might have more to do with history, not video game history but actual history, in the fact that it portrays what would happen in an all-out missile attack anywhere in the world. Even with the most sophisticated technology to help protect against such an attack, cities would be wiped off the map, lives would be lost, civilizations destroyed. But, it is only a game and well made one at that. And the 2600 does a very decent job of bringing home the arcade that was once a hit.
     
    Missile Command is one of those games you either like it or you don't. It is a very common 2600 title so it shouldn't be too difficult to find. No Atari 2600 would be the same without Missile Command in a game library. I'm just not too sure how often I would play it.
  8. Atari 5200 Guy
    When Moon Patrol hit the local arcade it quickly became one of my favorites. By the time my 11th birthday came I had pretty much faced the reality that games for my 5200 were no longer going to arrive. This would have been in the spring of 1985 and after 1983 showed up the 5200 games seem to have stopped. For two years I kept hoping that I would see a new game for my 5200 show up somewhere. Nope. The only thing I really seen was the sudden rate at which prices were being dropped on anything for my 5200 and some 2600 titles as well. So I was surprised when I unwrapped a brand new 5200 game called Moon Patrol. Where Mom found it I had no clue and I still have no clue but it was the only gift I got that day and that was enough for me. 
    It took everything in me to wait until after my birthday to play Moon Patrol on the 5200. And that time is when I believe I started to pick up the habit (a bad one) how to block out anything else around me to concentrate on a game. And what seemed like a few minutes was actually a couple of hours. The friends I had sitting next to me were no longer there...and, yes, I shared the game with them. I remember taking turns for a while and then it seemed like the asking to play stopped all of a sudden. Other than that my eyes were stuck on the purple moon buggy on the screen, watching for holes and rocks, while firing at enemies.
     



    Just before writing this review up I took some time to play this game again on the 5200 to refresh my memory and to get my mind set on what to write about. The memories of getting this game as a gift came back. The timed reflexes also returned to aide my quest. I managed to make it to "Y" before a second rock caught me off guard after I jumped over a rock while trying to shoot at enemies above me. After that my whole thought process seemed to not want to work any more. I guess you could say I lost my mojo. 



    Moon Patrol is a side-scrolling arcade-style game that is a bit of Space Invaders and a bit of something else. The side-scrolling action is automatic but the player can adjust the speed at which the moon buggy is traveling with the joystick. It's not just the enemies flying down out of the sky that the player has to worry about either; there's rocks (which you can shoot or jump over), holes, mines, robot tanks, and if you manage to make it to the Advanced stage, there is a hovercraft that will attack you from behind. Basically anything possible to destroy you was put in the game...and it actually works well. 
    The player travels from A to Z in five rounds; A to E, F to J, K to O, P to T, and U to Z. As the player progresses the more challenges the player faces. The nice thing about Moon Patrol is that the rounds are pattern-based, meaning that no matter how many games you play the way the rounds are setup will remain the same. Where ever a hole or rock was before it will be in that exact same spot the next time through.
     



    One of the things that I really love about Moon Patrol on the 5200 is the artwork. While it is the same used on the 2600 with the exception of the red sky the 5200 Moon Patrol has the blue sky background to match the system's dedicated color. It's one of my favorite box arts on the 5200...it makes you want to play the game instead of trying to figure out what the artwork is doing. 
    The 5200 version of Moon Patrol does not include a keypad overlay so if you get a complete, or new, copy of this game don't think they are missing. There simply wasn't any made for this game. I will say this; Moon Patrol on the 5200 may require you to use your best working controller. Immediate responses from working controls can make the difference in the overall experience of this game.
     
    Moon Patrol is one of many arcade titles that made it to the 5200 ... and it is a well make port. The graphics, sounds, and controls are good even with the analog controls. It will not disappoint. I couldn't see my 5200 collection being without Moon Patrol and you shouldn't either.
  9. Atari 5200 Guy
    My first encounter with Mouse Trap, the video game and not the board game, was not until 2011 when I had, for a short time, a Colecovision console with some games. I ended up selling that off to help with holiday funds that same year. I would not see Mouse Trap again until about Spring 2016. This time the game would be for the granddaddy of all consoles...the Atari 2600.
     
    Mouse Trap is a different take on the Pac-Man theme. The player controls a mouse that is hurrying to eat up all the cheese scattered about the house. Trying to keep our mouse from his rewards are three pesky cats who are hungry...and our mouse would make a perfect snack. To aid our mouse are "cheese enhancements" that can turn our mouse into a dog for a short amount of time, allowing the mouse to attack the cats. Sounds like a game that should have been called Tom and Jerry because it sounds like the game was based on those two cartoon mascots. So, in goes the game and on goes my 2600. The game starts instantly with a short tune.
     

    Mouse Trap on the 2600 is actually OK. Moving around the "house" I manage to get all the "cheese" without being eaten by a cat. Next round...same thing. I spent a good hour on this game getting all the cheese, turning into a dog when needed, eating cats, collecting "bones" to change into a dog, racking up points. I stopped once just to see what would happen and, guess what? The cats only move a short distance in a continuous loop. They only relocate when my character, the mouse, moves. Try it sometime. There is an invisible mode by moving the TV Type switch from color to black and white (B/W) which is very challenging but the rest is the same. After an hour I'm still going with plenty of extra lives left. With each round advance the cats move faster but it's not enough to take me out completely. Tired of playing I put down the controller.
     

    Mouse Trap is made well. I like the fact that I can alter the "house" design a bit by holding the fire button down. Areas in the maze can be moved to help alter the path the cats are taking. The colors in the game almost seem like those on the early computer systems that couldn't do graphics and had a monochrome monitor. Even with the cats being of a slight yellow color the game has that monochrome appearance. The only other color that is noticeable is when the mouse changes into a dog which changes the player from the same green as the maze to a brown color. The maze also changes to a pinkish-purple when the mouse is caught by a cat. The game does control well and sounds are not annoying.
     
    Mouse Trap is a game that should be in a game library for a bit of a variety. However, once mastered it might not hold as much replay value as it did before being mastered. It is a fun game none the less and maintains an arcade feel that is easy to pick up and learn without instructions. I have the Atari release that Atari bought once Coleco left the video game market during the crash. And I am not sure if any changes were made during the ownership switch. Either way I recommend the game to offer a bit of variety in a 2600 collection.
  10. Atari 5200 Guy
    During the first year of the 5200's production run, the system received many ports of popular arcade hits. Every dot-munchin' gamer loved Pac-Man, a game the 5200 received shortly after initial release. To Atari ... it only made sense to bring the Queen of Video Games, Ms. Pac-Man, for SuperSystem owners to enjoy in the comfort of their homes. 




    Ms. Pac-Man on the 5200 contains everything the arcade hit has including very accurate multiple mazes, intermissions, music and sounds. Pressing the start button gives the player the first maze along with the opening music Ms. Pac-Man is known for. Going around the maze, munching dots, the ghosts don't take long to come chasing after me ... forcing me to use a power dot. It's not long before I finish up the first maze with one life down because I made a turn the wrong way when I was expecting a ghost to move another way.  

    Down with the second maze and I'm down two more lives. Pinky managed to head me off when Blinky was hot on my tail. Not once but twice. Time for a break to watch the first intermission! OK...new maze now. The speed of the game seems to have picked up by now. I barely manage to eat all of the dots on this round and am on my last life by the time I reach the pretzel round. I don't last long because I take a turn into the bottom left tunnel without noticing that Inky had already entered the same tunnel on the right side. Game Over.
     



    At first the game seems a bit sluggish, almost like it is stuck in slow-motion. The animation and game play is not as smooth as it was in Pac-Man but the controls are a bit more responsive. As the player advances a few more mazes the game play speeds picks up a bit. The graphics are really good but I think the eyes on the ghosts could have been done better. And I know that the 5200 is very well capable of producing a purple color so why do we have a brown Sue??? That is the only real complaint I have with this Ms. Pac-Man is the one ghost that is not colored like the arcade. Then again the fourth ghost in Pac-Man was not the right color either. 

     
    As for sounds...eh...they are not too bad but I feel some more effort could have been made to make them more arcade-like. Especially after playing a prototype version of Super Pac-Man on the 5200 that showed just how close the 5200 can sound to the arcades. So for Ms. Pac-Man I did expect sounds to be a bit better than they were.
     
    Controls are actually not too bad nor difficult...providing a good working standard controller is used. My copy is used so I am not sure if Ms. Pac-Man on the 5200 came with overlays or not. Pretty much standard with 5200 games, * usually changes skill levels and # changes number of players....or is it the other way around? Oh well...just mash 'em 'til ya find 'em. They are the only keys used on the keypad anyway.
     
    All kidding aside, Ms. Pac-Man on the 5200 looks and plays well but it also feels like it might have been a bit rushed as there are some things that could have used a bit more polishing. And, while the sounds are not too bad, Atari should have spent a little more time perfecting them. The only pet-peeve I have with this game is the one ghost that is not colored like the arcade. If you are going to try to port an arcade game to a home console at least get the colors right. Other than that Ms. Pac-Man on the 5200 is a solid and fun title so 5200 owners owe it to themselves to enjoy a game with the Queen of Video Games.
  11. Atari 5200 Guy
    Video games were once considered a novelty and a source of entertainment.  No one knew how long they would last or where they would take us.  Most of the older generation of gamers will most likely be able to tell stories of lining up quarters on popular arcade machines as a marker of when it would be their turn at the challenges awaiting them.  I'm one of them.  Feeding those machines quarter after quarter for a few minutes of entertainment never felt like enough.  Sometimes it wasn't enough to feed that need to see what was next or what all a single game had to offer.  It was commonplace to spend as much as possible on a single game, usually totaling about $20 in 1980's money.
    Then the home video game market boomed and, after some more waiting, popular arcade hits could be played at home as best as was possible.  Then came the crash and the rebirth of home gaming thanks to Nintendo's Famicom and Entertainment System.  Arcade games continued to make the transition from arcade hit to home smash for as long as video game consoles and computers have been around.  And that's a long time.  However those same transitions had to do a few things; remain faithful to the arcade, stay within the restrictions of any console or computer they were being made for, and maintain the game play in all of its glory.  Sometimes it worked while other times it didn't.
    Here we are many decades later and video games have literally taken over the arcade business.  It almost seems like it became more profitable to make games for play on a home console than it was to build an expensive arcade machine that played a single game.  People were more likely to buy a $30 - $50 game than they were to spend $1 on a single game play.  That might be a bit opinionated but it almost has some truth to it at the same time if you stop to think about it.
    Enter the Micro Players by My Arcade.  For the around same price as a single console game, or less, one can own a miniaturized version of some popular arcade games.  The catch?  These small arcade games are repackaged games that once graced the NES/Famicom consoles.  It actually makes sense considering the internal workings of those consoles has been shrunk down into a single integrated circuit that can be used in almost any application where the NES hardware is needed or wanted.  Honey I Shrunk Our Nintendo might be the best way to put it..
    While they are not 100% arcade accurate they do come close.  Each one sports decor that is inspired by the arcades which looks very nice.  The power switches on these light up to mimic the quarter slots popularized by arcade machines.  While the control panel does sport an NES-style setup it does have a joystick handle that can be removed.  The backsides contain a volume control and headphone jack as well as the battery compartment.  The speaker is also back here.  If you don't want to use batteries there is a USB plug on the back as well.  On the front is a 2.5" color LCD screen to show the action of the game which works and looks really good.  
    So, what games can you get in this small arcade setup?  Well, let's see.  Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man are available as are other Namco favorites like Dig Dug, Galaga, and Galaxian, the latter of which was only released on the Famicom.  There are a few Data East titles including BurgerTime, Heavy Barrel, and Bad Dudes to name a few.  And it looks like My Arcade picked up the rights to make these small arcades based on Taito games as their web site shows Bubble Bobble and Elevator Action.  Also newly advertised are Rolling Thunder (limited to 5,000) and Mappy.  And if you watch their E3 video they show Konami's Contra and there's a huge sign showcasing a Space Invaders model.  After doing a bit of research it looks like Contra may be using the actual arcade game with a connection to another Contra Micro Player allowed to have some co-op fun.  What little I seen about Space Invaders looks like it, too, may use the arcade game.  I hope they stick with the cabinet styling that was shown for Space Invaders.  That looked very much like the original arcade.  
    By now it sounds like I am excited about these.  For the most part I am but there are some that I simply can not force myself into buying.  Namely Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man.  While most are cool these two would have been better if they were not NES titles.  The sounds and colors are not that great.  These are two I would have rather seen real arcade ROMs being used.  Even the Tiny Arcades by Super Impulse are using more accurate game play and sounds and they are much smaller.  All the other games are close enough for me to enjoy and I'm really looking forward to the Contra and Space Invaders releases.  
    For what it's worth the My Arcade series of Micro Players are entertaining and fun to collect.  They can provide many hours of game play and a trip down memory lane for those of us that remember the original NES games.  From a personal standpoint it is easier for me to obtain the NES games I missed or can't find through buying these Micro Players as it is about the only way I can find them without paying a huge price as some are rare these days.  I look forward to the Space Invaders and Contra models while I enjoy the Galaxian, Karate Champ, and Bad Dudes models I currently own.  I know they are not for everyone but I find them entertaining and that's enough for me.  Gotta collect them all!
    For my collection these are a nice welcome.  With these maybe I can have my own personal arcade that's made for those who don't have much space.  An original arcade takes up a decent amount of floor space while these smaller arcades can sit on top of a shelf.  Imagine have a bunch of these setup like you would expect to see in a real arcade...all of them on and ready to play at the push of a button.  No quarter required.  Novelty or not I'm glad someone thought these up as I think they are too cool to pass up.  My only hope is that My Arcade does more than just Konami's Contra as I would not mind giving a Micro Player a home that has Life Force/Salamander on it.  That one is my personal favorite.  Imagine if they custom made one for Sunsoft's Blaster Master!  Oh...or if they actually used real arcade ROMs for games that never made it on a home console or computer?  
    What if Sega got on board and My Arcade Micro Players started having a line up including OutRun, Space Harrier, and After Burner?  Who else is there?  SNK.  You can't forget their games.  They gave us the Ikari Warrior series and Guerrilla War.  Those reading this that own these do you enjoy them?  Do you collect them to play or collect them just to collect them?  Are their any titles you could think of that would make great additions to the My Arcade line up?  I'll end it here and leave the imagination open for comments.  Besides, Galaxian is calling my name.


  12. Atari 5200 Guy

    My Summer Decided

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    Casual
    I believe I have my summer gaming all figured out.  I plan to participate heavily in the forum's Pizza Party with what games I do have PLUS it will be nice to revisit Zelda again...a game I have not played in decades.
    Just tonight Microsoft, for whatever reason, gave me a $5.00 gift card on my account.  I wondered what $5 could do and browse the 360 game store first to see if there was anything of interest there.  My nephew informed me of 360 games that were now free including Crackdown 2, a game that has been on my wish list for years.  The first one is free, too, after they gave it away as a first few Games with Gold feature.  So I already had that one.  Other free games were Supreme Commander 2 (already got from Games with Gold) and Too Human (never heard of it). While browsing for another $5 game I found out i owned Orcs Must Die but I don't ever remember owning that one. Still looking I almost got a game called Final Exam which looked similar to Streets of Rage.  Before I made a final decision I checked games I had pinned to my dashboard.  One game in particular I had been wanting to try out but I ended up buying it instead.  Atari's new Star Raiders.  On top of all that I now have ARK: Survival Evolved (thanks to those developers), Epic gave away the entire Bioshock Collection, Wolfenstein New Order, Maneater (you play as a shark!), and are giving away CMS 18 next week with some other game.  
    So between the Squad Challenges on Atari I/O, new 360 games to play, new top notch PC games, I believe my Summer gaming has been decided.  This may also change as Epic gives more games away. I also play to explore the ST games I found interesting recently.
    What are your gaming goals for this summer?  Are there any particular games you would finally like to obtain or beat that you have not been able to before?  Would love to hear about it.
  13. Atari 5200 Guy
    For my 13th birthday, in 1987, my mother picked up a game system I never knew nor heard of. It just mysteriously appeared. For I had unwrapped a game console that would forever change the way I perceived video games. That gift was the Nintendo Entertainment System. At first I didn't like the controllers because there was no joystick. In a joystick's place was this "thing" that controlled on-screen movement of a playable character or other image. Then again when the only games you have are Gyromite and Duck Hunt the controllers really didn't get a chance to show their worth until a while later.
     
    Mom and I were living with my grandparents, her parents, and the town had barely 2,000 people. Mom had got the system from the only video rental store in town at that time on a payment plan. And with every payment she made I got a ticket to rent a game. So the controllers eventually got to prove how good they really were. This is when I would come across games I would eventually declare as the best on the system. These games include Gradius, Castlevania, and most of the initial issue titles. As much as others enjoy it I am really not a huge Donkey Kong fan but the NES really got a spot-on port of that one. Really well done.
     
    It took us (Mom and I) month after month to locate a single copy of Super Mario Brothers. That game was very hard to come by. But...I wasn't too worried because I had come across a different game one time while paying a visit to the hometown's Wal-Mart. As luck would have it I was planning to spend the weekend with my Grandmother in my hometown and my NES was back at the other grandparents' house. But, this visit scored me what I am assuming was an initial release of the adventure game everyone would talk about decades later as well as spawn a huge franchise with a large fan base following. Zelda had made it to store shelves.
     
    I had to sit for an entire weekend admiring a game I had no way of playing. I took the game out of the box, read the instructions front to back, read the back of the box, rinse and repeat, over and over. Mom could not have come to pick me up any sooner. But, once back to my NES I didn't hesitate one second. I made a bee line to the system which was setup in the room we were sleeping in. On went the TV, in went Zelda. I started my adventure not realizing just how involved this game would become.
     
    At school I could hear others talking about the game I picked up over the weekend. Some were getting stuck in areas I had not reached yet. One couldn't find the first dungeon. Mom and I paid a visit to one of her friends who's son was a friend in school. He also had Zelda and we spent a few hours on that game trying to get through dungeon after dungeon. What was really happening was that the NES and Zelda had triggered video gamers to socialize about the games being played, how to beat this or that boss, and getting unstuck in troublesome levels. This was before Nintendo Power so the only thing left was pretty much word of mouth.
     
    Once Mom and I moved back to my hometown there was a change in schools and atmosphere for sure but there was one thing that didn't change...the talk about the NES and its games. Call me weird or crazy, or both, but there was nothing I wanted to do more than stay at home and play Nintendo games. After school I would come home and spend time on it before doing my homework. On the weekend, if I wasn't sleeping, eating, using the bathroom, or doing something for my grandmother, or visiting my other grandparents (I love them dearly so don't get that wrong...I just don't know how else to word it), I was on the NES playing games.
     
    The little console had revitalized video gaming on a massive scale. I still have one here that works without issues. Well...there are times it will do the screen flashing thing but that doesn't bother me. I just clean the carts and keep trying. I rarely blow on them.
     
    For what it's worth I really owe a lot to the NES. The game play was addictive because once you had that latest game in your hand nothing else mattered except beating that game. If you got stuck you turned to a game magazine or call the hotlines at 99 cents a minute, give or take a few cents. You see, I was so involved with the NES that I didn't go out of the house much. I had no need to. I sat, in my room, playing video games. At the same time the NES was keeping me off the streets and out of trouble in a lot of ways. I might have gotten into trouble sometimes for not always doing my homework but I wasn't being arrested for being intoxicated or under the influence in public like some of my high school friends were. I didn't have a girlfriend because, now that I think about it, I was already married...to the video games. As crazy as that sounds that's pretty much how I was.
     
    I still play the NES on a regular basis. As much as I love my Atari stuff the NES is the only non-Atari console that has a large place in my heart. It is a well balanced system with lots, and I mean LOTS, of games. If you've never had one before for one reason or another pick one up. Before you do, however, do your homework first and ask around about what games you should lookout for. Whatever you do don't compare the system and its games with modern stuff. The system and games have already proved their worth years ago...they should simply be enjoyed as they are.
     
    To think that any gamer who lived and experienced the NES during its production run spent countless hours if not months or more on a single game just to beat it. With a few exceptions like Zelda had there really was not much of a way to save the game progress. You started and endured the challenges. Later the idea of writing down a password to save game progress was seen in most NES games like Metroid and Kid Icarus but if you got one character wrong, guess what...you had to start over again.
     
    The real value of the NES is the overall package. The games, the system, the controller options, and I have never seen ALL of the NES games. There are sooo many that I would most likely need another lifetime to try them all. So...NES...solid entertainment that will challenge you. I would love to hear favorite games of other NES gamers so be sure to post those in the comments section below. Thank you for reading and I will return with more thoughts running in my head. Well...that might be a bit scary.
  14. Atari 5200 Guy
    Nintendo's shock of announcing a miniature NES with 30 games built-in a few weeks before I wrote this article seems to have been met with mixed feelings. With all of the clone systems on the market based on the original NES, that perform well but might have mistakes here and there like a few colors wrong or sounds not quite right, it makes one wonder why Nintendo didn't think of it sooner. After all, Atari, ColecoVision, Intellivision, and Sega, have had remakes of their consoles on the market for a while now. So, with so much love for the NES by the people that remember it, enjoy it, treasure it, why the mixed feelings?
     
    For the most part the NES Classic has been getting positive feedback already. However no one has seen the thing in action yet so I can only imagine what others are thinking. Is it possible that Nintendo would go out of their way to produce a product that is not 100% accurate in what it is trying to mimic? I really don't think so. Nintendo's reputation will be on the line with this product as the NES remains one of the most popular consoles today. The NES still has a rather large fan base and for good reason as many of its games were revolutionary and a step forward from the games Atari, Mattel, and Coleco were bringing to the console market. Mega Man, Castlevania, Mario Bros., and Zelda have continued on for many generations long after their initial NES debut. And that only touches all the game titles the NES is famous for.
     
    If one plays those games long enough it becomes common to build expectations of what the game is "suppose" to do. Mario should change to a red and white outfit when he picks up a fire flower. What would happen if that color scheme was off? Or try this...hum a few bars of the Super Mario Bros. theme. Go on ahead...I'll wait. . . . . . OK, time's up. Now imagine that same theme that is played too fast or too slow. Basically, place a 45 RPM record on a turntable and play it at 33 RPM or 78 RPM. Yea...some emulators have been known not to be 100% accurate in this department when emulating the NES hardware. It's also been true with the flashback consoles made by ATGames.
     
    One thing to realize is that, no matter how well received a Nintendo product has been received, Nintendo has always put quality in their hardware. And since the introduction of the GameCube Nintendo has been revamping the NES games slowly like Metroid on Metroid Prime as an example. So if any company has had experience in emulating their own products it would have to be Nintendo. And it is possible that the NES Classic is going to be emulated but it might also be using real hardware or the same virtual console found on the Wii and Wii U.
     
    Just for the games alone the Nintendo NES Classic is worth the $60 price tag. If a collector, gamer, what have you, were to hunt down those games in their original cartridge form, just the carts, any two of the games in the 30-game list would easily cost $60 depending on where you looked. Mega Man 2 alone can fetch $40 or more. And only the most popular NES games seemed to make the list, too. So you have literally hours upon hours of gaming, good, wholesome, quality gaming, in one little package.
     
    Once again, though, if anything is even slightly off, it can ruin the whole deal. So I really hope that Nintendo does the original NES and the 30 games they have included justice. As for now the NES Classic is scheduled for a November 11th release and I am excited for it. I already have money set aside to pick one up on release date and will do another review on it once I get it. In the meantime I'd like to hear your thoughts on Nintendo's surprise console.
     
    (Image used: http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic )
  15. Atari 5200 Guy
    Out of all the video games Atari produced it seems that Pac-Man for the 2600 has been blamed, almost entirely, for the start of the video game crash that happened during the early 1980's. It is also marked as one of the worst games made in video gaming history. By now most Atari 2600 owners, new and vets, know what this game is like so there really is no need to dig into how the game play actually is. But hopefully this little blog post will put the game in a different perspective to where the game is not entirely to blame. Yes, for a short while this game will get a bit of the spotlight. At least I'm going to try.
     
    As most Atari.IO members here might remember from one of my posts, I received three brand new, unopened, 2600 games for Christmas in 2015. One of those games was an original Asteroids. I opened it up because it felt really heavy and I knew the cartridge and instructions were not that heavy to begin with. Inside was an Atari catalog which was a nice surprise as I love that classic reading material. It gives an idea of what it was like to own the 2600 and what Atari was up to in supporting it. I flip through it and after a couple of pages I landed on Pac-Man. A full two pages! I begin to read it. Almost immediately you can tell that Atari knew this game was not what it should be, let alone who ever wrote the article obviously didn't know how the game was played and what all went on.
     
    Allow me to share the article with you. The catalog was released in 1981 and Pac-Man is stated to be released March 1982. Without further ado..
     
    "Adopted from one of the most popular video arcade games ever created, Atari's Pac-Man*, which differs slightly from the original, is sure to be a hit in your home."
     
    OK. Do you get the feeling here that Atari knew they didn't get this one right from the start? I will admit that they printed a similar thing about Defender in that same catalog and my new copy of Asteroids came with an insert that pretty much said the same thing...but those games were received well by 2600 owners that I am aware of. Carrying on...
     
    "In this engaging game, you guide the PAC-MAN around a maze to gobble up dots for points, while dodging ghosts. In the four corners of the maze are special tablets. When PAC-MAN eats one, he changes color and can then eat the ghosts. But he has to hurry and catch the ghosts before he changes color again, or they'll eat him."
     
    Did you notice a couple of things here? Atari, or someone at Atari, didn't know Pac-Man very well. The writer of this article first treats PAC-MAN like a thing with "the PAC-MAN...". I will admit that the arcade PAC-MAN had just came out in the arcades but was already well known as just PAC-MAN. That's it. The writer also must not have played the game before because PAC-MAN is not the one that changes color from eating a power pellet, or as they called them, special tablets. The ghosts are. After reading that article there should have been warning signs that Atari didn't not know what they were doing with this game. Now let's plug the cart in and see what we get.
     
    Immediately noticeable is the blue maze on a black background from the arcades is missing. What we have on the 2600 is an orange maze on a blue background. PAC-MAN in the game has an eye, and the ghosts, while there is four of them, flicker badly and appear to be similar in color. And missing are the fruits that our lovable character normally gets in the arcade, in its place is a square thing Atari called a "Vitamin".
     
    So...is Atari 2600's Pac-Man really to blame for the starts of the crash? I don't think it is so much the game is to blame I believe it was related more to the hype of Pac-Man being released for the 2600 only to be let down by expectations the public had. I mean up until that point the 2600 did do a decent job at some of the popular arcade games. Asteroids wasn't spot on but that was to be expected. The difference in monitor types meant something else had to be done. Space Invaders, I thought, was really well and is one of my favorite 2600 titles. Defender might not have been exact but what was pulled off is good. Missile Command was good, too. The 2600, and its developers, tried.
     
    Pac-Man on the 2600, while it doesn't look or sound anything like the arcade, is fun in its own way. Maybe this game should have been given a different name. As well Atari should have had more than one developer on porting Pac-Man to the 2600 and picking the better port for a release. In some respects, the 2600's Pac-Man is OK in my book. I would blame Atari for this one, and the crash, for producing more copies of this game than they should have from the beginning. Only a small batch should have been made to see how well it did. After that they would have known what to do.
     
    For what it's worth, Pac-Man on the 2600 is not completely bad and it has survived many decades along with other 2600 titles. As well it is also hard to find a small collection of 2600 games that do not have Pac-Man as one of the games. Play it once in a while and see if you can find things to like about it, while playing it, and see if you, too, can find some good out of it. I did.
  16. Atari 5200 Guy
    Over the past several months I have been discovering Atari 2600 games for the first time...just like those who owned one way back when the machine was the only console on the market. So far I've discovered Solaris and few others I had never seen or heard of before. The 2600 has managed to surprise me again with a rare title known as Radar Lock.
     
    Radar Lock appears similar to Sega's After Burner but after a few minutes in the game you get so sucked into the on-screen action that you forget what you are playing on. Wave after wave of enemy aircraft appear on your screen, shooting at you in a fly-by style formation. You constantly find yourself in a banking move just to target them so you can strike them down with your twin gunner or missiles. All the while you are using gun and missile ammo that is limited and have to watch your fuel gauge. Run out of either one and it's curtains for you. If you manage to succeed in finishing off all enemies in a single wave you will get the chance to dock with a fuel plane. Even that can be tricky because now the fire button turns into a boost button. Just like how Star Raiders' Space Stations have to be just right for the player to dock with them the player has to be just right for the fueling aircraft to lower its hose to your fighter jet. Line it up and receive a bonus for the fuel and ammunition you have left. After that you will find yourself on a runway waiting for the next wave to start as soon as you press the fire button on your controller. And a first for me...this game actually uses the TV Type switch for a pause button. Simply slide it to the B*W position to pause (recommend 2600 hardware for this) and slide back to Color to continue where you left off. Pretty cool, eh? It also uses a second controller, like Solaris, for selecting between guns and missiles...up and down for guns and left and right for missiles.
     
    Now that you know what the game entails to a degree let's step back in time a bit here. 1989 is the copyright date on Radar Lock. That places the 2600 JR on the shelf along with the 7800 and up against giants Nintendo and Sega. At this time the Genesis should have been on the market as well and Nintendo going strong with the NES and newly released Game Boy (in North America anyway). So here we have the 2600, declared a primitive console by some at the time, doing something it was not designed to do...again! And I thought Solaris was mind-blowing.
     
    Radar Lock pushes the 2600 hardware into new territory that is just as mind-blowing as Solaris. The graphics are well done and flicker free, the sound effects somehow don't seem limited to the 2-channel limitations of the TIA processor, nor do the controls, after getting use to the game, feel like a 2600 game. In some ways it almost feels like part of Solaris was used as the basis to Radar Lock...and in a good way. I really never knew that graphics on the 2600 could make tiny dots (check out the radar in the lower right-side of the HUD display and GUNS ammo). This game is impressive.
     

     
    I really believe that if gamers in 1989, who owned an NES or Sega system, were more aware of this game they might have purchased it along with a Atari 2600 Junior or Atari 7800 game system. This is one game I never heard of until recently but if I would have known about it sooner, and when I picked up my 2600 Junior with my first paycheck decades ago, I would have purchased it. If you find this game in the wild or online, and you've never had it before, I recommend picking up. If you do pick this up I recommend using a controller where the fire button is on top of the joystick handle to really get immersed into the game. A Kraft Starmaster controller easily comes to mind for that. Any 2600 owner who does not have this game needs to locate it and play it. It's really good.
  17. Atari 5200 Guy

    Revisiting Gran Turismo 2 (PlayStation)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    PlayStation Reviews
    Today when I checked the mail there was a package in there containing a game I have not seen since the Y2K debate.  This is one PlayStation game I bought as soon as it hit store shelves along with a guide book.  Being a huge fan of the first Gran Turismo this was one game I was highly excited about.  So getting it in the mail was an exciting moment for me.  A game that has eluded me many times was now in my hands, complete and ready...no...begging to be played.
    I spent many months on this game before I traded in all my PlayStation stuff and I might have achieved 50 percent completion.  As time moved on and Forza came out the whole Gran Turismo thing for me sort of faded. Booting up Gran Turismo 2 and seeing the menu screen took me by surprise...again. But this time in a bad way because for the life of me I could not remember the layout of the game's navigation screen.  I had not seen it in so long that it took a while to find my way around again.  Once I spent some time on it the memories started coming back.  Took a while but came back.
    All the tracks in the game were nice to see again. High Speed Ring I remember well.  That's one track that has managed to stay with the series since the first game and I know it has appeared in GT3 and GT4.  Red Rock Valley and Tahiti Road I had forgot about and had to learn all over again.  Those races I discovered under the Sunday Cup, practically the only races available, except for two tracks in the Clubman Cup races, that don't require a license.  
    And that's another thing! The license tests. I got so use to Forza and not having to worry about obtaining licenses to participate in races later on in the game that I completely forgot how difficult getting those licenses were.  I just obtained my B-Class license after having to do most of the tests multiple times just to get a bronze award but, hey, whatever works.
    The one aspect of the game that took me a while to adjust to was the graphics. Granted I could put the game in the PS2 to help out but, I'm old school and the PlayStation needed some exercise. It's funny...

    ...these graphics were once considered top notch.  While the PlayStation games have lived on the system as a whole just has not aged well at all.  I believe it was said that GT2, with as much as they put into it, still didn't make full use of the system's capabilities.  Even if the game does not look as good as it once did it is decent enough and doesn't discourage this old dog from enjoying an old friend's visitation.
    I'm very grateful to see this game in my collection.  This time it's here to stay.  I want to try to get that 99 or 100 percent completion.  I'm hoping I can get most of my favorite old cars back.  I'm starting off with a car I didn't get before...a '91 Nissan Skyline GTS-t Type M with a few mods.  I'm a huge fan of the Skylines so that was a no brainer. But I'm not going to get those cars if I'm sitting here writing this.  My journey begins again with a game I have not seen in decades and I'm looking forward to it.

  18. Atari 5200 Guy

    Salamander (Famicom)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    Famicom Game Reviews
    When I first got into emulators I, like many others, discovered computers could play NES games.  I also discovered that some of the game ROMs I was looking at I never heard of before. When did the NES get Gradius II, what was Parodius? And what was Salamander?  I ended up getting what I thought were NES games I had never heard of. In hindsight, and unbeknown to my mind, I was getting Famicom games.  When I fired up Salamander I had no idea that I had unintentionally grabbed what we got (us USA gamers) as Life Force; one of my most top-favorite NES games of all-time.  It looked a bit different to me but I hadn't played Life Force in such a long time I thought that I might had just forgot.  And I didn't get Life Force when I grabbed Salamander so I had no way to compare.
    For those that don't know, Salamander/Life Force is a 2D shoot 'em up developed and published by Konami and ported to many Japanese systems.  This game continues the Gradius series and uses the same ship, known as the Vic Viper, with all its glory. The arcades and NES system received it as Life Force but there are a few differences between the Famicom and NES versions of the game. Why the name and parts of the game were changed is not 100% clear.
    My first experience with this game was on the NES way back in the late 1980s.  I found it at K-Mart, on clearance, for $10. As soon as we got home (a 2-hour drive) the package came open and in went the game.  I spent the next couple of hours playing and getting to know the game.  By the next day I had it all figured out and beat it.  This is Life Force:

    As the game progresses the player picks up capsules.  The number of capsules collected determine the power up item the player can obtain.  Speed, Missiles, Ripple, Laser, Options, and Shield.  I'm not sure how many times you get Speed but there are two missiles, two lasers, and two options.  I believe Ripple is once and I know Shield is once.  The game is comprised of 8 levels, one or two of which are exclusive to the NES/Famicom.  Now...take a look at Salamander.
    Do you notice anything different?  Look closely.  The HUD display at the bottom is completely different and more detailed whereas Life Force's HUD is more primitive.  But there's one more feature Salamander has that Life Force doesn't.  Options. I mentioned in Life Force the player can have 2 Options flying with them. In Salamander it's 3 Options.  I was surprised to discover these differences when I played Salamander for the first time.  Does it make a difference?  Not really.  The HUD on Salamander is more eye catching and the extra option can help.  Once the player gets that third option, however, the game really starts to bog down.  That is something that Life Force doesn't have.  At least not on the same scale.
    So how do I feel about Salamander?  I love it!  While the few things I've pointed out are different it is still the essentially the same game.  Same levels, same music soundtrack, nothing else different.  I have not yet noticed if the game is harder or not.  And I've been playing this game a LOT lately.  I just love everything about it.  If someone were to ask me my favorite NES game I'd pick this one.  If someone were to also ask me what I felt was the best game soundtrack I'd have to pick this one as well.  It's one of those games where everything just fits together perfectly.  I don't have Life Force for the NES but I managed to nab Salamander for my Famicom.  I couldn't be happier.
    Konami is well known for their NES games including Contra, Gradius, and Castlevania series.  For me, Life Force/Salamander is my favorite from them and, as I've said before, my number one all-time favorite NES game.  And now it has become my top-favorite Famicom game.  I'm probably going to need new control pads before too long from the amount of time I spend playing this game.  If you've never played it you should.
  19. Atari 5200 Guy
    Secret Quest, the last 2600 U.S. released game, gives the 2600 the dignity to go out with a bang. Not that it wouldn't anyway with all the popular games it had received during its production run. No matter how you look at it, the 2600 proved that gaming hardware was only limited by imagination, and Secret Quest takes that imagination and gives players an adventure they won't soon forget.
     
    While misleading in a way, the label tells the game was made by Nolan Bushnell when in hindsight he basically designed it and oversaw its development by giving advice, a fellow by the name of Steve DeFrisco actually coded the game having never programmed the 2600 before. What we ended up with was a rather large action/adventure game of a sci-fi nature that will take some patients to master. So, my hat's off to DeFrisco for a fabulous job on this 2600 game.
     
    Our main character is a guy that actually looks like he could use a shirt, or if that is his shirt we need to get him a new one. I'm not sure if that is a helmet on his head but we will just say it is and leave it at that. Our objective is to visit all eight, I'm going to call them "bases", to enter a code that starts a self-destruct sequence. Once that has been started our main character has only seconds to find the teleport to beam him off the base before it destructs.
     
    Sounds easy, right? Well, with the first base it is, and the second base is not too hard either. But after that the game begins to get really difficult and it becomes very easy to get lost. Once you find and start the self-destruct sequence it is very hard to find and reach the teleport in time. If Nolan's idea was to frustrate and test a player's mind and patients then he accomplished what he set out to do.
     

     
    Against you are two elements; energy and oxygen. Using your weapon uses your energy. If you run out of energy you will lose the ability to lose any weapons. You can still navigate the levels but simply won't be able to kill any enemies. Running out of oxygen, however, and it's game over. Oxygen is more like a timer. Whether you move or just sit there you are using oxygen. Both can be replenished by killing enemies. Some enemies drop energy while others drop oxygen.
     
    Actually, Secret Quest is a very well made game. You can actually tell that each element of the game was thought out before being placed in the game. The thick, colorful borders that outline the rooms are used in a way to help the player visually tell where they are, especially with levels containing more than one floor. Enemies are colorful even if some are hard to tell what they are suppose to be. Sounds are good and, while there is a small hint of background music, it's not so much that it's annoying. At some points you almost can't hear it so it's almost like it's not there at all.
     
    Where Secret Quest shines is in two features. The first feature, well, not exactly an "in-game" feature but something that not many games this early in the video game industry's starts ever did, is having the player involved in the game's strategy where hours are lost simply trying to navigate the levels. There's only eight of them but there might as well be a hundred. With the possible exception of the first two levels the remainder of the game will have the player drawing out maps just so they don't get lost. Seriously, the third level of this game when I first reached it made me rethink the way I thought about 2600 games in general.
     
    Now, the second feature of this game, which really should get an award of some kind but I'm not sure what kind of an award that would be. You see, Secret Quest actually has a continue feature. How it works seems a bit complicated at first but once the steps are performed a few times you start to get the hang of it. During the game, should something go wrong or you are done playing for the day, you move the TV TYPE switch to the black and white setting, and then back to the color setting again. On a 7800, simply press the PAUSE button. You will leave the GAME SCREEN and be presented with what the instructions called a STATUS SCREEN. Here, see for yourself.
     

     
    If you've never seen this screen before allow me to explain. The top section are the bases left to be destroyed. Just under the left-most section of those bases is the level you are on indicated by large flashing rectangles. Just to the right of this is the weapons you currently have, which you can have three but only one equipped at any one time. Now take a look below all that and you should see some funny looking characters in an almost-hieroglyphic style. Need a closer look?
     

     
    These characters are your password to continue play at the beginning of the level you are on. It only works when you are on the first room of the first level. Basically, start a new game and immediately access the STATUS SCREEN. Once there press SELECT on the console. You can now edit the funny characters at the bottom of the screen using the joystick; up and down to select the characters and left and right to select the character you wish to change. This password feature is unique in that it only works under one condition. You may notice at the start of the game that there are two dashes, or underlines. The game instructions say to enter your initials here. So, the initials placed here determine what your password will be. And the password will only work with those initials.
    I never knew the 2600 could pull off a game of this magnitude. It's simply mind blowing! Atari.IO's high score run with this game was my first time learning that this game even existed. Since then I have managed to locate a loose copy of the game and have been spending hours on it trying to beat the game. The password feature is a saving grace for the very reason that you can start off where you left off, including the amount of energy and oxygen you have left.
     
    If you are new to the 2600, or a 2600 vet who has not seen this game yet, this would be the game to try to find. It is a rare title from what I understand but there are copies that turn up every now and then on E-Bay's and Goodwill's online auction sites. Just recently before this writing, Goodwill had two unopened copies show up on their auction. So...keep looking if you want a physical copy. Otherwise download your favorite 2600 emulator and a ROM copy of this game and give it a shot. It's a really good game that should not be missed. Fans of Nintendo's Zelda might find this game of interest.
  20. Atari 5200 Guy

    Silent Service (Atari 8-bits)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    A8 Software
    There was a time when buying a new game required using the packaging material to grab the consumer's attention. There usually was no limit to how far a software company would go to deliver a package that created an impulse buy. And by that I mean there was no other way around it...you simply had to have that game no matter what based on what the package looked like and how it presented the software inside the box.
     
    Silent Service for the Atari 8-bit computer consoles was developed by none other than Microprose, software makers famous for their WWII and flying simulation software. My first encounter with this developer was in the early 1990's when I owned a 386-PC. Titles I had from Microprose were Covert Action, Lightspeed, and Railroad Tycoon and I declared these some of the best PC games I owned at the time. My adventures into the Atari 8-bit games didn't really take off until a few years ago. I enjoyed the computer mostly as a BASIC programming machine and never really gave the commercial games much thought. When I discovered that Microprose started out with the likes of Atari and Commodore computers I immediately set out to try to find out what all games they made. There was no Covert Action, Lightspeed, or Railroad Tycoon...but I did find a bunch of other games that are really good. And Silent Service was the first Microprose Atari game I would obtain.
     
    I played this game only for a little while and really need to spend more time on it. But what time I did spend on it blew me away. The amount of detail that went into making this submarine game is impressive. I admire and respect the fact that all early Microprose games had notes from Major Bill, owner of the company, who was in the military.  I thank him for his service and for creating one of the best software companies of all-time in my book.
  21. Atari 5200 Guy
    What to write about?  I know I want to write about the 2600 but I just don't know where to begin.  Do I talk more about the iconic woody console or the Junior model?  I don't have much to say about controllers because it's either paddle, driving, keypad, or more joystick designs than anyone could fathom.  Games?  Do I talk more about games that I have managed to pick up since my last post?  I might have to think on this a bit more.  While I'm thinking...
    As I sit here writing this there is a 2600 Junior model sitting in front of me.  Recently acquired in unknown condition I spent the better part of a day taking it apart all the way down to the motherboard and gave it a good cleaning.  Wondering why I couldn't get bubbles off the chrome strip I finally discovered that the protective covering had never been taken off.  Nice surprise.  So I removed it.  I couldn't let all that moisture remain trapped and ruining that beautiful chrome strip.  It still has some color issues I have to work out but is functional otherwise.
    Since I'm here, and more Atari games have been added to my collection, I'll do a bit of an updated version of my favorite cartridges.  Keep in mind these are personal favorites solely based on two factors...they are favorites and played the most.  Let's get started.
    Favorite Black Label Carts

    I have two black label favorites.  Video Chess and Yar's Revenge.  Yar's Revenge was a 2600 title I could have seen as a Saturday Morning cartoon show.  It wasn't until a recent Squad Challenge that the true nature of this game proved to me just how challenging Yar's could really be.  Because of that, and the few years I've been biased about the 2600 in general, that this game moved up the ranks as a favorite and played often.  It's arcade-style game play is rock solid and sure to give the joystick a workout.
    Video Chess is my go-to black label game when I want to play a relaxing game.  I still haven't managed to beat the computer but I enjoy playing Chess and don't really have a human opponent to go up against.  I'm not a pro at the game but I enjoy this classic strategy game.  I have never found a perfect computerized Chess game either and the 2600 is not without its own flaws.  However the 2600 is a very strong opponent no matter which skill level you attempt at trying to win.  And it will always plan its next moves carefully but at times it seems as if its first few moves are preset.  Still fun, though.
    Favorite Silver Label Cart

    One of my favorite games on the 5200 is Vanguard so it shouldn't be no surprise that the 2600 port of Vanguard became a favorite.  I love the artwork on the label and surprised that it isn't the same one that was used on the 5200 as was often done.  Compared to the 5200 port Vanguard on the 2600 seems a bit more challenging and a bit more unforgiving.  One mistake can mean sudden death.  I also believe this is the only 2600 game I have that has a continue feature.  It's also the only one where the player can move diagonally while firing because you can't do that in the 5200 port.   Graphics in this game are absolutely stunning and the sounds are not much different from the 5200.  I do miss the music that plays during some of the vertical scrolling segments.  I also miss the Striped Zone that is absent in the 2600 port.  And I have yet to destroy the end boss before it takes me down.  Believe it or not, I never knew this was an arcade game for the longest time until I discovered an actual cab during the NES days.  Very well made 2600 port with very little to no flicker issues.  My favorite shoot'em up on the 2600.
    Favorite Adventure Cart

    For most other 2600 gamers Adventure might be their favorite adventure-style game but for me Dark Chambers has slightly taken an edge above Adventure.  I enjoy having to figure out the levels to find items and exits that are often hidden.  I also enjoy having to go through the level screens to figure out how to reach those items.  For this reason this game gets more play time than Adventure in my library.  I personally think it is even slightly better than the 7800 version.  That one looks better but, as NSG has mentioned, if only it would have taken the game play concept of hidden items to find the 7800 version might have been the better game.  But, alas, the 2600 once again shows just how well it can capture a gamer's attention and hold it when properly developed for.  And Dark Chambers is one of those games.  I've not been able to spend as much time with it as I would like to fully enjoy it but what little I have played of it I keep finding myself spending more time in every level trying to find items than what is probably required.  Seriously, I've spent about 15 minutes in some levels.
    Favorite Pinball Cart

    Again, it should be no surprise that Midnight Magic makes for one of my most played 2600 games.  I like Video Pinball but at times you just sit there waiting to do something.  Midnight Magic manages to capture some of the pure essence that makes pinball tables fun.  There are targets, bumpers, a spinner, kickbacks, dual flippers, rollover targets...this game has the basics that are perfectly placed and captures what made some of the early pinball tables memorable.  Knock down all the targets at the top and the game goes into double points.  The table also changes color and plays a short tune.  Knocking down targets again advances the multiplier all the way up to five times the points obtained.  Lose your ball, however, and it's back to single points again.  Do it right and the player can obtain extra balls.  Lose all five balls and the game is over.  Easy to pick up and play, no flickering, and it looks good.  I'm also a little partial to this game because when I got my very first paycheck the NES and Sega Genesis were on the market.  Instead of buying anything for either of those I picked up a new 2600 Junior, Jr. Pac-Man, and this game.  All for about $50.  I played Midnight Magic the most.
    Favorite Arcade Cart

    The 2600 got lots of arcade ports.  While the limitations of the system kept most ports from looking like their arcade parents the game play managed to remain intact.  Two arcade ports stand out in my collection.  Space Invaders and Gyruss.  Space Invaders was the very first Atari game I remember playing many moons ago on a store display.  Dangling from a chain I put the game in and quit playing only when it was time to leave.  This game was the one that introduced me to Atari, the VCS, and the only reason why I kept hoping for one.
    Gyruss, on the other hand, was a game I remember playing in arcades and enjoyed it immediately.  I must have been sleeping when Parker Bros. ported this game over to various consoles.  Being fairly new to my collection Gyruss on the 2600 has quickly become a favorite.  It might not be graphically impressive but the game play is there and the music that constantly plays in the arcade was put in the 2600 port in all of it's 2-channel glory.  And it's really not all that bad.  Missing are the sound effects because the music constantly playing doesn't leave room for any sound effects.  A valiant effort that is a very worthwhile cart to play.  One of my favorite arcade games and one of my now favorite 2600 games.  Space Invaders and Gyruss.  What more could one ask for?
    Favorite Dot Munching Cart

      Mouse Trap is an easy to pick-up and play dot munching game where the player controls a mouse.  The object is to eat all the dots in the maze of which I'm not entirely certain what they are suppose to be.  In each of the four corners of the maze are X's that change the player into a dog temporarily when the fire button is pressed.  This helps keep the cats chasing the mouse at bay.  A unique feature of this game is the ability to change the maze by opening and closing doors.  Doing this can help block cats from catching the mouse.  Originally released on the 2600 by Coleco of ColecoVision fame the cart I has is the re-release Atari did with a red label.  Still an easy game to pick up and play today.  This one and Jr Pac-Man get lots of attention but I find myself coming back to this one more often.
    Favorite 3rd-Party Carts

    Fast Eddie and Planet Patrol are great 3rd-party 2600 games.  I'm sure there are others but I have to base this post on games I have in my collection.  Something about Fast Eddie is addictive.  The ladders are vary in position with each game played, enemy characters are basic but challenging, and the only real thing the player has to do is collect things like hearts, tanks, fish, etc., to grab a key being guarded by the enemy at the top.  It's a bit of Popeye (the collecting hearts part) mashed up with Lode Runner in a easier format.  Very colorful game that is fun for hours on end.
    Planet Patrol is another shoot 'em up on the 2600.  The only real difference is the changing of day to night, destroying enemies and reactors/power plants, and scrolling from right to left over left to right or vertically.  A bit unusual.  What makes this so appealing to me are the small details of this game.  Easy to pick up and play, takes a while to master.  I also love the chrome label, something rarely seen.  It's very attractive and I could see how eye appealing that package would have been sitting next to other games, fighting to be taken home.  It does that now in a large library of 2600 carts.  
    Favorite Activision Cart

    It's almost unlawful to mention the 2600 without thinking immediately about the first 3rd-party game developer known as Activision.  Activision literally pushed the 2600 as hard as they could and, in the end, it paid off.  Almost every title they released for the 2600 was an instant classic.  While I enjoy all Activision games in my collection the two that I go to the most are Enduro and Space Shuttle.  
    Enduro took me completely by surprise in 1988 when I picked up a used 2600 with a bunch of games.  This cart was one of the games included and when I first plugged it in I expected it to be a Pole Position rip-off.  The next thing I know I had been playing it for over an hour and forced myself to stop when it was time for dinner.  I was in 8th grade then.  Enduro left such an impression that I would have an agonizing 24 hour wait time to return home to play it again.  To help with that I woke up an hour early to get a game in before having to get ready for school.  Space Invaders game me a reason to want an Atari, Enduro gave me a reason to hang on to one.  Enough said.
    Space Shuttle.  Gee, where do I begin with this one?  You're a NASA astronaut and your mission is to dock with a satellite in space currently orbiting the Earth.  Sounds simple, right?  Then you give it a shot and wonder why in God's name you can't seem to leave the planet without killing you and your crew members.  Then you grab the manual for some pointers.  It is at this precise moment you realize what you have plugged into your 2600.  This isn't a game...this is a simulator.  The author wanted to capture as much as he could about space flight that he literally went to NASA and participated in learning everything the astronauts have to do and even used NASA's flight simulators used for training.  I would have to say that his efforts paid off in probably the only simulation game made on the 2600.  The amount of detail in unreal.  Every switch on the 2600 does something to the space shuttle.  There's a switch for running gear, brakes, deploying parachute when landing...let's see what else?...one to turn on ignition I think...it's unreal!  The instructions alone are like a shortened step into NASA's school.  The manual is thick and can take a lot of time alone to absorb.  But it is also probably the most expensive instruction book made for any 2600 game ever.  Full color, exploded views of an actual space shuttle, step-by-step instructions on what you are suppose to do.  And it's on the 2600 to boot.  I'm not very good at it but I keep finding myself coming back to this simulator because its visuals and sounds are absolutely amazing to me.  I consider this one of Activision's, and Steve's, holy grail.  If only today's games went this far.  I believe there was only one other game to do something similar but it was at least a decade after Space Shuttle.  For those that wanted to be astronauts but never did...here's your chance.  This is as close as it gets.
    Favorite Paddle Game

    The 2600 had plenty of games but it also had plenty of controller options.  I don't know how many times I would play a 2600 game without paying attention only to realize I needed paddle controllers.  For the longest time I felt the paddle controllers for the 2600 could have been better.  Once I found Warlords, however, that thought quickly changed.  It didn't take me long to realize just how comfortable those paddle controllers actually are.  And after hours of playing Warlords the design of the paddle controllers made sense.  What makes playing Warlords for hours on end a must on the 2600 is the fact it's a mix of Pong and Breakout put together and then shaken up with steroids in the mix.  The 2600 might not be graphically impressive but when it comes to game play it can strut its stuff like no other.  Warlords offers four-player game play either solo against three computer players or with a group humans be it they are friends or enemies.  And once the action starts it's hard to put down.  All you have to do is break down your opponents' barrier to their castle to hit the center of their castle with the ball.  That's it.  Yea...good luck with that.
    Favorite Red Label Cart

    Since I did my favorite black and silver label carts I might as well tell my favorite red label cart.  I kept wanting to put Solaris on this list but that game makes me rage quit so much that it could take me weeks to return to it.  Radar Lock on the other hand is a well done game, by the same author, using most of the same mechanics found in Solaris.  This is easily the 2600's answer to those needing an After Burner fix.  It looks good, sounds good, uses dual joysticks (one stick is used to select weapons), plays good, and is just all around fun for hours on end.  This on is probably one of the more rare red-label carts out there so if you find it I would suggest picking it up.  
    Favorite Non-Game Cart

    One cart in my collection that is not a game at all is Basic Programming.  The 2600 is interesting not only from a gaming point-of-view but also from a technical perspective.  It's hard to believe a game console designed to do strictly tank and pong games showed that it could do so much more, often times surpassing what it was originally designed for.  For the curious this cart would allow anyone with the enthusiasm and patients to write small programs for the 2600 to perform.  While it doesn't unlock the full potential of the 2600's inner workings it does give a taste of what it's like to program the 2600.  However, with the memory limitation, don't expect to write the next Adventure game as there simply isn't room.  Also, once turned off any programs you've written are erased.  Pencil and pad are your best friend.  I use this one often just to toy around with the system.  Kind of neat to see what can be done with it.
    Final Thoughts
    The 2600, no matter which model you own, has always been a small system with a big heart.  Even the almighty six switch models are not that large.  When taken down to just the heart of the system only a small footprint remains.  Big things do sometimes come in small packages and the 2600 has proven time and time again that it is very capable of entertaining for hours on end.  I still run across games that are just unbelievable in terms of what the developers managed to pull off.  Again, here is a console designed for simple Pong and Tank style games.  It was never designed to play Space Invaders, Galaxian, Gyruss, Pitfall!, or anything close to Space Shuttle...but it did those things and did them pretty well.  Truthfully, the video game genres we have today have their roots dating back to the 2600.  This is the console that started it all and it is still showing it can stand its ground against modern gaming hardware.  And that, my friends, is no small achievement.
  22. Atari 5200 Guy

    Solaris (Atari 2600)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,

    Before I get too far along, I had previously reviewed this game on this website here. So if you would like to read that first for a memory refresh, or if you haven't read it yet, the link to it is provided. Because this review is revisiting the game and adding to that review. Let's see how well Solaris still stands after a few months.
     
    Without repeating myself too much, Solaris was an attempt at creating a Star Raiders-like title for the Atari 2600. Instead of a first-person flying perspective we get a third-person view behind our ship. And the galaxy map? Forget it! That is old school. Solaris has a large world that is really impressive. Seriously...every time I play this game I am overwhelmed by the sheer size and amount of maps that make up this fictional space. It's really good.
     

    So, every time I plug Solaris in my 2600 I forget what I am playing this game on and, for a while, I am a spaceship captain and pilot out to find Solaris. I manage to take out a few Zylons, a Zylon Planet or two while rescuing a few Cadets along the way. It's not long before I find a wormhole where I can jump to another location on another map. After doing so, however, I find that the only way to advance is to attack some kind of space pirates where I get destroyed ... rather ... easily. Dang it! So I try again. And again ... and again. I finally give in and play something else.
     

    After returning to reality I turn off the console, realizing that the game was on the Atari 2600 system. It's hard to believe that a system originally designed to play pong and tank games is capable of producing the game play I just witnessed. The graphics look really good for a 2600 game, the sounds don't seem 2-channel at times, and the controls are easy to use and master. Where Solaris' heart lies is within that large map the developer called a "Scanner". Solaris has 16 quadrants, or maps, with each quadrant made up of 48 sectors. All sectors combined create this space maze, if you will, where it is easy to get lost, trapped, attacked. At the same time the urge to explore the quadrants to see what all is out there remains a driving force that becomes an enemy itself because you simply don't have the time. In-game time that is.
     
    Solaris will take you on a trip that is like no other on the 2600. If you love a good space action/adventure then Solaris on the 2600 will fill that bill. And quite easily I might add. This is one game I don't play very often. Why? Because of the time it takes to play it. When I don't have much time to play a 2600 I will pass on Solaris and grab a game I know will last only a few minutes...like 5 to 10 minutes tops. But, when I know I have plenty of time Solaris is my go-to title when I want to spend that time on the 2600. I still have not mastered this game but I know I will someday. I highly recommend this game for 2600 owners just as I did in my original review. It is a marvel of what could be done on the 2600. It will not disappoint. Might take some time to get use to but it will not leave you thinking it was a waste of money.
  23. Atari 5200 Guy
    I remember being four years old and being at the bowling alley with my Mother and discovering Space Invaders for the first time. Years later when the 2600 made its way to our local Wal-Mart, and even had a demo unit set up, I discovered that I could play that game at home. I asked for that Atari machine and that game for a few Christmases and birthdays but never did get it. I did end up with an Atari by 1982 but it wasn't the 2600.
     
    Space Invaders was the sole reason why I wanted a 2600, no other game mattered to me at that time. I'm sure I would have enjoyed any other game but Space Invaders was "my" game. I would not see this Space Invaders until after Nintendo dominated the video game market and those "old" Atari consoles with piles of games would show up at yard sales for an average of $10.
     
    Space Invaders is the first home port of an arcade game that was licensed. It was also the first arcade port ever made that I am aware of for any home console. While it wasn't entirely just like the arcade it captured everything that made the arcade Space Invaders very likable. It was also a little more forgiving, allowing the player to build and improve their skills with the game. I know of a few 2600 owners during my childhood years talk about wear out a controller or two playing this game alone.
     
    Atari's Space Invaders also does something the arcade doesn't...steps it up a few notches by giving creative ways to change the game. Seriously, try some of the other game variations if you never have like enemy fire that not only comes raining down but also in the direction the player's ship is. Do you really want a challenge? Try the variation where the invaders are completely invisible. Be sure to keep your best controller away for a while because the game play can get intense!
     
    Space Invaders on the 2600 is a good game. It's such a common title by today's collectors and Atarians that you will most likely see a copy of Space Invaders in their library of games. It is also one of the top 100 game picks by Atari gamers according to Atari2600(dot)com. And for good reason if that is true. This game would easily make a top 10 list in my book. If you are new to the 2600 pick this game up along with it or make sure it is in the collection of games if your 2600 find comes with games. You don't want to miss this game!
  24. Atari 5200 Guy

    ST Virus (Not a Review)

    By Atari 5200 Guy,


    Atari ST
    I thought about making this just a standard forum post but decided instead to make it a blog post.  This way I have a document on my findings while learning more about the ST.  And now...the rest of the story (I miss Paul Harvey).
    I was doing research trying to find out if Konami actually went through with releasing some games on the ST computers.  One issue of ST Action mentioned it but the next issue that was to continue the story was missing.  My research turned up something more and I landed on Vigilante.  I also seen the disk label:

    This disk image (thanks to Atari Mania) says something about a virus warning.  Now, I can somewhat understand a virus in the IBM and Apple world of computers because they were a bit more popular in our portion of the world.   But an Atari computer getting a virus?  Is it possible?  Can it destroy the computer? 
    I'm going to keep reading those ST magazines to see if anything turns up.  In the meantime if anyone here has more knowledge about those viruses I'm sure that other ST owners here, including myself, would like to know about them p!ease.
  25. Atari 5200 Guy
    Oh man.  Where to start?  I reckon I should start at the beginning.  Star Raiders, as any Atari gamer would know, is the iconic first-person space action adventure game published by Atari in 1979 on their Atari 8-bit home computers and later porting it over to the 5200 and 2600 game consoles.  It is the game that defined that genre which others would follow.  Star Raiders II (the published one and the one that did not get released) took the basics and attempted to improve on them.  Solaris for the 2600 soon followed along with a ST port (of which I have yet to play)...all of which maintained the core essence of the game.
    Enter the 2011 port of Star Raiders for XBOX 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC.  After having this game pinned to my 360's dashboard for many years I finally broke down and bought it.  And, I have to admit, I might have made a mistake.  Once the game installed I thought i was going to experience a familiar game.
    For what it is worth the game does look good with modern visuals that are to be expected of modern consoles.  But that is where the good points end.  The sound effects department is very lacking and the game did not keep the first person perspective.  This game stickes with a third person perspective with your ship front and center.

    The Galactic Map is still here but its purpose is not the same as it has been in previous installments.  In all of the other SR games before there was, in essence, a timer that moved things around on the map.  The sole purpose of that game was to defend your starbases from Zylon enemies before they were destroyed.  All previous SR games kept this formula and while this modern SR has Zylon enemies they seem weak.  Very weak.  The bigger Zylon ships are nice models but trying to destroy them is very time consuming and almost frustrating.  The smaller Zylon ships don't even care to come at you.  You spend more time chasing them down than them chasing you down.  The action is simply missing.

    Your ship can morph into three different styles and can be upgraded but I saw no point in the upgrades.  The styles can be changed on-the-fly during missions but the controls to each style makes it hard to learn those controls.  I maxed out my upgrades already but I didn't notice any difference from the first weapon to the last one.  It wasn't like I could kill enemies quicker or home in on targets better.  They seem like a waste of time and feel even more like they have no real purpose.  And each mission I have played so far feels the same as the one before it.  Your weapons also have a limited amount of energy.  Should they run out you then have to run to a recharge base.

    Star Raiders on the 5200 is my number one all-time favorite game.  It has a formula and play style that is solid and simply works.  If this modern game had been called anything else it would have been an OK game but it carries the Star Raiders badge.  Unfortunately those who made the game must not have ever played the original.  Yes, Zylons are still after destroying mankind and there are references to Solaris which is the name given to your home base but it does not have the formula that made the original so important and memoriable.  Everything you knew or thought you knew about Star Raiders was completely ignored and left out of this SR.  In all honesty I woukd not even place this game in the same catagory as all other SR games.  Even the 2600's Star Raiders is far better than this.
    I've tried to be biased as much as possible with this game as I could.  But when you are given the name of a game that is held dear to those that remember that name you better make damn sure you live up to that name.  This game doesn't in my opinion.  I'm going to try to keep playing it because I want to try to get my $5 out of it.  To those who haven't bought this game yet and are considering it...run.  Run as far away from this game as possible.  If you do get it don't go into the game thinking you are playing Star Raiders.  Somebody bootlegged Star Raiders and fluked it up.  I cannot recommend this game when it tries to be a Star Raiders game and fails miserably.
    This game has got me so frustrated I think I'll drag out my 5200 and ST and play those Star Raiders instead.
×
×
  • Create New...