Toki for Atari 7800

[The Professor]

It's been almost 2 years since the announcement that Toki was discovered for the Atari 7800. It looks terrific! The 7800 would really benefit from a new platformer. It's said that the prototype discovered is 99% complete. I think it's really intriguing that Toki was being developed with a batch of new 7800 games in 1993. Hopefully there are many other Atari 7800 prototypes that will be discovered too.

I'm really looking forward to Toki's NTSC release. Here is the official 7800 Toki page from Beta Phase Games:

http://betaphasegames.com/7800_Toki_Screens.html

[Clint Thompson]

Yeah, looking forward to playing this one as well. Like you, I find it interesting they went on to push for games, even if only a handful, for the Lynx and 7800.

[Justin]

It makes my heart sink every time I think about all the wasted potential, talent and time that went into the 7800, and what the 7800 could have been. No kidding.

[Clint Thompson]

While part of me feels it makes no sense for them not to release a completed version of Paperboy, if the 7800 was really in such bad shape with not selling units and/or games, then it makes sense. But then you have other titles in the early 90s even that were being worked on, such as Toki here, so it's hard telling what the real deciding factor was. Maybe it had some serious gameplay or quality issues but really, I would doubt that either of those would have stopped them from releasing the game. Wasn't it technically an Atari Games title? Paperboy that is.

[Justin]

While part of me feels it makes no sense for them not to release a completed version of Paperboy, if the 7800 was really in such bad shape with not selling units and/or games, then it makes sense. 

 

You make a valid point, but I see it in a "chicken and the egg" kind of way. A serious effort to develop great games like Paperboy and Marble Madness to a level that was on par or better than NES, a line of new accessories, and a repackaged bundle with responsive D-Pad controller could have bolstered the popularity of the system and given people a reason to buy a 7800.

 

Atari had a beautiful 8-bit game system land in their lap. All they had to do was make an effort.