WANTED: Feedback for Combat 1990 for Atari 7800

[dauber]

I'm looking for feedback for episode 7 of the Atari 7800 Homebrew Podcast (you can find it on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or use this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/homebrew78 )

What are your thoughts on COMBAT 1990 on the 7800?

You can also e-mail text or audio to homebrew78 -at- fab4it -dot- com

Deadline is, kinda-sorta, 5:59am CST on Thursday, March 23. Any comments from after then will be addressed in a later episode.

 

PLEASE NOTE: In doing some searching, I did see a lot of (understandable) flak about Combat 1990. HOWEVER -- please consider that Combat 1990 was (from what I can tell) one of the very first 7800 homebrew games built from scratch, and on top of that, it was done specifically for a contest and ergo there was a tight deadline (and the winner of the contest was actually a hack of an already-existing game). So please take that into consideration when sharing your opinions.

[GRay Defender]

Hi Sean, really enjoying your homebrew podcast.  I had never heard of this game Combat 1990. Looks like it was a small run and maybe cannot be purchased anymore?

[dauber]

It can be purchased -- I just got mine a week or so ago.   You can get it through atarisales.com. It's...expensive for what it is, though.

[GRay Defender]

Thank you.  Order placed.  I'll get back to you on how awesome it is...

 

Glenn

[Zontar]

Harry Dodgson is a great programmer. He developed the 7800 Monitor Cartridge too.

[TrekMD]

I have this one.  I'll see if I can post about it.

 

Edit

---------------------

 

Well, I had written my own review of the game on RVG.  Here is what I wrote:

 

Combat 1990 is a homebrew title for the Atari 7800 that won second place at the 2005 Staticgamer.com homebrew contest. The game plays homage to the original Combat game that was packed with the Atari VCS between 1977 and 1982. Whereas the original title was a combination of two Atari arcade titles (Tank and Jet Figher), Combat 1990 only has the tank games and introduces a few changes to the formula.

First, the game has both one and two-player options, with the latter being a cooperative mode. This is different from the original Combat where players fought each other. The tanks are now equipped with shields to help them resist impacts, though these shields are disabled when firing. Shields can be replenished by driving over energy pods located through the ground. When the game starts, each player has five tanks and the goal is to destroy as many enemy tanks and saucers as possible. The game ends either when all five tanks are lost or when five minutes have passed. If the game ends at five minutes, bonus points are awarded for any remaining tanks and shield energy. Combat 1990 seems like a missed opportunity. The game has very plain graphics that do not take advantage of the capabilities of the 7800. Even the never-released Combat II or Armor Ambush on the 2600 had nicer graphics than this. The lack of a head-to-head 2-player mode is also disappointing as this was what the original was known for. Game sounds are minimal but so they were on the original game. Overall, the game can be enjoyed but it leaves you wanting more.

Edited March 12, 2017 by TrekMD

[dauber]

BTW, I just uploaded a vid:

 

[TrekMD]

Yep, no videos of this came could be found in YouTube. 

[dauber]

Okay, the episode is all prepped and ready for release. When I was putting the show notes together, I saw that copies of Combat 1990 are now on backorder! So those of you who may have contributed to the backorder as a result of this podcast...thank you! I kinda hoped the "Ferg Effect" would happen.   Glad to see homebrew developers getting some support!

[Justin]

That Ferg Effect is a real thing 

[GRay Defender]

The dauber effect is real.  I bought one and will post my feed back as soon as I play it.

[GRay Defender]

Okay finally dusted off my 7800 and put in Combat 1990 to test it out.  This is my two cents.  For a little background, I hold the original 1977 Atari Combat in high regards, really, I believe, sort of a masterpiece for it's time, in that it had so many variations all stuffed into a 2k cartridge and was fun, assuming you had two people playing.  Fast forward to 1990 this prototype, I assume it's a prototype, because it does not feel complete to me.  The spirit of the game is there, the game play mechanic, the movement, firing, etc, however with a few important differences.  I really miss the background motor/tank sound for one.  That's a big one.  Right away I tried the game select button looking for different game variations, where are they?  What if I want to play as a b1 bomber or a f15, or something.  On the positive side I like that you can move backwards and the additions of shields is nice.  I like the additional tanks in the play field which makes the game playable as a single player.  Cooperative game play is also a nice bonus.  I do like the score font, although on my TV it was hard to discern.  I believe with some additional work / polish and adding a few additional game variations could make this a much better game.   Having said that, until you mentioned it, I had never heard of it.  This is another reason why I enjoy listening to your show.  Keep up the good work!

 

Glenn