Popular Post RickR Posted October 11, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 I think we all know that the Atari 5200 is based on the same hardware as the Atari 8-bit computers. And in many cases, Atari just ported existing games from the 8-bit to the 5200 with only minor changes. But I can think of three games that Atari actually re-wrote -- started from scratch -- for the 5200. I thought it might be fun to do some comparisons of these games. The idea came to me while I was playing 5200 Space Invaders last night, so I'll start with that game. 8-bit Version The 8-bit version of Space Invaders is just ok. It plays well, with good speed and controls, but it just doesn't feel like Space Invaders. The aliens don't look like the arcade version at all, there are no shields, and the aliens emerge from a lame looking space-ship/rocket on the left side of the screen. For each wave cleared, the rocket lowers a notch and new aliens emerge. The ground under your ship isn't quite flat, although that has no impact on your movement. 5200 Version The 5200 version is very good. Good controls and speed. The shields are here and the aliens look better, making it feel more like the arcade version. Strangely, like in the 8-bit version, the aliens emerge from the left side of the screen, although there is no rocket. Best feature: the aliens change every 2nd wave! And there are some pretty wild designs. Spinning/rotating/shrinking aliens! I counted 4 different sets, but there may be more than that. Judging by your ship, the ground color, the information at the bottom of the screen, and the left-emerging aliens, it is obvious the programmer heavily referenced the 8-bit version in creating this version. Why they did it. I think the 8-bit version is pretty lackluster and gets boring pretty quickly. Atari spent some time and came up with a version that is much more fun and will hold your interest a little longer. I know I kept playing to see all the different types of aliens! Very nicely done and a great choice by Atari. Coming soon, the other two games that I know of.... DeLorean, socrates63, MaximumRD and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 Superb review Rick. The lame-looking space ship/rocket on the left of the 8-Bit computer version didn't belong there and always bothered me. socrates63 and AlamoAtari 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlamoAtari Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 See, this is why I want a 5200, but man, that controller, I want to go lay in the fetal position just thinking about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rowsdower70 Posted October 11, 2015 Report Share Posted October 11, 2015 I had no idea there would be a difference, but it is obvious. I grew up loving Space Armada as my home Space Invaders clone. I loved how they started using different weapons and bombs on you as it got harder. RickR 1 Quote "For you - Rowsdower from the 70 - have been appointed Omnivisioner of the Game Grid." ~ Atari Adventure Square Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted October 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 Time for part 2: Centipede 8-bit Version The 8-bit version of Centipede isn't very good. Choppy animation, centipede segments that are mostly square, and a lack of colors make this a pretty lazy port. Also, the game is way too easy. The spider doesn't have that killer instinct from the arcade, making him really easy to avoid. 5200 Version The 5200 version of Centipede is excellent. Smooth animation, colorful and distinct centipede segments, and multi-colored mushrooms make this a MUCH better looking port. The spider here wiggles a lot and totally has the killer instinct. Avoiding him is challenging. The game gets fast quickly and is a blast to play. Things are a little bigger on the screen, but that doesn't seem to impact the fun factor at all. Why they did it This one was a no-brainer. The 8-bit version of Centipede is poor. Re-doing it was a wise choice by Atari. I don't see any sign of using the old code here...5200 Centipede was written from the ground up. Excellent choice by Atari here. socrates63, Doctor Octagon, MaximumRD and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2020 I never finished this post! Coming soon -- Dig Dug! HDN and socrates63 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDN Posted September 14, 2020 Report Share Posted September 14, 2020 The 5200 isn't a system I would go out of my way for like I did the 7800, but it would be nice to get someday. It has a very good library of arcade titles in my opinion, but it doesn't really have much to make it stand out like the 7800 or 2600 did. It mostly has games that you'd also find on those systems. Nowadays there are solutions for controller issues, so that's not that big of a problem. I'm not sure if I would rather have an Atari 8-Bit Computer as learning BASIC is on my bucket list. Print, Go to 10, load "$,8" (well that one's Commodore but you get my point). What I'm trying to say is: I love Atari. I would like a 5200 someday. No reason to get one, though. There's no Food Fight for 5200. (I don't think anyway) Can't wait for Dig Dug, @RickR! You've been keeping everyone waiting for half a decade for this! I like Dig Dug, but I will ALWAYS prefer Dig Dug II: Trouble in Paradise. A mix of childhood nostalgia and that it's just a better game. socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2020 I will get to this as soon as we return fully to normal here from the fire situation. My 5200 is in the attic, but I want to get it out to try the new Tempest cart I just got... socrates63 and HDN 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socrates63 Posted September 16, 2020 Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 On 9/14/2020 at 4:06 PM, RickR said: I never finished this post! Coming soon -- Dig Dug! The conclusion to the trilogy five years in the making! I expect an epic review @RickR 🤣 Seriously, great topic! People often say why bother getting a 5200 when you have the Atari 8-bit. Looks like there are at least three great reasons why. I see a five year old comment about the 5200 controllers. I hope this is a thing of the past. If you're a 5200 fan suffering from controller issues today, a cheap and easy solution is to get the ikonsgr adapter that I mentioned in a different post. People shouldn't be harping on this awesome console about controllers anymore. RickR and HDN 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 16, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 16, 2020 (edited) "Star Raiders" and "Pac-Man" need to be added as well. Edited September 16, 2020 by RickR HDN and socrates63 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socrates63 Posted September 19, 2020 Report Share Posted September 19, 2020 I played 5200 Space Invaders tonight -- very trippy game! The alien designs are quite unique and they switch poses as they traverse the field. 👍 HDN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video 61 Posted September 19, 2020 Report Share Posted September 19, 2020 On 10/11/2015 at 4:13 PM, RickR said: I think we all know that the Atari 5200 is based on the same hardware as the Atari 8-bit computers. And in many cases, Atari just ported existing games from the 8-bit to the 5200 with only minor changes. But I can think of three games that Atari actually re-wrote -- started from scratch -- for the 5200. I thought it might be fun to do some comparisons of these games. The idea came to me while I was playing 5200 Space Invaders last night, so I'll start with that game. 8-bit Version The 8-bit version of Space Invaders is just ok. It plays well, with good speed and controls, but it just doesn't feel like Space Invaders. The aliens don't look like the arcade version at all, there are no shields, and the aliens emerge from a lame looking space-ship/rocket on the left side of the screen. For each wave cleared, the rocket lowers a notch and new aliens emerge. The ground under your ship isn't quite flat, although that has no impact on your movement. 5200 Version The 5200 version is very good. Good controls and speed. The shields are here and the aliens look better, making it feel more like the arcade version. Strangely, like in the 8-bit version, the aliens emerge from the left side of the screen, although there is no rocket. Best feature: the aliens change every 2nd wave! And there are some pretty wild designs. Spinning/rotating/shrinking aliens! I counted 4 different sets, but there may be more than that. Judging by your ship, the ground color, the information at the bottom of the screen, and the left-emerging aliens, it is obvious the programmer heavily referenced the 8-bit version in creating this version. Why they did it. I think the 8-bit version is pretty lackluster and gets boring pretty quickly. Atari spent some time and came up with a version that is much more fun and will hold your interest a little longer. I know I kept playing to see all the different types of aliens! Very nicely done and a great choice by Atari. Coming soon, the other two games that I know of.... hi rickr, if i remember right, and its been a very long time ago, the 8-bit version of space invaders was better on the cassette version. its been a very long time ago since i played it on cassette, i might be mistaken, but i remember there was something different about it. i do not play space invaders at all on any system but the 2600. atari also slaughtered asteroids on the 8-bit vs. the 2600 version. which still rules today. lance www.atarisales.com socrates63 1 Quote VIDEO 61 & ATARI SALESwww.atarisales.com22735 Congo St. NE, Stacy, MN 55079 651-462-2500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2020 8 hours ago, Video 61 said: if i remember right, and its been a very long time ago, the 8-bit version of space invaders was better on the cassette version. its been a very long time ago since i played it on cassette, i might be mistaken, but i remember there was something different about it. I think the 8-bit had a version of SI made by Roklan on tape that was a lot closer to the arcade. 8 hours ago, Video 61 said: i do not play space invaders at all on any system but the 2600. atari also slaughtered asteroids on the 8-bit vs. the 2600 version. which still rules today. 2600 Asteroids is awesome, that's for sure. But the 8-bit version offered 4 player simultaneous mode, didn't it? Atari could have done better on the 8-bit, I agree. socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video 61 Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 14 hours ago, RickR said: I think the 8-bit had a version of SI made by Roklan on tape that was a lot closer to the arcade. 2600 Asteroids is awesome, that's for sure. But the 8-bit version offered 4 player simultaneous mode, didn't it? Atari could have done better on the 8-bit, I agree. hi rickr, forgot about the roklan version, its great! i never played multiple players on space invaders. it might offer it though. many early 8-bit titles were a disappointment, agreed. lance www.atarisales.com socrates63 and HDN 2 Quote VIDEO 61 & ATARI SALESwww.atarisales.com22735 Congo St. NE, Stacy, MN 55079 651-462-2500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 On 10/11/2015 at 4:13 PM, RickR said: I think we all know that the Atari 5200 is based on the same hardware as the Atari 8-bit computers. And in many cases, Atari just ported existing games from the 8-bit to the 5200 with only minor changes. But I can think of three games that Atari actually re-wrote -- started from scratch -- for the 5200. I thought it might be fun to do some comparisons of these games. The idea came to me while I was playing 5200 Space Invaders last night, so I'll start with that game. 8-bit Version The 8-bit version of Space Invaders is just ok. It plays well, with good speed and controls, but it just doesn't feel like Space Invaders. The aliens don't look like the arcade version at all, there are no shields, and the aliens emerge from a lame looking space-ship/rocket on the left side of the screen. For each wave cleared, the rocket lowers a notch and new aliens emerge. The ground under your ship isn't quite flat, although that has no impact on your movement. 5200 Version The 5200 version is very good. Good controls and speed. The shields are here and the aliens look better, making it feel more like the arcade version. Strangely, like in the 8-bit version, the aliens emerge from the left side of the screen, although there is no rocket. Best feature: the aliens change every 2nd wave! And there are some pretty wild designs. Spinning/rotating/shrinking aliens! I counted 4 different sets, but there may be more than that. Judging by your ship, the ground color, the information at the bottom of the screen, and the left-emerging aliens, it is obvious the programmer heavily referenced the 8-bit version in creating this version. Why they did it. I think the 8-bit version is pretty lackluster and gets boring pretty quickly. Atari spent some time and came up with a version that is much more fun and will hold your interest a little longer. I know I kept playing to see all the different types of aliens! Very nicely done and a great choice by Atari. Coming soon, the other two games that I know of.... Space Invaders on the 5200 did something no other port of the game ever did, including the arcades...morph. You mentioned seeing four sets of enemies and that's all the game has. After you battle two rounds of the fourth set you've pretty much mastered the game. Every wave after that sticks with the forth set of invaders. Personally I prefer the 5200 port. It's unique. Oddly enough if some of you have one of the 5200 game catalogues that came with the system (as Asteroids in it) you will see Space Invaders mentioned with an image of the game with the rocket. For years I wondered where that image came from and why my version was missing it. There are actually three versions of Space Invaders on the 8-bits (computers): two by Atari and one on floppy disk by a 3rd party developer. HDN and socrates63 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 On 10/17/2015 at 5:31 PM, RickR said: Time for part 2: Centipede 8-bit Version The 8-bit version of Centipede isn't very good. Choppy animation, centipede segments that are mostly square, and a lack of colors make this a pretty lazy port. Also, the game is way too easy. The spider doesn't have that killer instinct from the arcade, making him really easy to avoid. 5200 Version The 5200 version of Centipede is excellent. Smooth animation, colorful and distinct centipede segments, and multi-colored mushrooms make this a MUCH better looking port. The spider here wiggles a lot and totally has the killer instinct. Avoiding him is challenging. The game gets fast quickly and is a blast to play. Things are a little bigger on the screen, but that doesn't seem to impact the fun factor at all. Why they did it This one was a no-brainer. The 8-bit version of Centipede is poor. Re-doing it was a wise choice by Atari. I don't see any sign of using the old code here...5200 Centipede was written from the ground up. Excellent choice by Atari here. 5200 Centipede and the arcade Centipede both used POKEY for sounds so ... This is one of a few 5200 games where the arcade sounds were exact copies. What was heard in the arcade is present in the 5200. Also this is one of only two games that takes advantage of the trackball controller which, if used, really brings that arcade experience home. And Spidey needs less caffeine! HDN and socrates63 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 On 9/16/2020 at 10:59 AM, socrates63 said: The conclusion to the trilogy five years in the making! I expect an epic review @RickR 🤣 Seriously, great topic! People often say why bother getting a 5200 when you have the Atari 8-bit. Looks like there are at least three great reasons why. I see a five year old comment about the 5200 controllers. I hope this is a thing of the past. If you're a 5200 fan suffering from controller issues today, a cheap and easy solution is to get the ikonsgr adapter that I mentioned in a different post. People shouldn't be harping on this awesome console about controllers anymore. Why bother??? Its an Atari for crying out loud! 'Nuff said. Period. Besides...what other console has Space Dungeon? None. That one is a 5200-only exclusive. No other Atari console got it. The 5200 is fun but time has not been kind to it. socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socrates63 Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 3 minutes ago, Atari 5200 Guy said: Why bother??? Its an Atari for crying out loud! 'Nuff said. Period. Besides...what other console has Space Dungeon? None. That one is a 5200-only exclusive. No other Atari console got it. The 5200 is fun but time has not been kind to it. Exactly! It’s an Atari ❤️ Time hasn’t been kind in what sense? Hardware reliability? HDN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 1 minute ago, socrates63 said: Exactly! It’s an Atari ❤️ Time hasn’t been kind in what sense? Hardware reliability? They joystick specifically. Like "E.T." on the 2600, it's reputation as terrible has stuck, whether it deserves it or not. Also, as I've said before, the 5200 suffers for being the "same-old" hardware as the 1979 Atari 400. At the time, for anyone that already had a 400 or 800, there was no reason to get a 5200. That was a mistake by Atari. And Space Dungeon (and also Countermeasure) are awesome games, I'll agree with that 100%! socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socrates63 Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 I guess Atari never learned and doomed itself by repeating the same failure with the XEGS. That’s one that I ignored back in the day because I thought it was just an 8-bit computer marketed as a gaming console and an extremely ugly one... those pastel color buttons (I wasn’t a fan of the 130XE either although I had one). The 5200 I skipped as a kid because of money and then I got into the 800. RickR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atari 5200 Guy Posted September 20, 2020 Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 I own an XEGS and actually love it. In my hometown after the 2600/5200 stuff Atari showing up seemed random. The 7800 was found in another town at a toy store that sold liquidated merchandise and the 2600 junior I found at a local discount store that didn't last long. Nothing after that until I got Jaguar flyers in the mail but by that time Atari was already sold off. I did not discover the XEGS until 1998 and that I found used. socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted September 20, 2020 Author Report Share Posted September 20, 2020 XEGS is fine...BUT...it came out in 1987! By that time, we're talking about 8 year old technology. And they were competing against the 7800! WTF Atari?? PS - I have one too. I got it used. I had no idea such a thing even existed until probably 2010. I like it, but it seems like another horrible design decision by Atari. socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDN Posted September 21, 2020 Report Share Posted September 21, 2020 Can't wait for your comparison @RickR. I have caught the Dig Dug Bug these past few days playing the 2600 version on an online emulator. socrates63 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HDN Posted March 1, 2021 Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 On 9/14/2020 at 6:06 PM, RickR said: I never finished this post! Coming soon -- Dig Dug! “Soon”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted March 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2021 I've got a day job. HDN 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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