YarsFan

Any update?

I am so excited for this release. This has the potential to be the best VCS game in my opinion.

Yars and Gravitar recharged are phenomenal. Kombinera is brilliant. The future is once again bright for Atari. Easier said than done, but coming up with a new IP that is cool with great gameplay would go a long way. People still love side scrollers, so that may be the route to go. Look at what Sonic did for Sega. Let’s face it: The gaming industry is due for a new mascot IP in the footsteps of Mario and Sonic. Yeah, there was Crash Bandicoot and some others, but it’s been years since those all fell by the wayside. Time for Atari to step up. Maybe pair a new mascot in a game with Bentley Bear, kind of like how Mario got his start in Donkey Kong? Frankly, I’d also rip-off Zelda II with a cool new fantasy world and virtually identical gameplay because there’s definitely a market for us nerds who love Zelda II and The Battle of Olympus all these years later. As much as I love traditional Zelda, and now 3D Zelda, I’m still disappointed we never got a good dose of Zelda II-style action adventure fantasy RPGs at least from time to time. If Atari could develop their own versions of Mario and Zelda, that would go a long way in restoring their rep as a creative powerhouse. Heck, crossover the IPs with the two big new mascots to make it fun for everyone and nostalgic for us old-timers. After pulling that off, let’s hope for their own version of Samus too 🤣

It took so long that I ended up buying the Switch steel book version. I prefer playing with a D-pad (using my Famicom Switch controller to navigate the screens is funny, but the X button is key) rather than a joystick, so I cannot justify buying it on VCS at $30, particularly if it will take up much of the remaining storage space.

It would be foolish to stop supporting this hardware because: 1) If they do, that’s the end of the line for future hardware by Atari. We thought Jaguar was it, but this thing brought them back into hardware one more time. It’s boom or bust forever… 2) The costs will continue to go down over time, so eventually it will be cheap enough to make and sell at profit for $99.99 with one joystick and one controller. When that day comes, whether it’s 2025 or 2030, this thing will sell like hotcakes as the ultimate retro machine with a cool library of niche games. 3) They can continue to build retro-like modern games on this thing indefinitely. And us Atari nerds will continue to buy it 🤣

Also, if they wanted to make a killing: 1) Release the “Atari Retro,” which would be the end-all/be-all retro system with however many cartridge slots are needed to accommodate all past Atari systems/cartridges, including a CD slot for music CDs (along with that Atari music effects thing from the 70s) and Jaguar CD. Allow however many controller slots are needed to accommodate all of the original controllers. 4K compatibility with scaling technology. Full compatibility via Bluetooth with the VCS modern controller and VCS retro controller. Complete backwards compatibility with the past other than Lynx (see below). Continue to support the VCS by keeping the “Atari Retro” cartridge/CD-based only. Loyal VCS owners get first dibs on pre-orders, one per household, and they get it in real wood grain. After a certain amount of time, release it to those who do not own a VCS, but plastic/Vader-style only. 2) Release a Lynx HD with a HD screen, long-lasting lithium battery, an online store including as much of the Lynx library as possible for $5/game, and a cartridge slot for those who own the originals (with proper scaling). Restrict the first run to loyal VCS owners.

A roller-ball is all that is missing. That would be amazing for Missile Command.

They should do a solid for the VCS loyal and give this one away in the VCS store.

The game is a ton of fun with great replay value. I like the direction the new CEO is steering the company.

Why is Qomp not on VCS yet? It looks interesting and worthy of the VCS. Edit: added for context... https://atari.com/products/qomp

Why not keep producing and supporting it if you’re breaking even, or generating a profit? The costs to manufacture it are going to go down over time. Eventually it will be possible to mass-produce these at $99.99 with a margin, and at that point it will sell like hot cakes if they continue growing the games like they have. The retro library and all these recharged games are going nowhere. It’s slick-looking and has more than enough firepower to be a system for the 2020s. If Atari wants to truly stage a comeback and return to its former glory, it needs to keep supporting the VCS. This is the last chance to truly get back in the game with a system of their own. If they do not commit to this thing for a few more years, they’ll never get where the new owner wants them to be because even the hardest of the hardcore Atari fans like us will never buy another system they ever produce again (Jaguar did that to some, and I respect that). This is really their last chance to make their mark.

If they had somehow been able to sell the VCS at this price point, it would have been a tremendous success. Even if they could somehow get it down to $179.99 with one Xbox-style controller included, allowing people to choose whether they pay extra for the joystick, it would probably be very popular and enable Atari to get where they seemingly want to get with this. There’s no reason why the VCS could not be a console/mini PC for the duration of the 2020s. This can be a retro dream machine. They just need to somehow find a way to sell it at sub-$200 without taking a loss.

I’m serious haha And another thing I think Atari should do: Pay those European fellas making Unsung Warriors whatever it takes to get them to agree to finish the title and make it exclusive to VCS. That has huge potential and it would be nice to see Atari secure the exclusive rights.

I mean, a partnership with Sega and Konami alone could yield all of these AAA titles that are hard to find - can you imagine how much more attractive the VCS would suddenly be??? Surely Atari can pull off a partnership with Sega and Konami on just a few titles…sweeten the deal with those two somehow to make it happen: Sega Master System: Psycho Fox Golden Axe Warrior Master of Darkness Golvellius: Valley of Doom Fantasy Zone PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Bonk Trilogy Blazing Lazers Gate of Thunder Dragon’s Curse Sega Genesis: Rocket Knight Adventures Crusader of Centy Thunder Force III-IV Herzog Zwei Sonic & Knuckles W/Sonic Trilogy Sega CD/32X: Knuckles’ Chaotix Snatcher (!) Eternal Champions: Challenge From the Dark Side Shining Force CD Sonic CD Sega Saturn/Dreamcast: After Burner Space Harrier Sega Rally Championship Burning Rangers Saturn Bomberman Panzer Dragoon Trilogy Legend of Oasis Daytona USA Virtua Racing Crazy Taxi Even if the partnership started with just these five, I bet these move systems and sell like hot cakes: Snatcher (Sega CD) Castlevania: Rondo of Blood Crusader of Centy Panzer Dragoon Trilogy Psycho Fox

Happy ownership is moving in a different direction. The VCS truly has the potential to be the ultimate retro machine. They should consider moving the garbage games off the shop, and loading up on only solid retro games (that is, games people still want to play for hours that were solid 8-10 scored/rates games back in the day), with some new stuff exclusive to Atari over time only if it’s a solid 8+ by consensus. The system needs a rep for only doing quality over quantity if it wants to carve its niche, even if that means only one solid title exclusive to the system every 3-4 months. Use Atari VCS Vault 3 to release any and all future 2600 titles to be released. Antstream and fixing the lag issues for those retro titles. Then focus on other retro games we’ve not already bought a half dozen times over the decades. Obviously Nintendo oldies are off the table, but why not try to get some of the absolute best games on the Master System, the Genesis, the Sega CD, the TurboGrafx-16, the Jaguar, the NEOGEO, the 3DO, 1990s PC, and Dreamcast? Limit it to the consensus top five or so games ever released on those systems and have at it. That’s about 50 amazing games. Surely that could be done through partnerships with Sega, Konami, SNK and some of the 1990s PC publishers.