King Atari Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 What game does everyone think is the simplest 2600 game? My votes: Combat Basketball Home Run Surround Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rolenta Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 My vote would be for Video Olympics! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris++ Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Surround. Even Combat and Outlaw offer varying playfields. CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 I would definitely say Video Olympics if game variation 1 were all it contained. With the 50 options available, however, it gets a little more complicated. I wouldn't count any of the sports games, no matter how unrealistic they are, because they all still have to follow (sort of) the rules of the sport. I would have to say Basic Math is the obvious choice. But I'd give some consideration to these as well: Space War Outlaw Surround (This is my pick, because Basic Math is too easy a target!) And these, not because they're the simplest all-around, but because the gameplay is so monotonous: Slot Machine Star Ship (*blechhh*) I'll leave it to liquid_sky to mention Sky Diver. (Oops!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Skeet Shoot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Skeet Shoot? Wow! I've never actually seen Skeet Shoot before, so I just went into the archive and looked at a screenshot. Man! What a piece of $#!+! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 You ought to try playing it. Set a time of 5 minutes of solid playtime to get the full results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris++ Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Yeah, their Raquetball's terrible, too. They gave the ball a shadow on every surface, so you often try to hit something that's not there, because you get confused as to what the actual ball is! I don't see how it could be physically possible for the ball to have a shadow on every single wall. (Maybe it's the source of light? That's a pretty durable light bulb!) CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 You ought to try playing it. Set a time of 5 minutes of solid playtime to get the full results. I bet that 5 minutes will be more difficult to endure than a game of Dishaster! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Maybe it's the source of light? That's a pretty durable light bulb! I don't think a light source can actually cast a shadow either... Wait a minute! Have we just discovered an Atari 2600 game where the laws of the physical universe are not accurately recreated? Unbelievable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fretwobbler Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 I cant believe nobody's mentioned Math Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted June 26, 2002 Author Share Posted June 26, 2002 I wouldn't count any of the sports games, no matter how unrealistic they are, because they all still have to follow (sort of) the rules of the sport. If you had to include sports titles, though, you gotta have Home Run, Basketball, Pele's Soccer, and football. The ultimate in primitive sports games, people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 I cant believe nobody's mentioned Math Are you talking about the Sears game? That's the same as Basic Math, which I did mention... I don't know... those double-digit answers are pretty complicated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fretwobbler Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Yeah I was talking Sears, soz I never saw your mention of Basic Math when I 'scanned' down the thread. What about Math Grand Prix..... now that must have taken a team of people similar in size to the team that built the Pyramids to put out Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATARIPITBULL Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 I think Breakout is very easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 I think Breakout is very easy. I agree. But, as simple as it is, I just can't put it down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris++ Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Okay, it's a blacklight bulb! -- Just-trying-to-be-funny-Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattK Posted June 26, 2002 Share Posted June 26, 2002 Okay, it's a blacklight bulb! Easy on the UV rays... melanoma is the last thing I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 What game does everyone think is the simplest 2600 game? Simplest game or simplest cart? The simplest game is Lunar Lander (second set of games at the end of Star Ship (Outer Space). Maneuver lander (LRUD) and "land" on cheezy moon. Simplest and worst! See recent thread in RGVC. Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 The simplest game is Lunar Lander (second set of games at the end of Star Ship (Outer Space). I agree 100%. This is without a doubt (in my opinion) the lamest, most worthless piece of garbage code that ever made its way onto an Atari cartridge. (I would venture to say on any cartridge made for the 2600 by any company, although that enters unexplored realms for me. But definitely the worst Atari themselves put out.) But I think the initial question was looking for the simplest game overall, in terms of graphics, sound, gameplay, and variations. Therefore I would still say Basic Math, or if you actually want to talk about a "game" (and not a Game Program™, which even includes Basic Programming), then I give it to Surround. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 I agree 100%. This is without a doubt (in my opinion) the lamest, most worthless piece of garbage code that ever made its way onto an Atari cartridge. What a pathetic waste of bits! .. which is what I thought in 1977 when we bought that cart for $20. But I think the initial question was looking for the simplest game overall, in terms of graphics, sound, gameplay, and variations. Therefore I would still say Basic Math, or if you actually want to talk about a "game" (and not a Game Program™, which even includes Basic Programming), then I give it to Surround. Basic Math takes some thinking skills (early childhood challenge) .. Surround has good gameplay .. Lunar Lander has neither. Rob MItchell, Atlanta, GA (It is a crime that Atari did not make Math use the keyboards!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Basic Math takes some thinking skills (early childhood challenge) .. Surround has good gameplay .. Lunar Lander has neither. I guess the things Star Ship has that put it above Basic Math and Surround for me, in terms of simplicity, are its graphics (yes, they are simple, but not as simple as the other two) and the physics of motion in the game. It's very rudimentary, but it is more complicated than what happens in Basic Math (i.e. nothing) and Surround (very limited). That said, I still think Star Ship is overall the worst game Atari ever published... even worse than Slot Machine, and definitely worse than Basic Math (which has educational value, even if it's too boring for any kid to touch) and Surround (great concept despite rudimentary design). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulikemeinoit Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 In graphics, surround, overall, has to be lunar lander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torr Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 I don't know how simple it is programming-wise, but as for Gameplay, I beileve Freeway has to be the simplest game... I hated it when I was young, I couldn't belive it was by Activision, cause Activision always made such great games... but freeway was bad... it was just the first half of the Frogger screen and you COULDN"T go left or right!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris++ Posted June 27, 2002 Share Posted June 27, 2002 Actually, Freeway came before Frogger (believe it or not). It was one of the few cases in which a home game inspired an arcade designer, instead of the other way around. I have to add Miniature Golf to the list. I keep wanting to see the little cursor-guy from Adventure emerge and walk around, doing SOMETHING, ANYTHING. But it's just this stick-club and the square ball from Pong. One would have to be under heavy sedation to find anything exciting or redeeming about this unbelievably slow-paced (even for golf) game. CF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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