2600 Homebrew of the Year 2006

[+SpiceWare]

Wow - thanks guys! I apprecate the nice comments - they just made my day

 

I'm sure you know which one I voted for If my game hadn't been in the list I'd have gone with Conquest of Mars.

[supercat]

Well, that's the thing -- the gameplay is pretty much the same!

 

Well, Strat-O-Gems does have some nifty visuals that as far as I know are unique. I particularly like the morphing gems between levels. The color cycling animations on the "Deluxe" version are also rather nice. The original 4K version did not animate the gem explosions quite so nicely, and didn't include the morphing gems, but was still pretty good.

 

Actually, it's amazing how much of the Deluxe version is actually in the 4K original. The only major feature that's missing is the gem counter. Many other features, including the "STRAT-O-GEMS" and level-indicator parts of the title screen, and the dissolving gems at the end, are present in the original 4K version.

 

I suspect, though, the audio on Strat-O-Gems may be what puts it above the rest. While the sequences of notes it plays aren't particularly melodic there's something very satisfying about "Do Mi Sol Ti Do Mi So" (it would be even more satisfying if I could get the "Ti Do" at the end, but I've never gotten a nine-way).

Edited April 6, 2007 by supercat

[Big Player]

I voted for Medieval Mayhem. While it is much closer to the arcade game than the original 2600 Warlords, it also has unique elements that make it much more that just a straight port.

 

Toyshop Trouble was a close second with its addictive gameplay.

 

I own both of these games along with Ladybug and Conquest of Mars. Ladybug is technically brilliant. I just don't find myself playing the game as much as Medieval Mayhem or Toyshop Trouble.

[Omegamatrix]

Lady Bug. Medieval Mayhem a close second.