Atari 400 Donkey Kong Jr.

[Rik]

Hi guys!In my usual thrift store questing,i found Donkey Kong Jr. for my atari 400 today.I think its pretty damn good,not sure how it stacks up to my CV version though,ill have to hook up the CV tonight to find out.Out of curiousity,how do you guys think it stacks up,to the other CLASSIC SYSTEMS VERSIONS,play and graphics wise?Thanx

Edited August 31, 2007 by Rik

[+MrFish]

Hi guys!In my usual thrift store questing,i found Donkey Kong Jr. for my atari 400 today.I think its pretty damn good,not sure how it stacks up to my CV version though,ill have to hook up the CV tonight to find out.Out of curiousity,how do you guys think it stacks up,to the other CLASSIC SYSTEMS VERSIONS,play and graphics wise?Thanx

 

Comparing it to the two versions I've played, MAME and NES, I prefer the Atari version. The graphics and sound effects are top notch in my opinion, and I feel it is one of the top games in A8 library. I especially like the sound effects. I also like their choice of character based graphics mode.

[RJ]

Yeah, I like the Atari comp. version over the CV too. In fact, some months back when I got my CV w/ a bunch of games, I sold back DK Jr. since I already have the superior (IMO) Atari vers.

[deadmeow]

I was very suprised when I found it for the first time as well in the 90's. I had never known there was an Atari 400/800 version of Donkey Kong, as I thought Coleco was the only one who had the rights for the video game consoles.

 

The Colecovision version is more arcade like, and the Atari 400 version plays more like a typical classic arcade type of game of the day. Both are very good.

[+MrFish]

I was very suprised when I found it for the first time as well in the 90's. I had never known there was an Atari 400/800 version of Donkey Kong, as I thought Coleco was the only one who had the rights for the video game consoles.

 

The Colecovision version is more arcade like, and the Atari 400 version plays more like a typical classic arcade type of game of the day. Both are very good.

 

Did you notice that the thread was about Donkey Kong "Jr."? The two games are quite different, you know. Just though I'd ask...

Edited September 3, 2007 by MrFish

[Gregory DG]

Great version. I used to play it to death along with the original DK.

 

One thing I like about it above most others is the speed. It was always faster/smoother than the rest.

 

The little animation after the keys/chains level is great. But the birds were lame looking.

 

One weird thing which I was never able to explain... When I first got the game, I swear the level order was wrong when playing on the default settings. Then one day about a year later it started playing in the correct order. And I didn't change anything!

[Crimefighter]

DKJ on the Atari 8-bit is far superior to the CV version, for one it has all four screens, two it has a full ending animation.

[Tempest]

DK Jr. is the one game I really wanted as a kid, but my parents wouldn't buy me (you have enough games already!). I my friend had, and I loved it! Well, at least I had Donkey Kong...

 

I always thought the 8-bit version was top notch. Interesting little tidbit. The programmer for the game tried to pull a fast one on Atari. They were behind schedule, but said that they could "speed things up" if they were properly compensated. Atari's management was not too pleased about this (they wanted to fire the programmer). I think they ended up getting Landon Dyer to finish up the rest of the game or at least to speed things up. I'll have to look at my memos.

 

Tempest

[+MrFish]

We haven't heard fandal yet... I guess he's too busy with his conversions.

[landondyer]

I always thought the 8-bit version was top notch. Interesting little tidbit. The programmer for the game tried to pull a fast one on Atari. They were behind schedule, but said that they could "speed things up" if they were properly compensated. Atari's management was not too pleased about this (they wanted to fire the programmer). I think they ended up getting Landon Dyer to finish up the rest of the game or at least to speed things up. I'll have to look at my memos.

 

Tempest

 

At least half of this is not true: I didn't have any code in DKjr.

 

I guess I'd believe the bit about thinly veiled extortion. The lead engineer on DKjr was a real piece of work (he was indeed laid off pretty early in the Great Fall). I remember him trying to write a bunch of DKjr in FORTH [shudder], having lots of performance problems [duh], and being very secretive about his work (he wouldn't let his boss look at it). I vaugely recall some foo-fah-rah about him wanting to be paid more (I think he succeeded in this).

 

I'm pretty sure that all of the nasty, hideous FORTH garbage was tossed out, and that the poor junior engineer who had to share an office with the Real Piece of Work finished things off pretty well, with no apparent psychological damage.

 

Lesson I learned: If a fat, bearded engineer says, "But this would be so eeeeasy in FORTH!" just fire him right then and there. You think I'm kidding, right? I'm not. Even though it's been 25 years, I still wince when I think back on that fiasco.

[+Mitch]

I always thought the 8-bit version was top notch. Interesting little tidbit. The programmer for the game tried to pull a fast one on Atari. They were behind schedule, but said that they could "speed things up" if they were properly compensated. Atari's management was not too pleased about this (they wanted to fire the programmer). I think they ended up getting Landon Dyer to finish up the rest of the game or at least to speed things up. I'll have to look at my memos.

 

Tempest

 

At least half of this is not true: I didn't have any code in DKjr.

 

I guess I'd believe the bit about thinly veiled extortion. The lead engineer on DKjr was a real piece of work (he was indeed laid off pretty early in the Great Fall). I remember him trying to write a bunch of DKjr in FORTH [shudder], having lots of performance problems [duh], and being very secretive about his work (he wouldn't let his boss look at it). I vaugely recall some foo-fah-rah about him wanting to be paid more (I think he succeeded in this).

 

I'm pretty sure that all of the nasty, hideous FORTH garbage was tossed out, and that the poor junior engineer who had to share an office with the Real Piece of Work finished things off pretty well, with no apparent psychological damage.

 

Lesson I learned: If a fat, bearded engineer says, "But this would be so eeeeasy in FORTH!" just fire him right then and there. You think I'm kidding, right? I'm not. Even though it's been 25 years, I still wince when I think back on that fiasco.

 

Thanks for chiming in, it's always nice to hear from the original programers.

 

Mitch

[Nukey Shay]

I was very suprised when I found it for the first time as well in the 90's. I had never known there was an Atari 400/800 version of Donkey Kong, as I thought Coleco was the only one who had the rights for the video game consoles.

 

They were. Atari secured the home computer rights (that's why DK and DKjr were not ported to the 5200 during it's run). Coleco was none too pleased about that little loophole...but Atari aquired Coleco's titles later anyway.

[Ross PK]

I was very suprised when I found it for the first time as well in the 90's. I had never known there was an Atari 400/800 version of Donkey Kong, as I thought Coleco was the only one who had the rights for the video game consoles.

 

The Colecovision version is more arcade like, and the Atari 400 version plays more like a typical classic arcade type of game of the day. Both are very good.

 

Did you notice that the thread was about Donkey Kong "Jr."? The two games are quite different, you know. Just though I'd ask...

 

You know I was thinking of Donkey Kong too and was just about to make a reply about it until I saw your post.

 

Anyway, yeah, Donkey Kong Jr is a great game, I also loved it when I was a kid. It is very hard though once you get onto the level with the trampoline, it's as though you've just got to rely on luck to get the jumps right in places.

 

Don't know if the original arcade version is hard like that too though.

Edited September 14, 2007 by Ross PK

[Tempest]

I always thought the 8-bit version was top notch. Interesting little tidbit. The programmer for the game tried to pull a fast one on Atari. They were behind schedule, but said that they could "speed things up" if they were properly compensated. Atari's management was not too pleased about this (they wanted to fire the programmer). I think they ended up getting Landon Dyer to finish up the rest of the game or at least to speed things up. I'll have to look at my memos.

 

Tempest

 

At least half of this is not true: I didn't have any code in DKjr.

 

I guess I'd believe the bit about thinly veiled extortion. The lead engineer on DKjr was a real piece of work (he was indeed laid off pretty early in the Great Fall). I remember him trying to write a bunch of DKjr in FORTH [shudder], having lots of performance problems [duh], and being very secretive about his work (he wouldn't let his boss look at it). I vaugely recall some foo-fah-rah about him wanting to be paid more (I think he succeeded in this).

 

I'm pretty sure that all of the nasty, hideous FORTH garbage was tossed out, and that the poor junior engineer who had to share an office with the Real Piece of Work finished things off pretty well, with no apparent psychological damage.

 

Lesson I learned: If a fat, bearded engineer says, "But this would be so eeeeasy in FORTH!" just fire him right then and there. You think I'm kidding, right? I'm not. Even though it's been 25 years, I still wince when I think back on that fiasco.

 

Thanks for clarifying that Landon. I can't believe anyone would try to design a game in FORTH! Then again, I hear some 7800 games were done in FORTH (and turned out poorly). Whoever finished up DKjr did a great job.

 

Tempest

[tjlazer]

I always thought this was a GREAT port! I use to play it all the time as a kid on my 800XL. I couldn't believe there was no Commodore 64 port! Back then I was also quite proud there wasn't as that was atleast one title the C64 did not have!

[+Cafeman]

6502 ASM > FORTH.

 

I love the A8 version of DKjr, it is just as good as the DK port. I played it a lot in the later 80's and early 90's on my 1200XL (I had disks and disks of great games). Sometimes I play the recently 5200-ported version (but I use a Masterplay w/Genesis pad).