VectorGamer Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Having been reunited recently with the Colecovision, the subsequent search for additional games for that console has been disappointing in the number of options out there. With that, the question I have is If you could purchase one home console (not PC or emulator) that contained the most and best arcade ports of the classic games (81-84), which console would it be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 The Atari 5200 would be a good way to go. That system is almost nothing but arcade ports, and most of them are exceptional. Otherwise, a computer like an Atari 8-bit or Commodore 64 would probably be the best choice. More games (period), and for the most part they're going to be better than their console counterparts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) Yeah maybe the 5200/Atari 8Bit. Although to me, most of the the 2600 ports of arcade games have a lot of charm to them.. with some exceptions. I guess it depends on what you're looking for. If it's accuracy and closeness to the real thing, then definitely look somewhere else. I personally like the translations they had to do to make it work on the good old VCS. Crystal Castles, Ms. Pac, Vanguard, and others are pretty good examples of what I'm talking about. Edited March 5, 2009 by NE146 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recycled Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Yea, I've been satisfied with retro comps, plug-n-plays, and mostly my 2600 and ColecoVision ports. Although, it's been tough to find a good CV in which the hardware doesn't screw up some how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 XE Game Machine is a good starting point, console-wise. Since it's really an Atari 8-bit computer, you get access to tons of good arcade ports, plus a lot of other good cartridges, and you can add a disk drive and then get even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) If you can only get just ONE (shudder at the thought): I'd have to stick by 5200 if it has to be a console. If you want more games, I'd get behind Atari 8-bit (or XE game machine) as well, but then you're losing the awesome 5200 Trak-Ball, second fire button, and overall charm of the system... so, it's a trade-off either way, but I'd say you can't go wrong with either of those. Edited March 5, 2009 by Mirage1972 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 The NES had everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jboypacman Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Cybergoth hit it on the head with the NES as it had some pretty good(and sadly not so good ports)of some arcade classics like Pac-Man,Donkey Kong,Donkey Kong Jr,BurgerTime,ect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Some of the arcade ports for the NES are very good (I doubt I've tried all of them)... but to get best true Golden Age Arcade experience, I don't think it cuts it. The graphics don't look as authentic to me, the "feel" just isn't the same (sorry, I know that's not very descriptive), and to me, the 5200 has more authentic controls with a real joystick (once you get used to it), and the Trak-Ball. A game pad is fine, nothing against them, but it's sure not the authentic Golden Age Arcade experience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) Some of the arcade ports for the NES are very good (I doubt I've tried all of them)... but to get best true Golden Age Arcade experience, I don't think it cuts it. The graphics don't look as authentic to me, the "feel" just isn't the same (sorry, I know that's not very descriptive), and to me, the 5200 has more authentic controls with a real joystick (once you get used to it), and the Trak-Ball. A game pad is fine, nothing against them, but it's sure not the authentic Golden Age Arcade experience! Just to be Devil's advocate, would the NES Advantage joystick change your assessment at all? Edited March 5, 2009 by Ransom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirage Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 (edited) Some of the arcade ports for the NES are very good (I doubt I've tried all of them)... but to get best true Golden Age Arcade experience, I don't think it cuts it. The graphics don't look as authentic to me, the "feel" just isn't the same (sorry, I know that's not very descriptive), and to me, the 5200 has more authentic controls with a real joystick (once you get used to it), and the Trak-Ball. A game pad is fine, nothing against them, but it's sure not the authentic Golden Age Arcade experience! Just to be Devil's advocate, would the NES Advantage joystick change your assessment at all? You know what's more amazing than me forgetting about that? The fact that I even own one! Getting old... Yes, it would change my assessment in terms of the joystick. So, nix that altogether, and I even like the NES Advantage stick much better than the 5200 sticks. I'm so unreal partial to the trackball though... to me, it's as close to the arcade feel as I can get without a real arcade machine or a nice MAME cabinet -- in other words, with a console -- for the games that use it. Not to mention the dual-joystick action on the 5200... can any NES games do that with the NES Advantage... I don't know, but I doubt it. Correct me if I'm wrong. And, the NES games still, to me, don't have as close of an arcade "look or feel" as many 5200 or A8 games do. So... But thanks for being a good Devil's advocate I do think the NES would be okay in a pinch though, and is a decent enough nominee for the title. Maybe, to me, a runner-up. Edited March 5, 2009 by Mirage1972 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ransom Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 You know what's more amazing than me forgetting about that? The fact that I even own one! Getting old... Yes, it would change my assessment in terms of the joystick. So, nix that altogether, and I even like the NES Advantage stick much better than the 5200 sticks. I'm so unreal partial to the trackball though... to me, it's as close to the arcade feel as I can get without a real arcade machine or a nice MAME cabinet -- in other words, with a console -- for the games that use it. Not to mention the dual-joystick action on the 5200... can any NES games do that with the NES Advantage... I don't know, but I doubt it. Correct me if I'm wrong. And, the NES games still, to me, don't have as close of an arcade "look or feel" as many 5200 or A8 games do. So... But thanks for being a good Devil's advocate I do think the NES would be okay in a pinch though, and is a decent enough nominee for the title. Maybe, to me, a runner-up. I figured the NES Advantage must've just slipped your mind. But I totally agree with you. Many of the NES arcade ports are sort of herky-jerky, whereas the Atari ones tend to be smooth as silk. And nothing beats using the 5200 trak-ball (I'm looking forward to having one again, soon) for trak-ball games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwalla Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 I agree with the others. The Atari 8-bit or 5200 is the best complement to the ColecoVision for arcade ports. For example, with an Atari 8-bit computer (and a CX-40 joystick) you can play Pengo, Defender, Donkey Kong, Moon Patrol, Super Cobra, Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Jr. Pac Man, Food Fight, Joust, Missile Command, Frogger, etc., etc., PLUS lots of classic computer games like Star Raiders, Archon, Rescue on Fractalus, River Raid, Zone Ranger, etc., etc. Want an Atari arcade multicart: http://www.8bitclassics.com/Atari/XL/Cartr...l-products.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirin jensen Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I immediately thought of the 5200, but the controls are problematic at best. So I'll go for the obvious answer: The Vectrex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tisaperfectdayelise Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 7800 ProSystem 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borntorun Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The Commodore 64 or the Atari 5200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The 5200. Defender, Robotron, Missile Command, Centipede, Mario Brothers, Joust, Moon Patrol....The Colecovision is a really close 2nd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdub_bobby Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The NES is a good choice, though I'd probably go with an Atari XL computer. The NES had a LOT of ports, and almost all of them were "improved" in some way. Though the improvements only really worked about half the time, it's at least interesting even when it doesn't work. And when the changes click, the NES really elevates mediocre coin-op titles (see: Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, among others). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 And when the changes click, the NES really elevates mediocre coin-op titles (see: Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, among others). I disagree about Ninja Gaiden.. the original arcade game was pretty darn fun in it's heyday and I was fully expecting it for the NES version. At first I was dissapointed then of course it turned out to be a great game in it's own right.. but don't be dissing the original man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ze_ro Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I'd say Atari 8-bit, even though it's a computer. If seeing a keyboard on the system is a problem for you, then get the XEGS and leave the keyboard in the closet or something Or, you could just get an Xbox and install MAME on it. --Zero Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 If you could purchase one home console (not PC or emulator) that contained the most and best arcade ports of the classic games (81-84), which console would it be? (81-84)? Most definitely either the Atari 5200 or one of the 8-bit computers. NES may have some good arcade action but it's (81-84) range is iffy. Later arcade game though may be ok. Atari 7800. Has some good translations (7800 only) and if you like the quirkiness of 2600 translations it can play the entire 2600 library as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vdub_bobby Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 And when the changes click, the NES really elevates mediocre coin-op titles (see: Contra, Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, among others). I disagree about Ninja Gaiden.. the original arcade game was pretty darn fun in it's heyday and I was fully expecting it for the NES version. At first I was dissapointed then of course it turned out to be a great game in it's own right.. but don't be dissing the original man I'm not dissing it; I liked it too. But you gotta admit, it is a pretty generic brawler - if it hadn't been for the NES remake(s) it wouldn't really be remembered today, paling in comparison to Double Dragon, Final Fight, and Golden Axe; lumped in with all the others in the 2nd tier: P.O.W., Renegade, DJ Boy, etc. If you could purchase one home console (not PC or emulator) that contained the most and best arcade ports of the classic games (81-84), which console would it be? (81-84)? Most definitely either the Atari 5200 or one of the 8-bit computers. NES may have some good arcade action but it's (81-84) range is iffy. Later arcade game though may be ok. I disagree: Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., 1942, Galaga, BurgerTime, Dig Dug, Popeye, Gyruss, Karate Champ, Joust, Marble Madness, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Millipede, Paperboy, Q*bert, Qix, Xevious, Defender II, Mario Bros, Bump 'n' Jump, Elevator Action, Kung Fu Master, Seicross, Spy Hunter, Stinger, ... Really, the NES has a LOT of arcade ports. The main thing it's missing is most of the early Atari hits (Tempest, Battlezone, Crystal Castles, etc.) But it has a ton of everything else. The NES had something like 700 US releases, I really doubt that the 5200's 120-game library can compare. It probably has more ports from between 81 and 84 then the 5200 and 7800 put together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 (edited) I disagree: Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., 1942, Galaga, BurgerTime, Dig Dug, Popeye, Gyruss, Karate Champ, Joust, Marble Madness, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Millipede, Paperboy, Q*bert, Qix, Xevious, Defender II, Mario Bros, Bump 'n' Jump, Elevator Action, Kung Fu Master, Seicross, Spy Hunter, Stinger, ... Really, the NES has a LOT of arcade ports. The main thing it's missing is most of the early Atari hits (Tempest, Battlezone, Crystal Castles, etc.) But it has a ton of everything else. The NES had something like 700 US releases, I really doubt that the 5200's 120-game library can compare. It probably has more ports from between 81 and 84 then the 5200 and 7800 put together. Yes but as was pointed out earlier in this thread the 5200 versions have a better "feel".. I thought Dig Dug only came out in Japan and that it was Dig Dug 2 that came out over here? 5200 games that are arcade ports... Battlezone, Beef Drop, Berzerk, Blaster, Blue Print, Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom, Castle Crisis,Centipede, Choplifter!, Congo Bongo, Defender, Dig Dug, Frisky Tom, Frogger, Galaxian, Gorf, Gyruss, Joust, Jr. Pac-Man, Jungle Hunt, Kangaroo, KLAX, Mario Bros., Millipede, Missile Command, Moon Patrol, Mr. Do!'s Castle, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man, Pengo, Pole Position, Popeye, Q*bert, Qix, Robotron: 2084, Space Dungeon, Space Invaders, Star Trek: Strategic Operations, Star Wars: The Arcade Game, Super Breakout, Super Cobra, Super Pac-Man, Track -n Field, Vanguard, Wizard Of Wor, Xevious, Zaxxon Conversions - Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Satan's Hollow, Spy Hunter, Up N Down 8-bit arcade conversions - Apple Panic (Space Panic), Boulderdash, Commando, Crossbow, Crystal Castles, Food Fight, King Tuts Tomb (Tutankham), Gauntlet, Juno First, Nibbler, Mr. Do, Pooyan, Rampage, Star Island, Super Zaxxon, Tapper Atari 7800 - Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, b*nQ (Q-bert), Beef Drop (Burgertime), Centipede, Choplifter, Commando, Crossbow, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong (yuck), Donkey Kong Junior (double yuck), Double Dragon, Food Fight, Galaga, Ikari Warriors, Joust, Klax, Kung-Fu Master, Mario Bros (yuck), Ms. Pac-man, Pac-Man Collection, Pole Position 2, Rampage, Robotron 2084, Space Duel, Space Invaders, Super Pacman, Xenophobe, Xevious Edited March 7, 2009 by Shannon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cybergoth Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 For 1981 Arcades the VCS wins, the Coleco is 2nd, and the C64 3rd: 2600 5200 7800 COL NES 800 C64 Amidar X Cosmic Avenger X Donkey Kong X X X X X X Frenzy X Frogger X X X X X Galga X X Gorf X X X X X Kick Man X Lady Bug X Lock'n'Chase X Moon Shuttle X Mouse Trap X Ms. Pac-Man X X X X X X Omega Race X X X X Qix X X X X River Patrol X Satan's Hollow X Scramble X Sky Skipper X Solar Fox X X Space Dungeon X Space Fury X Stargate X X Strategy X X Super Cobra X X X X Turbo X Vanguard X X Venture X X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 For 1981 Arcades the VCS wins, the Coleco is 2nd, and the C64 3rd: And? Why are you only counting one year? What about the 3-4 years prior and the 2-3 years afterwords? You're leaving out some of the best games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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