Commodore 64 vs Atari 800 Xl

[enthusi]

To contribute something to the general topic, maybe rather as 'in comparison to' than 'versus'.

With the advent of Assembloids for the all-superior 2600 it might be worth looking at the original home-computer version of Assembloids for the C64.

The concept started as the Flashgame Quartet before it was rewritten for the C64 as 'Assembloids':

The game was written in few weeks/months in 16 KB.

Code by me, Music be Conrad, Gfx by Illkke who also did the original Quartet.

 

Shortly after release we were approached by Xeen and sTring of Agenda who wished to port the game to the 800XE/XL for the ABBUC2013 contest.

So that game was written in a relatively short timescale as well:

Requiring 64 KB/GTIA.

 

Though we shared information on scoring/timing, the code was written from scratch.

Assembloids C64 won 2nd place at the yearly 16KB RGCD competition.

Assembloids XL/XE won 2nd place at the yearly ABBUC competition.

 

The Atariversion does some gfx mode tricks while the C64 version places the pipes in the border that usually doesnt contain gfx in games.

Personally I think both games are decent representatives of their systems. While the game mechanics are rather simple (no scrolling or even moving parts), each development team

spiced up the game here and there in their own way, like I used sprites to animate the gained points.

 

I like this example since both teams chose slightly different approaches and ended up with (in my opinion) decent games that are not 'the ueber games of the century' but fun games to play that actually got done

I use this opportunity to greet the Atari team (I still keep the Atari2600 with your signatures - and many more by now !

 

Btw, Assembloids was and currently is being ported to other plattforms as well. I just finished the 2600 version and work on a ZX spectrum version.

It is an interesting trivia, that an early demo of Assembloids 2600 made 2nd place as well at Sillyventure 2013.

Edited September 19, 2016 by enthusi

[popmilo]

Good idea to mention Assembloids! Excellent for comparison between platforms. Must say that although I'm c64 fanboy, music in Atari version is better imho.

 

And that 'trick' with mixing graphics modes in different scanlines is genius.

[Nebulon]

I've been going through a ton of games for both the C64 and the Atari 800/XL lately and I'm having a great time on both systems.

 

Whenever I switch between them, it's like stepping into a parallel universe. They're so similar and so different yet both offer an awesome gaming experience. The more I use both platforms, the harder it is to imagine a world without either one of them.

[enthusi]

Well said

[carlsson]

Yeah. I can enjoy both Yoomp! and Micro Hexagon (though not at the same time!), without worrying about C64 and Atari 8-bit coders getting headaches trying to port respective games.

[2600problems]

what about porting Rescue on fractulus to the C64?

[Bill Loguidice]

what about porting Rescue on fractulus to the C64?

 

What about it? It was a reasonable port that, like most ports, could probably have been done better in some ways.

Edited June 16, 2017 by Bill Loguidice

[zzip]

Removed my response. I hate when you click on the "new post" button and the first "new post" is from 2009

Edited June 16, 2017 by zzip

[emkay]

what about porting Rescue on fractulus to the C64?

???

 

ROF C64 is almost as old as the Atari Version.... but, after all speed optimizations it still is only half of Atari Version.

Could be interesting so have the Atari version "optimized" the same way.

[Ranger03]

I would love to see the Atari 800 Pull off Alien.

[Mauro Rodriguez]

The Antic / PM Sprite Engine Its Better In:

Static Images - 128 Colors in Rasta Images in 160x240 pixels with overscan 

Demoscene 

 

The VIC II Sprite Engine Its Better In

Games

 

The TED Graphics (C16/Cplus) has no Sprite Engine

But Is The Better Machine In Static Graphics with 128 Colors in real time