5200 Pack in game, what game?

[SoundGammon]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I was wondering what game do you think Atari SHOULD have packed in with the 5200 instead of Super Breakout? What hot arcade game, at the time it came out, should have been in with it to make it sell? Think 1982.

[bohoki]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I was wondering what game do you think Atari SHOULD have packed in with the 5200 instead of Super Breakout? What hot arcade game, at the time it came out, should have been in with it to make it sell? Think 1982.

 

 

being a 4 player game i think it was a good pack in for the 4 port model

 

i had 3 5200s and the 4 port model i use now(not 2600 adapter compat) came with super breakout

 

the 2 that broke were 1 4 port that worked with the 2600 adaper and a 2 port unit and they both came with pac-man

 

i think they should have had space invaders as the pack-in but who in their right mind would buy superbreakout?

[jetset]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I was wondering what game do you think Atari SHOULD have packed in with the 5200 instead of Super Breakout? What hot arcade game, at the time it came out, should have been in with it to make it sell? Think 1982.

 

Nearly all arcade games at the time were "hot" (not literally but arcades were everywhere...just because a game was 1-2 years "old" didn't mean it was hungry for quarters at the end of the day) Pac Man would have done exceptionally well. The whole reason for owning a 5200 was how good the graphics looked compared to the 2600, and how close they were to the arcade. It hasn't held up as well IMO over the years but when the 5200 came out Pac Man was still one of the popular games, and compared to the 2600 version, it was near-perfect. Defender would have also been a winner. It's easily the best graphically of the versions available at the time or on the horizon. I think though due to the complexity of the game itself, it wouldn't have been the best. Realsports Baseball would also have been a great choice but again because of how complex it was...I just think simplicity would have been better.

Centipede would have given the 5200 the biggest boost. It was a hot arcade game, and graphically was near identical to the coin-op. The 5200 sticks were designed for games like Centipede, which would have quelled many of the (supposed) majority who hated the 5200 sticks. Plus Centipede is not just a "guy" game, it was well received by lady gamers in the arcade. Simple game, easy to play. It still would not have been perceived 'better' than the CV Donkey Kong because DK was newer and 'hotter'

Or, had Atari been able to port their computer version of DK it would have made the biggest difference. It blows away the CV version, and if people were buying their system based on wanting DK, there's no contest.

BUT, that didn't happen.

[midnight magicman]

I thought Pacman was a pack-in game for the 5200. My friend back in elementary had a 5200 & he didn't have Super Breakout that i can remember.

 

Peace

[RangerG]

You got to go with Pac-man. Yes, it was also on the Atari 2600, but the jump in graphics would showcase the new machine and really is the only game coming close to a Donkey Kong at the time. Super-Breakout was a terrible choice. Even a game like Countermeasure with no recognition would have been better in that it was an exclusive.

[RangerG]

I got it. With the purchase of the new 5200, you get a coupon for one free Atari 5200 game (no third-party obviously). That would have worked as a big promotion and just like gift cards, some people would lose them or keep them as souvenirs and Atari would save.

[Rybags]

With 20/20 hindsight it's obvious the system needed all the help it could get.

 

They could have done a 16K ROM with 2 games on it... even 3.

[ntavio]

Tempest would have been the greatest pack-in game. But unfortunately never even released.

[Dutchman2000]

Tempest would have been the greatest pack-in game. But unfortunately never even released.

 

That would've been tough as Tempest wasn't even being programmed until the Fall of 1983.

[phuzaxeman]

if you wanted the 5200 to have sophistcation, graphics, and sound, star raiders would have been amazing. the game itself with great use of the controllers shines.

 

but to put up great numbers, having pole position would have been eye catching. a lot of people would have loved it. it was a great game during its time (especially with the music and 3d graphics). gyruss, jungle hunt, and star trek would have worked too.

 

 

super breakout was a good game. but because it came with the system, there was a lot of pressure to do great. i think that's why it got a bad rap from some critics.

[Rybags]

Super Breakout A8/5200 is one of the ones I named which is inferior to the 2600 version (along with Space Invaders).

 

Aside from that, you're talking a game that was all the rage in 1977 or whenever, but looked ancient by 1981.

[mcjakeqcool]

Super Breakout was a AWSOME game. I loved it!

[kool kitty89]

Or, had Atari been able to port their computer version of DK it would have made the biggest difference. It blows away the CV version, and if people were buying their system based on wanting DK, there's no contest.

BUT, that didn't happen.

 

I don't think that would have been possible though, Coleco secured the rights to the Cartridge based version, while Atari had the disk version (and tape?). Hence why coleco could put it on the Adam (technically they didn't really do that, the Adam was compatible with ColecoVision, so any CV game would automatically be an Adam game).

 

Inless they released a disk (or maybe tape) drive for the 5200, but that could have just confused things. (as add-ons have done in other cases historically) Plus, disks (and tape especially) have the disadvantages of load times, defeating the simple pick-up-and-play nature.

[+Allan]

Or, had Atari been able to port their computer version of DK it would have made the biggest difference. It blows away the CV version, and if people were buying their system based on wanting DK, there's no contest.

BUT, that didn't happen.

 

I don't think that would have been possible though, Coleco secured the rights to the Cartridge based version, while Atari had the disk version (and tape?). Hence why coleco could put it on the Adam (technically they didn't really do that, the Adam was compatible with ColecoVision, so any CV game would automatically be an Adam game).

 

Inless they released a disk (or maybe tape) drive for the 5200, but that could have just confused things. (as add-ons have done in other cases historically) Plus, disks (and tape especially) have the disadvantages of load times, defeating the simple pick-up-and-play nature.

What?! Donkey Kong for the Atari computers only came on a cartridge. There never was a disk or cassette version.

 

Allan

[kool kitty89]

And it was published by Atari or Coleco? Now I'm confused,,. several articals concerning the whole Atair/Coleco Donkey Kong licence isue pointed toward the disk vs cartridge issue... (rather than computer vs game console rights, which would have gotten confused in either case with the Adam being compatible with ColecoVision)

 

I'll have to go find the sourses on that. (I know wiki mentions it in several articles, but that's not a primary sourse)

 

Looking arround it looks like a bunch of companies were selling it on several platforms (a bunch just on the 2600), more complex than I'd initially though. http://www.atariguide.com/2/209b.htm

Edited July 31, 2009 by kool kitty89

[Nukey Shay]

Actually, the difference was between the home console market and the home computer market. A blurred line to be sure. Type of media doesn't matter. Coleco retained the home rights for the Adam version...which was already developed by the time Atari got around to weaving it's way into the contract's fine print to purchase their own license. Atari cleverly (or should I say underhandedly?) avoided releasing any type of console-only Atari version of the game until they bought off bits of Coleco's library following their financial woes. And by then, the 5200 was already in the discount bin along with all other classic hardware...so releasing DK for the 5200 at that time would be a bad move. They still used it to sell 2600 DK/DKjr with their own sticker (and then later, the 7800's versions).

[BydoEmpire]

I think Missile Command showed off the controller well, although maybe the theme was too dark for a wider audience. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but I could see a simultaneous 4-player mode being a lot of fun.

[kool kitty89]

I think Missile Command showed off the controller well, although maybe the theme was too dark for a wider audience. Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but I could see a simultaneous 4-player mode being a lot of fun.

 

Yeah, but how often did the controllers end up working like this? (or is the jittering something that only comes with age, rather than the more common button problem)

 

Edited August 1, 2009 by kool kitty89