Most/Least Favorite 5200 Games

[sku_u]

This may already exist somewhere else in this forum and I know AtariHQ has a ratings system for all of the 5200 games, but I was wondering what some of you think are the best/worst games for the system. I'm talking playability/enjoyment here, not graphics. Forget about the crappy controllers for a second.

 

Here's my list:

 

Best (In no particular order):

 

Frogger II: Threedeep

Miner 2049er

Jr. Pac-Man

Centipede

Dreadnaught Factor

Bounty Bob Strikes Back

Super Pac-Man

Berserk

Beamrider

 

Worst (again not in order):

 

Buck Rogers Planet of Zoom

K-Razy Shoot-Out

James Bond 007

Congo Bongo

Popeye

Asteroids

[+Cafeman]

I like your pics, although I enjoy Popeye.

 

Favorites: Berzerk, Joust, Miner 2049er, Space Dungeon, Pac-Man, Q*bert.

 

Least Faves: James Bond 007, Buck Rogers, Realsports Football.

[Inky]

Faves for me are Space Dungeon, Space Invaders, Dreadnaught Factor, Space Shuttle, Berzerk, Pengo.

 

Worst..

 

I'd have to say out of the ones I have owned it would be Defender. Too much going on in the 5200 version.

[Charlie_]

I think Berzerk on the 5200 is better than the arcade version.

 

I play the arcade version on mame on my xbox all the time, but it's way easier. The robot shots move slower I think it is.

 

Charlie

[NoahsMyBro]

Are you all forgetting Star Raiders???

 

Favorites:

Ballblazer

Star Raiders

Miner 2049'er

Ms. Pac-Man

Berzerk

Dreadnought Factor

Baseball

Football

Kaboom --> but only with a paddle controller

Missile Command

Joust

Space Dungeon

 

Biggest Disappointments:

Zaxxon

SW: Death Star Battle

Kangaroo

Frogger

Choplifter

[sku_u]

Faves for me are Space Dungeon, Space Invaders, Dreadnaught Factor, Space Shuttle, Berzerk, Pengo.

 

Worst..  

 

I'd have to say out of the ones I have owned it would be Defender.  Too much going on in the 5200 version.

 

Space Invaders and Pengo are a lot of fun. I forgot about them.

 

I have to agree with you on Defender for the 5200. I wish they'd imrpoved on the 2600 version without making the game too dificult. It is nice being able to play a port of the arcade version without all those annoying buttons, though.

[NE146]

Those "annoying" buttons are what made the Arcade Defender so cool! You really get good control once you master them imho. But I digress On that note I think the 5200 Defender is top notch. A great translation overall and lots of fun to play. I also dug 5200 Robotron, but I think Defender offered a closer arcade translation.

 

Favs as a kid:

Countermeasure

Space Dungeon

Joust

BerZerk

Montezuma's Revenge

MsPacman

 

(NEW fav's: I didn't have these as a kid, but I like 'em now)

Super Pac

Millipede

Gremlins

Stargate

 

I don't like a lot of games for the 5200 quite honestly (sports games esp). But here are my DISSAPOINTMENTS. (disclaimer: I still like these games, I was just dissapointed in them initially for one reason or another )

 

Pengo (I don't like that they used that crappy music from the U.S. version)

Jungle Hunt (I was hoping for Jungle King, and also why is there no music?)

Zaxxon (After playing the Colecovision version, this just seemed like a crappy 800 port)

Space Invaders (Another failed chance to bring home the arcade game.. what's with these "translations"?)

 

Games I dislike

Qix: Boring, like it's arcade counterpart

Activision games (they seemed more like straight 2600 ports! Why oh why didn't they use the 5200 power better?) Might as well play the 2600 versions

Realsports games

[+Cafeman]

I don't understand why you two don't like Defender -- "too much going on" ?? Do you mean its too hard ? The coin-op version is 10 times harder, if so.

 

I think its a great translation. Sure, it chugs a bit. I never noticed it back in the 80's since so many console 2600 games blinked on and off. I just can't play it anymore though.

 

And yes, I loved Star Raiders, but I guess it just isn't one of my current faves, which change over the months.

 

If truth be told, there are few 5200 games I don't enjoy. But I have never played Dreadnaught Factor, nor even seen it in action! Can you believe it?

[NE146]

oops, forgot to put in Defender as one of my favorites.. Cafeman you weren't talking to me were you?

[calamari]

My favorite 5200 Games in order based on what I liked as a kid and now:

1) Space Dungeon, 2 player

2) Galaxian

3) Centipede

4) Mario Bros, 2 player

5) Jungle Hunt

6) Defender

7) Pitfall

8 ) Wizard of Wor, 2 player

9) Joust, 2 player

10) Robotron, 2 player

There are so many good ones, it's hard to keep the list down!

*Pole Position

Blue Print

Frogger

Missile Command (I remember liking the GAME OVER effect

 

* Killed by an orange soda spill so didn't play it as much as a kid

 

Average:

Dig Dug

Qix

Star Raiders

 

Below average:

Gorf

Breakout

Sports games

Pac-Man

Other games I forgot (obviously not good enough to remember!)

 

Some that aren't so good:

Countermeasure

James Bond

Congo Bongo

Star Trek

Vanguard

Megamania

Solitaire (right now )

 

Games I wish I'd had as a kid:

Combat II Advanced (this game is what Countermeasure should have been)

Pitfall II

River Raid

Kangaroo

Kaboom

Keystone Kapers

 

I really liked the 2 player games, my brother really liked Mario Bros and Space Dungeon... When I got back into 5200 we played Space Dungeon all the way to level 99 (he drove, I did the shooting). It's true there are only 99 levels of difficulty. IIRC it stops getting harder around level 50.

 

The 5200 has so many great games. It's the best system ever made!

 

calamari

[voiddweller]

Here are my pics for this week. Please check back as they change often

 

Top 5

 

1. Centipede

2. Missile Command

3. Berzerk

4. Montezuma's Revenge

5. Gyruss

 

Bottom 5

 

1. Frisky Tom

2. Beam Rider

3. StarWars: Death Star Battle

4. Kangaroo

5. Galaxian

[+Cafeman]

I forgot the excellent Missile Command! And Wizard of Wor! And 2-player Mario Bros!

 

I also hated Galaxian (no fun at all!) and Beamrider was dull to me too.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

Well..for my my Favorite 5200 games would be the following:

 

Rescue on Fractalus (Come one this one ROCKS!!!)

Star Wars: The Arcade Game (Also a major winner in my book!)

Super Pac-Man (Thank you Albert!)

Haunted House 2 (I still can't memorize the house layout!)

Star Raiders (I love the 3D explosions!)

Dreadnaught Factor (a Button Masher!!)

Moon Patrol (They actually have the rolling boulders and alien plants!)

 

The games I was disappointed in:

Kaboom! (Lack of a paddle and 2600 graphics do not a great game make)

Gyruss (The music rocks..the controls are too sesitive and require a perfect controller to play this game well)

Zone Ranger (Looks fantastic! But again requires a perfect controller to play the game well)

Berzerk (I know you will flame me for it...but again the controllers have to be perfect for a diagnal shot to be pulled off...the control kills this game for me)

Space Dungeon (Again I think the game is great....but until I get a joystick coupler I don't enjoy it much)

Pac-Man (Looks good and sounds good, but the controls kill the enjoyment for me)

 

Well those are my current picks...Once my Koffi cart arrives...I will have a new favorite to add for sure!

 

[Voltman3]

Currently here are my favorites (in order):

 

Joust - #1

Defender

Pole Position

Rescue on Fractalus (Crossbow, you are right about this 1) Awesome !

Zaxxon

Gremlins - fun as hell !

Last Starfighter

Frogger II

Millipede

Battlezone

Track N Field - way better than Decathlon, IMO !!!

Vanguard

Gyruss - fun game, if you have a good cont'.

Asteroids

 

 

Games I never warmed up to- (not in order)

 

Any of the RS titles

Congo Bongo

Countermeasure - Combat II was needed to fill this void !

Gorf

James Bond 007

Choplifter - could have been alot better.

Galaxian - Needed rapid fire.

SW DSB - they could have atleast tried !

Megamania - boring

Kangaroo ??

Kaboom - Insanely hard.

Blue Print ??

Xevious - I was disappointed.

Q for Roo - Lame

Popeye - again boring

 

 

Lastly,

Space Dungeon, Robotron, Star Raiders might be ok games-

but are overrated IMO-

but that may be, because I suck at all 3 !

Maybe 1 day I will see what the fuss is about ?

 

Later, V3

[Inky]

I LIKED countermeasure!

[sku_u]

Countermeasure has good graphics, but it gets impossible to play after a while.

[Lemmi]

I will post my lists when i get the Mastercontrol5200 adaptor

[Gargamel_of_oz]

Fav's for me, in no order:

 

MS Pacman - perky

Qix - Shame on you NE146!

Pengo - one of my all time favs

Montezumas Revenge - great port

 

Dislikes

 

Riverraid - made me bored too quickly

Centipede (Frustrated me)

Pole Position (the 5200 controls just dont seem to have been designed for this game)

Gorf - am I going to get shot for saying that?