More (impossible ?) game ideas (ATARI 2600)

[Lord-Chaos]

Speaking with some friends we had some more ideas of games which should be possible on the ATARI 2600, but maybe impossible.

 

1) a graphics adventure like Maniac Mansion or other early Lucasfilm games.Much simpler.The ATARI can display beautiful "backgrounds" , look at Smurf/Pitfall etc. It could be possible to create an adventure this way , if you can only access certain areas of a screen.

 

Biggest problem would be the RAM/the limited size of the ROM.

 

2) vertical/horizontal scrolling shooter : Games like R-Type or Xenon 2 , much simpler , that means a space-shooter with extras , enemies etc.

 

There are games like Desert Falcon and others.

 

It may be possible , I think vertical shooter may be easier.

 

3) Rpg like Ultima : Since there´s a game like Skeleton and Ultima 1 ´s dungeons are nothing more than 3D wire-frame , this is only a problem of RAM and size of the cart.The 2D parts of Ultima would be more difficult to make , but with a smaller screen - maybe possible.

 

4) rpg like Zelda : Should be possible , since there is Dark Chambers on the VCS.Zelda (the first) is similar to Gauntlet or Dark Chambers in some ways.

 

5) business simulation : Something simple like "Kaiser" (German game) / Santa Paravia (or something like that) could be possible :

 

In these games 1-x players build houses,mills,buy land and may fight opponents with their soldiers.These games are turn-based and have not much graphics.

Diplaying some symbols/icons + some numbers is possible on the ATARI , since there´s not much action on the screen.

 

Combat in Kaiser was simple : soldiers/cannons could be placed and then the computer calculated the damage to the enemy.

 

Maybe something similar to ATARI 800 Mule would be possible,too.

 

6) strategy games : it may be possible to create a turn-based strategy game , based on old SSI strategy games.

 

 

 

What do you think ?

 

 

 

Thimo

[King Atari]

I like the idea of a vertical shooter.

[Cybergoth]

Hi there!

 

What do you think ?

 

Once you actually start programming anything, you'll quickly realize how perfectly Pong would translate to the VCS. Whatever you get out of it beyond that is just limited by your time, dedication & imagination.

 

For the VCS you get to hear "impossible" all day and actually that is the challenge.

 

All things you listed are impossible on the VCS. Prove me wrong

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Paul Slocum]

I'm seriously considering starting on something similar to Ultima/SSI AD&D in the next couple of months. There are a few technical difficulties to overcome, but I think it will be possible.

 

-Paul

[Nostalgic]

Speaking with some friends we had some more ideas of games which should be possible on the ATARI 2600, but maybe impossible.

 

Great! Perhaps this will serve as inspiration to the many creative programmers out there...

 

3) Rpg like Ultima : Since there´s a game like Skeleton and Ultima 1 ´s dungeons are nothing more than 3D wire-frame , this is only a problem of RAM and size of the cart.The 2D parts of Ultima would be more difficult to make , but with a smaller screen - maybe possible.

 

With a Supercharger the lack of RAM isn't so much a problem, but then you'd have to force the direction of the game in a certain way through all those multiload parts.

 

However, for the 2D sections, you could do it with the six-digit score routine. Say you give the player an 11x11 view of the world, with the player's icon in the center. Each "digit" would be a cell in the world - a forest, a river, a castle, etc. Alternate between showing the left half of this window and right half in each frame. There probably isn't time to switch between both colors and shapes, but if you can accept monochrome, it may be fine.

 

Hmm... perhaps a port of one of the old mainframe Hack games?

 

By the way, I like your taste in RPGs.

 

5) business simulation : Something simple like "Kaiser" (German game) / Santa Paravia (or something like that) could be possible : [...]  

Maybe something similar to ATARI 800 Mule would be possible,too.

 

How about the old Lemonade Stand games? Hammurabi? These (probably) have relatively simple rules and displays.

 

As for MULE, I would definitely love to see that! I imagine it would have to be a 16 KB cart, if not larger, just to handle the different phases of the game. Rather than draw colored boxes around the cells, you could just show the symbol in the cell (red energy, blue smithore, etc.), plus maybe another icon or below it to indicate mountains. Lose the scrolling messages (but still have messages) and some between-round animation and you might be ok on graphics. Paul Slocum could adapt the music.

 

6) strategy games : it may be possible to create a turn-based strategy game , based on old SSI strategy games.

 

Same idea as #3... have a small window of the board on the screen, use the six-digit display routine, and flicker enough to get as many groups of six images per line that you need. It probably would have to be a Supercharger game to have the RAM for the gameboard.

 

How about these?

 

7. More text adventure games! Dark Mage proved it could be done. Add to it a way to type commands with the keyboard controller - much like typing words into a mobile phone - and you can have the classic verb-noun interface. (For truly "impossible," port the Infocom sentence processing engine.)

 

8. Specific game challenge: Qix. Use the Suicide Mission engine to give the resolution needed. As for the lack of color... it was certainly acceptable on the Game Boy version.

 

I like to say at work that "anything is possible given sufficient time and resources." In the case of the 2600, it also involves figuring out what compromises you will accept. If you're fine with a port of Super Pac-Man in which you eat dots instead of different prizes each round, you're one step ahead. If you can accept a port of I, Robot that has only one perspective, but still retains the gameplay, you've moved the impossible into the realm of the improbable.

 

Thanks for listening!

[Cybergoth]

Hi Paul!

 

I'm seriously considering starting on something similar to Ultima/SSI AD&D in the next couple of months.  There are a few technical difficulties to overcome, but I think it will be possible.

 

Glad to hear you're coming back on track

 

There's another RPG attempt in the [stella] archives. Unlike Erik Mooneys try, the one from David Schweinsberg was way closer to Ultima. You could already roam around on some sort of a map. Looked very promising:

 

http://www.biglist.com/lists/stella/archiv...6/msg00093.html

 

This is only the start of it, I think there is a later version where you could already move.

 

Greetings,

Manuel

[Lord-Chaos]

Speaking with some friends we had some more ideas of games which should be possible on the ATARI 2600, but maybe impossible

 

 

Thimo

 

I forgot one of my favourite games

 

7) Boulder Dash

 

I don´t know if there is Boulder Dash on the VCS (I only know the Colecovision version) , but if not , it certainly can be done.Because there is for Mr Do and Mr Do is similar to Boulder Dash in some ways.

 

and

 

a beat ´em up like International Karate or IK+

 

IK was quite good on the ATARI 800 and there are just 2 fighters.with some flickering it could be done.

Without the beautiful backgrounds

 

Thimo

[Albert]

I forgot one of my favourite games

 

7) Boulder Dash

 

Yes! Boulder Dash is one of my favorite Atari 8-bit games also.

 

..Al

[EricBall]

3) Rpg like Ultima : Since there´s a game like Skeleton and Ultima 1 ´s dungeons are nothing more than 3D wire-frame , this is only a problem of RAM and size of the cart.The 2D parts of Ultima would be more difficult to make , but with a smaller screen - maybe possible.

 

I have stated previously that I have no problems if other programmers what to ue the Skeleton kernel to create their own 3-D games. Just give credit where it is due. "Ultima VCS, using the Skeleton engine"

[Sir Plus]

But the main focus in ultima games is in tile graphics (like redefined character graphics)......better suited to the 5200. Akalabeth could probably be done in 4k, though.

[King Atari]

I'd like to see a port of Dog Patch on the 2600. That game was simple but a lot of fun.

[Big Player]

5) business simulation : Something simple like "Kaiser" (German game) / Santa Paravia (or something like that) could be possible :

 

In these games 1-x players build houses,mills,buy land and may fight opponents with their soldiers.These games are turn-based and have not much graphics.

Diplaying some symbols/icons + some numbers is possible on the ATARI , since there´s not much action on the screen.

 

Combat in Kaiser was simple : soldiers/cannons could be placed and then the computer calculated the damage to the enemy.

 

Maybe something similar to ATARI 800 Mule would be possible,too.

 

I would love to see a business simulation on the 2600. If the Odyssey 2 could have the Great Wall Street Fortune Hunt, then the 2600 should be able to do some sort of stock market simulation.

 

Sadly, my technical skills lie in accounting and finance, not programming.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I forgot one of my favourite games

 

7) Boulder Dash

 

Yes! Boulder Dash is one of my favorite Atari 8-bit games also.

I always was a big fan of the C64 versions!

 

If it would be possible, I would be the first to do that. But I don't think it is.

 

But because this is my 2000th post, I should be a bit more optimistic:

Never say never!

[Lord-Chaos]

I forgot one of my favourite games

 

7) Boulder Dash

 

Yes! Boulder Dash is one of my favorite Atari 8-bit games also.

I always was a big fan of the C64 versions!

 

If it would be possible, I would be the first to do that. But I don't think it is.

 

But because this is my 2000th post, I should be a bit more optimistic:

Never say never!

 

But as I ´ve said there´s Mr.Do on the ATARI 2600 - this game is a little bit similar to Boulder Dash .There are even more "intelligent" enemies.

There are cherries instead of diamonds and apples instead of rocks.Not the same,but similar.

 

A game based on the small (1-screen) "intermissions" of Boulder Dash could be possible , but the big 4-screen , scrolling levels would be a problem , you´ll probably need more RAM for this , because a lot can change in these huge levels.

 

Thimo

[NE146]

But because this is my 2000th post, I should be a bit more optimistic:  

Never say never!

 

Exactly! You figure if no one had made Congo Bongo, Stargate, Crystal Castles, Elevator Action, Crazy Climber, Jr. Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Solaris, Thrust, Space Shuttle, Super Cobra, Star Wars, Double Dragon, Kung Fu, Millipede, Gravitar (I could go on and on) for the 2600. Then no doubt if brought up today, someone would say it's "impossible"

 

Now whether it's 'good' or not is whole other story

[+Kaboomer]

Be carefuly now.......you're giving away FREE GAME IDEAS and taking away all of "Idea Revolution's" business ! (heh heh heh)

[MegaManFan]

Yes!  Boulder Dash is one of my favorite Atari 8-bit games also.  

I always was a big fan of the C64 versions!

 

There's even a nice version for NES.

[+Andrew Davie]

On 11/30/2002 at 6:09 AM, Thomas Jentzsch said:

I always was a big fan of the C64 versions!

 

If it would be possible, I would be the first to do that. But I don't think it is.

 

But because this is my 2000th post, I should be a bit more optimistic:

Never say never!

Necro post, but I couldn't resist.  "Never say never!"  Indeed!

[Big Player]

On 11/29/2002 at 2:57 PM, Big Player said:

Sadly, my technical skills lie in accounting and finance, not programming.

Things do change in 20 years. I am a software developer now.

[alfredtdk]

Game that I think is possible to be ported easily on the 2600 and Arabian from Sun Electronics.
One that would be quite a challenge, or possible, is Spelunker from MicroGraphic Image.

[m.o.terra kaesi]

19 hours ago, Big Player said:

Things do change in 20 years. I am a software developer now.

🙌