Gremlins

[Koopa64]

Was this game the last ever 5200 game? Or just the last game Atari made for it?

 

[DE2600]

Yes, as far as I know. I could be wrong though.

[+Psionic]

Was this game the last ever 5200 game? Or just the last game Atari made for it?

Depends what you mean by "made". It was the second of two titles released in 1985-86 by Atari Corp. (Rescue on Fractalus was the other), but it was supposed to have been released in 1984. Whether or not it was the last game actually completed before the '84 shutdown, I do not know.

[DE2600]

Was this game the last ever 5200 game? Or just the last game Atari made for it?

Depends what you mean by "made". It was the second of two titles released in 1985-86 by Atari Corp. (Rescue on Fractalus was the other), but it was supposed to have been released in 1984. Whether or not it was the last game actually completed before the '84 shutdown, I do not know.

I think he means "made" as in the last one "made". Help us out pvingtonjeans.

[Koopa64]

I meant released, sorry. But "made" is also a useful question.

[+Psionic]

I think he means "made" as in the last one "made".

Well, that explains it then.

 

Anyway...

 

Gremlins was the last game released, as far as I know. I'm not sure if the Gremlins cartridges were actually manufactured in 1984, and I'm not sure exactly when the RoF carts were made either, so I don't have a definite answer for you. Gremlins was finished in mid '84 (just before the sale to Tramiel) and the game ROMs and/or cartridges supposedly were manufactured and just sat there for 2 years. Tempest's review of the game seems to indicate just that...

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/5200/software/gremlins/gremlins.

 

So the catridges were done in '84, but the boxes, labels, and manuals all appear to have been printed in '86. Whether Rescue on Fractalus was "made" before or after Gremlins, I don't know.

 

I meant released, sorry. But "made" is also a useful question.

Okay then, I think I've answered your question.

[ApolloBoy]

Gremlins doesn't appear in Atari's sales charts until 1987, so I'm guessing it was released in 1987, making it the last official 5200 title released.

[DE2600]

I think he means "made" as in the last one "made".

Well, that explains it then.

 

Anyway...

 

Gremlins was the last game released, as far as I know. I'm not sure if the Gremlins cartridges were actually manufactured in 1984, and I'm not sure exactly when the RoF carts were made either, so I don't have a definite answer for you. Gremlins was finished in mid '84 (just before the sale to Tramiel) and the game ROMs and/or cartridges supposedly were manufactured and just sat there for 2 years. Tempest's review of the game seems to indicate just that...

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/5200/software/gremlins/gremlins.

 

So the catridges were done in '84, but the boxes, labels, and manuals all appear to have been printed in '86. Whether Rescue on Fractalus was "made" before or after Gremlins, I don't know.

 

I meant released, sorry. But "made" is also a useful question.

Okay then, I think I've answered your question.

Yeah, exactly what I thought when I read your post. Thanks for the emoticon it conveys my thoughts perfectly.

[Supergun]

I think he means "made" as in the last one "made".

Well, that explains it then.

 

Anyway...

 

Gremlins was the last game released, as far as I know. I'm not sure if the Gremlins cartridges were actually manufactured in 1984, and I'm not sure exactly when the RoF carts were made either, so I don't have a definite answer for you. Gremlins was finished in mid '84 (just before the sale to Tramiel) and the game ROMs and/or cartridges supposedly were manufactured and just sat there for 2 years. Tempest's review of the game seems to indicate just that...

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/5200/software/gremlins/gremlins.

 

So the catridges were done in '84, but the boxes, labels, and manuals all appear to have been printed in '86. Whether Rescue on Fractalus was "made" before or after Gremlins, I don't know.

 

I meant released, sorry. But "made" is also a useful question.

Okay then, I think I've answered your question.

 

 

If I may add a few more details to this story...

(I briefly touched on this about a month ago in another Atari 5200 Gremlins thread here)

 

First, the FACTS:

Choplifter and Gremlins are the ONLY Atari-manufactured 5200 cartridges with 1984 copyrights. (on the original high quality shiny silver style stickers) Both of them, were re-released in a second run with 1986 copyrights (on the secondary low quality dull grey style stickers) The same style stickers used for the 1986 releases of Rescue on Fractalus & Ball Blazer, as well as several of the other 1982 & 1983 releases.

 

Now, the SPECULATIONS:

EITHER the original 1984 Choplifter & Gremlins games saw an extremely limited 1984 release before Atari pulled the plug on the games division and held the remaining inventory back. OR these 1984 carts sat in the warehouse for 2 years and then were re-released in 1986 when Atari revived the market with the new Atari 2600 JR. and Atari 7800 systems, and AT THAT TIME some 1984 products slipped out initially, while the remaining inventory was re-labeled / recycled altered and swapped out with the updated 1986 re-packaging.

 

Remember that we have proof of this in other areas...the original 1984 Atari 7800 systems and Pole Position cartridges. Also, some original 1984 Atari 7800 cartridges such as Ms. Pac-Man, Joust, Food Fight, Dig Dug, etc.

 

but...REGARDLESS...the fact is that we have original 1984 versions of these games.

"CONSUMER READY" Atari 5200 Gremlins was manufactured in 1984. PERIOD.

WHEN, Atari released it is a whole other story!

 

And I have always preferred the higher quality of the pre-crash Atari carts over the post-crash Atari carts. So to answer your question, the last pre-crash Atari-made 5200 game that was released was most likely Gremlins. (assuming Choplifter came before it?) But the very last Atari-made 5200 game that was released was most likely Ballblazer and/or Rescue on Fractalus.

 

Does this sound accurate? Can anybody confirm or deny or enhance these observations?

Edited October 29, 2010 by Supergun

[+Psionic]

Yeah, exactly what I thought when I read your post. Thanks for the emoticon it conveys my thoughts perfectly.

I love when I answer a question and someone decides to start mouthing off. Your first day posting here no less. Yeah, you're going to fit in here really well.

 

It was unclear what the OP meant, yet you felt the need to repeat what he said verbatim.

 

If you ask me when a game was "made", that could mean when it was manufactured, or it could mean when it was developed/programmed. Pretty simple really.

[Tempest]

OR these 1984 carts sat in the warehouse for 2 years and then were re-released in 1986 when Atari revived the market with the new Atari 2600 JR. and Atari 7800 systems, and AT THAT TIME some 1984 products slipped out initially, while the remaining inventory was re-labeled / recycled altered and swapped out with the updated 1986 re-packaging.

That would be my guess. If the original run actually does have 1984 copyrights, then they sat in a warehouse somewhere until 86-87. Gremlins went to manufacturing so late that I doubt Atari had time to get them to the store shelves while they were in the process of being sold (and it's doubtful that the stores would want them at that time anyway).

 

We're in touch with the programmer, but he doesn't know anything about the manufacturing and distribution side of things. I'm not sure who you'd talk to about that.

 

Tempest

[Jet-X]

I think he means "made" as in the last one "made".

Well, that explains it then.

 

Anyway...

 

Gremlins was the last game released, as far as I know. I'm not sure if the Gremlins cartridges were actually manufactured in 1984, and I'm not sure exactly when the RoF carts were made either, so I don't have a definite answer for you. Gremlins was finished in mid '84 (just before the sale to Tramiel) and the game ROMs and/or cartridges supposedly were manufactured and just sat there for 2 years. Tempest's review of the game seems to indicate just that...

 

http://www.atariprotos.com/5200/software/gremlins/gremlins.

 

So the catridges were done in '84, but the boxes, labels, and manuals all appear to have been printed in '86. Whether Rescue on Fractalus was "made" before or after Gremlins, I don't know.

 

I meant released, sorry. But "made" is also a useful question.

Okay then, I think I've answered your question.

 

 

Now, the SPECULATIONS:

EITHER the original 1984 Choplifter & Gremlins games saw an extremely limited 1984 release...

 

Does this sound accurate? Can anybody confirm or deny or enhance these observations?

 

I can confirm Choplifter was released in 1984. It was acquired by me and my father from a vendor that always had the latest video games, and during that time and later years was a liquidator as well.

 

When I acquired Choplifter it was in 1984 (summer I believe IIRC), and it was actually the last Atari 5200 game I acquired. Gremlins was not at this vendor (I would have remembered), and I don't recall seeing Rescue or Ballblazer either.

 

I do remember seeing an ad (in a newspaper no less) back in 1984 touting a contest to win a copy for either 2600 or 5200 Gremlins.

 

The first time I saw Gremlins (and Ballblazer/Rescue on Fractalus) was ~ 1995 when a co-worker picked up a few old Atari 800 games at a "99 cent store" - he said they had a bunch. So I went to a store close to my parents house and low and behold, an entire shelf of Gremlins/Rescue/Ballblazer in massive abundance (and a couple of other titles like Choplifter, Dig Dug, etc. but there were only a couple copies of those). And yes, 99 cents each - I pulled a cart right next to the shelf, and in one fell swoop, took my arm and shoved every cartridge into the cart. I bought all of them, around 65 cartridges or so. Sold them on usenet list for a while (before eBay).

[DE2600]

Yeah, exactly what I thought when I read your post. Thanks for the emoticon it conveys my thoughts perfectly.

I love when I answer a question and someone decides to start mouthing off. Your first day posting here no less. Yeah, you're going to fit in here really well.

 

It was unclear what the OP meant, yet you felt the need to repeat what he said verbatim.

 

If you ask me when a game was "made", that could mean when it was manufactured, or it could mean when it was developed/programmed. Pretty simple really.

Your posts have been the epitome of proper etiquette. My apologies for goofing around.

Edited October 30, 2010 by DE2600

[Justin42]

 

I can confirm Choplifter was released in 1984. It was acquired by me and my father from a vendor that always had the latest video games, and during that time and later years was a liquidator as well.

 

When I acquired Choplifter it was in 1984 (summer I believe IIRC), and it was actually the last Atari 5200 game I acquired. Gremlins was not at this vendor (I would have remembered), and I don't recall seeing Rescue or Ballblazer either.

 

Yep, Choplifter was one of the last 5200 games I got back when the 5200 was alive (my parents gave it to me for my birthday, I think), so it definitely came out in 1984. I never remember seeing a Ballblazer or RoF carts anywhere back in that era.