BrianC Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) It's crazy how it was once thought it couldn't be done and now there are two complete Atari 2600 homebrew versions of Star Castle, both of which are very impressive. Edited November 25, 2015 by BrianC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roryjr Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 I was not getting the excitement of this game at first. It looks like the same thing over and over again. (Kind of like Space Rocks, which I love.) As I sat and watched the video, it started to grow on me. I was wondering why the player was flying around the way he was from edge to edge of the screen. Then I noticed that the floating mines would get caught back in the rotating castle walls. This would give a small break from running so he could again focus a bit more on getting through the walls. It looks better and better everytime I watch the video. Is there an indicator for when the castle will shoot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 The castle will shoot whenever there is a gap in the rings. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 The castle will shoot whenever there is a gap in the rings. And it is facing you. ..Al 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) And it is facing you. I know that it seems like that, but the logic is independent. So the castle will turn into your direction, but it will shot whenever there is a gap. No matter where you are. Of course that's identical to the arcade original. Edited November 28, 2015 by Thomas Jentzsch 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Ahh, my bad. Well, you only really need to be concerned when it is facing you. It certainly does shoot pretty furiously when there are gaps. ..Al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 By making the logic independent, there is quite a chance that you will fly into a shot which was not aimed at you. So it makes the game harder, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Love this game. The level of difficulty is close to that of the arcade and the visuals are stunning. I know that some of you don't like to collect a CIB, but if you were ever to do so, this is the game to buy CIB. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 100% agreed. Even I would make an exception here. And I am definitely no collector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andromeda Stardust Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 The castle will shoot whenever there is a gap in the rings. And it is facing you. ..Al Is there a trick to blasting away at the Castle? Whenever I expose the Star, I am basically a sitting duck because my ship needs to be facing the Star in order to shoot it, but if I am facing it I cannot quickly dodge the plasma ball. More often than not, we fire towards each other simultaneously and I lose a ship when defeating the star. Almost like a Kamikaze. At least it still warps you to the next stage and gives you an extra ship though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 You need to keep moving. Get some momentum to fly past the star castle while firing into it. You'll be moving in one direction, but firing in another. ..Al 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 You need to keep moving. Get some momentum to fly past the star castle while firing into it. You'll be moving in one direction, but firing in another. Try to attack the castle from the back. Bouncing from the rings helps here. And have a look at some Youtube videos, how the arcade original is being played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Yeah, I've seen a lot of people using the bouncing technique, going back and forth, since the castle has to spin around 180 degrees to get you. ..Al 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 The original developers must have had the same technique in their mind. So they changed the bouncing angle to make it not too easy. And if you play the deadly rings variation, you have to develop a completely different approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoyx Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) I'm a bouncer. Me playing the arcade version 6 years ago at Funspot in New Hampshire. Bouncing stops working after awhile. I attempt the diagonal flyby technique toward the end, but I don't have that down yet. Edited November 28, 2015 by Zoyx 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyChris Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Now available in the AA store! These new releases for the 2600 are amazing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 I'm a bouncer. Me playing the arcade version 6 years ago at Funspot in New Hampshire. Nothing beats the look of a vector monitor. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 Nothing beats the look of a vector monitor. [sigh], so true... But it takes a crazy guy like me, for the love of vectors and a Star Castle Arcade tribute, to play 2600 Star Castle Arcade in black and white on a 14" color TV with a blue, red ring, yellow center transparency! With a Starplex 5 button controller, I will have to remind myself frequently that I am gaming on an Atari 2600! Drat, I should have suggested arcade-matching boring static blue, red, yellow color. Although I think that black and white is better because the original was B&W vectors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+sramirez2008 Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 Lol! I use my starplex controller too. Need to work on acquiring a transparency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 But it takes a crazy guy like me, for the love of vectors and a Star Castle Arcade tribute, to play 2600 Star Castle Arcade in black and white on a 14" color TV with a blue, red ring, yellow center transparency! That's precisely why we put the black and white version in there. I keep hoping to see photos of someone's TV with a transparency over it. Drat, I should have suggested arcade-matching boring static blue, red, yellow color. I'd suggested it during development, but the color-changing rings won out to give a sense of progression through the game. (I still would have liked to have seen it as an option, but it seems to me space was an issue at that point.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel76 Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Are there any boxes left for Star Castle? I was out of the game for a while, and typically I missed it for this release, when I got back into collecting for the 2600 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted July 31, 2016 Author Share Posted July 31, 2016 You should contact Al. Maybe he has e.g. a slightly damaged box left somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoundGammon Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Doesn't the Flashback 2 have another version of Yar's Revenge that looks and plays more like Star Castle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted July 31, 2016 Share Posted July 31, 2016 Are there any boxes left for Star Castle? I was out of the game for a while, and typically I missed it for this release, when I got back into collecting for the 2600 I do have some Star Castle Arcade boxes with slight damage on one of the sides, but they otherwise are perfect. I'll sell copies of the game with these boxes for $40, versus the $50 they were in the store. ..Al 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel76 Posted August 12, 2016 Share Posted August 12, 2016 (edited) This is one of the hardest games I have ever played. At first I got so frustrated, that I wanted to throw the Atari through the window But then I watched some gameplay from the arcade version, and noticed the bouncing trick. I have gotten to the third castle, but that's as far as I get. As soon as I make a hole in the inner ring, and try to fly behind him, it either repairs itself, or I hit a missile Is there a way to keep the rings from repairing themselves, or am I just to damn slow? Kinda wish there was a VERY easy mode as well. Got my switches at B position, but it's still brutal Impressive game Edited August 12, 2016 by Steel76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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