WolfAmongWolves Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Overrated: Space Invaders. I know and appreciate that it's the granddaddy of all shooters, but I've always found it repetitive and not very exciting. Underrated: Popeye and Space Cavern. Popeye is just a really great and varied platformer, and one of the only ones that isn't centered around jumping. Space Cavern is really exciting when you choose the variation with four electrosauri and random shots. Love the fact that the electrosauri turn into ghosts when shot instead of just exploding. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHATETHEBEARS Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Overrated: Pitfall - as others have mentioned, it gets pretty repetitive very fast. It was cool. But I don't think it holds up as well over the years. Now Pitfall II on the other hand, that still blows my mind. Underrated: Spike's Peak - some people think this game is incredibly hard. Once you play it and learn it though, it can be quite fun. Whenever I play Atari I usually try a few games of it. Sky Diver, Indy 500 and Dodge 'Em get honorable mention. Oh, and let's include Adventure too. Yes I know it gets a ton of praise. But as great as it is, it deserves even more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacobZu7zu7 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) Overrated: Pitfall - as others have mentioned, it gets pretty repetitive very fast. It was cool. But I don't think it holds up as well over the years. Now Pitfall II on the other hand, that still blows my mind. I'd say Part II is more overrated, as Pitfalls core gameplay was the foundation part 2 got to work from, and I think for that reason it shouldn't be snubbed as tired or dated. The original is pits, crocs, vines and underpasses, 2nd game is ladders, bats, birds and platforms. The second deserves credit for changing the terrain and the whole game background, but both Pitfalls feel like playing Pitfall to me,... if one is dated... I'd say the sequal is no different, but hey it's 2600 what can one expect in a platform game ? - I actually really like Spikes Peak, its got nice graphics, challenging gameplay, unpredictable and fun. I do like Sky Diver, and Dodge 'Em a lot too. I have bad memories of Pitfall II,.... I had no manual, so had no idea you had to wait for a balloon to fly you up... Took ten years and AA... to help me out, after solving this... I find no urge to play again. That's why I like Pitfall, because I could lose my lives or time could run out..., whereas part 2 just keeps going on from the checkpoints. So for me, I'd rather play the first one. Also to avoid hearing that headworm inducing song. (don't think about it !!!) Ironicly E.T. on the other hand, is my Pitfall II... it's always fun to me, I have good memories HAD a manual handy to help me figure what to do, and each time I play, is a different feel, the phone pieces are never in the same place twice, kinda like how Adventure keeps things fresh... these games stand the test of time in gameplay. Edited March 31, 2014 by JacobZu7zu7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacobZu7zu7 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) Over-rated: River Raid (I could never understand its appeal) Under-Rated: Tunnel Runner (Best game in the VCS library IMHO) River Raid, yeah I pretty much agree... unsatisfying how you lose a life by running out of fuel. The boats and that all go across the same way, and move slow... it's a precision and attriction game, it's fun but not one of my favorites. Tunnel Runner is a game I still don't own (got outbid over and over years ago), I think it looks good though. Edited March 31, 2014 by JacobZu7zu7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IHATETHEBEARS Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 River Raid, yeah I pretty much agree... unsatisfying how you lose a life by running out of fuel. The boats and that all go across the same way, and move slow... it's a precision and attriction game, it's fun but not one of my favorites. Tunnel Runner is a game I still don't own (got outbid over and over years ago), I think it looks good though. Tunnel Runner is fantastic, and definitely belongs in the underrated category IMO. I'm glad someone mentioned that. You should definitely get it. I played it a ton when I was a kid, and got very deep into the game. To me it always had a bit of a "creepy" factor to it also. The game has no sound unless you're moving. But then out of nowhere the monsters make louder and louder noise as they get closer to you. It's a great game! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LidLikesIntellivision Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Yesterday I got Haunted Adventure Trilogy which I believe is very underrated. Especially compared with Halo, since both games have an Adventure look and feel. In my opinion, this is due to the "hack" label on Haunted Adventure Trilogy. But let me tell you, this game rocks! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlecRob Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Video Olympics is underrated. nothing beats a good game of PONG. or FOOSPONG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacobZu7zu7 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Video Olympics is underrated. nothing beats a good game of PONG. or FOOSPONG that's a good game for being so old, tons of variations... and a game for the paddle controllers too. combat is one overrated oldie i could have done without. warlords is much better for two players and also can be fun played solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamakazi Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I kinda skipped so I don't know if I responded to this or not already. For underrated games I will have to agree about Midnight Magic. I also think that Tantankham is underrated too. It's really a fun game despite the small sprites compared to the arcade. Adventure, Maze Craze, Dodge 'Em, Trick Shot, these are all good games. Not terribly thrillsville but still fun games in their own ways. Tunnel Runner is a blast on this console. I don't know how many controllers I've destroyed playing that game. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithbk Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 (edited) Okay, looking back at which games I constantly go back to, here are mine.... Over-rated Yar's Revenge - sorry, but boring for me. Don't find it entertaining at all. Missile Command - really, never enjoyed this one that much. So repetative. Joust - I DESPISE this game. Really, I do. Ick. Under-rated Superman - for some reason, people seem to dislike this game, but I love it. Enduro - excellent driving game; so totally smokes Pole Position. I would also agree that Warlords is one of the best party games ever, but since that is its reputation, I would suppose it is not under-rated. Similarly Adventure is worthy of its reputation. I want to list a couple of really great games that probably get very little recognition because they are homebrews (and currently available for sale on Atari Age)... Blip Football - just like a handheld electronic football game, with the sounds! Jammed - like the little tabletop game "Traffic," but it sets itself up! Get your car out of traffic by moving the other vehicles around. Fun puzzle game. Edited May 27, 2014 by keithbk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyK Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 (edited) Overrated: Pitfall. A very good game, just it isn't THAT good. It looks and controls well and is quite well designed. It just didn't float my boat. Cosmic Ark Dull as ditchwater. Barnstorming, Grand Prix, Sky Jinks Rinse and repeat gaming based on tech demos. It's the same time trial gameplay that relies on memory instead of reflexes. Look nice but sleep inducing. Underrated: Surround. It's a classic 2 player versus game that has loads of replay value. An early game that deserves a remake with slightly less grating sound and slightly better visuals. Snake on mobile phones was a phenomenon and launched the casual scene - imagine that game in 2 player battle mode - that's Surround. Sky Diver. Really fun game especially in 2 player mode which gets really competitive. It's an old game and practically a mini-game even for the 2600. Not one you play for a long time, but one you can keep returning to for quick blasts. Flag Capture. This is a really nice little puzzle game and any game like that which supports 2 players can't be bad. It's clearly a predecessor of Minesweeper. 3D Tic Tac Toe Nice clear display, smart AI, and something a wee bit different. What's not to like? It is what it is and doesn't pretend to be anything else. Solar Storm Gorgeous looking game with brilliant sound effects. There's a really nice risk/reward thing going on once you realise enemies can only fire once. A paddle shmup - not many of those around and a really nice 2 player mode that swaps turns on wave completion so noone has to sit for ages once you get good. Casino Feature rich blackjack sim that competes with many products produced today , and I have played a few. Brilliant Poker Solitaire bonus mode too. Maze Craze Really competitive 2 player game. If this was remade on modern platforms like iPad it would probably do rather well. Timeless chase mechanic and new mazes every time. Video Olympics Star of the show is Four player QuadraPong. Would have been a lot better had it been 4 player versus instead of 2 vs 2 - still an excellent game though that must have partially inspired Warlords. You also have lots of Pong variants that are great for a short blast with plenty of variety. Edited May 27, 2014 by davyK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 Overrated: I agree with Pitfall! I tried playing it back in the day. I didn't get the fascination with this game then, and I do not understand it now. It's just not that fun of a game. Underrated: I'm going with Q*bert. I have to admit it looks a bit ass, but Parker Bros did a great job with this conversion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithbk Posted May 27, 2014 Share Posted May 27, 2014 I have to totally agree that Maze Craze is completely under-rated. What makes Maze Craze particularly great is not only the amount of maze you get on screen, but the great game variations that lead to lots of 2-player fun and interaction. I find the games where you get stunned particularly challenging in 2 player mode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wongojack Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Considering that Pitfall and Pitfall II are the #1 and #2 game for the system (as voted by AA users), I'd say there is room for them to be considered as overrated. They probably get more votes than they deserve just because people remember them. That being said, Pitfall is a great game. It is extremely challenging to get all of the treasures and even harder to get a perfect score. Even experts at the game finish their perfect score with just a few seconds remaining. I think most people are disappointed by it because it involves exploring, but something about the game doesn't make you feel like you are making any progress or exploring anything. The repetitive twitch actions never really build to anything, and it takes some imagination to see yourself actually taking part in an adventure. The pressure of a high score push is needed to really get into this one, but with score so infrequent, most players don't really get enough reward to make them want to continue. However once you do get into it, it really is one of the best games on the system due to the replay-ability and the (at the time) unique gameplay mechanics. Pitfall II builds on the original to fix everything negative that I just said about the first game. You see progress in your environment, you vary your twitch actions, and you get rewarded more often (mostly by avoiding dying) so that your score is more prominent. It also adds the checkpoint element which removes some of the frustration from the original game. The only flaw for me in PII is that it is so hard to avoid those birds that I want to lose my religion and murder my dog when I really sit down to play this one (the song is good but doesn't help). Despite the bird trouble, this probably does deserve to be one of the top 2 games on the system. I don't think it is overrated. My dog disagrees however. Overrated for me is Keystone Kapers. I don't really have a huge problem with this game, but it just isn't that fun. Maybe I haven't given it enough time, but the variations between levels are so uninteresting to me that I just usually give up at like round 4. The game really wants you to fail and lets you know in a big way. I guess that is almost every 2600 game, but for some reason this one doesn't really beg me to have "one more go" like some others do - Circus Atari for example. Underrated for me would probably be E.T. Boring answer at this point as many others have suggested it. They are right. It's a unique puzzle game for the system with a nice intro screen and song. Another underrated game that probably has also been mentioned is Astroblast. Play with the stick or the paddle and just keep shooting. Very fun game that should be mentioned in any discussion about the best vertical shooters on the 2600. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailGator Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Thread from the dead... Overrated: Atlantis, Miner 2049er Underrated: Beamrider, Space Attack Man, agree with Atlantis being overrated. Never got into it. Also agree with Space Attack being underrated. Love that game! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tailGator Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 Overrated - Star Raiders (really wanted to like it, but never could get into it) Underrated - Air Raiders (played this game for hours) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I’m going to have to agree on Pitfall being overrated. I’d throw in Space Invaders as well. No doubt both are good games and landmarks in videogame history, but for me, they’re like the “Model T’s” of their respective genres, in that they derive most of their significance from the games they inspired rather than their own entertainment value as standalone games. As for underrated, Astroblast hands down. By including support for paddle controls, Mattel managed to upstage their very own original game. Underrated honorable mentions: Turmoil, Solar Fox, Worm War I 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogoober Posted May 29, 2014 Share Posted May 29, 2014 Overrated - Berzerk, horribly repetetive Underrated - Moonsweeper wins hands down, I can play this game longer than any other title, unique control on planet landing screen really adds spice, controls like no other VCS game, amazing graphics for the time, and plays 'swing low sweet chariot' on death? cmon, its awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithbk Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Overrated - Berzerk, horribly repetitive I agree; am I the only one who was disappointed that it wasn't a real maze? I mean, you couldn't go backward into a room you just left...made no sense to me as a kid. Just frustratingly illogical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawn Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 Overrated: Joust Underrated: Smurfs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 6, 2014 Share Posted June 6, 2014 I agree; am I the only one who was disappointed that it wasn't a real maze? I mean, you couldn't go backward into a room you just left...made no sense to me as a kid. Just frustratingly illogical. but the laser shooting robots and bouncing evil smiley face, completely logical! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacobZu7zu7 Posted June 11, 2014 Share Posted June 11, 2014 I agree; am I the only one who was disappointed that it wasn't a real maze? I mean, you couldn't go backward into a room you just left...made no sense to me as a kid. Just frustratingly illogical. I agree lol ..... I picked up Berzerk in 1999... never played it, but I knew it was highly regarded like Asteroids. I wasn't too impressed here, but it was an okay game to me. The high uneven difficulty was a turn off..., the foot speed always seems a bit too slow, room to room. I'd often be stuck in a crossfire and not fast enough to dodge, because the room I entered was covering me in Robots! Seems like my highest scores depend on the path I'm given and how easy it is...,would be cool if they made a setting for a maze that's NOT randomized. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithbk Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I want to include as an under-rated piece of genius the M-Network game "Frogs and Flies" (only when played on difficulty A, where you can leap off the lily pads). First, the sounds, the sequential day-to-night action, the graphics, and the 1-player vs. computer difficulty level all make this an entertaining and unique game. As a 2 player game, it is just as entertaining. If you have only played this game on emulation, you need to change the difficulty settings to A, as B only lets you jump from the middle of one lily pad to the other--no fun. The great fun is being able to make unusual jumps that land you in the water to get the best results in this game. Never played it? Go try it!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I want to include as an under-rated piece of genius the M-Network game "Frogs and Flies" (only when played on difficulty A, where you can leap off the lily pads). First, the sounds, the sequential day-to-night action, the graphics, and the 1-player vs. computer difficulty level all make this an entertaining and unique game. As a 2 player game, it is just as entertaining. If you have only played this game on emulation, you need to change the difficulty settings to A, as B only lets you jump from the middle of one lily pad to the other--no fun. The great fun is being able to make unusual jumps that land you in the water to get the best results in this game. Never played it? Go try it!!! I've loved this game for YEARS and never tried the difficulty switches! Adds a whole new element to the game. Cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacobZu7zu7 Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Yesterday I got Haunted Adventure Trilogy which I believe is very underrated. Especially compared with Halo, since both games have an Adventure look and feel. In my opinion, this is due to the "hack" label on Haunted Adventure Trilogy. But let me tell you, this game rocks! RIGHT ON! Love the Haunted house graphics and sound... dark, ghosts, wind with weird howls... :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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