Why the 5200 is better than the XEGS/8-bit - Case #1 - Missile Command/Missile Command +

[BIGHMW]

Main reason:

 

Trak-Ball compatibility - the 5200 version wins HANDS DOWN in this regard, because (and I have played both versions as I own both a 5200 and an XEGS) with this classic, you can't underestimate the necessity of having the Trak-Ball in your gaming control arsenal, it provides such a tremendous advantage when it comes to controllability and the 5200 CX53 on the 5200 wins this over the CX80 on an XEGS/8-bit by a landslide, as the CX52 (along with the CPU of the 5200 in its OS) provides true 360-degree movement that is also speed sensitive as well, allowing lightning-quick movement as opposed to the rather-sluggish, choppy, one-speed movement of the CX80 on an XEGS/8-bit. Plus, the onboard 1, 2, and 3 keys on the CX53's keypad (or the 1, 2, and 3 keys on the CX52 controller if you choose to use the stick) on Missile Command + allow for that extra arcade-quality that the OG 5200 or XEGS/8-bit MC only dreams of having. And even though MC+ utilizes the keyboard's J, K, and L on the XEGS/8-bit, who wants to juggle between both the stick or trak-ball and the separate keyboard between the two in the later waves (2x, 3x, and so on) when the missiles come faster and you have to make split-second decisions to shoot them down before they eliminate your cities, right?

 

Now while true not everything on the XEGS/8-bit can be converted over to Big Sexy (due to the XEGS/8-bit 64K vs. 5200 16K of RAM) but the 5200 still has 350 of THE BEST versions of any titles on any arcade system, period, including the XEGS/8-bit, as the 5200 versions and conversions from the XEGS/8-bit are just made better. Just ask Centipede owners what they think, of how the 5200 port is superior to the 8-bit OG version, that's why Glenn The 5200 Man (and Homesoft and a few others) ported it (and many other 5200 versions including most notably Dig-Dug and Qix) back to the XEGS/8-bit. Another case in point is @playsoft's most recent 8-bit-to-5200 conversions and reworkings of Asteroids that he did for us 5200 owners just last month, filling a HUGE 40-YEAR-OLD void in our home arcade lineup. Plus there are quite a few 5200 games that are still not yet available for the XEGS/8-bit. Now I know that 7800 owners (and I also own one of those too) will fight 'til death about the 7800 having great games (and it does) but until they come up with a 7800 trak-ball (maybe one will happen and be put out soon you never know in this retro-gaming world we live in now) there's no beating Big Sexy. Period.

[BIGHMW]

5200 titles not (yet) available on the XEGS/8-bit:

 

@playsoft's reworkings of Asteroids

 

Castle Blast (Ronen Habot's homebrew released in 2002)

 

any of the Mean Hamster Software titles including

 

Combat 2: Advanced

Haunted House II - 3-D

Klax

Gauntlet

AtariTris

 

@playsoft's unfinished working of Galaga

 

Hangly-Man

 

Pac-Man Plus

 

Tempest (2012, finished by Keithen Hayenga, released by AtariAge)

 

Xari Arena (finished version released by AtariAge)

 

@playsoft's brilliant version of Yar's Strike

Edited August 23, 2021 by BIGHMW

[SoundGammon]

If I remember correctly, if you hit CTRL-T on the XEGS keyboard, Missile Command goes into TRUE trak-ball mode!

[BIGHMW]

1 minute ago, SoundGammon said:

If I remember correctly, if you hit CTRL-T on the XEGS keyboard, Missile Command goes into TRUE trak-ball mode!

I'll try that out and also see if that works on the XEGS/8-bit version of Centipede (I know the 5200-to-8-bit "Glenn" version does).

[BIGHMW]

Also, 5200 Super Breakout is better than the XEGS/8-bit version, there are significant color, sound and graphic effect differences that put the 5200 version over the XEGS/8-bit version.

[BIGHMW]