Games that were bad for no reason

[ZylonBane]

You can pelt me with rotten eggs' date=' but I actually like the 8-bit version of Qix for its sound effects. Doesn't the 5200 version also feature a smaller playing field (e.g. is harder)?[/quote']

Que? The sounds on 400/800 Qix are standard square-wave POKEY beeps and boops. The 5200 version sounded much better. It also recreated the correct aspect ratio of the arcade game (tall instead of wide).

[ZylonBane]

I still prefer the C64 music' date=' outlined characters & wider playfield.[/quote']

Looks like these guys prefer the original playfield width.

[emkay]

I still prefer the C64 music' date=' outlined characters & wider playfield.[/quote']

Looks like these guys prefer the original playfield width.

 

What me makes most nosy is that the game is a "Free Fall Game"

[Bryan]

I still prefer the C64 music' date=' outlined characters & wider playfield.[/quote']

Looks like these guys prefer the original playfield width.

 

Huh... they're using the B&W tiles though, instead of the A8's green tiles. It's interesting that it's actually a simpler game than Archon Ultra.

 

-Bry

[ZylonBane]

Huh... they're using the B&W tiles though' date=' instead of the A8's green tiles.[/quote']

Uhm... the green on the Archon board is little more than an accent. In fact I'd entirely forgotten it was there.

 

It's interesting that it's actually a simpler game than Archon Ultra.

Why is it interesting that a straight port of Archon is simpler than Archon Ultra? That's all Archon: Evolution is.

[Bryan]

Huh... they're using the B&W tiles though' date=' instead of the A8's green tiles.[/quote']

Uhm... the green on the Archon board is little more than an accent. In fact I'd entirely forgotten it was there.

 

My guess is that it was chosen as being the mixture of Blue & Yellow.

 

It's interesting that it's actually a simpler game than Archon Ultra.

Why is it interesting that a straight port of Archon is simpler than Archon Ultra? That's all Archon: Evolution is.

 

I guess it's interesting that it's being kept so simple. Usually these kind of PC projects end up being "updates" with 50 new weapons and 3D insanity.

 

-Bry

[TMR]

... i like the aforementioned Last V8 and find it pretty playable' date=' for example[/quote']

 

I like the C64 Version too' date=' but have you seen the A8 Version?

Real crap.[/quote']

 

i've played and completed both, i actually finished the A8 version first and memorised the Sci-Base map from it. Generally speaking, the Atari is doing the same as the C64, except there is a bit less colour, the lower horizontal smooth scroll resolution makes predicting the collisions a little harder and the music isn't up to the Hubbard original. If you want a really bad version, have a look at the Amstrad CPC; very poor scrolling and laggy controls.

[+davidcalgary29]

You can pelt me with rotten eggs' date=' but I actually like the 8-bit version of Qix for its sound effects. Doesn't the 5200 version also feature a smaller playing field (e.g. is harder)?[/quote']

Que? The sounds on 400/800 Qix are standard square-wave POKEY beeps and boops. The 5200 version sounded much better. It also recreated the correct aspect ratio of the arcade game (tall instead of wide).

 

I've always thought that the sound effect of filling boxes -- I can't call it a tune -- was cool' date=' and missed in the 5200 version of the game. Then again, as [i']Qix[/i] was the first game I got with my 800 in '83, it may be more of a nostalgia thing.

[Bryan]

I've always thought that the sound effect of filling boxes -- I can't call it a tune -- was cool' date=' and missed in the 5200 version of the game. Then again, as Qix was the first game I got with my 800 in '83, it may be more of a nostalgia thing. [/quote']

 

I used to own the arcade machine, and the 5200 version is much closer to the original. I wonder why Atari had different people porting the same game. Did the 5200 crew not know that the Computer crew was doing?

 

-Bry

[RJ]

Anyone mention Sega's Congo Bongo cart?

 

I truly thought I was playing a test/beta version or something...

[Goochman]

Centipede and Qiz were re-released for the 5200 - Atari obviously recognized the previous efforts were lacking so to speak for the console market

 

Congo Bongo, how could I forget how awful that was - Hit reset to restart!

[Agent57]

Racing Destruction Set - what a load of garbage

Bop N Wrestle was crappy also IMHO

 

Agreed. Racing Destruction Set wasn't even usable.

 

-Bry

 

Wow, thinking about that game brings back some bad memories! I was so psyched to get RDS when it was released and I remember bringing it home, loading it, and putting it away after about 5 minutes. I don't think I ever booted it a second time! One of the worst A8 games ever, hard to believe it was an EA release.

 

I still have a grudge against EA for not releasing Adventure Contruction Set on the A8, but that's another story.

[Jetboot Jack]

Goochamn wrote "Galaxian on the 800 sucked real bad - Audio effects were worse than scratching a chalk board - and talk about LAZY, the Command ships dont even have their own shapes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

 

I would guess not laziness but lack of ROM space forced the A8 version of Galaxian to forgo the proper command ship shapes -- after all as there are 3 regular ship sprites that are the same data it would have been a very large ROM footprint for a sprite used so little, each sprite has LOTS frames all the possible angles and all preshifted...

 

You gotta think about the reality of developing a game and see where small compromises get the game done (Galaxian) or just make a poor game (Centipede)...

 

sTeVE

[Goochman]

Goochamn wrote "Galaxian on the 800 sucked real bad - Audio effects were worse than scratching a chalk board - and talk about LAZY' date=' the Command ships dont even have their own shapes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"[/b']

 

I would guess not laziness but lack of ROM space forced the A8 version of Galaxian to forgo the proper command ship shapes -- after all as there are 3 regular ship sprites that are the same data it would have been a very large ROM footprint for a sprite used so little, each sprite has LOTS frames all the possible angles and all preshifted...

 

You gotta think about the reality of developing a game and see where small compromises get the game done (Galaxian) or just make a poor game (Centipede)...

 

sTeVE

 

Steve,

 

Im sorry but Galaxian aint that complex a game! No excuse for crappy sound and 1 additional graphic. All the other 'sprites' are the same shape but different colors. Could adding 1 additional shape (or there is the rotation of it) increase a ROM size that much! I could understanding cutting the Pac Man intermissions to reduce ROM size on the 800, but 1 lousy enemy shape!

 

You would know better than 1

[Shawn Jefferson]

Wow' date=' thinking about that game brings back some bad memories! I was so psyched to get RDS when it was released and I remember bringing it home, loading it, and putting it away after about 5 minutes. I don't think I ever booted it a second time! One of the worst A8 games ever, hard to believe it was an EA release.[/quote']

 

I remember playing RDS on the c64 with my friends and remembering that it was a neat, fun game. I was very disappointed by the Atari version. It sucked.

[ZylonBane]

Once again, I recommend checking out Galactic Chase. A far superior (if not quite as colorful) adaptation of Galaxian.

[Bryan]

Wow' date=' thinking about that game brings back some bad memories! I was so psyched to get RDS when it was released and I remember bringing it home' date=' loading it, and putting it away after about 5 minutes. I don't think I ever booted it a second time! One of the worst A8 games ever, hard to believe it was an EA release.[/quote'']

 

I remember playing RDS on the c64 with my friends and remembering that it was a neat, fun game. I was very disappointed by the Atari version. It sucked.

 

The 2 versions aren't that different graphically (although the windows on the Atari are smaller and all-grey scheme looks bland), but the Atari version plays like it's written in BASIC. Interplay Productions did the conversion. Someone should shoot them a note that the A8 supports smooth scrolling (if you prefer, you can end this sentence after the word 'them').

 

At least it loads faster than the 64 version.

 

-Bry

[Bryan]

Once again' date=' I recommend checking out Galactic Chase. A far superior (if not quite as colorful) adaptation of Galaxian.[/quote']

 

Just looked at it. Pretty decent.

 

-Bry

[Heaven/TQA]

interplay? interplay? are they still alive? one of the studios which every week i think will titus sell them or close them down like core & idos...

 

to be honest i played RDS very long and i liked it... and if you compare the screenshots it's not so much difference... i even played monster construction set and loved it, too... but the monsters were simple 1 color players...

 

hve

[Randy California]

How about stuff by General Masters? All their games are absolutely awful.

 

++

RC

++

[+rdemming]

Last V8 sucked on the A8 also. I dont know anyone that finished that on the A8 (you almost have to cheat to win). The C64 was more balanced.

 

OK lets cheat:

Load "The Last V8" in Atari800Win Plus 3.1 and select "Monitor" from the "Misc" menu.

Now type: C 134f ea ea ea

and: cont

 

This makes the game a lot easier

 

B.T.W. You can use this code also on a real Atari if you have a Turbo Freezer add-on.

 

Robert

[Bryan]

Well, I guess I was too hard on Archon. It is a fun game on either system. Here's a couple images for comparison.

 

-Bry

[ZylonBane]

I was just flipping between the C64 and A8 Archon theme tunes in WinAmp (love those SID/SAP plugins) and, assuming the SID player was functioning properly, the C64 version isn't very impressive. It sounds like someone trying to freestyle the Atari theme on a Casio keyboard and occasionally fat-fingering it.

[TMR]

The WinAMP SID plugin is pretty crap, SIDPlay 2 Win does a far better job since it's based on the ReSID engine.