Cleaning / playing through my 7800 games. Some thoughts/memories/questions along the way...

[+Propane13]

I've decided it's time to clean all of my Atari 7800 games thoroughly, and then put them in small plastic sleeves.  I realize it's going to take a while, but I decided that since I have to test the cartridges anyway, I may as well go through them alphabetically, play them a bit, and records any thoughts/memories/questions that arose while playing.  In some cases, I didn't have anything to say, but for others, I shared a few thoughts for fun.

 

Tonight, I went from A - F, running through the first 25 games in my collection.

 

7800 MONITOR CART

 * Has anyone played around with the Combat-like games on this?  It seems that for some, I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do as one player.  There's a Sun object and some missiles flying around, but I never get any damage, even though a score is showing.  Am I missing something?  Are any of the variants fun to play?

 

ACE OF ACES

 * Is anyone on here any good at this game?  Any tips?  I used to own the Computer game way back in the day, but also didn't get too far.  Maybe there's some hidden gameplay element here that's fun!

 

ALIEN BRIDGADE

 * If you finish the game on Novice / Expert / etc..., is the ending the same?  I'm guessing so, but thought I would ask.  Apparently, I've only ever beaten it on Novice.

 * This game appears to be really bad at giving you a chance to see your final score.  It doesn't seem to appear even if you wait for the game to enter "Attract Mode" (which actually, I couldn't tell if I was playing or not)

 

BALLBLAZER:

 * I appreciate how when a match is finished, you can just relax and enjoy the synthesizers going CRAZY on the POKEY chip.

 

BASKETBRAWL

 * I used to play this as 2 players growing up.  The "one player" mode cycles through the other teams.  Do they just keep getting more and more difficult (until every player is maxed out)?  Do they repeat?  Does it end?

 

CHOPLIFTER:

 * To my shame, this is the game I've never beaten with a perfect score.  On the plus side, time doesn't seem to matter.  What strategies do people use?  I always start with the farthest camp; is that a bad idea?

 * It's interesting that if you shoot up all four camps, the soldiers seem to respawn in different places.  Do we know how it chooses which one?

 

COMMANDO:

 * Still fun, fantastic music; I still sometimes forget where the hidden camps are!

 

CRACK'ED

 * The controls compared to Crossbow are terrible.  There's no reason the cursor should "jump" when moving.  It works perfectly fine on Crossbow.  I always put this one away disappointed when playing.  But, then again, I do like the egg carton graphic.

 

CROSSBOW:

 * I loved this game as a kid.  It was so fun getting "NEW FRIEND" and figuring out that there were things you could/needed to interact with to change the scene.  I always shot that 5,000 point eyeball that only appeared once per screen, and still do.

 * Even though I had the path memorized when I was younger, I do not remember it now.  So, that's fun-- a little mapping exercise brings me back to the initial times playing it.

 

DARK CHAMBERS:

 * This may have been the first time I listened to the Title Screen music.  It's actually longer than I thought it would be.

 

DESERT FALCON:

 * Did anyone else keep a "log of hieroglyphics?"  My sibling and I wrote down symbols and their outcomes and kept a piece of paper close by.

 * Did the symbols change every few levels?  I seem to have a memory of a WARP code working on the earlier levels but failing on later levels.  I'm not sure if that was true or not.

 * I have a great memory of the first player getting really far, and then the code being messed up such that player 2 started with a HURRICANE of enemies right from level 1.

 * Still my favorite source code on the web.  Full of light-hearted swearing.

 

DONKEY KONG:

 * I remember as a kid that if you touched Donkey Kong on the third stage, you died.  My friends and I used to say it was because you got too close to his armpits.  I have no idea why we used to say that.

 

DOUBLE DRAGON:

 * I'm still surprised nobody has beaten this on 2 player mode.  I swear there's a special ending.  But, as far as I'm aware, nobody has ever seen it.  Somebody here ought to team up and see what I'm talking about.

 * Also, WHY IS THE LABEL WHITE?  After years of enjoyment, my label is now grey.  Is it possible to clean it?  My guess is the dirt will remain forever as a testament to young 7800 enjoyment.

 

F-18 HORNET:

 * I used to be able to beat Mission 1 and get somewhat far on Mission 2 back in the day.  I really ought to give this another go.  There's some fun here.  It's a little fiddly, but round 2 in particular was entertaining.

 

FAILSAFE:

 * I bought this back when it released, but didn't play it much.  I think I remember why-- it's got a 40+ minute timer!  I played for a bit and got one digit of the code, but then ran out of fuel (I think)?  I'll need to read the instructions on this one a bit more.  But, is it really a 40+ minute game to finish?  Not that that's a problem; it just surprises me a bit-- that's a lot of gameplay!

 

FATAL RUN:

 * I remember finishing this game years ago.  But, this time I noticed that there's an odometer!  Are the distances to the cities known?  Are they constant?  Are they different between levels?

 

FIGHT NIGHT:

 * I also never beat this game, but today I figured out how to actually take down two opponents.  Does your player have a special move, or just the opponents?

 * Is anyone really good at this game?  Any strategies / tips?

 

 

I hope these were entertaining!  It's a good excuse for me to play some things that I've overlooked for a long time (even if just for a few minutes).

[+jeremiahjt]

1 hour ago, Propane13 said:

ACE OF ACES

 * Is anyone on here any good at this game?  Any tips?  I used to own the Computer game way back in the day, but also didn't get too far.  Maybe there's some hidden gameplay element here that's fun!

I played it (any version) for the first time during the last high score club.  I do not think we played the full game though.

1 hour ago, Propane13 said:

CHOPLIFTER:

 * To my shame, this is the game I've never beaten with a perfect score.

Same.

1 hour ago, Propane13 said:

COMMANDO:

 * Still fun, fantastic music; I still sometimes forget where the hidden camps are!

I do not know where most of them are, but I have not played this a whole lot.

1 hour ago, Propane13 said:

DESERT FALCON:

 * Did anyone else keep a "log of hieroglyphics?"  My sibling and I wrote down symbols and their outcomes and kept a piece of paper close by.

 * Did the symbols change every few levels?  I seem to have a memory of a WARP code working on the earlier levels but failing on later levels.  I'm not sure if that was true or not.

I think what the hieroglyphics do changes each time you play a game.

1 hour ago, Propane13 said:

DOUBLE DRAGON:

 * I'm still surprised nobody has beaten this on 2 player mode.  I swear there's a special ending.  But, as far as I'm aware, nobody has ever seen it.  Somebody here ought to team up and see what I'm talking about.

I can beat it solo.  I tried to beat it with my wife many years ago, but she did not have the skill necessary to get to the end.

[Trebor]

10 hours ago, Propane13 said:

CHOPLIFTER:

 * To my shame, this is the game I've never beaten with a perfect score.  On the plus side, time doesn't seem to matter.  What strategies do people use?  I always start with the farthest camp; is that a bad idea?

Clear each building in the order they are presented.  When the chopper stays to the right of each building, until they are completely cleared, the overhead jet flyby that drops bombs will usually (always?) not occur.  It is demonstrated in the below perfect game:

 

10 hours ago, Propane13 said:

DESERT FALCON:

 * Did anyone else keep a "log of hieroglyphics?"  My sibling and I wrote down symbols and their outcomes and kept a piece of paper close by.

 * Did the symbols change every few levels?  I seem to have a memory of a WARP code working on the earlier levels but failing on later levels.  I'm not sure if that was true or not.

 * I have a great memory of the first player getting really far, and then the code being messed up such that player 2 started with a HURRICANE of enemies right from level 1.

 * Still my favorite source code on the web.  Full of light-hearted swearing.

The May/June 1989 edition of Atarian magazine contains Hieroglyph combinations that have a 'power-up' or bonus effect:

[+Propane13]

Just started doing this again!  Continuing where I left off.

 

Food Fight:

 

 * This game is till fantastic fun.

 

Galaga:

 

 * A classic

 

Halloween 2007 cart:

 

 * I haven't thought about this one in a LONG time.  It was a great little trip down memory lane.

 

Hat Trick:

 

 * On the Easy 1-player mode, if the puck comes up from the bottom, I can always score on the opponent within a matter of seconds.  If it comes down from the top, though, I have no strategy

 * Have you ever watched the screen to see when the ice changes color (so it can change back during the zamboni sequence)?  If memory serves, it subtlely happens at the 1 minute mark.

 

Ikari Warriors:

 

 * One of my favorite games to finish.  Loads of fun

 

Impossible Mission:

 

 * I spent WAY too much time getting Possible Mission working, and then verified.  So, this is always familiar to play.

 * One interesting thing-- on a "cold startup" for me, the first room on my left is always a Code Room, and I can hear the first few sequences of the notes in my head whenever I go in there since I played this so much as a kid, hoping to beat it

 * Someday, I would love to put a "punchcard code" guide out there.  If memory serves, there were tons of possibilities.

 

Jinks:

 

 * I hated this one growing up.  It felt like a waste of my money, and I hated the gameplay.  However, now I can appreciate it a bit more.  The music / intro are fantastic for non-Pokey sound, and even has an echo effect.  But the sounds during gameplay-- ugh.  Too loud.  And, moving in the Interlude is painful.  I am curious if each of the 4 levels only has a certain number of difficulties; I've frankly never gotten that far.

 

Joust:

 

 * Best port of the game available, in my opinion.  It's still fun to this day.

 

Jr. Pac-Man

 

 * Another fantastic port by PacManPlus

 

Karateka:

 

 * I didn't realize that if you wait, there's an intro screen.  And, it's pretty long.

 * I can get to the guy with the bird, and I can keep the bird away with high kicks, but dang, does it get tough from there on out.  When I was younger, I got either one or two more levels past the bird.  Now?  I'm not sure I want to.  I wish the controls weren't so clunky.

 * I never saw the "bad ending" where you approach the damsel in distress incorrectly

 * There was a hint somewhere back in the day (maybe Atarian magazine?) saying if you run vs. walk between assailants, you face less of them.  My guess is this was not true on the 7800 version, but I don't think I ever confirmed it.

 

Klax:

 

  * Nice to see the programmers' initials in there!

 

Kung Fu Master:

 

 * Same music / effects as the 2600 version.  And, a few gameplay strategies still apply.

 * For the bosses, do I just need to wail on the buttons as fast as I can?  I feel like I'm too slow.  Maybe the proline joystics are a bad option here.

 

[+Propane13]

And, today's final updates through cleaning and replaying.

 

Mario Bros:

 

 * Of all the games I had, this had the dirtiest case.  I played the heck out of this in my younger days.

 

Mat Mania Challenge:

 

 * I still don't get it.  I only picked this one up to complete my collection; it never seemed very fun.

 

Mean 18 Ultimate Golf:

 

 * I'm glad this had a resurgence in the community and is finding its footing.  It's pretty good for what it is.

 

Meltdown:

 

 * My light gun isn't handy, so I couldn't play.  But, I will say that the opening music is really quite good for using the TIA

 

Midnight Mutants:

 

 * I helped with the walkthrough on this one back in the day, so it has a special place in my heart.  I really ought to play this every Halloween.  It's really good.

 

Missing In Action:

 

 * I don't think I gave this one enough of a shot when I picked it up.  I remember having trouble with level 2 and falling though things.

 * The level select is nice, but it's a bit jarring if you forgot about it and your 7800 was on the wrong settings

 * I really ought to play this one again.  Or maybe, just watch a youtube playthrough someday.

 

Moon Cresta:

 

 * It's great, but I'm TERRIBLE at this game

 

Motorpsycho:

 

 * I loved how you could just fly through the sky on this one.  But, I never learned how to properly slow down and play this game.  I always just go as fast as I can, and crash often.  Maybe someone on these forums is an expert and has some know-how they'd like to share?

 * I was a bit sad to remember part of the label on my copy was damaged years ago.  But, as it is my original copy, it's still very special and it's certainly going to stay in my collection.

 

Ms. Pac-Man:

 

 * While a solid port, oddly, I'm more nostalgic for the 2600 version (especially the music).  It's not arcade perfect by any stretch, but it has its own personality.

 

Ninja Golf:

 

 * Newer forum users may be surprised to learn there's a Joystick Test in here.  It's a fun thing to hunt for on real hardware.

 * One of the best mash-ups of all time

 * I still suck at Kamikaze difficulty

 

One-on-One:

 

 * Will Larry Bird EVER make that opening shot on the intro screen?  I keep hoping for him.

 * Years ago, I played with another One-on-One enthusiast and we unlocked a strange foul.  I only ever saw it once.  I wonder if others are familiar with it.

 

Pac-Man Collection:

 

 * PacManPlus at his finest

 

Pete Rose Baseball:

 

 * Better than you might think, but still not the best to play.  Still, I appreciate what they did here.

 

Planet Smashers:

 

 * I still hate this game because I hate the sound of the shots firing, and when too much shrapnel gets past you, you immediately end up on your last life.  I have never beaten this game, and I have no idea how with that constraint unless you shoot EVERYTHING or just keep warping.  I would be interested in what others have to say; I know others have succeeded.