Do you prefer the recharged games or the original version's ?

[Wildstar]

2 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

@GraffitiTavern, he won’t have one, because it doesn’t exist.

 

17 U.S. Code § 117 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Computer programs

117(a)(1) qualifies you to make a copy to use with an emulator. 
 

for additional background you could read Krause v. Titleserv, Inc., or Aymes v. Bonelli.

That says it. Simply put, I can have backup copies. Once you sell or give your original or any backup you must destroy or give the remaining copies, original or backup until you have no more copies in your possession except other originals you bought or been lawfully given and their respective backup copies. Usually the courts permits one backup copy per original that you lawfully own. The exact number of backup copies is not clearly defined in law or court cases.

 

The legal system and practical enforcement of law is concerned with distribution. Someone having a backup copy isn't a harm. Secondly, they would generally have to have a minimum amount of controversy ($75,000) to file such a case in Federal Court. There is a small claim alternative to Federal Court. Generally, the cost is not worth the effort. Usually DMCA takedown notices also sent to the web host of the site containing the infringing content, results in taking down or removal of such or shutdown of the site. 

 

Nintendo may be aggressive but even they don't waste time going after a peckerwood that has a backup copy of a game or a copy of a unlicensed port of a game. They are looking at distribution. 

[jerseystyle]

37 minutes ago, Zolaerla said:

 

Don't get me wrong, I love good racing games, and play quite a few myself. I just don't want my eyes to die in the process. I like how that one has the Pole Position feel while still sprucing things up a bit. Kinda wish more of the recharged games went this route instead of covering the screen with... stuff. I know this isn't technically a recharged game, but a brief look makes me think of it as a "revised" Pole Position.

It’s a nice mash up of pole position and Outrun. I’ve been playing it for a few years and still like dropping in for a few tracks every now and again. LOTS of courses to. Worth checking out.

[Wildstar]

"if it isn't something like the Nintendo Switch. The console isn't worth the money to play a 40 year old game"

 

When I wrote that, I don't mean to diss the Nintendo Switch. It is not a bad console, in my opinion. However, I'm not going to pay $300 give or take to buy a console just to play a nearly 40 year old game. Nor should anyone if they have the game already. It makes no sense. There are plenty of fine reasons to buy a Nintendo Switch made.

 

 

Edited September 28, 2023 by Wildstar

[JPF997]

Here's my best score yet in centipede recharged, what do you guys think of the game, anyone else played it yet, personally it's one of my favorites

 

 

[JPF997]

Here's some gameplay of asteroids recharged, this one might just be the hardest game  in the recharged series so far, much more difficult to rack up points quickly compared to the others, still a great experience overall

 

 

 

 

 

[ledzep]

2 hours ago, JPF997 said:

Here's some gameplay of asteroids recharged, this one might just be the hardest game  in the recharged series so far, much more difficult to rack up points quickly compared to the others, still a great experience overall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I watched that twice.  Like someone else mentioned pages ago, it's very ADHD.  It makes me sad in a way that younger players have no patience, they can't just play a game without requiring constant changes added into it.

 

The constant shitty music muffles the in-game sounds, I could barely notice the ship engine sound which was so cool in the original.  These recharged games seem to have turned all the enemies or targets into zombies, everything moves around at mostly the same, glacial pace.  The recharged Centipede game was terrible for that (the spider, especially, that's criminal) but this game has also neutered the enemy saucers, they just look like other asteroids with different shapes and colors.  Maybe they'll shoot at you.  Occasionally.

 

One of the best parts of original Asteroids is that you were only allowed (if I remember correctly, unless it was Space Wars) 4 shots on the screen at once (looking at game videos that might be false, or the shots travel longer if you don't keep shooting).  So you had to pick your shots, you had to think a bit and have some strategy for dealing with the asteroids and then the enemy saucers.  I remember that once you got down to just a few asteroids left on the screen that that little bastard would keep appearing trying to kill you, shooting like once per second.  This recharged version does away with all that anxiety, now the saucers just plod along and shoot a shot at you once in a while.  What happened to the quick, random direction changes from the saucers?  And you are rewarded with a power-up for killing that pathetic enemy?!  It feels like modern Little League where every team and player gets a participation trophy, aaww, you did the bare minimum, here's a super weapon so that everything is even easier.  There's no strategy in this recharged version, just annihilation with unlimited shots.

 

This bloated version seems to just want to kill you by sheer mass, the screen slowly fills up with more and more asteroids (and slow saucers) until you are overwhelmed.  I liked in the original that the smaller asteroids tended to be faster, so you had to worry about them hitting you before you could rotate around and aim in time.  This recharged version has all the asteroids moving basically the same, like they're in tar, and the power-ups make it too easy to wipe half of them out at once.

 

I think I get it now.  Younger players I guess can't concentrate or maintain focus on a (game) problem for long, a game like original Asteroids or Centipede would ruin them because they would keep expecting more new shit every 5 seconds, not more of the same but getting progressively harder/faster, they would get distracted too easily.  It would be hilarious to watch some of these recharged fans playing the arcade originals, how quickly they'd get killed off after a few levels because there are no power-ups to do most of the work for them.  Did I see that right, does Missile Command have unlimited shots from those water cannons?  How much easier do young gamers need these games to get?!  Can you make the enemies even slower and weaker?  And can I get even more super weapons?  Wow, what a great game!

 

The point of the original versions was to be hard to win (or get a high score) or advance to the next levels, the point of these recharged versions seems to be how quickly can you shoot the most things at once (while listening to shitty music that reduces the in-game sounds).  At the very least, the scoring in the recharged versions should be much lower when using the power-ups, you should be rewarded, in terms of scoring, for not using the super weapons.

 

 

I suppose it's too much to ask that you play and record a session of the original Asteroids (with only button controls) to see how you do compared to this version.  And also original arcade Centipede using a trak-ball.  Missile Command would require a trak-ball and 3 buttons, I doubt you would have such a set-up at home.

Edited September 28, 2023 by ledzep

[JPF997]

50 minutes ago, ledzep said:

 

I watched that twice.  Like someone else mentioned pages ago, it's very ADHD.  It makes me sad in a way that younger players have no patience, they can't just play a game without requiring constant changes added into it.

 

The constant shitty music muffles the in-game sounds, I could barely notice the ship engine sound which was so cool in the original.  These recharged games seem to have turned all the enemies or targets into zombies, everything moves around at mostly the same, glacial pace.  The recharged Centipede game was terrible for that (the spider, especially, that's criminal) but this game has also neutered the enemy saucers, they just look like other asteroids with different shapes and colors.  Maybe they'll shoot at you.  Occasionally.

 

One of the best parts of original Asteroids is that you were only allowed (if I remember correctly, unless it was Space Wars) 4 shots on the screen at once (looking at game videos that might be false, or the shots travel longer if you don't keep shooting).  So you had to pick your shots, you had to think a bit and have some strategy for dealing with the asteroids and then the enemy saucers.  I remember that once you got down to just a few asteroids left on the screen that that little bastard would keep appearing trying to kill you, shooting like once per second.  This recharged version does away with all that anxiety, now the saucers just plod along and shoot a shot at you once in a while.  What happened to the quick, random direction changes from the saucers?  And you are rewarded for killing that pathetic enemy with a power-up?!  It feels like modern Little League where every team and player gets a participation trophy, aaww, you did the bare minimum, here's a super weapon so that everything is even easier.  There's no strategy in this recharged version, just annihilation with unlimited shots.

 

This bloated version seems to just want to kill you by sheer mass, the screen slowly fills up with more and more asteroids (and slow saucers) until you are overwhelmed.  I liked in the original that the smaller asteroids tended to be faster, so you had to worry about them hitting you before you could rotate around and aim in time.  This recharged version has all the asteroids moving basically the same, like they're in tar, and the power-ups make it too easy to wipe half of them out at once.

 

I think I get it now.  Younger players I guess can't concentrate or maintain focus on a (game) problem for long, a game like original Asteroids or Centipede would ruin them because they would keep expecting more new shit every 5 seconds, not more of the same but getting progressively harder/faster, they would get distracted too easily.  It would be hilarious to watch some of these recharged fans playing the arcade originals, how quickly they'd get killed off after a few levels because there are no power-ups to do most of the work for them.  Did I see that right, does Missile Command have unlimited shots from those water cannons?  How much easier do young gamers need these games to get?!  Can you make the enemies even slower and weaker?  And can I get even more super weapons?  Wow, what a great game!

 

The point of the original versions was to be hard to win (or get a high score) or advance to the next levels, the point of these recharged versions seems to be how quickly can you shoot the most things at once (while listening to shitty music that reduces the in-game sounds).  At the very least, the scoring in the recharged versions should be much lower when using the power-ups, you should be rewarded, in terms of scoring, for not using the super weapons.

 

 

I suppose it's too much to ask that you play and record a session of the original Asteroids (with only button controls) to see how you do compared to this version.  And also original arcade Centipede using a trak-ball.  Missile Command would require a trak-ball and 3 buttons, I doubt you would have such a set-up at home.

I can record some gameplay of me playing the classics, I have the Atari 50 collection and all the flashback volumes after all, not  today though I'm currently at work right now. In any event it's clear that you have a bias against these remake's, so much so that you don't even give them a chance and play them for yourself, and now you even acuse people who like these games of having ADHD (yes I know you weren't the one that came up with this idea but you agreed with what the other guy was saying so you are just as guilty), what the hell man. You keep complaining about the music in these remake's but I think the music blends itself perfectly with the background sounds. These remake's are also just as challenging as the originals but in different ways, but of course you wouldn't know that since you refuse to play them yourself,in the originals version's the difficulty came from the ways the game limited you with restrictions on your gameplay ( limited ammo in missile command is a perfect example of this ), the recharged games give you a non stop action experience, there's no time to rest, there's no going to the next level, it's an endless battle with more and more enemies (stronger ones at that) coming at you the higher your score count gets until you're inevitably overwhelmed, it's a great adrenaline pumping experience. Besides the recharged mode I've been showcasing you also have a mission mode in all these games where you can complete multiple objetives, you also have a more traditional mode were you can disable the power ups since it's clear some people consider them to be  some sort of heresy to the original experience ( I wonder who those people might be 🤔). One last thing, you've railed against me so much during this thread because you claimed I was stating my opinions as if they were facts but then you turn around and do the same thing, you keep saying that these games have shitty music, lack the anxiety of the originals, are somehow bloated compared to the originals, and if anyone likes them they must have some form of adhd, none of this can be proven, these aren't facts these are just your opinions man, why don't you do what you demand other's to do, you know stating your opinion In a way that doesn't come off as you claiming that these are objective facts 😏

[Giles N]

3 hours ago, JPF997 said:

Here's my best score yet in centipede recharged, what do you guys think of the game, anyone else played it yet, personally it's one of my favorites

 

 

I haven’t played it.

 

It looks like fun to play (looks fluid, fast and fun and lots of bullet-rain stuff)….

 
But (!) the graphics and sounds are so over-minimalistic..!!!

 

Why couldn’t they - without changing perspective or gameplay at all, just bring the graphics up to where Super Mario Bros is with say Super Maro Bros DS of Wii…? Same 2D-gameplay, but smashing, bright colorful background and characters… that looks like cartoony versions of actual stuff … in here, like cartoon-centipedes, cartoon-mushrooms, cartoon-spiders, on a backdrop thats actual ground of some sort..?

 

And why does elves use neon-pink gun-pods…? Please give me a top-down elf-hat with a fantasy-gun-thing in hands…

 

Pitty with the minimalistic looks and sound, for the gameplay looks fast and fun…

[Razzie.P]

This thread is like the AA equivalent of Dennis the Menace bickering with Mr Wilson.  

[JPF997]

7 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I haven’t played it.

 

It looks like fun to play (looks fluid, fast and fun and lots of bullet-rain stuff)….

 
But (!) the graphics and sounds are so over-minimalistic..!!!

 

Why couldn’t they - without changing perspective or gameplay at all, just bring the graphics up to where Super Mario Bros is with say Super Maro Bros DS of Wii…? Same 2D-gameplay, but smashing, bright colorful background and characters… that looks like cartoony versions of actual stuff … in here, like cartoon-centipedes, cartoon-mushrooms, cartoon-spiders, on a backdrop thats actual ground of some sort..?

 

And why does elves use neon-pink gun-pods…? Please give me a top-down elf-hat with a fantasy-gun-thing in hands…

 

Pitty with the minimalistic looks and sound, for the gameplay looks fast and fun…

7 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I haven’t played it.

 

It looks like fun to play (looks fluid, fast and fun and lots of bullet-rain stuff)….

 
But (!) the graphics and sounds are so over-minimalistic..!!!

 

Why couldn’t they - without changing perspective or gameplay at all, just bring the graphics up to where Super Mario Bros is with say Super Maro Bros DS of Wii…? Same 2D-gameplay, but smashing, bright colorful background and characters… that looks like cartoony versions of actual stuff … in here, like cartoon-centipedes, cartoon-mushrooms, cartoon-spiders, on a backdrop thats actual ground of some sort..?

 

And why does elves use neon-pink gun-pods…? Please give me a top-down elf-hat with a fantasy-gun-thing in hands…

 

Pitty with the minimalistic looks and sound, for the gameplay looks fast and fun…

7 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I haven’t played it.

 

It looks like fun to play (looks fluid, fast and fun and lots of bullet-rain stuff)….

 
But (!) the graphics and sounds are so over-minimalistic..!!!

 

Why couldn’t they - without changing perspective or gameplay at all, just bring the graphics up to where Super Mario Bros is with say Super Maro Bros DS of Wii…? Same 2D-gameplay, but smashing, bright colorful background and characters… that looks like cartoony versions of actual stuff … in here, like cartoon-centipedes, cartoon-mushrooms, cartoon-spiders, on a backdrop thats actual ground of some sort..?

 

And why does elves use neon-pink gun-pods…? Please give me a top-down elf-hat with a fantasy-gun-thing in hands…

 

Pitty with the minimalistic looks and sound, for the gameplay looks fast and fun…

I think the minimalistic look gives it a timeless feel, in 10 years it will still look fresh and not outdated like many remake's that have come out of other games, it's funny that you mentioned Super Mario bros Wii because I consider that game to be a perfect example of this, it already looks more dated than the classics,  Super Mario bros 3 and Super Mario world in contrast to the Wii game haven't aged one bit and still look great today.

[Giles N]

15 hours ago, ledzep said:

your barely contained (oooh, almost Giles-ed that one) dissatisfaction driving you into a silent, shaking rage.

well, ahem … not sure its equally silent on all occassions…

 

… sarcastic wall-of-text parody-rants against behavioural abuses of Big Tech/Social Media (BT/SM) would perhaps not count (yay, spelled it right) as literally ‘silent‘.

[Giles N]

23 minutes ago, JPF997 said:

it's funny that you mentioned Super Mario bros Wii because I consider that game to be a perfect example of this, it already looks more dated than the classics,

I don’t agree.

 

I think Super Mario Bros DS —> Wii —> WiiU —-> Wonder, pretty much have the same feel; just better resolution, lighting and shadow effects etc, grsdually building up from gen. to gen. of consoles, Wii and WiiU being practically identical…

 

From Super Mario DS and onward, the D2, sidescrolling, line-up of the games made things in-game look like grfx-versions of what had been on the front-covers since Mario Bros (!!).

 

Moreover, they can make some centipedes, spiders and elves-with-fantasy-guns look ‘timeless’ if they look cartoony enough, which is very doable these days.

 

If 2 versions were available, one like the one you show for the price it has, and one other looking like moving top-down cartoons, but 10 bucks more expensive, I’d much rather pay more for that.

Edited September 29, 2023 by Giles N

[ledzep]

1 minute ago, JPF997 said:

I can record some gameplay of me playing the classics, I have the Atari 50 collection and all the flashback volumes after all, not  today though I'm at work right now. In any event it's clear that you have a bias against these remake's, so much so that you don't even give them a chance and play them for yourself, and now you even acuse people who like these games of having ADHD, what the hell man.

 

Nope, trying reading what I wrote again.  I said the game is very ADHD.  I said the players seem to have no patience for the gameplay of the originals, they prefer continuous additions/changes to what's going on in the game.  I don't need to play them for myself, watching your videos (and others) of playing through shows me that they don't act "correctly", like the originals, everything has been slowed down and softened, what made the originals unique has been removed and replaced with slower movement and power-ups.  Why would I want to play that style?

 

Remember, if you do decide to record yourself playing the original versions to use the same controller scheme, otherwise you're not getting the true (or as close as possible without an actual arcade cabinet) original arcade experience.  That means all buttons for Asteroids and a trak-ball + button for Centipede.

 

4 minutes ago, JPF997 said:

You keep complaining about the music in these remake's but I think the music blends itself perfectly with the background sounds. These remake's are also just as challenging as the originals but in different ways, but of course you wouldn't know that since you refuse to play them yourself,in the originals version's the difficulty came from the ways the game limited you with restrictions on your gameplay ( limited ammo in missile command is a perfect example of this ), the recharged games give you a non stop action experience, there's no time to rest, there's no going to the next level, it's an endless battle with more and more enemies (stronger ones at that) coming at you the higher your score count gets until you're inevitably overwhelmed, it's a great adrenaline pumping experience.

 

I can see very clearly how these recharged games progress based on your (and other) sample gameplay videos.  I agree the recharged are non-stop, but I disagree about "action experience", these games are slow and constant.  It's hypnotizing, like being drunk, not action like the originals (I wonder how many minutes you'd last playing original Defender).  I didn't see any "stronger" enemies in those examples you posted.  And any stronger enemies are easily wiped out with the various power-ups that appear every 5-10 seconds so what's the challenge?

 

There's no "adrenaline pumping" there, just a slow walk uphill.  Do you have something against fast, less predictable enemy targets?

 

10 minutes ago, JPF997 said:

Besides the recharged mode I've been showcasing you also have a mission mode in all these games where you can complete multiple objetives, you also have a more traditional mode were you can disable the power ups since it's clear some people consider them as some sort of heresy to the original experience ( I wonder who those people might be 🤔).

 

Not heresy so much as just too fucking easy.  Some classic games had power-ups, too.  But they were rare and not that amazing.  I can't remember many, Galaga had the double-ship thing, Moon Cresta had the stacked ships with extra guns.  But in both those cases the power-ups came with a price, your ship got much bigger making it easier for the enemies to hit you.  No such penalty in the "recharged" versions, just more and more advantage for the player.

 

19 minutes ago, JPF997 said:

One last thing you've railed against me so much during this thread because you claimed I was stating my opinions as if they were fact but then you turn around and do the same thing, you keep saying that these games have shitty music, lack the anxiety of the originals, if anyone likes them they must have some form of adhd, none of this can be proven, these aren't fact these are just your opinions, why don't you do what you demand other's you doing, you know stating your opinion In a way that doesn't come off as you claiming that these are objective facts 😏.

 

I thought it had been made clear by some self-elected "expert" on the rules of Internet banter that everything written is an opinion so what are you complaining about now?  Of course, as with most of what he ordered after, that's not true.  Most statements are opinions, some are not.  This is the AtariAge forum, fact or opinion?  You love these recharged versions of Atari games, fact or opinion?  I can't stand synthwave, fact or opinion?  Well well well, so much for that engraved in stone "law".  All three of those statements are observable facts that don't require supporting evidence.  That's far from always the case of course but I wanted to present just a few simple examples that easily negate the hallowed "everything written is an opinion" over-generalized bullshit.

 

It is clear by watching your recharged video examples that these games lack the anxiety of the originals.  They play slower and the enemies aren't nearly as quick or random.  These games may provide a different type of gameplay anxiety, but it sure as shit ain't like the originals.

 

Again, I said (and you can easily find it) that the games feel very ADHD.  Like someone else said (first page I think).  Funny how you never complained about him saying it, only me agreeing with it.  Tsk tsk.

[JPF997]

54 minutes ago, ledzep said:

 

Nope, trying reading what I wrote again.  I said the game is very ADHD.  I said the players seem to have no patience for the gameplay of the originals, they prefer continuous additions/changes to what's going on in the game.  I don't need to play them for myself, watching your videos (and others) of playing through shows me that they don't act "correctly", like the originals, everything has been slowed down and softened, what made the originals unique has been removed and replaced with slower movement and power-ups.  Why would I want to play that style?

 

Remember, if you do decide to record yourself playing the original versions to use the same controller scheme, otherwise you're not getting the true (or as close as possible without an actual arcade cabinet) original arcade experience.  That means all buttons for Asteroids and a trak-ball + button for Centipede.

 

 

I can see very clearly how these recharged games progress based on your (and other) sample gameplay videos.  I agree the recharged are non-stop, but I disagree about "action experience", these games are slow and constant.  It's hypnotizing, like being drunk, not action like the originals (I wonder how many minutes you'd last playing original Defender).  I didn't see any "stronger" enemies in those examples you posted.  And any stronger enemies are easily wiped out with the various power-ups that appear every 5-10 seconds so what's the challenge?

 

There's no "adrenaline pumping" there, just a slow walk uphill.  Do you have something against fast, less predictable enemy targets?

 

 

Not heresy so much as just too fucking easy.  Some classic games had power-ups, too.  But they were rare and not that amazing.  I can't remember many, Galaga had the double-ship thing, Moon Cresta had the stacked ships with extra guns.  But in both those cases the power-ups came with a price, your ship got much bigger making it easier for the enemies to hit you.  No such penalty in the "recharged" versions, just more and more advantage for the player.

 

 

I thought it had been made clear by some self-elected "expert" on the rules of Internet banter that everything written is an opinion so what are you complaining about now?  Of course, as with most of what he ordered after, that's not true.  Most statements are opinions, some are not.  This is the AtariAge forum, fact or opinion?  You love these recharged versions of Atari games, fact or opinion?  I can't stand synthwave, fact or opinion?  Well well well, so much for that engraved in stone "law".  All three of those statements are observable facts that don't require supporting evidence.  That's far from always the case of course but I wanted to present just a few simple examples that easily negate the hallowed "everything written is an opinion" over-generalized bullshit.

 

It is clear by watching your recharged video examples that these games lack the anxiety of the originals.  They play slower and the enemies aren't nearly as quick or random.  These games may provide a different type of gameplay anxiety, but it sure as shit ain't like the originals.

 

Again, I said (and you can easily find it) that the games feel very ADHD.  Like someone else said (first page I think).  Funny how you never complained about him saying it, only me agreeing with it.  Tsk tsk.

One thing i keep forgetting to ask you is what are your thoughts on the reimagined series, the reimagined series is another series of remake's of Atari's classic's created around the same time as the recharged series, only these other remakes come included with the Atari 50 collection so you don't have to purchase them standalone.

[stirrell]

2 hours ago, ledzep said:

I watched that twice.  Like someone else mentioned pages ago, it's very ADHD.  It makes me sad in a way that younger players have no patience, they can't just play a game without requiring constant changes added into it.

 

The constant shitty music muffles the in-game sounds, I could barely notice the ship engine sound which was so cool in the original.  These recharged games seem to have turned all the enemies or targets into zombies, everything moves around at mostly the same, glacial pace.  The recharged Centipede game was terrible for that (the spider, especially, that's criminal) but this game has also neutered the enemy saucers, they just look like other asteroids with different shapes and colors.  Maybe they'll shoot at you.  Occasionally.

I'm an older player (48) who loves the originals and loves the Recharged games. I also like Megan McDuffee's music in the games. And I don't like Led Zeppelin. Different people like different things.

I suspect that the spiders in Centipede were made lethargic since they are basically the mechanism for distributing power ups to the player. I do find Centipede Recharged to be every bit as intense as the original arcade game, though. Asteroids is definitely more chill than the arcade game, though, so I can see where you are coming from there. I do still enjoy it.

I'm curious - what are your thoughts on Tempest 2000?

Quote

Not heresy so much as just too fucking easy.

I'd be interested to see your scores on these games.

Edited September 29, 2023 by stirrell

[GraffitiTavern]

9 hours ago, CapitanClassic said:

@GraffitiTavern, he won’t have one, because it doesn’t exist.

 

17 U.S. Code § 117 - Limitations on exclusive rights: Computer programs

117(a)(1) qualifies you to make a copy to use with an emulator. 
 

for additional background you could read Krause v. Titleserv, Inc., or Aymes v. Bonelli.

Thanks!

 

In my earlier research, I also stumbled on this: https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-digital.html

 

(does EU copyright law work in a similar way?)

[Wildstar]

46 minutes ago, GraffitiTavern said:

Thanks!

 

In my earlier research, I also stumbled on this: https://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-digital.html

 

(does EU copyright law work in a similar way?)

It's complicated because EU is not a country. You have multiple countries. This gets a little bit murkier with EU but from most cases in EU that I have heard about, their a little more open and supportive of backup copies and the like. More relax than U.S. Copyrights are largely according to the Berne Convention but Fair Use type regulations are not exactly uniformally implemented. You have to analyze this on a country by country basis.

In Germany for example is this (in English):

 

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_urhg/englisch_urhg.html

 

Section 61
Orphan works

(1) It is permitted to reproduce and make available to the public orphan works in accordance with the provisions of subsections (3) to (5).

(2) For the purposes of this Act, ʻorphan worksʼ means

     1.   works and other protected subject matter in books, trade journals, newspapers, magazines or other writings,

     2.   cinematographic works, as well as video mediums and audio and video mediums on which cinematographic works have been recorded and

     3.   audio mediums

in the collections (holdings) of publicly accessible libraries, educational institutions, museums, archives and institutions in the field of cinematic and audio heritage, if the holdings have already been published, the rightholder of which could not be established or traced despite a diligent search.

(3) Where an item in the holdings has several rightholders, its content may also be reproduced and made available to the public if, despite a diligent search, it was not possible to establish or trace all the rightholders but permission to use the item in the holdings has been obtained from one of the known rightholders.

(4) Holdings which have not been published or broadcast may also be used by the institution referred to in subsection (2) if they have already been made available to the public with the rightholder’s permission and, therefore, it can be assumed in good faith that the rightholder would agree to the use in accordance with subsection (1).

(5) Reproduction and making available to the public by the institutions as referred to in subsection (2) are permitted only if the institutions are acting to fulfil their tasks in the public interest, in particular if they preserve and restore holdings and make them accessible in their collections, insofar as this serves cultural and educational purposes. The institutions may charge a fee for providing access to the orphan works which covers the costs of the digitisation and making available to the public.

 

and 

 

Section 69c
Restricted acts

Rightholders have the exclusive right to perform or authorise the following acts:

    1.  the permanent or temporary reproduction, in whole or in part, of a computer program by any means and in any form. Insofar as loading, displaying, running, transmission or storage of the computer program necessitates such      reproduction, these actions are subject to authorisation by the rightholder;

    2.  the translation, adaptation, arrangement and other modifications of a computer program, as well as the reproduction of the results thereof. The rights of those persons who adapt the program remain unaffected;

    3.  any form of distribution of the original of a computer program or of copies thereof, including rental. Where a copy of a computer program is put into circulation with the rightholder’s consent in the area of the European Union 

    or another Contracting Party of the Agreement on the European Economic Area by sale, the right of distribution is exhausted in respect of this copy, with the exception of the rental right;

    4.  communication to the public of a computer program, either by wire or wireless means, including making the work available to the public in such a way that it is available to members of the public from places and at times       

    individually chosen by them.

 

Section 69d
Exceptions to restricted acts

(1) Unless otherwise provided by special contractual provisions, the acts referred to in section 69c nos. 1 and 2 do not require authorisation by the rightholder if they are necessary for the use of the computer program in accordance with its intended purpose, including for the correction of errors, by any person authorised to use a copy of the program.

(2) The making of a back-up copy by a person having a right to use the computer program may not be prevented by contract if it is necessary to secure future use. Section 60e (1) and (6) and section 60f (1) and (3) apply to reproductions made for the purpose of preservation.

(3) The person having a right to use a copy of a computer program is entitled, without the rightholder’s authorisation, to observe, study or test the functioning of that program in order to determine the ideas and principles which underlie any element of the program if this occurs whilst performing any acts of loading, displaying, running, transmitting or storing the program to which that person is entitled.

(4) Computer programs may also be used in accordance with section 69c no. 2 to carry out text and data mining pursuant to section 44b.

(5) Section 60a applies to computer programs with the following provisos:

    1.  Digital uses are permitted under the responsibility of an educational establishment on its premises, at other locations or in a secure electronic environment.

    2.  Computer programs may also be used pursuant to section 69c no. 2.

    3.  Computer programs may be used in their entirety.

    4.  The use must be justified for the purpose of illustration in teaching in educational establishments.

(6) Section 60d does not apply to computer programs.

(7) Sections 61d to 61f apply to computer programs, with the proviso that they may also be used pursuant to section 69c no. 2.

To read more of the referenced sections, use the link provided above.

 

The bold and underlining are added by me to highlight specific laws relevant to a subject being discussed here but the text is in the law. 

Edited September 29, 2023 by Wildstar

[Wildstar]

I will not be quoting the relevant sections for each country in the EU. That would be insanely rude.

[Giles N]

6 minutes ago, Wildstar said:

I will not be quoting the relevant sections for each country in the EU. That would be insanely rude.

What!!?

No EU Copyright Laws Recharged!

[Wildstar]

9 minutes ago, Giles N said:

What!!?

No EU Copyright Laws Recharged!

lol...

 

Yeah.... there are far more fun stuff to Recharge!

[ledzep]

5 hours ago, stirrell said:

I'm an older player (48) who loves the originals and loves the Recharged games. I also like Megan McDuffee's music in the games. And I don't like Led Zeppelin. Different people like different things.

 

Absolutely.  It's more interesting to hear the why (or why not) about such preferences which is how you get these thread discussions going in many directions.  Not complaining about that reality, just an observation.  I mean, this thread is worded as a poll, which version do you like better, this one or that one.  Not much fun.  Once you get to the why then the opinions about why one version is better/worse or great/shit roll in.

 

5 hours ago, stirrell said:

I suspect that the spiders in Centipede were made lethargic since they are basically the mechanism for distributing power ups to the player. I do find Centipede Recharged to be every bit as intense as the original arcade game, though. Asteroids is definitely more chill than the arcade game, though, so I can see where you are coming from there. I do still enjoy it.

 

It might be every bit as intense as the original Centipede, but not in the same way or for the same reason.  Same with recharged Missile Command.

 

I don't see the need for a trade-off with the spider, though.  It could still be a quick, manic enemy and if you're good enough to kill it, you are rewarded with the power-up.  As it is I believe that in original Centipede you get more points if you kill the spider immediately when it shows up, or if it's right next to you vs. far away?  I remember seeing higher scores in certain situations (like 900 points vs. 300 points) but I haven't played it in a while.  That's a reward, power-ups could be the same, you handled the hardest moment, congrats, here's a gun that sprays in 3 directions or something.  Maybe if you kill it when it's right on top of you you get a great power-up but if you kill it when it's far away and easier to hit you get a weak power-up, like double-shots for only 2 seconds or something.  Still helpful but you didn't really earn a good power-up, try harder next time.

 

As it stands in the recharged version the spider is more of a slow roving vending machine for power-ups, absolutely no danger.  If that thing kills you, stop playing video games, you're horrible at them.  Same goes for the lazy recharged Asteroids saucers, they actually seemed bored to be there, like they've been sedated.  I prefer the original with the oh shit, the little saucer! vibe.  Of course the experts could kill that thing easy (though I've seen great players get zapped occasionally).

 

6 hours ago, stirrell said:

I'm curious - what are your thoughts on Tempest 2000?

 

If you mean the Jaguar game -

 

 

I remember when it first came out I was initially excited because I wanted to get a Jaguar and Tempest is my favorite game.  I'd never encountered a "recharged" version of a video game before, be it original arcade or just old 2600 or something.  Just watch that video and see if you can guess at the many things that piss me off from simply watching that replay.

 

1) Turn off the shitty music!  Adds zero to the original.

 

2) Can not stand the sliding camera view.  What's the point.  No, seriously, someone tell me what that adds to the game.

 

3) Not a fan of the filled-in levels but I suppose that's minor.  I would guess it helps players see where the enemies are better since this isn't a color vector monitor (with beautiful, bright, crisp graphics) and the view won't stay still.

 

4) I think the disintegrating explosions right in my face from the scores and from just some enemies blowing up may be what I hate the most.  That shit gets directly in my way, I can't see what's actually going on behind them for a moment, it's like trying to see through a screen door.  500!  2000!!!!!  Particle Laser!!!!!!!!!!!!  What's that for?  Doesn't add anything to the game.  In the original you would get an idea which lanes the enemies were landing on because they started out as single dots.  Good luck seeing that with this fireworks version.

 

5) Interesting, that Jump Enabled power-up is actually useful, that would be something I would expect in a Tempest arcade sequel had one ever been made.

 

6) The Outstanding! positive reinforcement is useless and actually insulting, like a real gamer can't tell when he's doing well or needs validation.  And of course it blows up in particles blocking the view.

 

7) Who needs the A.I. Droid?  Ah yes, someone who isn't good enough to clear the level on his own.

 

The only redeeming quality of that specific game is (if I remember correctly) they coded in the ability to use a spinner (which didn't exist, right?) and some people figured out how to add a spinner to the stock controller which not only made the game playable and truer to the original, but I assume opened up the option for other games to also add that option once it was obvious that many people were hacking their controllers (or buying modified controllers off eBay or wherever).  I don't know, though, if any other Jaguar games included spinner options.

 

10 times out of 10 I'd rather play the glorious 5200 version of Tempest over that eyesore.

 

5 hours ago, stirrell said:

I'd be interested to see your scores on these games.

 

You won't see them, for the same reason you won't get my critiques about various country music bands, I don't see the need to subject myself to something that even a cursory glance tells me I don't like.  I'm sure my scores would suck, or be noob decent, meaning I'm good enough at original Centipede to last a bit with the recharged version but the plodding pace and goofy graphics would reduce my desire to keep playing.  It's the same reason I won't/can't play Pac-Man or Donkey Kong for very long, that type of cute game does nothing for me so without a real incentive to get good at them, I'll never care to play them.

[ledzep]

6 hours ago, JPF997 said:

One thing i keep forgetting to ask you is what are your thoughts on the reimagined series, the reimagined series is another series of remake's of Atari's classic's created around the same time as the recharged series, only these other remakes come included with the Atari 50 collection so you don't have to purchase them standalone.

 

Well, that wasn't part of your original question so I hadn't considered them.  If I understand correctly there are 6 of them?

 

 

Looking at Neo Breakout, there are some interesting game mechanics in there, I don't know if they're new or adaptations from previous versions of Breakout I never played, but I like most of them..  This is one of those games that is so simple and, for most people, boring, that most anything would be an improvement.  I like starting at the old B&W version and then progressing through the "eras" but, of course, eventually they have to include a sliding camera view.  It's slight, but still irritating.  I don't get the point of that stupid floating giant cube in the background, it's very distracting when trying to follow the ball as it bounces around.  The music is trash but not the worst.

 

It feels like they were trying to make this version look like a deleted part of the original "Tron" movie with the flat-shaded 3D shapes and glowing ball trail and the rest (or maybe a hidden level in I, Robot).  Useless but not terrible.  This I could see myself playing and not hating.  If it has a paddle (or spinner I guess, but a paddle is better).

 

 

I never played the original Haunted House, it seems very simple and boring to me though I know my friends had it and liked it.  I watched this Atari 50 version video on it and it seems like a vast improvement.  Not saying it's a game I'd run out to get but if I bought the Atari 50 collection and it's in there, anyway, I'd play it.  I suspect that if the 2600 could do anything better than LEGO block graphics that the game would look like a primitive version of this reimagined version (3D view).  Maybe the 5200 could have pulled off a simpler shitty Doom looking version, certainly the Jaguar should have been able to.  Due to the much much better graphics and console power it's possible to change the original top-down view to first person, I think that works better (gives a more scary movie creeping around vibe) though it is "not the original" anymore.  All in all, what the original should have been instead of a version of walking around the Adventure mazes in the dark.

 

No power-ups!  No constant music!  The camera moves but, for once, there's an actual useful reason!!  The graphics are different because it's now possible to include actual graphics, not change the original blocky graphics to new squishy cartoony graphics.  This is a win (if this type of game suits you).  I'd play this over the original though I would play the original just to see what was changed.

 

One more, I guess, VCTR-SCTR -

 

 

This seems like a nostalgia trip, a mildly changed greatest hits of some Atari vector games?  Almost like Vector Gorf, cram a bunch of existing game levels into a new game.  Right off the bat, the Asteroids level has way too many shots for the ship but otherwise, nice (except the shitty music though this is the least offensive yet).  I like the transition to the Lunar Lander level though it seems too easy, maybe later visits get harder?  The Battlezone/Star Wars racetrack is kind of boring but not terrible.  The Tempest level is the worst because there's no rotating around the level, the level rotates around you.  I suppose this is a concession for (presumably) the player having a normal controller and not a spinner?  I'm guessing.  Still, it's very close to Tempest (notice, boys and girls, that's it's not necessary to spray pixels into the gamer's eyes all the time, you can leave the gameplay viewable) on the whole.  Thank you, Odin, for leaving in the original game sounds for all the levels!!!  I'm not going to cry, I'm not!  So beautiful...  I see that there's a way to unlock Gravitar if you shoot 2 separate saucers at once in that Asteroids level, nice, though unfortunately it's just the 2600 version, not added to this game.  And they included the Asteroids Deluxe super hexagon that splits up into multiple enemies, very cool.

 

This seems like a convenient way to play some of your favorite Atari vector arcade games without having to load each one (and get a new one with that race level) though now I'm wondering where Red Baron and Space Duel (and Gravitar) are.  Missed opportunity unless there's a VCTR-SCTR 2 coming out (do it, Atari!).  The changes are subtle and either simply different or actually fun.  On the whole it feels overall easier to play than the originals but still "correct".  Original arcade Gorf felt that way, too.

 

Did this reimagined game need constant power-ups?  No.  How about making everything look fat and cartoony?  No.  I like the changed shapes of some of the asteroids, though that adds nothing to the gameplay.  But certainly, no one wants to play the game if the camera view doesn't keep sliding around, right?  Right?  Wrong. From my lazy Google searching it seems like this game is really popular compared to the other reimagined games.

 

I'll tell you what, I genuinely like Vector Gorf (I know that's not the name but I don't care, it's exactly what this game is).  I have never played it so maybe I might like it a little more (or less) after experiencing it on an actual console (I guess the controller would be key there).  But first impression, this game is solid.  This is how you do an update (ok, Haunted Houses, too, if your original game has the most primitive graphics on Earth) of an arcade original.  You won't hear me slagging this game because there is nothing to complain about.  There are a couple of things that could be better/different but that's from the point of view of a gamer who prefers his games to play quick and be very difficult to advance through vs. just a constant "recharged" walk through more and more and more with all the bloat mentioned previously.

 

 

So I ask you, JPF997, are these games not as cool because they don't have the recharged style additions?

[JPF997]

1 hour ago, ledzep said:

 

 

 

So I ask you, JPF997, are these games not as cool because they don't have the recharged style additions?

Personally I really like them, they feel like a perfect middle ground between the originals and the recharged games, they're modernized enough to appeal to modern audience's without adding too many new additions that would risk alienating the more purist Atari fans like the recharged series does, considering that they were made as extra content for the Atari 50 collection the ultimate celebration of all things Atari this makes perfect sense.

Here's my take overall  on the games of the reimagined series: Neo breakout for me is the best version of the game ever created and surpasses both the original game and the recharged version ( my least favorite recharged game btw )with ease; VCTR-SCTR has quickly become one of my favorite Atari games ever, an incredible remix of many of Atari's all time greats, pretty much a flawless game in my book; Yars reimagined is great, it's incredible how  just a simple graphics makeover can make the original Yars Revenge look so new and fresh, I prefer it over Yars Recharged ( which is a completely different game compared to the original, still great but I prefer the originals timeless gameplay loop ); haunted houses I haven't played enough of it yet to have an educated opinion on it but overall I like it, it will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the new haunted house game Atari is currently making (which is due to come out in the near future); I unfortunately haven't been able to play Quadratank yet since it's a co-op game, it does look nice and enjoyable from what I've seen on YouTube;  I haven't touched sword quest airworld yet since I haven't completed the other sword quest games yet, but I have no doubt it's a good game, those that have played it have all said good things about it.

And that's all she wrote, those are my overall opinions on the reimagined series from what I've played so far, great games in they're own right, not as minimalistic as the originals but also not as modernized as the recharged games, a perfect middle ground that all Atari fans can enjoy.

[JPF997]

Here's some gameplay of me playing the original versions like I promised:

 

 

[ledzep]

1 minute ago, JPF997 said:

Personally I really like them, they feel like a perfect middle ground between the originals and the recharged games, they're modernized enough to appeal to modern audience's without adding too many new additions that would risk alienating the more purist Atari fans like the recharged series does, considering that they were made as extra content for the Atari 50 collection the ultimate celebration of all things Atari this makes perfect sense.

 

Agreed.  Outside of alienating purists, I think you can only go so far changing shit before you can no longer really say the game similar enough to warrant using the same name, "recharged" or not.  At a certain point it becomes just a new game with elements of some older game(s), if you like that old original, you'll probably (not me) like this new thing.

 

4 minutes ago, JPF997 said:

Here's my take overall  on the games of the reimagined series: Neo breakout for me is the best version of the game ever created and surpasses both the original game and the recharged version ( my least favorite recharged game btw )with ease; VCTR-SCTR has quickly become one of my favorite Atari games ever, an incredible remix of many of Atari's all time greats, pretty much a flawless game in my book; Yars reimagined is great, it's incredible how  just a simple graphics makeover can make the original Yars Revenge look so new and fresh, I prefer it over Yars Recharged ( which is a completely different game compared to the original, still great but I prefer the originals timeless gameplay loop ); haunted houses I haven't played enough of it yet to have an educated opinion on it but overall I like it, it will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the new haunted house game Atari is currently making (which is due to come out in the near future); I unfortunately haven't been able to play Quadratank yet since it's a co-op game, it does look nice and enjoyable from what I've seen on YouTube;  I haven't touched sword quest airworld yet since I haven't completed the other sword quest games yet, but I have no doubt it's a good game, those that have played it have all said good things about it.

 

Never played those Quest/World games on the 2600 but I remember they were really popular, especially the idea of them almost being like movie sequels, play/collect them all!  The surprised disappointment when the final chapter never showed up killed me, hahaaha.

 

 

This looks more like paintball + an Easter egg hunt (so many power-ups, at least they're not really super weapons except maybe that laser) but it would probably be fun for a bit with other players.  It made Combat cute so I wouldn't play it for very long.  That's not to say that Combat (or Tank in the arcades) was a great game, it's just good.  It's amazing how primitive late '70s arcade games were compared to just like 5 years later.

 

16 minutes ago, JPF997 said:

And that's all she wrote, those are my overall opinions on the reimagined series from what I've played so far, great games in they're own right, not as minimalistic as the originals but also not as modernized as the recharged games, a perfect middle ground that all Atari fans can enjoy.

 

Ya, there are some decent ideas and updates with these reimagined games, depending on what the originals were like.  For the most part I prefer the originals except for obviously Haunted House and maybe Breakout, those benefit from more detail.