Atari50 collecton is getting an update next Tuesday!!

[Metal Ghost]

Much respect to Atari for this. This is a surprise treat and so very much appreciated. They hadn’t advertised in advance to expect this and so were completely not obligated to do so. This made my weekend!

[+sramirez2008]

The Atari 50 Anniversary Celebration is hands down the best compilation ever, and it's about get better. Looking forward to December 5th. Thank you Atari.🙂

[+Zeptari]

On 12/1/2023 at 7:18 PM, KainXavier said:

I wonder if we'll see any more Lynx games show up in future updates

It would be great to see all the EPYX Lynx games added to this collection. It'll never happen, but I'd still love it... 

[+Zeptari]

double post

[KainXavier]

6 hours ago, Zeptari said:

It would be great to see all the EPYX Lynx games added to this collection. It'll never happen, but I'd still love it... 

Gauntlet: The Third Encounter is THE reason why I've always wanted a Lynx.  But yeah, I doubt Warner Bros. would ever sign off on that.

[+jeremiahjt]

Have they released the update yet? If so, what are the new games? I personally cannot wait to play the long lost prototype of Double Diamond Cornhole.

[Nall3k]

1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said:

Have they released the update yet? If so, what are the new games? I personally cannot wait to play the long lost prototype of Double Diamond Cornhole.

• Adventure II (homebrew) – 2600
• Bowling – 2600
• Double Dunk – 2600
• Maze Craze – 2600
• Miniature Golf – 2600
• MotoRodeo – 2600
• Aquaventure (prototype) – 2600
• Save Mary (prototype) – 2600
• Super Football – 2600
• Return to Haunted House (homebrew) – 2600
• Circus Atari – 2600
• Warbirds – Lynx

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-50-adds-12-new-games-in-an-update-bringing-the-total-to-115/

[Bitsized]

8 minutes ago, Nall3k said:

• Adventure II (homebrew) – 2600
• Bowling – 2600
• Double Dunk – 2600
• Maze Craze – 2600
• Miniature Golf – 2600
• MotoRodeo – 2600
• Aquaventure (prototype) – 2600
• Save Mary (prototype) – 2600
• Super Football – 2600
• Return to Haunted House (homebrew) – 2600
• Circus Atari – 2600
• Warbirds – Lynx

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-50-adds-12-new-games-in-an-update-bringing-the-total-to-115/

I checked early this morning, and it said everything was up to date, but didn't see the new games.  Does anyone have the update already?

[TwoShedsWilson]

I just re-ran it about 1/2 an hour ago and now I have them.

[Hwlngmad]

2 hours ago, Nall3k said:

• Adventure II (homebrew) – 2600
• Bowling – 2600
• Double Dunk – 2600
• Maze Craze – 2600
• Miniature Golf – 2600
• MotoRodeo – 2600
• Aquaventure (prototype) – 2600
• Save Mary (prototype) – 2600
• Super Football – 2600
• Return to Haunted House (homebrew) – 2600
• Circus Atari – 2600
• Warbirds – Lynx

https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/atari-50-adds-12-new-games-in-an-update-bringing-the-total-to-115/

Warbirds is my favorite game on the Lynx as I played it to death back in the day.  Glad to see this added into the collection.

[Metal Ghost]

The fact that they're releasing additional content is, for me at least, just so very unexpected and appreciated.  I happened to be up a bit past midnight last night (late work night  ) and I was REALLY tempted to hop on-line to see if the drop had happened yet or not.  In the end I decided to wait, but I really can't wait to get home and get it.  Like a Christmas present directly from Atari!

[PowerDubs]

2 hours ago, Metal Ghost said:

The fact that they're releasing additional content is, for me at least, just so very unexpected and appreciated.

 

More to come...

[Emehr]

I just ran the update and played a little. Great to see Warbirds back! It was there for a hot-second when this was first released then removed after the update that ran almost immediately after. I tested it a bit and it plays fine but there's a weird displeasing audio glitch that sounds like a constant squeaky axle. The machine gun fire is a little off too, like there's a missing sound. Other than that, it's great and very surreal to play my favorite Lynx game on a modern handheld. 👍

[Metal Ghost]

Hey….it had been a hot minute since the last time I booted up Atari 50, but along with the new drop of 12 games (thanks again Atari!!) I also stumbled on these Atari ‘Confidential’ folders with clues associated with them. 
 

Are these new?  Or have I simply missed them from earlier?

 

i guess I could have missed them from way back at release, but I swear I hadn’t seen them before 😀

[DavidD]

35 minutes ago, Metal Ghost said:

Hey….it had been a hot minute since the last time I booted up Atari 50, but along with the new drop of 12 games (thanks again Atari!!) I also stumbled on these Atari ‘Confidential’ folders with clues associated with them. 
 

Are these new?  Or have I simply missed them from earlier?

 

i guess I could have missed them from way back at release, but I swear I hadn’t seen them before 😀

I remember these being there, at least in some format.  There are some 2600 titles that were "locked" behind hidden objectives in the reimagined titles, I think....

[Forrest]

I was surprised to see the Steam update size was 11.3 GB. Assuming the (11) 2600 games were 8 KB each and Lynx Warbirds is 128 KB, that adds up to 218 KB or .000218 GB. What else was in the update?

[Metal Ghost]

14 minutes ago, DavidD said:

I remember these being there, at least in some format.  There are some 2600 titles that were "locked" behind hidden objectives in the reimagined titles, I think....

Mystery solved….thanks!  I can’t believe I don’t remember these. Scratch that, I can believe it LOL

[Atariboy]

Yeah they've been there since day 1.

 

That clue that you posted was pretty easy and got unlocked two minutes into Adventure Reimagined the first time I fired up Atari 50 last year, but I just got around to unlocking the rest a few days ago. One isn't tied to the reimagined titles though and involves the timeline instead (but while not much of a spoiler since the clue isn't very cryptic, I won't spoil it for you with what you have to do there to unlock it).

 

And while largely fluff like Basic Math, at least two of the unlockables are genuine classics for the 2600.

Edited December 6, 2023 by Atariboy

[zzip]

15 hours ago, Forrest said:

I was surprised to see the Steam update size was 11.3 GB. Assuming the (11) 2600 games were 8 KB each and Lynx Warbirds is 128 KB, that adds up to 218 KB or .000218 GB. What else was in the update?

For that size, they probably are making you redownload the entire package.    I thought it was 8GB last year?   Maybe they added more videos.

[atarifan88]

On 12/1/2023 at 8:22 PM, DavidD said:

See, I'd LIKE Berzerk, but it's not an Atari title any more than Space Invaders was.

I don't know where you get your information, but Berzerk was licensed by Atari from Stern. They made a game for the 2600:

https://www.atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=29

 

Most recently, Atari purchased the rights for Berzerk from Stern:

https://atari.com/blogs/newsroom/atari-announces-acquisition-of-berzerk-and-frenzy-ip

 

The fact that Atari had the game on their system and because they purchased the IP to it technically makes it an Atari game now. What they choose to do with it is all up to them.

[Flyindrew]

6 minutes ago, atarifan88 said:

I don't know where you get your information, but Berzerk was licensed by Atari from Stern. They made a game for the 2600:

https://www.atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=29

 

Most recently, Atari purchased the rights for Berzerk from Stern:

https://atari.com/blogs/newsroom/atari-announces-acquisition-of-berzerk-and-frenzy-ip

 

The fact that Atari had the game on their system and because they purchased the IP to it technically makes it an Atari game now. What they choose to do with it is all up to them.

Thats totally true. I can understand that actual original arcade port not being associated with Atari, but the 2600,5200 and most recently recharged and enhanced versions of Berzerk are significant as far as Atari historical canon is concerned.

[zzip]

9 minutes ago, atarifan88 said:

I don't know where you get your information, but Berzerk was licensed by Atari from Stern. They made a game for the 2600:

https://www.atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=29

 

Most recently, Atari purchased the rights for Berzerk from Stern:

https://atari.com/blogs/newsroom/atari-announces-acquisition-of-berzerk-and-frenzy-ip

 

The fact that Atari had the game on their system and because they purchased the IP to it technically makes it an Atari game now. What they choose to do with it is all up to them.

There's always a divide of users between those who experienced a game first in the arcade vs those who experienced it first on the 2600 (or other home console).   This is most notable with Pac-man:  People who played it first on 2600 tend to think it's a fun game and the controversy is overblown, while those who experienced the arcade first tend to think the 2600 version is an abomination.

 

Anyway, There's a number of other games that Atari got the home rights to like Berzerk, Defender, Space Invaders, Joust,  that many people strongly associate with Atari, especially if they never played them in the arcade..   When Atari 50 came out, there was some disappointment online that none of these games were included.

 

So yeah, Berzerk was not an Atari game then, but it is now, and I think it would be a welcome addition to Atari 50.   But I know that isn't likely as Atari is trying to monetize new Berzerk carts separately.   Although it would be nice to have the arcade version of Berzerk released. 

[+jeremiahjt]

On 12/1/2023 at 10:32 AM, MrZarniwoop said:

Gauntlet? (Blue = valkyrie, Yellow = wizard, Corn = food?) Dark Chambers? Maze Craze? (corn maze?) Maze Invaders prototype? How could blue/yellow diamonds be Kung Food?

 

Double Dunk! (Baskball Net Basketball Net = dunk dunk)

 

Moto Rodeo? (Car?, Horse = rodeo?)

 

Not sure what the waterpolo shooting game could be. Shooting Arcade proto? The non-water Polo prototype somehow?

Pretty good guesses. I still do not understand the Maze Craze one. Corn for a corn Maze, but how are two diamonds craze?

[DavidD]

10 hours ago, atarifan88 said:

I don't know where you get your information, but Berzerk was licensed by Atari from Stern. They made a game for the 2600:

https://www.atariage.com/software_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=29

 

Most recently, Atari purchased the rights for Berzerk from Stern:

https://atari.com/blogs/newsroom/atari-announces-acquisition-of-berzerk-and-frenzy-ip

 

The fact that Atari had the game on their system and because they purchased the IP to it technically makes it an Atari game now. What they choose to do with it is all up to them.

I'm not trying to be antagonistic here, but perhaps I should clarify:

• I found it unlikely they'd add Berzerk, as the 2600 game was no more an Atari title than any of their other licensed ports.  I'd expect a small update of 12 games to contain many things that are more directly Atari.
• While I'd love to get the arcade Berzerk, or a good many other things, I don't really consider a licensed port to represent "50 years of Atari" as it wasn't really an Atari title.  The current Atari company has purchased a good many things, and I don't mind that, but it's still got very little to do with Atari history.

I suppose you could make almost the same case against Miner 2049er, but that started off as an Atari computer title.  Not Atari, but Atari was its home.

 

I'll gladly take all of the stuff they got their hands on recently, I'm just doubtful that all of it fits the scope/theme of the Atari 50 collection.

[Atariboy]

On 12/5/2023 at 7:44 PM, Atariboy said:

That clue that you posted was pretty easy and got unlocked two minutes into Adventure Reimagined the first time I fired up Atari 50 last year...

I'm sure someone has already noticed my mistake, but I of course meant Haunted Houses (Atari 50's "reimagining" of the 2600 classic).

 

I'm sure we'll see Adventure Reimagined one of these days as part of their standalone line of digital releases, but it's not a thing as of yet, lol.

6 hours ago, DavidD said:

I'm not trying to be antagonistic here, but perhaps I should clarify:

• I found it unlikely they'd add Berzerk, as the 2600 game was no more an Atari title than any of their other licensed ports.  I'd expect a small update of 12 games to contain many things that are more directly Atari.
• While I'd love to get the arcade Berzerk, or a good many other things, I don't really consider a licensed port to represent "50 years of Atari" as it wasn't really an Atari title.  The current Atari company has purchased a good many things, and I don't mind that, but it's still got very little to do with Atari history.

I suppose you could make almost the same case against Miner 2049er, but that started off as an Atari computer title.  Not Atari, but Atari was its home.

Really stretching there, I'd say. If it's on an Atari system, was developed and published by Atari, and today is fully owned by Atari, it's probably an Atari title and fits the theme of the collection just fine...

 

The only reason Atari's many in-house 2600 ports of arcade classics from other firms are never present on Atari compilations is the cost, time, and complexity of re-securing the licenses that Atari Inc. originally negotiated in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I'd venture that virtually nobody but you considers them as not being Atari releases through and through. Heck, quite a few like Pole Position even carried the Atari name in the arcades back in the day and were thought of as Atari arcade coinops by the players of the day.

 

I suspect Berzerk in both the 2600 and 5200 forms is quite likely with a subsequent update and if it doesn't happen, I guarantee it does down the road in subsequent Atari compilations on future gaming platforms. Long shots are the arcade original and the arcade sequel, where I sadly say that your argument carries some validity.

 

As much as I'd love to have the arcade originals here for Berzerk and Frenzy, their only connection to Atari is their recent acquisition by Atari SA and the connection that Berzerk has from Atari's in-house home ports back in the day. So I suppose they go against the theme, but then we have the matter of how do these deserving golden oldies see the light of day again when a standalone Stern collection seems unlikely?

 

Perhaps instead of closing the door to them in Atari 50, include them and get an interesting interview for Atari 50's timeline if possible with the programmers that did the 2600 and 5200 ports. Justify the inclusion of the arcade originals as being the inspiration and the game that these guys were tasked with recreating on the vastly weaker 2600 and 5200 hardware (Dan Hitchens did the 2600 and Carlos Smith & Mike Horowitz of GCC did the 5200 conversion).

Edited December 7, 2023 by Atariboy