RTFM Games - Games that you realise are actually fun after you take the time to, you know, RTFM

[+Intellivision Master]

2 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

The Alpha name was spotted on the box for the new dark coloured joypad. Then Evercade added this to their site.

 

Alpha : Evercade

 

All we know right now is that it is compatible with the standard VS/VS-R joypad controller. Everything else is speculation. I hope it isn't a hardware upgrade as I feel that the console is currently powerful enough for the kind of games they sell. I don't want it too turn into a 3D era emulation box, no thanks. I don't mind it having the odd early 3D title, like Glover for example, but I think it's focus would be better kept on old 2D arcade and computer/console games and modern indie 2D retro games. Let's see.

I know this is off topic for the thread.  But what about Omega?  Lol.  The Alpha is coming now we need the Omega.  Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what the Alpha is?

[Sean_1970]

3 hours ago, MrChickenz said:

I had my eye on Radar Lock for a while because of reviews. I have on my list, but my list is forever changing and growing!

I am curious about this one.

I can confirm that reading the manual does help playing Radar Lock, however it’s not a great manual so there’s still a bit of futzing about, but it at least gives you sufficient direction for guided futzing 👍. I definitely enjoyed it more and actually played a full game for the first time. I should note “full game” means I lost all my lives, not that I completed all five missions 😅!

 

The main advantage of playing this on Evercade is no need for a second controller as the functions of joystick 2 (yes, it’s one of _those_ games) are mapped to the face and shoulder buttons. Connecting a second gamepad will allow you to play two-player normally however, where the second player controls weapon systems.

[Sean_1970]

1 hour ago, Intellivision Master said:

I know this is off topic for the thread.  But what about Omega?  Lol.  The Alpha is coming now we need the Omega.  Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what the Alpha is?

Depending on whether or not Alpha tanks Blaze Entertainment it could also be “the Omega” 😉

[JetmanUK]

1 hour ago, Intellivision Master said:

I know this is off topic for the thread.  But what about Omega?  Lol.  The Alpha is coming now we need the Omega.  Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what the Alpha is?

Here he is:

 

 

Are you an Evercade collector Intelli?

Edited May 3 by JetmanUK

[+Intellivision Master]

4 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

Are you an Evercade collector Intelli?

Not really.  I do have a few carts though & I have the VS but don't play it much.  I'm waiting for better collections and hardware to come out.

[JetmanUK]

11 minutes ago, Intellivision Master said:

Not really.  I do have a few carts though & I have the VS but don't play it much.  I'm waiting for better collections and hardware to come out.

The Thalamus Collection looks pretty good.

I am hoping for a Spectrum collection and if they can get MS to play ball, an Activision one, a Doom one and an Ultimate Play The Game one. All unlikely I feel as the Evercade is just too small of a platform. 

[MrChickenz]

I might add Fight Night for the 7800 is a RTFM game! It's a simple boxing game.  If you try playing without reading you'll think it's a crap game. There is some skill to it and a lot of fun!

[JetmanUK]

36 minutes ago, MrChickenz said:

I might add Fight Night for the 7800 is a RTFM game! It's a simple boxing game.  If you try playing without reading you'll think it's a crap game. There is some skill to it and a lot of fun!

I've not seen this one, my knowledge of 7800 games is so so. Share some pics!

[MrChickenz]

9 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

I've not seen this one, my knowledge of 7800 games is so so. Share some pics!

Fight Night! 7800

 

You just have to last 3 rounds a minute a round. If you can.

 

 

Edited May 3 by MrChickenz

[JetmanUK]

I know this is way off topic, but as I referred to the picture quality of my modded light sixer earlier I thought I'd share. 

 

Two photos, taken seconds apart on the same TV. PAL Atari Golf loaded up and ready on both, I just switched inputs and snapped two pics.

 

I am running the latest experimental firmware with the debug info showing so it's easy to tell which is which. 

 

Which do you prefer? The Plus's pure HDMI, or my light sixer's S-Video to Retrotink 2x scale to HDMI?

 

[MrChickenz]

5 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

Which do you prefer? The Plus's pure HDMI, or my light sixer's S-Video to Retrotink 2x scale to HDMI?

Hard to say my first choice was the light sixer because the blue is bit darker allowing the score to show better. But the wood on the trees adds more color to the screen on the 2600+. So I have to say the 2600+. Both look good though.

[Sean_1970]

They both look pretty good. The S-Video up-scaling, surprisingly so.

[JetmanUK]

28 minutes ago, MrChickenz said:

Fight Night! 7800

 

You just have to last 3 rounds a minute a round. If you can.

 

 

Looks fun. 

I will have to install a 7800 emulator on my laptop to try it out. 🤟🏻

[MrChickenz]

5 minutes ago, JetmanUK said:

Looks fun. 

I will have to install a 7800 emulator on my laptop to try it out. 🤟🏻

A7800 - the Atari 7800 Emulator
 

Just search this thread it’s the best

[JetmanUK]

17 minutes ago, MrChickenz said:

Hard to say my first choice was the light sixer because the blue is bit darker allowing the score to show better. But the wood on the trees adds more color to the screen on the 2600+. So I have to say the 2600+. Both look good though.

Yeah I had noticed that the tree appears more brown on the Sixer and reddish brown on the Plus. The Plus tree colour definitely stands out more, but is less realistic, so it's down to preference, on the this aspect I'm not sure which I prefer. Perhaps this is the palette that has been implemented in Stella, or perhaps the Retrotink is doing something to the colours of the OG hardware, or perhaps it's a true output of the OG, not sure.

 

I need to try other games to compare the colours... Perhaps River Raid will be next. If people are interested I can upload more. 

 

In general on Golf I'd say I prefer the colours of the Sixer, and I like that analogue dark line around the edge of the course. I think nostalgia is telling my brain that that is how the games looked back in the day, hence the preference. However we all know it wouldn't have looked as clean. 

[NicodemusLegend]

3 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

I know this is way off topic, but as I referred to the picture quality of my modded light sixer earlier I thought I'd share. 

 

Two photos, taken seconds apart on the same TV. PAL Atari Golf loaded up and ready on both, I just switched inputs and snapped two pics.

 

I am running the latest experimental firmware with the debug info showing so it's easy to tell which is which. 

 

Which do you prefer? The Plus's pure HDMI, or my light sixer's S-Video to Retrotink 2x scale to HDMI?

 

Speaking only for myself, the 2600+, and it's not even close.

[Video]

7 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

I know this is way off topic, but as I referred to the picture quality of my modded light sixer earlier I thought I'd share. 

 

Two photos, taken seconds apart on the same TV. PAL Atari Golf loaded up and ready on both, I just switched inputs and snapped two pics.

 

I am running the latest experimental firmware with the debug info showing so it's easy to tell which is which. 

 

Which do you prefer? The Plus's pure HDMI, or my light sixer's S-Video to Retrotink 2x scale to HDMI?

 

I'm a bit torn on this one, the first pic is crisper colors and less bleeding, but the second pic looks more properly upscaled (the score limes being the same spacing and size)

 

Both are perfectly acceptable images, but the second image looks closer to actual hardware on an old-school CRT tv.

[+LS650]

8 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

Which do you prefer? The Plus's pure HDMI, or my light sixer's S-Video to Retrotink 2x scale to HDMI?

The Plus by a country mile.

[MrChickenz]

On 4/29/2024 at 3:37 PM, shane857 said:

The first level is just a tutorial. Levels after that are tough. You can't see a fcukn thing unless you use a match and the random flashes of lightning! 😂

I made it out alive on level 3 with 4 lives left! Left difficulty set to B.

 

Is it me or is my screen glowing! That’s eerie!

 

 

[shane857]

22 hours ago, JetmanUK said:

I know this is way off topic, but as I referred to the picture quality of my modded light sixer earlier I thought I'd share. 

 

Two photos, taken seconds apart on the same TV. PAL Atari Golf loaded up and ready on both, I just switched inputs and snapped two pics.

 

I am running the latest experimental firmware with the debug info showing so it's easy to tell which is which. 

 

Which do you prefer? The Plus's pure HDMI, or my light sixer's S-Video to Retrotink 2x scale to HDMI?

 

My personal opinion... the original hardware through the retrotink. Atari 2600 games on the 2600+ look a little...too crisp. That's why I use my original sixer through a retrotink as you have done to play 2600 games, and I use the 2600+ for 7800 games and 2600 games that will not work on original hardware. All down to personal preference I guess

[MrChickenz]

Little off topic and I’ll stop here. 
 

Once you get the hang of this game it’s really fun! Definitely RTFM!

Level 4 with 8 lives left! Left difficulty set to B. Only used 10 matches.

 

 

[TampaBay]

On 5/1/2024 at 4:03 PM, JetmanUK said:

Today's RTFM Game. 

 

Golf

 

This is a little different. You don't need to read the, ahem FLIMSY manual due to complexity of game modes or controls, but actually to learn how to position your Golfer in relation to the ball.

 

When I've tried this game previously I've wanted to destroy my screen. However, when you have the manual at hand, which I have played with it in front of me for reference, then it's fun. I bet two player would be hilarious. 

 

Heres the key part of the manual, excuse my holy copy.  Incidentally it doesn't actually show how you play the ball directly up or down l, but you can figure that out like I did. 😋

Top tip  - You can step away from ball for a practice swing and not incur a penalty. 

 

Here's a screenshot for those who haven't seen the game. (This is me practicing, on my light sixer with S-Video mod through a Retrotink to HDMI. Super impressive picture quality eh?).

 

Try it out, but with the FLIMSY manual for reference. 🤟🏻

 

After playing for a bit, I figured out a quick way to know where to stand so you don't have to look at the manual.

 

If the quadrants you can stand in are numbered, for example, like this, sequentially clockwise:

 

 

1   |   2

---------

4    |   3

 

...then just stand in the quadrant one number lower than where you want the ball to travel.   So if you want the ball to travel toward quadrant 4, stand in 3.  If you want the ball to travel toward quadrant 2, stand in 1, etc.

 

 

 

 

[JetmanUK]

3 minutes ago, TampaBay said:

 

After playing for a bit, I figured out a quick way to know where to stand so you don't have to look at the manual.

 

If the quadrants you can stand in are numbered, for example, like this, sequentially clockwise:

 

 

1   |   2

---------

4    |   3

 

...then just stand in the quadrant one number lower than where you want the ball to travel.   So if you want the ball to travel toward quadrant 4, stand in 3.  If you want the ball to travel toward quadrant 2, stand in 1, etc.

 

 

 

 

Thank you, I will try this! 

Maybe we don't need to RTFM, we just need your tips. Perhaps this could be an ongoing series? 🤣

[TampaBay]

1 minute ago, JetmanUK said:

Thank you, I will try this! 

Maybe we don't need to RTFM, we just need your tips. Perhaps this could be an ongoing series? 🤣

 

Ha, if only they were all that easy!  It took me ages to figure out how to successfully play Quadrun.  Have you ever tried that one?  After you fire your own bullet, even if you hit and successfully destroy the target enemy, you have to get across the screen to catch that same bullet, or you lose a life.  Preposterous.  And in between doing that you're trying to capture these other weird entities floating around.  That game is challenging!

[JetmanUK]

4 minutes ago, TampaBay said:

 

Ha, if only they were all that easy!  It took me ages to figure out how to successfully play Quadrun.  Have you ever tried that one?  After you fire your own bullet, even if you hit and successfully destroy the target enemy, you have to get across the screen to catch that same bullet, or you lose a life.  Preposterous.  And in between doing that you're trying to capture these other weird entities floating around.  That game is challenging!

Haha, this is funny that you mentioned Quadrun, I've made a short list of other RTFM games and yeah, it's on it.

 

A difficult game even after RTFM! It also features some nice speech.