Atari 50th: Wider World of Atari DLC (Review)

[Slider271]

Grabbed this on Switch last night and although the content is great, it marked it as 100% explored before I’d even gone into it (and I still haven’t watched/played it all) as you can see in the pic. 
 

Not a major issue as I working my way through all the content in order but would be nice to easily see if there’s anything I’ve missed.  
 

 

[zzip]

32 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

I really hope you’re wrong but you’re probably not.

I hope I'm wrong about it too 

 

33 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

I had great hopes when the merger went through that someone somewhere would dig up the Lost Treasures of Infocom on iOS along with the Activision Anthology collection and simply recompile them for 64-bit so they will run on modern iOS and iPad OS devices. They were absolutely PERFECT collections, especially the Infocom set. 3D high-res models of the boxes and feelies you could rotate, zoom in and out from all angles, etc, “Invisiclues” you could selectively unhide and then cover up again for later replays … just great stuff all around. And they just need to be recompiled and re-released. They would fit perfectly into a “Wider World” type collection of archived retro games. 

That would be cool too, although I'm not sure Infocom is a good match for what Atari is doing.   These compilations run on consoles where text input isn't super convenient..    Although I've wondered how Infocom games would play with voice recognition... 

[+DrVenkman]

15 minutes ago, zzip said:

I hope I'm wrong about it too 

 

That would be cool too, although I'm not sure Infocom is a good match for what Atari is doing.   These compilations run on consoles where text input isn't super convenient..    Although I've wondered how Infocom games would play with voice recognition... 

I know XBox can support keyboard input if the game allows for it. I’m sure in principle Sony consoles can as well. I don’t know about the Switch. But in any case, for A8 games history, it’s hard to just ignore Infocom stuff or consider it insignificant. If Atari COULD make a deal with MS for Activision content, I desperately hope the Infocom IP would be included. 

 

***
Anyway, now apparently availed on Steam for $7.99. Just purchased. 

[zzip]

Just now, DrVenkman said:

I know XBox can support keyboard input if the game allows for it. I’m sure in principle Sony consoles can as well. I don’t know about the Switch.

Yeah you can plug a keyboard into PS4/5 and use it, but I think most people stick with the on-screen keyboard which would be super annoying for this type of game

 

2 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

But in any case, for A8 games history, it’s hard to just ignore Infocom stuff or consider it insignificant. If Atari COULD make a deal with MS for Activision content, I desperately hope the Infocom IP would be included. 

Most of Atari's acquisitions seem to be acquiring games for their consoles and the computers have taken a back seat.   I thought the Accolade/Microprose acquisition would give them a bunch of Atari ST games to release, but looking at the IP list they recently published, there weren't all that many ST titles added (maybe about a dozen?  barely enough for an ST collection)

[Mockduck]

Outside of the new Stern stuff this is basically bringing more parity to 50th compared to the other Atari collections of the past decade or so, brings more of the Vault 2 stuff to 50th. 

[Giles N]

 

Well, checked it out right now.

 

Mini review:

 

This is way too much 2600/1977-1983 period for my taste. 
I don’t understand at all why Adventure 2 for the 5200/Atari 8-Bit isn’t there. What a miss! 
 

What made proffessional critics and users alike praise the 50th Anniversary, was that it actually went over all the time-line and did include games from

the lesser known, but much more powerful ‘later’ consoles (ie., not-the-2600), which is why I’m kinda mildly astounded this DLC have nothing beyond (super-early) arcades and the, 2600, except for …Berzerk and Avalanche 5200. 
 

‘Negative, negative - just impacted on the surface’.

 

I mean, some of Ataris self-canonization that must be behind some of this, just works to further build self-limitations thats absolutely unnecessary.

 

Some of the games here are just not ‘gems’ - hidden or open -

by any standard what-so-ever. 
I wonder if they really thought through the issues of title-selection on any other perspective than what will placate a 2600-Omnivore.

 

This DLC is already dated: I’ve had it for 1 hour.

 

Sorry, but why do you at Atari spoil your best oppotunities to come through to wider, broader potential audiences like this? This is grey where it ougth to be silver or gold, its lukewarm and dull where it ought to sparkle and shine.

 

Its so narrow I can’t believe it, sorry. 
 

If anything, this shows why its so important to keep and collect original hardware and cartridges.

 

Highlights are Berzerk, Frenzy and Red Baron.

 
All of these are kinda expected, but some of the other titles are so obscure and/or not-fun-to-play at all it leaves me wondering who picked them and why…
Is it solely meant to indulge eat-anything-2600 folks.

 

Not 1 (!!), single, Lynx or Jaguar or 7800 or Atari ST game. 
 

Its like they say, if its not really about the 2600, the 2600 or the famous 2600, or a few arcades prior to 1983 at the latest, its not really Atari.
 

And then, even the selection of 2600 games, man, some of these suck by any standard. Why the heck are they here in a Celebration (<—) of Atari…?

 

My most-favourable verdict (putting in a deliberately chosen biased goodwill given to the hopes that there is a longterm strategy that makes sense of this):

 

6/10

   - DLC particulary made mostly for the longterm, always-loyal Atari-anything or 2600-anything diehard fans.

 

  

  

Edited Thursday at 05:05 PM by Giles N

[zzip]

10 minutes ago, Giles N said:

I don’t understand at all why Adventure 2 for the 5200/Atari 8-Bit isn’t there. What a miss! 

I don't understand why there's a screenshot of Adventure 2 on the Atari VCS box, but it's never been released on that console in any form. 

 

13 minutes ago, Giles N said:

Not 1 (!!), single, Lynx or Jaguar or 7800 Atari ST game. 

Atari has said they wanted to do something with Atari ST since it was passed over in Atari 50 completely.   They didn't own many ST games at the time, but have since acquired a few through Accolade/Microprose.   Would have been nice to throw a few in there (Hardball?)

 

23 minutes ago, Giles N said:

Some the games here are just not ‘gems’ - hidden or open -

by any standard what-so-ever. 

A lot of it is the obscure stuff they padded out previous collections with.   It's not stuff people are going to want to buy this DLC for.    But I do think Berzerk and Frenzy alone are worth the price admission here so I'll buy it for that and ignore the rest.

[Giles N]

7 minutes ago, zzip said:

Berzerk and Frenzy alone are worth the price admission

Its not about the money/price: they bury the reputation of their best collection in dross. Its the crappy fillers that annoy me just as much as the absence of rigorous quality control for every selected title. 
 

———

 

What confuses you @jeremiahjt?
 

 

Edited Thursday at 04:54 PM by Giles N

[Giles N]

14 minutes ago, zzip said:

They didn't own many ST games at the time, but have since acquired a few through Accolade/Microprose.   Would have been nice to throw a few in there (Hardball?)

Yes, where is any of that…? 
 

I’d rather pay $15 for a DLC, and have  fun games in it, rather than $9 and 1/3 almost (to me) unplayable…

[+jeremiahjt]

1 hour ago, Giles N said:

Its not about the money/price: they bury the reputation of their best collection in dross. Its the crappy fillers that annoy me just as much as the absence of rigorous quality control for every selected title. 
 

———

 

What confuses you @jeremiahjt?
 

 

What you said in your post. You do realize that plenty of people like the 1977 to 1983 and before era? Just because you dislike something, does not mean everybody else has to dislike it too. You seem to struggle with opinion and fact. You said multiple times that games you do not like are bad by any standard. That is patently false. Stop trying to be the arbiter of quality for everybody. I do not need, or want, you to tell me what is fun.

 

I am quite happy to see those earlier arcade games get the limelight for really the first time. Atari 50 is a much bigger deal than any previous compilation. Sky Diver is quite fun, as are plenty of the other games you try to dismiss.

[Mockduck]

I would be all for additional computer era inclusion, but it probably comes down to economics as to why it doesn't get as big a focus by Atari. That said they actually have been over the past year or so with the Atari 400 all in one, release of Caverns of Mars in 50th and now physical 2600 cart, that kind of thing. I just don't think the money's there to be able to justify the work.

[+bent_pin]

 

Anyone with steam know the difference between these two packages?

[zzip]

6 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

I am quite happy to see those earlier arcade games get the limelight for really the first time.

First time?   I've had all of them in earlier collections 

[Giles N]

23 minutes ago, jeremiahjt said:

plenty of people like the 1977 to 1983 and before era?

But it hardly amounts to fifty years, eh…?

 

Isn’t that the standard which the title of the compilation sets for itself?

Edited Thursday at 07:12 PM by Giles N

[+jeremiahjt]

24 minutes ago, zzip said:

First time?   I've had all of them in earlier collections 

Sure, but not any previous collection has been as well regarded as Atari 50. Atari 50 is a bigger deal than any of the Atari Flashback Classics and any of the Atari Vaults.

 

The amount of positive press Atari 50 gets is far more than anything previous.

[Razzie.P]

15 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

 

Anyone with steam know the difference between these two packages?

From what I'm seeing on forums, seems to be that the 7.99 is DLC 1 (out today) and the bundle includes DLC 2 (out later this year).... but I'm not seeing anything definitive in the Steam listing to confirm that.  

[+jeremiahjt]

1 minute ago, Giles N said:

But it hardly amounts to fifty years, eh…?

 

Isn’t that the standard which the title of the compilation sets for itself?

That is not really how that works. Just because you have an anniversary celebration of x years, it does not mean you have celebrate every single year that makes up the x amount of years.

 

If you want more later stuff, great, so do I.  But I am not going to trash stuff because it is not from the period I want most. My dream dlc would be a big Battlezone based dlc. With the original arcade, the Bradley Trainer version, the 2600 port, the Atari XEGS port, two games of Battlezone 2000 (one for the regular game and one for the 2000 mode so you do not have to worry about the code), and some interviews about the game. Oh, and coinciding with an announcement that Atari bought the franchise back. Most of that stuff would fall into the period that you do not like. So this dlc is not my most wanted, but I am still excited for it.

[vinniet]

On 9/25/2024 at 11:07 AM, smog-097 said:

How much does the DLC cost if you have the original release?

It cost $8.99 on Steam and Switch, those I know.  In fact Switch is letting buy both DLC (send one is out 11/8) for $13.99 which is better deal.  Just not sure how good the 2nd will be but I am all in with Atari. 

[Giles N]

1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said:

That is not really how that works.

 

1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said:

not any previous collection has been as well regarded as Atari 50. Atari 50 is a bigger deal than any of the Atari Flashback Classics

…this is why Atari shouldn’t squander the possibilities given within the time-window that makes the title ‘50th Anniversary’ relevant.

 

No, its not proportional as a standard of year for year, but it ought to cover the 5 decades, not just the first 5 or ten… years. Moreover, critics were happy to see Jaguar and Lynx (finally) getting into the picture.

 

1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said:

But I am not going to trash stuff because it is not from the period I want most.

I did recommend Berzerk, Frenzy and Red Baron. 
I’m not (of course) against good games from the period inwhich they were made; I do, however, find it very, very hard to believe if someone claims ‘I’d rather be stuck on a remote island with only … Stellar Track to play rather than Iron Soldier for the Jaguar or Checkered Flag for the Lynx’. 
Hey perhaps that attitude is just me and my projected tastes for games…?

 

1 hour ago, jeremiahjt said:

If you want more later stuff, great, so do I. 

And in this we agree. And its also the core of what I’m saying.  In addition I’ll add the need for being much more selective in which titles to necessarily just bring along on a Celebration-compilation. 
Critics, and I agree here, not all & every of the Atari games have held up equally well, aged with similar grace.

In addition, I don’t know how its possible to claim Stellar Track a top game or important game.

 

I’ve never complained about the classics like Asteroids, Missile Command (etc) or pure-quality games like Radar Lock and Solaris (etc).

 

I don’t see how all the games in this DLC of the previous one lives up to even the above standard nor that any of them gives some proportionality to the 50 years.

 

If they did, each ought to have included at least 2 games from 7800-generation to the Jag.-generation. 
I mean simply; have included one or more games not being 2600, 5200 or super early Arcade.

I feel justified in claiming they have put that standard in there themselves, by the title given to the compilation.

 

—

 

Anyway, nothing of what I write here is about ‘don’t buy, don’t waste money’
 

Its about Atari to take notes; the criticism I just fire from my hip right here, may be what prevents younger gamers to just naturally go and research everything-Atari.

If you secure quality, you don’t need to clear ground, clean up with shallow Ads or ‘explain why its fun’. It’ll be fun because its quality, and the natural gamer will feel or pick up on that quality somehow.

 

Edited Thursday at 08:45 PM by Giles N

[+bent_pin]

Yeah, I get paid tomorrow, so I'll probably buy both. What's $22 to support Atari and keep the dream alive? Especially considering that I got A50 for less than $5 on sale.

[TopDrawer]

Just played a bit of the Arcade version of Berzerk. Pretty fun so far!

[+wongojack]

5 hours ago, Flyindrew said:

While Im cool with the content with teh DLC, I would have liked to have seen a brand new game included. Something similar to what Atari did with the original Atari 50 with games like Neo Breakout, Haunted House, Vctr Sector and Yars.

 

5 hours ago, Mockduck said:

Outside of the new Stern stuff this is basically bringing more parity to 50th compared to the other Atari collections of the past decade or so, brings more of the Vault 2 stuff to 50th. 

I agree with these posts.  The selection of games is mostly a disappointment because there are no unique games, and the games that are here have mostly been included in other collections already released for modern systems.  At least half the games featured in @Metal Jesus's vid are on some other collection.

 

What are the achievements for the DLC?  If I am going to play these on a modern system, I prefer the Flashback collections because they created unique achievements/trophies for the games that make for a new challenge.  Atari 50 only had achievements for the new games and the more recent games never before released on a collection (Jag/Lynx).  It's great to have access to the games, but for someone who has pretty much already played or heard about everything Atari has touched, I want a new challenge or a new mini-game.  At minimum, I want a game that I haven't already purchased for the same platform.

[+bent_pin]

2 hours ago, Razzie.P said:

From what I'm seeing on forums, seems to be that the 7.99 is DLC 1 (out today) and the bundle includes DLC 2 (out later this year).... but I'm not seeing anything definitive in the Steam listing to confirm that.  

Steam wouldn't let me buy both. Wehn I added one, no issue, when I added the 2nd it said already in cart for both and refused to let me continue to payment. So I took a shot and bought the one for $7.99. It came with the games and the video content.

[Orionsangel]

How do you release a game in this condition? The port of Berzerk on Atari 5200 is atrocious. It’s like Atari didn’t even care. I don’t think anyone from my generation is working on this Atari 50 anniversary collection. They weren’t there when these games launched and they have no idea what these classic games looked or sounded like back in the day. So they just assumed that Berzerk sounded that bad on Atari 5200. It feels like a, whatever attitude here. It’s insulting considering the love and care they present here about the history of Atari. Preserving the games in a proper manner would go a long way.

 

 

 

[MrMaddog]

1 hour ago, wongojack said:

 

I agree with these posts.  The selection of games is mostly a disappointment because there are no unique games, and the games that are here have mostly been included in other collections already released for modern systems.  At least half the games featured in @Metal Jesus's vid are on some other collection.

 

What are the achievements for the DLC?  If I am going to play these on a modern system, I prefer the Flashback collections because they created unique achievements/trophies for the games that make for a new challenge.  Atari 50 only had achievements for the new games and the more recent games never before released on a collection (Jag/Lynx).  It's great to have access to the games, but for someone who has pretty much already played or heard about everything Atari has touched, I want a new challenge or a new mini-game.  At minimum, I want a game that I haven't already purchased for the same platform.

 

They have most of the games from Flashback Classics Vol. 3 (also the delisted Atari Vault DLC) like the arcade, 2600 homebrews & prototypes...but still missing the 5200 titles:

 

Spoiler

Asteroids

Centipede

Countermeasure

Final Legacy

Micro-gammon

Miniature Golf

Missile Command

Realsports Baseball

Realsports Basketball

Realsports Football

Realsports Tennis

Realsports Volleyball

Super Breakout

Xari Arena

 

The M-Network games will be in the next DLC so that's taken care of...

 

But for only for $8 I'm not complaining, especially I'm more interested in the new information than the games.