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

[+bent_pin]

12 minutes ago, MrMaddog said:

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

Exactly

[+wongojack]

32 minutes ago, MrMaddog said:

 

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:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

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.

 

 

19 minutes ago, bent_pin said:

Exactly

I know I'm in the minority here, but I honestly wasn't that impressed with the surrounding content in Atari 50.  Maybe I've been around too long, but everything actually on the timeline was something I already knew or was barely a revelation.  Clicking down and getting to interviews was cool, but I don't really enjoy the interface to get to them.  I'd almost prefer just a straight DVD style menu.  The brand new games and the never before released content for Jaguar and Lynx really sold the collection for me.  No accounting for taste, I guess.

[Atariboy]

After an hour of checking out some of the additions and mostly enjoying myself, I can report that Super Bug doesn't control like Sprint 8 is setup to on Atari 50. As a result it's not very playable so I'll be sticking with the Code Mystics collection for that one and Fire Truck. I don't understand why it's not at least an option when the configuration is already implemented for at least one of the overhead racers on the collection (maybe two since I forget if Indy 500 for the 2600 has the wheel setup along the lines of Sprint 8 or Super Bug/Fire Truck). Thankfully the Code Mystics collections have it covered, but I'd of liked the option to enjoy Super Bug when I have Atari 50 up and running.

 

And like at least one other person here has reported, the timeline went to 100% completion the moment that I first opened it. A minor quibble, but it's still annoying even though I don't think that I'll have any problem remembering what I've looked or not looked at.

 

And for a possible final issue, Super Bug's yellow car overlay is to the best of my knowledge incorrect. It's a yellow circle in the several cabinets that I've been able to play on, it's a circle on the Code Mystics collections, and it's even a circle in one of the pictures of the cabinet on the original advertisement flyer in the timeline gallery for the DLC. Yet here it's presented like it's a children's drawing of the sun. Is that original to some Super Bug cabinets?

 

Edit: I forgot another minor annoyance. Why is the d-pad locked out by default for Berzerk (arcade and 5200) and Frenzy? While it's easily rectified in the controller mapping screen for each game, I don't recall Atari 50 ever forcing me to pick one over the other before for anything else. I highly recommend switching these over to the d-pad.

 

To counterbalance all my small complaints, at least Red Baron retains the high score now and the default stick sensitivity feels great. On the older Digital Eclipse collections and on the Code Mystics collections, the high score would erase itself after several seconds when you open the game. A minor bug, but it's annoying for a game all about getting high scores. And no need to desensitize the analog stick on Atari 50 (while fixable in the options, the default setting was absolutely unplayable on Atari Vault/Atari Flashback Classics).

Edited Thursday at 11:55 PM by Atariboy

[Atariboy]

I've not played it in quite sometime and I don't feel like hooking up the 5200 to check, but I suspect something's not right with the 5200 Berzerk port on here. Quite a bit of static at times in the audio.

 

Edit: Someone already has a YouTube video up about the issue.

 

 

 

Edited Friday at 02:41 AM by Atariboy

[moycon]

4 hours ago, bent_pin said:

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.

 

I bought the $13.99 bundle only and when I went to "Install Content" it would just throw an error. I tried a few times. No luck.

I wound up going to the actual Atari 50th page in my library and there was a message "New DLC for Atari 50th has been added to your account and will be installed along with the game. Then there was a 13GB update that I clicked on to initiate. 

I'm assuming when they release the next bit of DLC in November, I'll just have to update again. 

[Hydro Thunder]

On the one hand, of the 19 games 26 of them are Berserk (lol).  What I really mean is most of them are not a value add for me...but honestly I'd pay $5 or maybe $8 for Arcade Berserk alone.  Arcade Frenzy also worth a few bucks.  Off the Wall and Red Baron are worth at least checking out also.  The interviews including our very own Godfather, Al...worth more than $8 to me personally..  Love the way they're doing this whole package.

 

As to M-network coming, well that's excellent BUT... depending on licenses, no Tron / Adventures of Tron etc, no Advanced D&D, no Kool Aid Man, no He-Man, etc.  Nothing against Astroblast, Dark Cavern, or Frogs & Flies, fine games...but just saying the licensed ones really thin out the offering if they're not going to be included (I assume not but have been wrong before).

[Giles N]

3 hours ago, Hydro Thunder said:

On the one hand, of the 19 games 26 of them are Berserk (lol).  What I really mean is most of them are not a value add for me...

I think it was a good move to have a line-up of Berzerk for different systems here: even 2 versions for the 2600, original and enhanced. 

One of the other things critics liked, and something I that also resonates with me, given the collections huge size and timespan, is to have the same title for multiple systems or even versions.

 

Berzerk 2600 Enhanched is kind-of making its own imprint in Atari history right now, as it goes into the introduction/release of both 2600+ and 7800+.

 

Having the Arcade original, 2 versions for the 2600, and one for the 5200, is very much expected, - and for certain titles the stuff I want to see happening. Here at AtariAge these games are very much alive today, and have been our playfield for a long time (long before I found my way here).
 

But the emulation seems to be in need of some fixing; the 5200 sound is really off (unfortunately).

 

My mainconcern is that it becomes too little of a even/proportional expansion of the original concept or project. 
 

In my opinion games like 2600 Video Game Cube should have been replaced with, say Adventure 2 for 5200/Atari 8-bit, - or Awesome Golf for Lynx, and Stellar Track replaced with a Jaguar game. Yes, it could even be Bubsy. They could have a standard Bubsy Jaguar version here, and on some other collection a Bubsy Enhanced edition. Or just go with Iron Soldier, man;  that would be something!
 

Including some more stuff for the 5200/8-Bit than whats there, or provide at least 1 or 2 games for Lynx and Jaguar, would feel much more like a continuation of the full timeline.
 

Another option would be to include another Stern Arcade, to make people familar with the now made Stern-Atari connection. Many of the Stern Arcades looks really cool.

I include here: My Mini-Review Micro-Appendix: Enhanced Perspectives on Atari 50th DLC part 1.

 

Now, its not at all too late for Atari to do something about this, that is, if they don’t stop providing more DLCs, but rather sees to it that a much more even and proportional final line-up will come to happen. DLCs that dares to always move a tiny bit outside the logical immediate comfort-zone of very fameous IP arcades and 2600-games and onwards to the 5200/8-Bit world (I believe over 2000 games made and published for the 8-Bit computers, games that’ll be hard to give a emu-console treatment, but still holds a massive place in digital gaming history) and more 7800 stuff (and how can Atari ignore this in the future, given the upcoming  7800+  ?) more Lynx, more Jaguar - and then tap from the stuff of the AA-era or read AA products and projects back into the classic era (actually what is happening with Berzerk 2600 Enhanced). 
 

Now, the 2 last DLC have gone very much in the direction of hyper focus on 2600 and its Arcade-parents. Fine. Its understandable given the 2600+.

 
But now, please give some attention to the 7800, and also to have the 50th compilation be even and proportional (fair?) to the Lynx and the Jaguar too, and hopefully the Atari computer world - 8-Bit and ST-lines.

 

 

Edited Friday at 09:20 AM by Giles N

[Atariboy]

If you've never sat down and really tried Video Cube, give it a go. It's actually a fun and unique game.

[+Zeptari]

On 9/26/2024 at 12:19 PM, Giles N said:

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

This makes me sad. Maybe a future DLC, more people need to experience the Jaguar and Lynx, and 7800! I love the ST, and would like to see more history added in the Atari 50. 

[Hwlngmad]

3 minutes ago, Zeptari said:

This makes me sad. Maybe a future DLC, more people need to experience the Jaguar and Lynx, and 7800! I love the ST, and would like to see more history added in the Atari 50. 

Based on a video that The Laird's Lair did over Atari's IP holdings, it looks like the group behind THEC64, THEA500 mini, and others (notably THE400 mini) quite possibly might be releasing an ST mini considering that they have gotten the rights from Atari themselves to do something with it.

[Giles N]

3 hours ago, Zeptari said:

This makes me sad. Maybe a future DLC, more people need to experience the Jaguar and Lynx, and 7800! I love the ST, and would like to see more history added in the Atari 50. 

Yes, and as time moves on and just planning, deciding and producing such DLC, takes effort, but again, - time - (6 months? A full year?), understanding what customers from many backgrounds may experience can be very different, like: group a) those who felt dlcs were returns to the level of the mediocre Flashbacks as soon as the core pack is secured/established, - or like a group b) genuin happiness over what really are ‘hidden gems’ to them, - or group c) younger gamers (those who mostly have NES-quality standards as their minimum requirement for feeling in touch with sound and visuals), who saw snippets of 7800, Lynx and Jaguar games, which felt they already were too few and far between on the core pack, but ‘hung around’ to see if more of that would appear on DLCs.

 

As Atari 50th is now 2 years old, Atari shouldn’t want to loose any of the groups of retro-gamers who got it by taking interest at different stages. You want to make these groups even more interested.

 

So, I would believe that its important to try to keep in the back of ones minds the many different generations of buyers and also potential buyers and followers/users of the Atari 50th, - their different starting points in time with what they can perceive as ‘fun video-gaming’, and try to land each DLC at least as much as possible in a direction that has at least one title for each generation, then the rest can foliow a topic or what Atari wants to accentutate that season or year.

Edited Saturday at 12:13 AM by Giles N

[Giles N]

2 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

possibly might be releasing an ST mini considering that they have gotten the rights from Atari themselves to do something with it.

Yeah, Atari did release the 400Mini March/April in Spring, and perhaps they want to ‘re-introduce’ the Atari ST to the retrogaming audiences in Spring ‘25, so as to keep a loose pattern of product releases?

 

In that case I do hope they go a bit broad on inbuilt games and softwares, have save-options for productive software like music/synth programs which can be exported as classical and modern types of soundfiles (formats).

 

I believe that controllers/joysticks and mouse shouldn’t be too controversial to recreate as comfortable.

[+Stephen]

3 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

Based on a video that The Laird's Lair did over Atari's IP holdings,

Laird, Lair - you misspelled that Liar.  Wouldn't believe a single word spoken or printed by said individual.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

7 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Laird, Lair - you misspelled that Liar.  Wouldn't believe a single word spoken or printed by said individual.

😂

[+DrVenkman]

I know some people (such as at least one very prolific poster who posts over and over again sometimes🙄) don't care for this DLC but I love it. Digital Eclipse have done an amazing job with the entire Atari50 collection since the initial release, and any moderately priced DLC should be welcomed with open arms, especially when it includes really rare and unusual games that aren't appreciated much these days in the wider retro community and the younger retro-enthusiasts who don't have personal connections to the original arcade and console releases.

Case in point: I would have paid $5 for RED BARON alone. I loved this stupid game and played it as much as my meager couple dollars/week allowance could afford, seeing as I was also dumping quarters into ASTEROIDS, BATTLE ZONE and CENTIPEDE. 

 

All the marketing flyers, cabinet and cartridge art pictures, timeline info and video clip memoirs are just icing on the cake. I adore this stuff and look forward to even more with the second DLC.

 

EDIT: Hell, I'll pledge $50 right this second for BATTLE ZONE alone if Atari could get the rights back. The worst modern mistake this company ever made was auctioning off such an iconic IP without retaining the rights to market the arcade and 2600 ports.

[Giles N]

6 hours ago, Atariboy said:

If you've never sat down and really tried Video Cube, give it a go. It's actually a fun and unique game.

I cannot deny it may be fun game once you get into it.

 

But I feel Atari needs for their DLCs to hold the perspective to be overarching - 50 years -, and do include 7800, Lynx and Jaguar titles.

 

I’m saying, please, out of a 19 new titles, please let …3 be given to late (3.rd gen.) 8-bit, 16 bit or 64-bit.

Then sure, I’ll just take it for granted the others will be early Arcades and 2600 titles.

 

Is 3 titles out of a total 19, to be included to continue represent the era 1984-1995 too much to demand?

 

Moreover, the 2nd half of this project will already have its setting of period 1977-1983, with 2 Consoles scrapping it out to see who’ll stand. 

How long did console war last? Perhaps a bit beyond ‘83, but still everything centered around this core 2.nd. Gen. Console Clash.

 

That means 2024 DLCs for the Atari 50th already is permeated, soaked in everything from the earliest era.

 

If Atari have more systematic, chronological, release plans on the level ‘’we will hopefully get there, we work to get there’ which involves gettin’ around to Lynx DLC, Jaguar DLC and more perhaps acquired classic IP for arcades and these consoles, sure, its understandable.

 

I think many casual Atari 50th buyers, would just want more game titles to fill in line-up under the Console/system in a manner more reminiscent of the original release presentation advertisements - lots of footage from Jaguar games, 7800 games as well as classics. All that. All of the ages, seen side by side.

Edited Saturday at 12:22 AM by Giles N

[+DrVenkman]

@Giles N - how many times are you going to post in this thread to tell us again and again how much you don't like it?

[Giles N]

7 minutes ago, DrVenkman said:

@Giles N - how many times are you going to post in this thread to tell us again and again how much you don't like it?

It’s much more content and topics and thoughts concerning Atari releases, than me saying ‘howmuch I don’t like it. Which I btw gave an enhanced remark on.’

 

My thoughts are written on the note of answering or commenting the folks I quote, and think more openly from there.

—

Remember Atari owns AA now, and may browse for user-thoughts. 

 

—

Glad you liked the DLC !! 

Edited Saturday at 12:29 AM by Giles N

[DEBRO]

Hi there,

 

Those that have the DLC, let’s try a little exploration or Easter Egg find.

 

In the interviews I mention having my 800XL and printer in college. Can you find them in the video?

[+Cafeman]

56 minutes ago, DEBRO said:

In the interviews I mention having my 800XL and printer in college

 

Well, I haven't downloaded the DLC yet because I haven't turned on my PS4 for a while, but it sounds like you are interviewed Dennis! Now that is a must watch for me!  Congrats! 

[+Sauron]

6 hours ago, Hwlngmad said:

Based on a video that The Laird's Lair did over Atari's IP holdings, it looks like the group behind THEC64, THEA500 mini, and others (notably THE400 mini) quite possibly might be releasing an ST mini considering that they have gotten the rights from Atari themselves to do something with it.

Good Lord, are there still people out there not aware of how much of a liar that cretin is? Go read this thread to clue yourself in:

 

 

 

[Giles N]

11 hours ago, DEBRO said:

Hi there,

 

Those that have the DLC, let’s try a little exploration or Easter Egg find.

 

In the interviews I mention having my 800XL and printer in college. Can you find them in the video?

 

?

[DEBRO]

@Giles N that is the 800XL. Have you found the 1027 printer?

[Giles N]

1 hour ago, DEBRO said:

@Giles N that is the 800XL. Have you found the 1027 printer?

No… I hardly know what to look for, but… no - don’t tell me its the thing in background over your right shoulder…?

 

 

Don’t tell me you still use it.. ?

Edited Saturday at 02:57 PM by Giles N

[Giles N]

Ok, your office/gaming room is literally boobytrapped with old, wierd hardware-boxes, and stoked on winning, I’ll throw in my last 2 suggestions:

 

 

This little game is sort of unnerving for me, as all personal memories concerning hardware paperprinters bitds. was a feeling  they (!) were sort of against me, like personally. Perhaps best explained as if I felt some Evil Otto presence around these…  things  whenever I tried to use them…

 

(none of them Atari printers, pheew 😅)

Edited Saturday at 03:13 PM by Giles N