Defender is too easy. How's Stargate?

[Gabriel]

Tonight I sat down with Defender on Hard difficulty and, on a lark, decided to run it up to a million points. I love 5200 Defender, but its laughably easy.

 

Is the Stargate proto to the same level of completeness as Super Pac Man or Millipede? Is the difficulty pumped up a bit compared to Defender?

 

I've read that the Stargate proto has massive slowdown problems. Is it really bad?

 

I'd check this out in an emulator, but a 5200 emulator just doesn't give me an accurate idea of what the game plays like on real hardware. Most games don't control right. And slowdown tends to look much worse than it actually would be on a real console.

[sku_u]

If you find Defender for the 5200 laughably easy, I suggest you enter your scores into the Twin Galaxies world record archives.

[Gabriel]

I've thought about it.

 

On an actual Defender arcade cabinet, I'd be having a brilliant game if I got 10,000 points. On the PS1 emulated version, my best score is 35,000 or so. So, on the real game, I'm not even a marginal player, much less a decent or good one.

 

But when I play the Atari 2600 or 5200 versions, I can do no wrong. The only reason I die off is because of getting bored with the game. And I know this isn't just me. The Atari Defender carts are just way too easy.

 

2600 Stargate was another matter. It would kick my butt soundly. I wish I still had a copy.

 

A big part of the ease of Defender is how quickly you accumulate extra ships. For the home version of Defender, 10K is too low of a point threshold. Having extra ships awarded every 25K or even higher would be much better.

[sku_u]

Sure, the 2600 version is easy when playing one of the easier variations, but the 5200 version is difficult and doesn't look like the 2600 version, or play like it.

[NE146]

I've thought about it.

 

On an actual Defender arcade cabinet, I'd be having a brilliant game if I got 10,000 points.  On the PS1 emulated version, my best score is 35,000 or so.  So, on the real game, I'm not even a marginal player, much less a decent or good one.

 

But when I play the Atari 2600 or 5200 versions, I can do no wrong.  The only reason I die off is because of getting bored with the game.  And I know this isn't just me.  The Atari Defender carts are just way too easy.

 

I find it interesting that you have such an easy time at it at the highest difficulty. I average 10-50k on off days at arcade Defender (which is far from great), and while I find the 5200 version definitely easier.. it's far from super easy. I'll tell you what gets me.. is the flicker! Sometimes when there's a lot of objects on the screen.. it gets hard to discern shots and enemies thus causing me to collide with them.

 

Yeah it's obviously easier than the arcade, but all in all I think it's the best of the Defender ports on the classic consoles.

[+Cafeman]

Coin-op Defender has higher resolution and thus it's easier to miss enemies with your shots. I find the thicker laser blast on 5200 Defender to hit enemies a little easier.

 

Plus, the AI on coin-op Defender is merciless. Shots from landers seem to home in on your ship instantly and baiters are really dangerous around mutants since you can't move fast. 5200's controls are far easier to grasp than the arcade version's multiple buttons and joystick.

 

But personally I find challenge in Hard mode of 5200 Defender. Actually I find coin-op Defender (emulated on consoles of course) to be too hard, I never get to wave 5 anymore.

 

Funny, I never noticed the flicker back in the day. Now, that and the frame rate chug is quickly evident.

[Gabriel]

Ah well, it seems my only option is to try to find the CD where I burned VSS, download Stargate, and see what it runs like.

 

No one has played the Stargate proto on a real 5200?

 

Anyway, does anyone know at what point Defender rolls over? I know for a fact that it can handle 7 digits.

 

Also, what kind of controllers do you use to play? I use the good ol' stock 5200 sticks (well, the ones I have now have gold flex circuits and contacts).

 

Tonight I did a practice run on Normal difficulty. I decided to max out the level counter.

 

For those who don't know, waves 87, 88, and 89 are waves full of nothing but pods and bombers. The Wave counter maxes out at wave 99, and every wave cleared from then on gives you a new planet.

 

"Normal" maxes out at the same difficulty as "Hard", but takes longer to get there. By wave 30 or 40 I couldn't tell any difference anymore.

 

My score tonight was 2,017,900. I didn't bother counting how many extra men I had left when I gave up, but there were enough that I almost cleared a level without even playing the game anymore.

[Charlie_]

Thats crazy. I suck at defender. On easy.

 

I've played stargate before but its been a while. I'll give it another try tonight. I seem to remember some collision detection not being complete....

 

Charlie

[tyranthraxus]

Same here I find Defender too hard. The game succeeds in distracting me

and a I can't really concentrate on the enemies shooting at me. Also

since the game is pretty bland to look at I've never been too attracted to

it.

 

I've been playing it again on the PS2 Midway collection and finding that

version to be even harder! And Stargate is more frustrating.

[bargora]

I've played Stargate on an actual 5200, but it was from a multi-cart. Not that that should make any difference. Anyway, the slowdown was bad enough that I decided not to play a second game of it. My massive suckitude at Defender/Stargate and my ownership of the Playstation emulation of Stargate were also factors, however.

 

I'd say it's a cool curiosity, but not a very playable game.