Mindfield Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 What, no votes for CBS? They may not have been terribly prolific, but their games all had a good deal of polish, and they were all pretty fun. Mountain King and Tunner Runner are probably my faves, but the others are by no means dogs, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Nathan Strum Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 I was going to say Xype, but Andrew beat me to it. Activision was very consistent, because they did maintain a certain quality, and regularly pushed what was possible on the 2600 graphically. Admittedly, I didn't like some of their games, but that was often more to do with personal taste than the games being "bad". Also, historical context is important to keep in mind, since the later game companies had more to build off than Atari did, and Activision's earlier games were certainly impressive when they came out. Apollo was also pretty consistent, but in a Mythicon sort-of way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highinfidelity Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 There is no doubt that Activision made some of the best titles ever for the 2600.But for overall consistency I still say it's Imagic hands down... As a matter of fact, I remember compiling a "top 10" list for a poll on atarinvader.com some time ago. At the beginning, I thought mine was going to be a kind of brochure of Activision titles, but surprisingly few of their games remained in my list in the end. I think that Activision is overrated in our memories since they were the first to add "a new gear" to the 2600 - cool graphics, smooth gameplay, no flicker - so we kind of considered the company a living legend. They were so smart to even develop a "cult" out of their programmers. But today, we're cool minded enough to see that many of their games weren't actually so good. As someone already pointed, my first complaint with their games is that many were just to be "loaded into memory" with practice, practice, practice... Always the same stuff in the same place, the same movements to do with the joystick, learn to synch the "fire" and "up", and so on. That's why - if you ask me (and I know no one did) - games like Pitfall or Keystone Kapers, though nice and technically outstanding, are an ass in regard to amusement. In regard to this, Random Terrain's usual point about ET randomness is well made, IMHO. I don't like the game very much, but at least it's different every time you play it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 When I look for the ASctivision games that I really played over and over, there aren't as many as I'd have suspected. Beamrider, Ice Hockey, Megamania, and River Raid. That's it. They had a lot of games that were impressive for one reason or another, but I never got much enjoyment out of them. I never understood the fondness for Pitfall especially. It's no fun figureing out some obscure network of tunnels just so you can run through the same few screens endlessly before time runs out. You have to give Imagic the crown of being best overall developer in 2600 history. No one turned out such a high percentage of greatness. Atlantis, Cosmic Ark, Demon Attack, Dragonfire, Laser Gates, Moonsweeper, Riddle of the Sphinx, and Solar Storm have all spent a lot of time in the console. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 I gotta say you guys are right on about Activision. Broke a lot of new ground and finally treated developers *right*, but their library does have its limits. Especially Pitfall...(despite the fact I use to have a 25 * pitfall harry animated avatar)...it was great to fool around with when you were a kid, even though you didn't realize how little chance you had of actually beating it...and to really beat it, you had to be really devoted, and I don't think the repetitive mechanic makes that worthwhile. I know this is a 2600 discussion, but early EA (back when they used the initials ECA...man I thought their cube, sphere, pyramid logo was clever) took some cues from their playbook, really bringing their developers front and center, coming out with some GREAT games, and then those cool record-album like boxes...for a long time they were close to "buy it based on the brand alone" territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 ...and to really beat it, you had to be really devoted, and I don't think the repetitive mechanic makes that worthwhile. Then I most have been really "devoted" back then. I borrowed the cart from a friend and didn't give it back until I had finally beaten the game perfectly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highinfidelity Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 Hot damn!!! Then you talk about "borrowing a lawnmover" from the neighbor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 ...and to really beat it, you had to be really devoted, and I don't think the repetitive mechanic makes that worthwhile. Then I most have been really "devoted" back then. I borrowed the cart from a friend and didn't give it back until I had finally beaten the game perfectly. Knowing what I've learned about you here and on [stella], my friend, I'm not 100% surprised... :-) How long did the mastery take? And did you mostly do it left to right or right to left? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 ...and to really beat it, you had to be really devoted, and I don't think the repetitive mechanic makes that worthwhile. Then I most have been really "devoted" back then. I borrowed the cart from a friend and didn't give it back until I had finally beaten the game perfectly. Knowing what I've learned about you here and on [stella], my friend, I'm not 100% surprised... :-) How long did the mastery take? And did you mostly do it left to right or right to left? That kind of playing just doesn't seem like playing. It's like the difference between playing Pac-Man according to patterns or just playing for the fun of it. Pac-Man never should have had patterns you could learn and games like Pitfall should have used controlled randomness to mix things up a bit. Too many people who play games are not game players at all, they're static puzzle solvers. There wouldn't be a problem with that if there didn't seem to be so many puzzle makers making games for that type of person instead of true game designers making games for people who just want to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 Too many people who play games are not game players at all, they're static puzzle solvers. So probably I am really a "static puzzle solver", but still I consider myself as game player. IMO there are different types of games, some require only reflexes, some more or less strategy, some skillful joystick action, some a lot of thinking etc. pp. All those are games. And all those are played. BTW: Left and IIRC I needed about 4 weeks. To bad I lost the Polaroid (Kodak!) I made back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 That's what I hate about Pitfall. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys solving puzzles. I want action. Spending days out of one's life to figure out which tunnels to crawl through feels like work to me, not play. The play mechanic of jumping over one scorpion per screen OVER AND OVER isn't fun for me in the first place. I'd have enjoyed Pitfall more if you simply ran until you died and played for high score. And Pitfall 2 doesn't have a life limit or time limit, so it ends up being nothing more than an endurance contests. How many hours can you stand to walk across identical platforms and ducking condors? I finished the game but it wasn't a fun process and I haven't played it since. In the early 80s, EA was indeed the stamp of quality for PC games. Each new release was like an event. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 Yea, I'm a huge fan of a game that doesn't grow old with the playing, probably why I like a lot of Imagic games so much. Even Riddle of The Sphinx has a mode where everything is randomized. Heck I liked Imagic so much I followed them straight to the intellivision (where they made the best intellivision games, and actually made versions that used the system (unlike activisions pathetic ports,)) That also raises them up a notch as far as consistency goes imho. Although I don't play they at all anymore, pitfall 1 & 2 still have a special place in my heart, though. There is just something about them, especially pitfall 2. Seaquest is my favorite activision title, with Spider Fighter and River Raid and Robot Tank up there also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad2600 Posted August 30, 2004 Share Posted August 30, 2004 For consistentcy, I choose Imagic. In fact, Imagic also did great INTV games. However, their 2600 games are pretty good with the exception of FireFighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gulag picture radio Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 I'm relevied that Data Age isn't on anyone's list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 That's what I hate about Pitfall. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys solving puzzles. I want action. Maybe Pitfall can be described as an action-adventure. First you have to learn how to jump over the crocos, pits etc. Then you start mapping the game and finally you solve the adventure using your maps and skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highinfidelity Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 Well one thing is for sure, fellow: you sure have patience! With no shame, I now officially admit that I quit at the "learn how to jump over the crocos" stage... Gee, how I suck at gaming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highinfidelity Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 Excepting Kaboom!... Excepting Kaboom!... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 Yea, I'm a huge fan of a game that doesn't grow old with the playing, probably why I like a lot of Imagic games so much. Even Riddle of The Sphinx has a mode where everything is randomized. 1Up's "essentail 50" list is turning out really cool but I was upset that their tribute to Adventure, http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133872, missed out on the randomization feature...I think that was realy groundbreaking for a non-text-based game. wow...Adventure is 25 years old. Amazing. Where's your Godzilla avatar from anyway? It's pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 That was always one of my favorite things about adventure. I can't believe they didn't mention it, either. The avatar is modified from C=64 Crush Crumble & Chomp, the first digital appearance of a Godzilla type monster, so I thought it was appropriate. I added the spikes and flame breath on the side view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Thomas Jentzsch. Hands down. The stuff coming out of Epyx was always second to none as well, especially on the Lynx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radio F Software Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 My vote goes out to Mystique/Playaround! *shot* Seriously though, I say Activision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Uhhh... isn't imagic now part of activision? (see activision classics) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 1Up's "essentail 50" list is turning out really cool but I was upset that their tribute to Adventure, http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133872, missed out on the randomization feature...I think that was realy groundbreaking for a non-text-based game. I like the way this article is geared towards what games had an impact, as opposed to what are the best. Very wise choice IMHO... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kisrael Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Thomas Jentzsch. Hands down. Not to be programma-hatin', because Thomas is THE best 2600 programmer I know, and generous with his comments and suggestions to boot, but at least according to the AtariAge search, I'm not sure we have a big enough sample...he's made Thrust in all its brilliant incarnations, Jammed, which is a solid port (with lots of boards) of a non-action puzzle game, and he's listed as collaborating on Star Fire. He's also made a very great series of Hacks to existing games...mosty adding in cool controller support, but 1 or 2 gameplay enhancements to boot. I know it's just that I'm insanely jealous of his skill, but still...I think Thomas is more of a "home town hero" here...and deservedly so. But I'd love to see more and more original games from him, and XYPE in general. I guess technically (for the Subject line), pretty consistent though. (heehee--consistently making new versions of Thrust for a while there ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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