C64 -> Atari 2600 port #02

[www.atarimania.com]

I'm pretty sure Pitstop was a C64 original. Epyx was always more of a C64 house.

Only from 1984 onwards. Pitstop is from 1983.

 

Nebulus and Paradroid originated on the C64.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

[ZylonBane]

Ah, cool. Thanks.

[vdub_bobby]

Is Super Huey UH-IX a C64 original? From release dates I could find, it is. C64 in 85, AppleII, ST, Amiga, 7800, DOS all in 1988.

 

And I am vaguely remembering that The Bard's Tale was an Apple II original, but the info I've found says that the Apple II and C64 versions were released simultaneously. Both in '85, anyway.

 

And Racing Destruction Set was another C64 original.

 

How about Silent Service? Looks like a simultaneous release for C64, A8, Apple II, and DOS.

 

Same with OGRE.

 

Anyone have info on Ace of Aces? I have that on A8 disk. Loved that game when I was 10.

 

EDIT: And if I could get my hands on an SIO cable I'd love it all over again at 28.

 

EDIT II: Is Trailblazer a C64 original?

 

And Roadwar 2000 looks like simultaneous release on C64 and Apple II.

 

And isn't "Dr. Ruth's Computer Game of Good Sex" a C64 exclusive?

 

 

Edited February 3, 2006 by vdub_bobby

[Cybergoth]

Here's some more:

 

Maniac Mansion

Wizball

Uridium

Pirates!

Platoon

Skate or Die

Leaderboard

Last Ninja

The Sentinel

Krackout

[www.atarimania.com]

Is Super Huey UH-IX a C64 original? From release dates I could find, it is.

C64 first, Cosmi was more or less abandoning the A8 at this time. The game appeared on the Atari a year later.

 

C64 in 85, AppleII, ST, Amiga, 7800, DOS all in 1988.

These guys at MobyGames should be shot for never mentioning ANY A8 version

 

And I am vaguely remembering that The Bard's Tale was an Apple II original, but the info I've found says that the Apple II and C64 versions were released simultaneously. Both in '85, anyway.

Correct, Apple.

 

How about Silent Service? Looks like a simultaneous release for C64, A8, Apple II, and DOS.

C64 original.

 

Same with OGRE.

Apple as with most games from Origin Systems at the time.

 

Anyone have info on Ace of Aces?  I have that on A8 disk. Loved that game when I was 10.

C64. Nearly all Accolade games came from the Commodore.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

[www.atarimania.com]

EDIT II: Is Trailblazer a C64 original?

Wasn't this on the C16 first?

 

And Roadwar 2000 looks like simultaneous release on C64 and Apple II.

Most SSI wargames originated on the Apple.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

[Cybergoth]

These guys at MobyGames should be shot for never mentioning ANY A8 version

 

Mobygames operates a bit like a moderated wiki. Everything is contributable there, so you probably want to shoot some lazy A8 users for not entering game info into the database

 

And I am vaguely remembering that The Bard's Tale was an Apple II original, but the info I've found says that the Apple II and C64 versions were released simultaneously. Both in '85, anyway.

Correct, Apple.

 

Bard's Tale 3 abandoned that Applish look on the C64 though, so I'd assume that and Dragon Wars were on the C64 first. Maybe Wasteland as well. I saw Neuromancer first on the Amiga.

 

Same with OGRE.

Apple as with most games from Origin Systems at the time.

 

Only Origin title that may have been a C64 first would be Times of Lore I think.

 

 

Anyone have info on Ace of Aces?  I have that on A8 disk. Loved that game when I was 10.

C64. Nearly all Accolade games came from the Commodore.

 

At first yes. They quickly adopted to MS-DOS though. I think Test Drive came out for C64, Amiga and MS-DOS the same month.

 

BTW: I don't necessarily think that it matters much which version was first. What matters is which version is best. For example most of Microproses Amiga versions came out years after the fact, yet Pirates, Gunship, Silent Service and others were a lot better than the C64 originals.

[vdub_bobby]

Thanks for all the info, folks.

BTW: I don't necessarily think that it matters much which version was first. What matters is which version is best. For example most of Microproses Amiga versions came out years after the fact, yet Pirates, Gunship, Silent Service and others were a lot better than the C64 originals.

1012139[/snapback]

Agreed.

[MacbthPSW]

I said "memorable". Not "exist".

I was making the assumption that Manuel wasn't interested in porting crap and/or non-memorable games. Manuel?

[Cybergoth]

Hehe, certainly not

 

Of course "memorable" is debatable. Does it mean "memorable for everyone"? It seems most natural when looking at some C64 exclusives, that someone who didn't grow up with that machine probably has never heard of it. Like Armalyte or Creatures or Krakout for example

[Cybergoth]

And I am vaguely remembering that The Bard's Tale was an Apple II original, but the info I've found says that the Apple II and C64 versions were released simultaneously. Both in '85, anyway.

Correct, Apple.

 

Hm... I found something interesting... was this here:

http://www.lemon64.com/games/details.php?ID=2997

available on the Apple as well?

 

If not, I'd assume Bard's Tale was a C64 first...

[legeek]

Space Taxi was an C64 exclusive...

 

What about many of the Activision Disk games? Master of the Lamps, Little Computer People, Fast Tracks, Great American Cross Country Road Race....

 

Cheers,

Ben

[ZylonBane]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a 2600 Space Taxi created already. Looks like it would be a really simple port.

[jaybird3rd]

What about many of the Activision Disk games?  Master of the Lamps, Little Computer People, Fast Tracks, Great American Cross Country Road Race....

1013970[/snapback]

I've never had the pleasure of playing Fast Tracks, but I suspect that a 2600 version of GACCRR would look and play a lot like Enduro (not necessarily a bad thing, but also nothing new). Little Computer People is probably too much to attempt on the 2600 (it would be a very boring-looking house), but I can imagine Master of the Lamps working with some tradeoffs:

I'm just thinking out loud here, but maybe the gates in the magic carpet ride could be implemented using something similar to the star portals in Star Voyager. If you limit yourself to six gongs, the note-matching game could be done, too. That might require some flicker depending on how the screen is laid out, though, and I don't know if there would be enough time for enough color changes to make the gongs different colors. That background looks like it could be done with playfield.

Edited February 8, 2006 by jaybird3rd

[supercat]

That might require some flicker depending on how the screen is laid out, though, and I don't know if there would be enough time for enough color changes to make the gongs different colors.

1014764[/snapback]

 

Check out Strat-O-Gems. Six close-spaced sprites can be independently colored provided they're only 7 pixels wide. Six medium-spaced sprites can be independently colored easily. And check out the logo on that game.

[moycon]

I voted Archon II: Adept

I loved that game!

[vdub_bobby]

Some suggestions for possible A8 to 2600 conversion poll:

 

HellCat Ace

Aztec Challenge

Shamus

Spitfire Ace

Telengard

Alley Cat

Archon

Beach Head

Blue Max

Drol

Forbidden Forest

Gateway to Apshai

Gridrunner

Hard Hat Mack

M.U.L.E.

Pinball Const Set

Shamus: Case II

Slinky

Tactical Armor Command

Broadsides

Ultima I, II, and III

Murder on the Zinderneuf

Encounter!

 

All from 82/83, I believe.

 

Some (most?) of these aren't A8 originals, of course. And omitting some that were in previous (C64) polls (e.g., Jumpman, Boulderdash).

 

Drol in particular looks kinda fun from screenshots and eminently doable on the 2600. Haven't found a rom yet, though.

Edited February 10, 2006 by vdub_bobby

[Cybergoth]

Thanks Bob!

[ZylonBane]

Some (most?) of these aren't A8 originals, of course

"Of course"? So you were intentionally making the list wrong?

 

There are more than enough homegrown A8 titles that there's no need to go poaching games from other platforms, like the C64 and Apple II have to. Native Atari coders gave us such classics as:

 

Archon I/II

Seven Cities of Gold

Necromancer

Rainbow Walker

Electrician

Alley Cat

Blue Max

Quasimodo

Protector II

Nautilus

Zeppelin

Shamus I/II

M.U.L.E.

Mountain King

Miner 2049'er

Montezuma's Revenge

Alternate Reality: The City/The Dungeon

Star Raiders

Dimension X

Fort Apocalypse

Ballblazer

Rescue on Fractalus

Koronis Rift

The Eidolon

Spelunker

Preppie I/II

Rally Speedway

The Tail of Beta Lyrae

Zone Ranger

Eastern Front: 1941

Boulder Dash

Flip and Flop

Mercenary: Escape from Targ

Encounter

Dropzone

Caverns of Mars

Blaster! (yes, the arcade game)

 

Granted, some of these are more "classic" than others.

[MacbthPSW]

There are more than enough homegrown A8 titles that there's no need to go poaching games from other platforms, like the C64 and Apple II have to.

...like the C64 had to early in it's life, and the A8 had to a year or two later...

 

Native Atari coders gave us such classics as:

What resources did you use to make that list? Just individual research per title, in old magazines and so forth? It'd be interesting to add this kind of information to a multi-platform game database.

[www.atarimania.com]

Plus Agent USA, Bounty Bob Strikes Back!, Bristles, Bruce Lee, Drelbs, Great American Cross-Country Road Race (The), Murder on the Zinderneuf, Oil's Well, Pharaoh's Curse, Spy vs. Spy series, Whistler's Brother, Zenji...

 

What resources did you use to make that list? Just individual research per title, in old magazines and so forth? It'd be interesting to add this kind of information to a multi-platform game database.

He just knows his stuff...

 

Just a general question: it seems many people are picky about technical aspects or various historical facts so why should the truth always be distorted when it comes to computer games?

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

Edited February 11, 2006 by www.atarimania.com

[ZylonBane]

...like the C64 had to early in it's life, and the A8 had to a year or two later...

I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about NOW.

[MacbthPSW]

He just knows his stuff...

I was hoping that some of you would actually provide some research or facts for your claims.

 

Just a general question: it seems many people are picky about technical aspects or various historical facts so why should the truth always be distorted when it comes to computer games?

Can you give some examples of how the truth is always being distorted, and who is doing this distorting? Meanwhile, you guys are listing "A8 originals" without any proof besides "just knowing your stuff".

 

I'm not talking about the past, I'm talking about NOW.

This thread is (was) about games from 1983-1984. So you're still making the claim that the C64's lifetime library of games is made up of games poached from other platforms, while the A8's library is significantly more original?

 

Atarimania.com is the most sizeable collection of A8 games I've seen at 6840. GB64.com has 17450 listed. Based on sheer numbers alone, don't you think it's somewhat foolish to think the C64 is lacking original titles?

[www.atarimania.com]

I was hoping that some of you would actually provide some research or facts for your claims.

Most of the information can be found in US mags as there weren't a lot of classic titles written in the UK (apart from Mercenary, Encounter! or Dropzone). Read interviews, check release notes... Other things to consider: programmer and company background, developer info. Of course, you won't find everything on the Internet...

 

Can you give some examples of how the truth is always being distorted, and who is doing this distorting?

So-called journalists from current mainstream retro publications for instance.

 

Meanwhile, you guys are listing "A8 originals" without any proof besides "just knowing your stuff".

What games do you believe are not A8 originals?

 

This thread is (was) about games from 1983-1984. So you're still making the claim that the C64's lifetime library of games is made up of games poached from other platforms, while the A8's library is significantly more original?

The point is just many of the classics from that era are nearly always hailed as C64 originals while they aren't.

 

Atarimania.com is the most sizeable collection of A8 games I've seen at 6840. GB64.com has 17450 listed. Based on sheer numbers alone, don't you think it's somewhat foolish to think the C64 is lacking original titles?

We all know there were MANY classic titles on the C64 (or Spectrum) and more programs overall, I'm not sure what you're trying to prove... The fact is a number of classic games that we remember written in the US from 1982 to 1984 were on the Atari first.

 

--

Atari Frog

http://www.atarimania.com

Edited February 11, 2006 by www.atarimania.com

[MacbthPSW]

What games do you believe are not A8 originals?

I'm not disputing any of them - I was just wondering how you were determining which were A8 originals besides "just knowing". And this time you answered my question, as I had already thought - researching old magazines, etc.

 

The point is just many of the classics from that era are nearly always hailed as C64 originals while they aren't.

Yes, we've already dealt with that in this very thread, and there's no argument from me on that front. But ZylonBane has been going beyond this, and making counter claims that are baseless.

 

We all know there were MANY classic titles on the C64 (or Spectrum) and more programs overall, I'm not sure what you're trying to prove...

I'm responding to this:

There are more than enough homegrown A8 titles that there's no need to go poaching games from other platforms, like the C64 and Apple II have to.

I'm saying the C64 doesn't need to "poach" titles any more than the A8 does, especially not over it's full library.

 

The fact is a number of classic games that we remember written in the US from 1982 to 1984 were on the Atari first.

Yes, and I've already said as much earlier.