Retro Game Guy

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Category Archives: 7800


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Donkey Kong…

Donkey Kong is a 1981 video game developed by Nintendo and is one of the earliest successful platform games. Although there had been a couple of other platform arcade games, Donkey Kong was the first to introduce jumping.  Programmed by Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong was a monster hit that established Nintendo as a serious player in the video game market.  There are four different ‘platforms’ in Donkey Kong:  The construction scene, the cement factory, the elevator scene, and the rivets screen.  The goal in Donkey Kong is, essentially to climb to the top of the screen and rescue Pauline.  Only in the rivets screen is this different where Mario needs to knock out all of the rivets.

At the time that Shigeru developed Donkey Kong, it was a radical departure from the space shooters and maze games that had been dominating the video game market.  In fact, Nintendo America was not sure that it would be successful.  The Nintendo America staff is credited with naming the characters in Donkey Kong.  Originally they were only known as Jumpman and Lady.  They renamed them Mario and Pauline and had graphics made for American versions of the arcade cabinets.  They tested a couple of Donkey Kong arcade units in a couple of bars and, much to their surprise, the public loved the game.  They ended up converting over 2000 surplus arcade units into Donkey Kong units and the rest is history.  Donkey Kong went on to become one of the most popular and most recognizable game franchises in history.

Donkey Kong was ported to a number of home game consoles and computers including the Colecovision, the Atari 2600 and 7800’s, the Intellivision, and the Atari 8-bit computer line.

Colecovision version…

Coleco won the rights to produce cartridge based home console versions of Donkey Kong and decided to make it the ‘pack in’ game for their system which helped them sell over six million consoles.  The Colecovision (CV) version of Donkey Kong featured three of the arcades screens (the cement factory was left out home console versions) and no climbing or intermission screens.  The graphics were impressive, but the game was a little too easy to play.  In the elevator screen, Kong doesn’t throw any barrels, which makes this screen incredibly easy compared to the arcade version.  Still, the CV version was impressive for the time (1982).  Coleco also ended up producing Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600 and Intellivison.

Donkey Kong for the Colecovision

Donkey Kong for the
Colecovision

2600 version…

Gary Kitchen programmed the 2600 version of Donkey Kong for Coleco.  I had the chance to meet Gary last year and hear him talk about the development of this game.  He was only authorized to make a 4K non-bankswitched game, so he was very limited with what he could do.  He managed to get two levels (Construction and Rivets) into the 2600 version, but the graphics (impressive for the 2600) were no match to the CV version.  Gary managed to capture essence of Donkey Kong, but it is not one of the better games for the 2600.

Today, there are two new homebrew 2600 efforts underway:   Donkey Kong Arcade and Donkey Kong VCS.  Both feature improved graphics and sound, all four screens, and intermissions.  The developers of these games have taken different approaches, but both are creating awesome versions for the 2600.  Due to Nintendo’s licensing policies, these will probably not be able to be made commercially available, which is a real shame.  However, if you have a Harmony cart, you can try out the prototype versions of these games on your 2600.

Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600

Donkey Kong for the
Atari 2600

5200 (8-bit) version…

Coleco did not develop a 5200 version of Donkey Kong, probably as they saw the 5200 as the main competitor to the CV.  Fortunately, Atari had obtained the rights to produce home computer versions of the game and developed an excellent port for their 8-bit line.  Atari’s 8-bit version has all four screens and well as the ‘how high’ intermission screens.

The 8-bit version has been converted to run on the 5200 and can be played on the Atarimax cart or can be obtained in cart form.  Playing Donkey Kong with the 5200’s analog joysticks takes some adjustment, but it turns out to be one of the better games for the Super System.   The game also takes advantage of the 5200’s Pokey chip to produce near arcade quality sound.

Donkey Kong for the Atari 5200

Donkey Kong for the
Atari 5200

7800 version…

The 7800 version of Donkey Kong was released in 1988 and is an excellent good port of the game.  As with all of the home console versions, it is missing the Cement Factory screen as well as the climbing and intermission screens.  Also, like most 7800 games, the sound could have been better had Atari included a Pokey chip in the cartridge.   Even with these limitations,  the 7800 version of Donkey Kong is probably the best original port of the game for a home console and demonstrates the 7800’s home arcade capabilities.

Thirty years after the release of the 7800, a new version of Donkey Kong is now available for the Pro System.  Perry Thuente spent over a year working on improving the 7800 version.  Originally, he had only intended to develop a version that would improve the sound by taking advantage of Atari’s Pokey chip that will be in the XM expansion module.  One thing led to another, and Perry ended up completely re-building the game.  He has added the climbing and intermission screens as well as the missing cement factory level.  He also improved the graphics and added the ability to play the game in either the Japanese or US arcade order.  Perry’s version is called Donkey Kong XM and needs the XM module in order to hear the sound.  Unfortunately, the delivery of the XM module has been delayed.  Also, due to Nintendo’s licensing policies, Perry can’t make this commercially available and is only making a few copies of the game for friends.  Since the XM module has been delayed, Perry has made a handful of Donkey Kong PK cartridges which take advantage of CPUWIZ’s Versaboard and include a Pokey Chip.  This version produces arcade quality sound on a stock 7800.  Being one of the lucky ones to have a copy of Donkey Kong PK, all I can say is wow!  The only way to have a better home version of Donkey Kong would be to put an actual Donkey Kong arcade cabinet in your house!!!

Donkey Kong XM for the Atari 7800

Donkey Kong XM for the
Atari 7800

Overall thoughts…

If you are a Donkey Kong fan, there are no really bad versions of the game and they are all readily available.  The Colecovison, 2600, and 7800 versions are plentiful and cheap, but a copy of the 5200 version on cart will set you back a few $$$ (however, is a pretty awesome game for the 5200!).

Perry’s Donkey Kong XM or PK version is, however in a league by itself.   If you own a 7800, and are a fan of Donkey Kong, then you simply need to get yourself a copy of this game.  Make friends with Perry and convince him to make you a copy.

Also, if you are a 2600 fan, don’t forget about the new versions of Donkey Kong that are nearing completion!

@Atarigameguy

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Xevious…

Xevious is a 1983 arcade game developed by Namco and released by Atari in the US.  Xevious is a top down, vertical scrolling space shooter developed by Masanobu Endo.  The game was designed to run on Namco’s Galaga hardware with 3 Z80CPU’s and a Namco sound chip. It was a monster hit in Japan, but never achieved quite the same success in the US.  Xevious was ported to a number of game and computer systems of the era including the Atari 7800, the NES, and the Commodore 64.  Versions were planned for the Atari 2600 and 5200, but never released.

In Xevious, you must pilot your ship called a Solvalou against various enemy air and ground targets, including tanks, stationary bases, flying mirrors, and black spheres (8-balls).   The Solvalou is equipped with both a zapper for air targets and a blaster for ground targets.  There are sixteen areas in Xevious and the game loops back to area seven, if you are able to clear all of the areas.  One of the cool things about Xevious is that if your are 70% of the way or better through an area and are ‘killed’, the game restarts at the beginning of the next area.  The terrain in Xevious varies from dense forests, to rivers and oceans, to developed areas.  This makes for a variety of background graphics and adds interest to the game.  Another interesting thing about Xevious is that you don’t really have to ‘kill’ anything to keep advancing.  If you can manage to fly your Solvalou through the game and not get ‘killed’, you can advance through the entire game without shooting anything.

2600 Version…

The 2600 version of Xevious never made it past the prototype stage.  Programmed by Tod Frye  of 2600 Pac-Man fame, it had the beginnings of a pretty good port.  Tod was able to accomplish the scrolling background (all be it with simplified graphics) and have multiple enemies on screen, with little to no flicker.  Of course the 2600 has only one fire button, so Tod had the CX-40 fire button do double duty and it fires both missiles and bombs.

Tod had managed to get four types of enemies programmed (discs, mirrors, 8-balls, & tanks) into his 2600 version before the plug was pulled by Atari, during yet another management shake-up.   Hopefully, one day, one of the 2600 homebrew programmers will develop a new version of Xevious.  With today’s cart technology, it should be possible to develop a great version of this classic for the 2600.  For more information on the 2600 version of Xevious, check out Atariprotos.com.

2600 Xevious Prototype

2600 Xevious Prototype

5200 Version…

The 5200 version of Xevious was programmed by Jim Huether in 1983, but never formally released by Atari.  Happily, the final prototype version has been preserved and made available to the gaming community.  It is really unfortunate that the 5200 version was never released as it is complete and it is a pretty good game.  Jim managed to program almost all of the arcade’s enemies and the sound effects are nearly spot on.  The two biggest complaints about the 5200 version are that the graphics seem a little ‘washed out’ and your bullets appear as ‘bars’.  Other than these two complaints, Xevious is an awesome game for the 5200.  It is a shame that Atari never formally released it, but thankfully, the prototype code was preserved and is playable on the Atarimax multi-cart.  For more information on the 5200 version of Xevious, check out Atariprotos.com.

Xevious for the Atari 5200

Xevious for the Atari 5200

7800 Version…

The Atari 7800 version of Xevious is the only officially released version for the Atari home console family.  Programmed by Tom Flaherty of General Computer Corporation, it was intended to be one of the launch titles for the 7800 (had it been released as planned in 1984).  Tom did an outstanding job porting Xevious to the 7800 and his version includes almost all of the enemies and features of the arcade version.  The graphics are extremely well done, colorful, and crisp.   Also, the sound is pretty good for a standard (non-Pokey) game.  The 7800 version of Xevious can be played with either the two button Pro-line joystick or a regular CX-40.  When using the Pro-line, one fire button controls the Zapper (missiles) and the other the Blaster (Bombs).  When using the CX-40, both missiles and bombs are fired at the same time, like in the 2600 prototype.  I had owned a copy of Xevious for nearly two years before I realized that it could be played with a standard CX-40.  This is not something that Atari included in the Xevious manual, but I think it definitely makes the game more enjoyable to play!

Xevious for the Atari 7800

Xevious for the Atari 7800

Overall thoughts…

The 2600 version is clearly an unfinished prototype and is interesting, but not really anything to get worked up about.  Both the 5200 and 7800 versions are excellent ports and deserve a place in your collection.  While you will need the Atarimax multi-cart to play the 5200 version, the 7800 version is easy to find and normally can be had for less than five dollars.  If you have a 7800 and don’t have a copy of Xevious, you should pick one up the next time you visit your local retro game shop!

@Atarigameguy


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Hardware Happenings…

2014 is the 30th anniversary of the Atari 7800’s release and there are some amazing things happening…

AtariAge member CPUWIZ has been busy developing new cartridge boards for 7800 games. He has developed a board that can hold up to 1MB of memory, which will allow for some amazing new games to be developed.  He has also teamed up with RevEng (another AtariAge member) to develop some cool multi-carts for the 7800’s.  One of these has a new bankswitching scheme to allow 8 128K games to live on the same cart.  He has also gotten the green light from Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo to develop a limited edition multi-cart with 8 of Bob’s 7800 ‘homebrew’ games on it.

Curt Vendel has been working on the Atari 7800 expansion module for over three years and hopes to release it soon.  This expansion module contains both Pokey and Yamaha audio chips, expanded memory, and high score keeping.  At the Portland Retro Game Expo last October, AtariAge had one of Curt’s prototype units in operation showing off the unit’s capabilities.  It was amazing to hear the difference that Pokey sound made for Donkey Kong!

Fred ‘Batari’ Qimby has also been hard at work on a new SD multi-cart for the 7800.  Previously known as the H2, Fred’s new cart will now be called the Concerto cart and he hopes to have it ready by the Portland Retro Game Expo this fall.  Fred hopes to be able to have the Concerto be able to host and play any 2600 or 7800 game on an Atari 7800.

With all of these new hardware developments, 2014 may shape up to be the best ever for the Atari 7800.  Amazing for a 30 year old system!

Flashback Fever…

ATGames will be releasing the Atari Flashback 5 in October.  Hardware wise, it is expected to be similar to the Flashback 4 with wireless controllers.  This time around, it will have 100 games built in.  The final game list has not yet be released, but let’s hope it now also includes games like Berzerk, Defender, and Midnight Magic!

ATGames has also announced that they will produce both an Intellivison and ColecoVison Flashback unit.  Both of these units with feature 60 built in games and overlays for the controllers, but the game list has not yet been released.  It is probably not likely, due to Nintendo’s licensing practices, but the ColecoVison Flashback with Donkey Kong built in would be killer!

As soon as more is know about the details of these Flashback units, I will be sure to post an update!

@Atarigameguy


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Atari Retro-game Happenings…

It is hard to believe that in 2014, multiple new games for the Atari systems are under development.  Here is just some of the current game news…

2600…

There are several outstanding games in the works for the 2600.  A couple of the most notable are Star Castle Arcade and Stay Frosty 2.  These two games are complete and will be released as soon as enough cart boards are available for a production run.  Several other homebrew games are also in the works including Circus AtariAge, Frantic,  and Zippy the Porcupine.

5200…

Just after I posted my last blog about Caverns of Mars, two developers (Paul Lay & Aking) converted Caverns of Mars 2 and 3 to the 5200.  Caverns of Mars 2 is a side scroller very similar to Scramble and lots of fun to play on the 5200.  Caverns of Mars 3 (Phobos) is very similar to the original game, but with improved graphics.  If you are a C of M fan, then you should head over to AtariAge and check out these 8-bit conversions!

Speaking of 8-bit conversions, Paul and Aking have converted more than dozen 8-bit games to the 5200 in the past few weeks.  In addition to Caverns 2 and 3, they have converted titles such as Ant-Eater, Bacterion, and Pooyan.   Thanks to Paul, Aking, and a few others, 2014 is turning out to be a banner year for the 5200!

7800…

Master 7800 programmer Bob ‘Pac-Man Plus’ DeCrescenzo has recently completed Astro Blaster and is now working on a port of KC Munchkin.   Bob plans to make a cart run of Astro Blaster as well as a run of ‘Bentley Bear: Crystal Quest’ in the next few weeks.

Donkey Kong…

2014 may go down as the year of Donkey Kong for Atari Systems.  Perry Thuente has recently completed one of the most accurate ports of Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong XM) for any home system.  He spent months updating the 7800 version to be as arcade accurate as possible.   His version has all four screens (only three were included originally) and Pokey sound (requiring the soon to be released 7800 expansion module (XM)).   Perry has been busy assembling over 100 carts and may also release a Pokey cart version that will run without the XM.

No less than two different 2600 versions of Donkey Kong (Donkey Kong Arcade and Donkey Kong VCS) are under development.  Both versions are absolutely amazing and totally blow away the original version for the 2600.  It is absolutely amazing to see what can be done with the venerable 2600!

Wow…

It is hard to believe that so many great games for the Atari 8-bit game systems are going to be available in 2014…it seems like the 2600, 5200, and 7800 will live on for many years to come!

@Atarigameguy


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Caverns of Mars…

Caverns of Mars is a fairly unique gem in the Atari game library.  It was developed in 1981 by Greg Christensen for the Atari 8-bit computer line.  Greg was a high school senior when he wrote Caverns and sent it to the Atari Program Exchange (APX).  APX was a division of Atari that was set up to sell programs developed by others for Atari’s 8-bit line.  Caverns won the 1981 APX game contest and was released by Atari in cartridge, cassette, and floppy disk formats.

Caverns is similar to Scramble, except the action is vertical, rather than horizontal.  The idea of the game is that Martians are surrounding Terra IV (your planet) and you must defeat the Martian forces by sabotaging their defense system.  The goal of Caverns is to guide your ship to the bottom of the cavern, while avoiding enemy fire and laser gates.   There are four types of enemies that you can shoot to gain points:  transmitters, creon rockets, pyxias rockets, and space mines.  You can also shoot fuel tanks, which will give you additional fuel.  If you are good enough to navigate your way to the bottom of the cavern, you must land on the fusion bomb, activate it, and escape from the cave before it explodes!

5200 version…

The Atari 5200’s design is similar to an Atari 8-bit computer, except that its memory is limited and some memory locations are mapped in different locations.  Thus, it has been possible to port over a number of 8- bit games to the 5200.  Steven Tucker has developed a multi-cart for the 5200 and he has also ported over a number of 8-bit games, including Caverns of Mars.

The 5200 version is available to be played in Steven’s multi-cart or may be purchased in cartridge format.  Caverns plays well on the 5200 and control on a standard 5200 joystick is not too bad.  Although not as easy to control as a digital joystick, after some practice, Caverns is fun to play.  If you are a fan of Scramble or like space themed games, you will enjoy Caverns on the 5200.

Caverns of Mars for the Atari 8-bit/5200

Caverns of Mars for the Atari 8-bit/5200

Flashback 2 version…

Caverns of Mars was included as one of the forty-two games on the Atari Flashback 2.  This version was probably a prototype that Atari developed for the 2600, but never released as there is no credit to any programmer in the Flashback 2 manual.  Although the graphics are simplified and there is quite a bit of flicker, Caverns is fun to play on the Flashback 2.  In fact, the rapid fire capability in this version, makes the game a little easier to play and, thus, a little less frustrating for beginners.

2600 version…

In 2006, John Champeau, released a 2600 version of Caverns which he titled ‘Conquest of Mars’.  This is an excellent port featuring improved graphics over the Flashback version and little to no flicker.  While the graphics overall are not quite as good as the original 8-bit version, they are very well done for a 2600 game.  The gameplay is also intact and had this been released by Atari back in the 80’s, it would have been a monster hit for the 2600.  John keeps the laser torpedo fire rate similar to the original 8-bit version, so his Caverns is more challenging to play than the Flashback version.  On the other hand, control with a standard Atari joystick, is much better than with the 5200’s analog version.

Conquest of Mars for the Atari 2600/7800

Conquest of Mars for the Atari 2600/7800

7800 version…

Sadly, no 7800 version of Caverns has been developed, but John’s 2600 version plays perfectly on the 7800.  With recent advances in cart boards for the 7800, maybe someone will develop a 7800 version that will be able to improve on the original.

Overall thoughts…

Conquest of Mars is an outstanding game that can be played on Atari’s entire 8-bit line of computers and game systems.  It may take a little searching to find a copy of the computer version, but the 2600 and 5200 versions are readily available and, at about $30 a copy, are, relatively, affordable.  As mentioned above, anyone who likes Scramble, Super Cobra, or space themed games, will love Caverns.  All of the versions of Caverns are fun to play and worth having in your collection!

@Atarigameguy


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Kangaroo…

Kangaroo is a 1982 arcade game developed by Sun Electronics and distributed by Atari.  The game is similar in play to Donkey Kong (as I am sure was intended by Sun) with a Kangaroo as the main character and monkey’s as the antagonists.  The goal of Kangaroo is to score as many points as possible by collecting fruits and ‘punching’ the monkeys.  The monkeys are diabolical and will throw or drop apples and apple cores at the kangaroo.  If an apple hits your Kangaroo, you will lose a life and have to start over at the bottom of the screen.   You can advance to the next screen (and score some bonus points) by rescuing joey at the top of the screen.  You can also score additional points by ringing the bell, which will regenerate the fruits.

The arcade units of Kangaroo ran on a Zilog Z80 microprocessor with a General Instruments AY8910 sound generator.  Kangaroo was ported to the Atari 2600, the Atari 5200, and a version was developed for the Atari 8-bit computer line, but never officially released.

Although Kangaroo was only a modest hit in the arcades, Kangaroo was featured on the CBS Saturday Supercade cartoon lineup in 1984.

2600 version…

In 1983, Atari released Kangaroo for the 2600.  Given the limitations of the 2600 back in the eighties, Kangaroo is a pretty good port.  The graphics, although monochrome, are pretty well done and the flicker found in many 2600 games is minimal.  Kangaroo for the 2600 has solid control with a standard CX-40 joystick and the 2600 version features three of the arcade’s four levels.  Given the limitations of the 2600’s TIA chip, the sound for Kangaroo is also pretty well done.   Kangaroo for the 2600 is not an easy game to play and it is surprising addictive….you will find yourself hitting the reset switch over and over!

5200 version…

The 5200 version of Kangaroo was also released in 1983 and is a solid arcade port.  The graphics are well done, but still mostly monochrome.  The 5200 version does feature all four levels of the arcade version and the sound is also well done, but not substantially better than the 2600 version.  Control with the standard 5200 joystick takes a little practice, but Kangaroo does not suffer from the control problems that many 5200 games have.  One strange thing about Kangaroo for the 5200 is that there is not any ‘game over’ message.  When you have lost your last life, the game just stops.  The first couple of times that I played it, I thought that the game just froze.  Even the 2600 version at least takes you back to the start screen.

Kangaroo for the 5200

Kangaroo for the 5200

7800 & 8-bit versions…

Sadly, no 7800 version of Kangaroo was ever developed for the 7800.  For the Atari 8-bit computer line, the 5200 version has been ported over and is available to be played.

Overall thoughts…

If you like Donkey Kong, you will also like Kangaroo.  Both the 2600 and 5200 versions are inexpensive, easy to come by, and fun to play.  If you have a 2600 or 5200, you should pick up a copy of Kangaroo.  Hopefully, one of the 7800 programmers will develop a 7800 version.  With the latest advances in cart boards for the 7800, it should be possible to produce a near arcade perfect port.  Also, with the advances in cart technology for the 2600, I would not be surprised to see one of the 2600 programmers develop a more arcade perfect version for the trusty old VCS!

@Atarigameguy


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The Portland Retro Gaming Expo…

In October, I had the opportunity to attend the Portland Retro Gaming Expo (PRGE) in Portland Oregon.  This year the expo was held downtown at the Oregon Expo Center.  The expo center is a huge facility and can host multiple events at the same time.  In fact, I almost attended a used book show that was also being hosted by the Expo Center at the same time by mistake!

I wasn’t  sure what to expect as this was the first retro game show that I had attended.   This show was well organized and had an estimated attendance of 4000.  Part of the 60,000 square foot area was called the ‘Super Arcade’ and numerous vintage arcade machines that were available to be played.  About two thirds of the floor space was available for vendors.  It seemed to me that the vast majority of the of items for sale were for the NES and SNES with only a small amount of Atari items.

One booth where there was plenty of Atari games to be had was the AtariAge booth.  I had volunteered to help out with the booth which game me the opportunity to meet a number of folks from the AtariAge forum.  AtariAge released four new games at the PRGE, including Space Rocks, Frenzy, Ixion, and Seaweed Assault.  Darrell Spice, the designer of Space Rocks was on hand and signed carts for anyone who asked.

Games at the AtariAge booth

Games at the AtariAge booth

My favorite Atari system is the 7800 as it has great graphics (for an 8-bit system) and plays most 2600 games.  What surprised me at the show was the passion for the Atari 2600.  Perhaps this is because so many were sold (over 30 million) that virtually everyone had or had a friend that had one.  Despite the improved games and graphics on the 7800, the 2600 is still the king of Atari 8-bit game systems!

Prototype XM with Bentley Bear for the 7800

Prototype XM with Bentley Bear for the 7800

Another aspect of the PRGE are the workshops.  I was able to attend a couple of these and it was really cool to see and hear from Atari veterans (gods?) like David Crane (Pitfall), Bob Smith (Moonsweeper), and Gary Kitchen (Donkey Kong).   The stories that they are able to tell about the early days at Atari, Activision, and Imagic are really amazing!

If you are a retro game fan and are able to make it to Portland, a visit to the PRGE is a must see.  The PRGE is usually held in late September or early October.  For more information, click here.


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Berzerk and Frenzy…

Berzerk…

Berzerk is a 1980 video game developed by Stern Electronics of Chicago.  Supposedly Alan McNeil, the designer of Berzerk, had a dream about a black and white video game involving fighting robots.  During the development of Berzerk, Defender was released and the decision was made to release Berzerk in color instead of B&W.  A few early units were, supposedly, released in B&W with color overlays.   The color units were produced in two distinct batches with the second batch having more variety in the colors of the robots and the number of bullets that they fire.  The Berzerk arcade systems are based around a Z80 CPU and it is one of the first video games to feature speech synthesis.  This may not seem like a big deal in 2013, but it was really amazing in 1980.  The first time anyone played Berzerk, they had to be amazed to hear the game talk to them!

Berzerk at Funspot

Berzerk at Funspot

Gameplay…

The concept of Berzerk is pretty simple…the player is a humanoid in a maze with a bunch of killer robots.  To survive, you must shoot the robots before they shoot you.  You also have to avoid running into the robots, the electrified walls, and Evil Otto.  Evil Otto adds a significant amount of complexity to the game as you must avoid him as you can not kill him.  Alan supposedly named Evil Otto after the security chief at a previous employer.  The robots in Berzerk are not the ‘sharpest tools in the shed’ as they have a tendency to kill themselves by running into the walls or each other.  Although the concept of the game is simple,  players would find themselves putting quarter after quarter into the game.   Berzerk was the first popular ‘shoot em up’ video game and all of today’s popular shooter games can trace their roots back to 1980.  Berzerk was ported to the Vectrex and the Atari 2600 and 5200 consoles.

Frenzy…

In 1982, Stern followed up Berzerk with Frenzy.  Frenzy was similar, but a little more difficult than Berzerk.  There are several key differences between Berzerk and Frenzy.  In Frenzy:

  • The walls are not electrified
  • Portions of the walls can be shot through, other parts ‘reflect’ bullets
  • The humanoid will not die if he comes into contact with a robot
  • Crazy Otto can be shot and ‘temporarily’ killed
  • Every fourth screen, there are interactive maze elements

At least in Frenzy, it is possible to kill Evil Otto.  Frenzy was ported to the Colecovision, but not to any Atari home consoles.

2600 Version…

The 2600 version of Berzerk was released in 1982 and was a smash hit.  Berzerk’s simple graphics were faithfully replicated on the 2600 and the game play was almost identical to the arcade.  Atari included 12 variations including ones with and without Evil Otto, non-shooting Robots, and even one where Evil Otto can be shot and will disappear for a few seconds.  I fondly remember playing Berzerk over and  over on my Sears Video Arcade (Atari 2600) in the early 80′s.  It is a fantastic game and there was something cool about the green label and box.  There was one big thing missing, however, from Atari’s 2600 version…voice synthesis.  Back in 1982, most of us figured that this just could not be done on a 2600.

In 2002, Mike Mika proved this wrong when he developed an improved version of Berzerk featuring voice synthesis.  In ‘Berzerk Voice Enhanced‘, Mike also improved the graphics to make them more closely resemble the arcade.  At various points in Mike’s version you will hear ‘intruder alert!’, ‘chicken, fight like a robot’, and ‘humanoid must not escape’.   Berzerk is a great game for the 2600, but Berzerk VE is an outstanding game that belongs in every 2600 collection!

5200 Version…

The 5200 version of Berzerk was released in 1983 and became an instant classic.  Like its 2600 cousin, the 5200 version faithfully replicates the arcade graphics and game play.  The 5200 version takes it to the next level, however, and features full voice synthesis.  Mike’s Berzerk VE for the 2600 is pretty awesome, but the 5200 version is one step better.  The voice synthesis is tied to the game play so that when Evil Otto is about to appear, you will hear ‘intruder alert!’.  The 5200 port is one of the best arcade conversions in the 5200 library and belongs in every 5200 collection.  The only thing missing is a coin slot and ‘coins detected in pocket’.

7800 Version…

Sadly, no 7800 version of Berzerk was developed.  Until this week, 7800 fans had to settle for playing the 2600 version of Berzerk or Berzerk VE on their 7800.  This coming weekend, at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, everything changes as Berzerk/Frenzy will be released for the 7800 by AtariAge.  The latest game(s) from 7800 master programmer Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo, will be released with a full color box and eight page manual.  Bob has managed to pack both Berzerk and Frenzy into a single 48K, non-bank switched cart.  Even more amazingly, the games feature voice synthesis for an authentic, arcade quality experience.  If that wasn’t good enough, Bob includes two player versions of the games as well.  Having tested the latest release candidate for these two games, I can say that Bob has done a fantastic job!  For those lucky enough to be in Portland this weekend, be sure to pick up a copy for your collection.  For those of you who can’t make it to Portland, don’t worry, Berzerk/Frenzy will soon be available in the AtariAge store.

Berzerk for the 7800

Berzerk for the 7800

One really cool note that I should add is that Alan McNeil was an adviser on this project and assisted Bob with tips and ideas for the games.  Thus, Bob’s 7800 versions are as close to the arcade originals as possible, given the constraints of the 7800.

Frenzy for the 7800

Frenzy for the 7800

Overall thoughts..

Berzerk is now available for all three Atari systems and there is no bad version.  If you have a 2600, go for the Voice Enhanced version as the voice really makes this game.  The 5200 version is one of that console’s best arcade ports and belongs in every library.  For 7800 fans, Bob’s Berzerk/Frenzy is destined to become another classic that fills a void in that console’s library.  No matter which console you have, Berzerk belongs in your collection.  If you are lucky enough to have a 7800, you will absolutely want to get a copy of Bob’s new game!

Wild for Berzerk!

Wild for Berzerk!

@Atarigameguy


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Crazy Otto…

Today, the postman brought some video game history…he brought Crazy Otto for the Atari 7800…

In 1981, MIT classmates Kevin Curran, Doug Macrae, and John Tylko got together and formed General Computer Corporation (GCC).  Their first project was to develop an enhancement kit for the arcade version of Missile Command that they called ‘Super Missile Attack’.  As players got good at arcade games, they were able to play the games longer and, thus, spent less money.  The enhancement kit would add complexity to the game, helping restore the order of balance for the arcade owners.  Atari was not at all pleased and sued GCC.  Ultimately, the suit was settled with GCC actually developing games for Atari, such as Food Fight.  In the settlement, GCC agreed not to sell any more arcade enhancement kits without the game developers permission.

Prior to the suit by Atari, GCC had also developed an enhancement kit for Pac-man called Crazy Otto.  The enhancements included new and varying mazes, moving fruits, a Pac-man like character with legs (Crazy Otto) and ghosts that had morphed into cute little creatures with antenna’s.  After settling the suit with Atari, GCC approached Midway with Crazy Otto.  Midway was still waiting on Namco to release the follow on to Pac-man and loved the work that GCC had done.  In a stroke of marketing genius, Midway took the Crazy Otto enhancements and turned them into Ms. Pac-man.  Ms. Pac-man was a monster hit for Midway, selling over 100,000 arcade units.

Crazy Otto for the 7800

Crazy Otto for the 7800

Very few people have had the opportunity to play Crazy Otto as it was never officially released back in 1981 (since Midway had turned it into Ms. Pac-man).  In 2010, through persistent efforts of the gaming community, Crazy Otto surfaced at the Pax-East conference in Boston.  It also surfaced on the AtariAge forum through the efforts of Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo.  Although Bob shared his work with the community, the only way to play Crazy Otto was if you had a Cuttle Cart 2 (multi-cart for the 7800) or via emulation.  Finally, after more than a three year wait, AtariAge has made copies of Crazy Otto available on cartridges.  Last week, when they went up for sale, I wasted no time in ordering a copy for my collection.

Like most of you, I had never seen Crazy Otto running on a real arcade machine, but a couple of ‘poor quality’ videos are posted on the internet.  Comparing these videos to the 7800 version shows that, once again, Bob has done his usual great work.  The game play, graphics, and sounds are spot on.  He even modified the intermission graphics to match those of Crazy Otto.

If you like Pac-man games or just want to hold some video game history in your hands, you need to head over to AtariAge and get yourself a copy of Crazy Otto!

Wild for Crazy Otto!

Wild for Crazy Otto!

@Atarigameguy


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BurgerTime…

BurgerTime is a 1982 video game developed by Data East and distributed by Bally-Midway in the US.  The game was originally called Hamburger, but was re-named before being released in the US.  BurgerTime was a major hit for Data East and it was offered as both an upright cabinet and as a cocktail table.  The BurgerTime arcade units were powered by a 6502 CPU, had mono sound, and used a standard 19” CRT.

Gameplay…

BurgerTime is a maze game where the object is to complete hamburgers by walking on them and causing them to ‘drop’ one or more levels.  The main character in the game is chef ‘Peter Pepper’ and he must avoid being ‘killed’ while making hamburgers and maneuvering around the four different mazes.   Peter has to deal with three antagonists:

  • Mr. Hotdog:  the red guy that chases Peter
  • Mr. Pickle:  the green guy that chases Peter
  • Mr. Egg:  the white guy that chases Peter

Peter must avoid these antagonists to keep from losing a life.  He can either out maneuver them, cause them to drop, drop hamburger ingredients on them, or spray them with pepper which ‘freezes’ them for a few seconds.  Peter has a limited number of pepper sprays but, periodically, a bonus food will appear on the maze, allowing Peter to earn an ‘extra’ pepper spray.   BurgerTime was ported to a number of home consoles of the era including the Atari 2600, the Colecovision, the Intellivision, and the NES.

2600 Version…

The 2600 version of BurgerTime was released by the M-Network (Mattel) in 1982.  As with most 2600 games of the era, the graphics are dramatically simplified with all of the sprites being mono-colored.  In fact, the graphics are pretty horrible as the hotdog, pickle, and egg are just flickering colored squares and it is hard to judge exactly where they are at and, therefore, it is hard to ‘drop’ them.  Control with the standard CX40 joystick is pretty bad and BurgerTime for the 2600 is not really much fun to play.  I paid a $1 for a copy of BurgerTime and that was about 99 cents too much.  Unless you are a die hard 2600 and BurgerTime fan, don’t waste your time or money on this horrible port.  Hopefully, in the not too distant future, someone in the homebrew community will develop an updated and improved 2600 version of BurgerTime.

5200 Version…

An official 5200 version of BurgerTime was never developed, probably due to the video game crash of 1983 and Atari’s cancelling of the 5200 in 1984.  Fortunately, in 2004, Ken Siders developed a BurgerTime clone for the 5200 that he named ‘Beef Drop’.  Ken started this as an April Fool’s joke on the AtariAge forum, initially claiming that he had found a lost prototype.  In fact, Ken was planning to develop Beef Drop for the 5200 and posted an early version of his work as a tease.  Ken’s 5200 version has all of the arcade elements and the graphics, while simplified, are pretty awesome for a 5200 game.   Ken includes all four arcade screens and took full advantage of the 5200’s pokey sound chip to replicate the arcade sounds.  Control with a standard 5200 joystick is good and the game does not suffer from analog control like many other ports for the 5200.  If you are a fan of the 5200, I can highly recommend that you obtain a copy of Beef Drop for your collection!

7800 Version…

An official 7800 version of BurgerTime was also never developed, so for many years 7800 owners had to make do with the horrible 2600 version.  In 2006, Ken Sliders came to the rescue with his version which he also called ‘Beef Drop’.  Ken’s 7800 version looks and plays like the arcade and includes a cool intro screen.  Since only one button is required for this game, you can use a standard CX40 joystick.  Two versions of Beef Drop were developed for the 7800.  The initial carts that Ken made available had a Pokey chip for arcade quality sound.  My copy is the standard copy without the Pokey chip, but Ken still did a great job with the sounds for the standard Atari TIA chip.  There is absolutely nothing bad that I can say about Beef Drop for the 7800…Ken has made this game almost arcade perfect!  If you have a 7800, you need to go straight to the AtariAge store and order yourself a copy of this great game!!!

Beef Drop for the 7800

Beef Drop for the 7800

Overall thoughts…

Before doing the research for this post, I didn’t really know too much about BurgerTime.  I had purchased Beef Drop for my 7800 about a year ago, but had played some of my other classic games more often and, like b*nQ, it was just taking up space in my collection.  In the past couple of weeks, as I prepared for this post, I have really enjoyed learning about BurgerTime and playing Ken’s awesome versions for the 5200 and 7800.  Although I recommend skipping Mattel’s 2600 version, you can’t go wrong with Beef Drop for either your 5200 or 7800.   If you have multiple systems, Ken’s 7800 version is almost arcade perfect and a must have!

One final note is that Ken also as developed an 8-bit version of Beef Drop for the XEGS and Atari 8-bit computers.  This too is available from AtariAge.

@Atarigameguy