retro | Retro Game Guy

January 6, 2013
by mmervine 1 Comment

Funspot…

On US Route 3, just a short drive north of the Weirs Beach Boardwalk, Funspot was founded by Bob Lawton in 1952. Funspot has been in its current location since 1964 and, in 2008, the Guinness Book of Records named Funspot the ‘World’s Largest Arcade’. In addition to all of its arcade systems, Funspot is home to a nine hole miniature golf course, a ten lane bowling alley, a tavern, and a restaurant. Most importantly, the third floor houses the ‘American Classic Arcade Museum’ and is a true 8-bit retro gamers dream come true.

Computer Space

Funspot is a good two hour drive from my home, but what better to do on a sunny, but cold January day in New Hampshire? Although I play my Atari game systems as much as I can, it had been a long time since I had been to an arcade with so many 8-bit systems. As I entered the third floor of Funspot, I was amazed at their collection of systems. It didn’t take me long to exchange some dollars for a cup full of tokens. The biggest question was where to start?

Space Invaders

I ended up starting with an old favorite…Space Invaders. For not playing the arcade version for so many years, I was pretty happy with how I did. In two or three hours, I managed to play the following games: Berzerk, Centipede, Crossbow, Defender, Donkey Kong, Missile Command, Pac-Man Plus, Jr. Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Super Cobra, Zaxxon, and many others. It was a total blast and, on some games I did well, but others were a real challenge. You get so used to playing with your joysticks at home, that some of these games are a real adjustment. I was completely useless on Defender and just could not manage the hand-eye coordination required for the arcade version.

Pac-Man Plus

What was really fun was to see how well many of these games translate to the Atari 2600 and, especially, the 7800. When I write about games, I always take a look at photos and videos of real arcade systems, but nothing beats being able to play the real thing!

If you are reading this blog, then you enjoy retro gaming. If you happen to travel to or live in New England, you owe it to yourself to add a visit to Funspot to your itinerary. For twenty dollars or less, you can have an afternoon of fun that will be hard to match anywhere else. Funspot has so many 8-bit arcade games, that the best thing to do is to refer you to their website, so that you can read the list for yourself.

Oh, and as a final note…Funspot founder Bob Lawton will be featured this Wednesday evening (January 9th) on American Restoration.

Pong

January 1, 2013
by mmervine Leave a comment

Atari 7800 Pac-Man games…

The only officially released Pac-Man game for the 7800 was Ms. Pac-Man, but thanks to Curt Vendel and Bob DeCrescenzo, we now have a complete library of Pac-Man games for the Atari 7800.

Ms. Pac-Man…

Programmed by General Computer Corporation as part of the first set of games for the 7800’s release in 1984, Ms. Pac-Man is an excellent conversion. Ms. Pac-Man demonstrates the strength of the 7800 as one of the best home consoles for arcade ports. This game has great graphics and pretty much has it all…title screen, intermissions, four different mazes, and four flicker free pesky ghosts! Better yet, since millions of copies of this game were produced, a boxed copy can be had for less than ten dollars. The only thing that should stop you from picking up a copy for your collection is whether or not you decide to purchase the Pac-Man Collection described next.

Pac-Man…

It is hard to believe that Atari never developed a version of Pac-Man for the 7800. Fortunately Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo has come to the rescue. Speaking of rescue, in 1996 Curt Vendel found the source code for Ms. Pac-Man in a dumpster. It seems that in Atari’s haste to ‘go out of business’, they inadvertently discarded the source code for several games. Through Curt’s efforts, this source code was preserved and released to the public domain. Bob used this source code to develop several new Pac-Man games for the 7800. Originally, Bob developed one game at a time, but already had the idea to put them together as a collection. Included in Bob’s Pac-Man collection are:

Pac-Man
Pac-Man Plus
Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Attack
Hangly Man
Puck Man
Random Mazes

Bob’s collection is about as arcade perfect as can be done on a home system. He even ‘tweaked’ the already pretty awesome Ms. Pac-Man to be even better. The Pac-Man Collection has been one of the best selling carts at AtariAge since Bob put it together. If you have a 7800 you need to have this cart in your collection…don’t hesitate any longer!

Super Pac-Man…

After he released his Pac-Man Collection, Bob turned his attention to creating a version of Super Pac-Man for the 7800. Before I started this thread on Pac-Man games, I really didn’t know much about Super Pac-Man and I don’t remember ever playing it in an arcade. I didn’t know what to expect when I ordered my Super Pac-Man cart from AtariAge, but I have to say that I really like this game. As always, Bob took care to make as accurate a port as possible and his 7800 version is a blast to play. The colors are bright, all of the arcade features are included, and this game provides some variety from the ‘standard’ Pac-Man format. If you are a fan of Super Pac-Man, then this cart should be in your 7800 collection!

Jr. Pac-Man…

This one started out as a fairly elaborate April fool’s joke on the AtariAge forum back in 2009. Bob DeCrescenzo had been working on Jr. Pac-Man and got a few friends to go along with the hoax that a prototype cart of Jr. Pac-Man had been discovered. The joke went pretty well until some discovered Bob’s initials in a line of code.

Jr. Pac-Man for the 7800 is another Bob classic and has become my favorite Pac-Man game. Like the arcade (and unlike the 2600 version), the screen scrolls horizontally, there are six power pills, and the fruits have been changed. As the fruit bounces, it changes the dots into larger, more valuable dots, but can also destroy the power pills. Since this can be happening off-screen, there is some additional strategy to Jr. Pac-Man than other versions.

Jr. Pac-Man is another awesome game and is available on cart from AtariAge.

Thanks to GCC, Curt Vendel, AtariAge and, most importantly, Bob DeCrescenzo, almost every variation of Pac-Man is available to be played on the 7800. I asked Bob which version was his favorite…can you guess what he said? Considering that he goes by the handle ‘PacManPlus’, his answer should be easy to guess!

Pac-Man games
for the 7800

December 30, 2012
by mmervine 1 Comment

Atari 2600 Pac-Man games…

There were three officially released Pac-Man games for the Atari 2600. In this post, I will discuss these as well as some homebrews and hacks. Be sure to read my previous post about the arcade versions of these games.

Pac-Man…

Released by Atari in early 1992, Pac-Man ended up being the best selling game ever for the 2600. It went on to sell more than seven million copies at $37.95. That was a heck of a lot of money back in 1982 and would be more than $80 today. The 2600 version was programmed by Tod Frye who was one of the first Atari programmers to receive royalties. It has been reported that Tod was paid more than $1 million for his efforts. Atari spent more than $1.5 million on advertising and marketing for Pac-Man.

Unfortunately, the game was horrible and it looked nothing like the arcade version. The maze was nothing like the arcade maze and since when did Pac-Man grow an eye? Pac-Man’s orientation doesn’t change when he changes direction and there is a tremendous amount of flicker with the ghosts. Supposedly, there were better prototypes that had been developed, but Atari wanted to squeeze the game onto a 4K cartridge to save money.

Pac-man did sell seven million copies, but Atari had produced twelve million and, after playing the game, many customers returned it for a refund. Thus, Atari ended up with more than five million unsold copies. Unless you need to have this game for some collecting reasons, don’t even waste one dollar of your money on Pac-Man!

Ms. Pac-Man…

Released by Atari less than a year after Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man turned out to be an excellent port to the 2600. Maybe the reason why is that it was actually programmed not by Atari, but by Mike Horowitz and Josh Littlefield of General Computer Corp (GCC). Mike and Josh managed to get pretty close to that arcade experience, given the limitations of the 2600. In fact, they pretty much have it all…four ghosts, bouncing fruit, animated title screen, four different mazes, and Ms. Pac-Man looks like Ms. Pac-Man. There is still some flicker, but much improved over Pac-Man. Ms. Pac-Man uses an 8K cartridge, versus 4K, and it is worth every K!

Ms. Pac-Man belongs in every 2600 collection and is the basis for several hacks.

Jr. Pac-Man…

Developed in 1984, but not released until 1987, Jr. Pac-Man was also programmed for Atari by GCC. This time, Ava-Robin Cohen did the programming and she did an awesome job. Once again, almost all of the arcade features are present in the 2600 version and it is a blast to play. The biggest difference between the arcade and the 2600 version is the scrolling. The 2600 version scrolls vertically, instead of horizontally. Other than that, it is all there…Junior, the ghosts, candies, scrolling screen, etc.!

Pac-Man Arcade…

Using the Ms. Pac-Man code as a starting point, Rob Kudla created the Pac-Man that Atari should have done in 1982. Rob extensively hacked Ms. Pac-Man to create a great version of Pac-Man for the 2600. The mazes, sounds, graphics, and gameplay are all much closer to the arcade than Atari’s original version. Photos of the game and several review comments are posted, so be sure to check out AtariAge to learn more about Pac-Man Arcade.

Pac-Man Plus…

Using Rob Kudla’s Pac-Man Arcade as a starting point, Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo did some additional hacks to create a ‘plus’ version of Pac-Man. Bob changed the mazes to be green, changed the ghosts to have leafs on their heads, and changed the fruits to match the bonus items in the arcade version. I don’t think that this variation has been made available on a cart, so you will need a multi-cart or emulator to play to version of Pac-Man Plus.

Pac-Man 4K…

Dennis Debro set out to make a 2600 Pac-Mac version, as close to the arcade as possible, using only a 4K cartridge. Recently his Pac-Man 4K has become available from the AtariAge store. For a 4K effort, Dennis has done an amazing job. The maze, graphics, and gameplay are just about as close as you can get to the arcade, especially given the 4K size of the game. My only feedback is about the amount of flicker for Pac-Man and the ghosts. Photos and a video of Pac-Man 4K are posted at AtariAge, so go check them out. Flicker aside, Dennis has shown what Atari could have done with a 4K limit for Pac-Man!

Hack’em/Hangly Man…

At one point, the folks at Ebivision had developed a Pac-Man game for the 2600. Due to licensing issues, they instead turned it into Pesco. Nukey Shay took their original Pac-man code and has made many changes and updates to create one darn good Pac-Man for the 2600. He has even included the Plus mode and is working on a Ms. Pac-Man game as well. To read more about his efforts, see his thread at AtariAge.

There have been plenty more hacks of Pac-Man games for the 2600, but I have tried to cover the most significant ones. This actually took a lot more time and research than I thought it would! Next up…Pac-Man games for the Atari 7800…for now, I need to go play some Pac-Man!!!

Pac-Man for the 2600

December 22, 2012
by mmervine Leave a comment

Galaxian and Galaga…

Galaxian…

Galaxian is an arcade game developed by Namco in 1979 and released in the United States by Midway. Galaxian was intended to capitalize on the popularity of Taito’s Space Invaders and was also a fixed, space shooter game. It differed from Space Invaders in that it was a RGB color game and the aliens would break away from formation and ‘dive bomb’ your ship. The RGB color screen with multi-color sprites and scrolling star background was considered ‘ground breaking’ for 1979. The Galaxian arcade units were powered by a Z80 CPU and the game was ported to nearly every home console of the era, including the Atari 2600 and 5200, and the Colecovision.

Galaxian at Funspot

Galaga…

Namco followed up Galaxian with 1981’s Galaga. Galaga was similar to Galaxian, but added some new features such as additional alien flying patterns and ‘challenging stages’, which occur periodically during the game. They also added the ‘tractor beam’ where your ship can be captured. This adds a cool twist to the game as, if you have additional lives, you can kill the alien to get your ship back and it will attach to your current ship to give you double the fire power. With more complicated alien movements, Galaga arcade units used three Z80 CPU’s and two sound generators. Galaga was a smash hit for Namco and ported to a number of home consoles including the NES and the Atari 7800.

In 1983, Atari released Galaxian for the 2600. The 2600 version was a pretty good port, given the hardware limitations of the VCS. The one thing that bugs me about the 2600 port, is the crazy yellow borders; I am not sure what Atari was thinking with these. Fortunately, more than one gamer has ‘hacked’ Galaxian to improve the appearance of the game. Jess Ragan’s Galaxian Arcade improves both movement and graphics to be much closer to the arcade version. Nukey and KevinMos3 have teamed up to produce an even more arcade perfect version of Galaxian for the 2600. You can check out both of these versions at AtariAge.

5200 owners were not left out as Atari developed a pretty good port of Galaxian as one of the release games for the 5200. The 5200 version doesn’t have any of the cool start screens of the arcade, but the graphics and game play are well done. Given that the 5200 has a Pokey chip for 4 channel sound, the sounds could have been programmed to be closer to the arcade, but it is still a fun game to play. If you have a good joystick, you will not have any control issues with Galaxian, but this version also supports the 5200 Trak-ball. I have played Galaxian with both the standard 5200 joystick and a Trak-ball and it is fun to play either way.

Galxian was not ported to the 7800, but Galaga was one of the first dozen release titles for the 7800. Like many of the early release games for the 7800, it was programmed by General Computer Corporation. Galaga for the 7800 was positively received by many, but panned by others as not being arcade perfect. Comparing the 7800 version to the arcade version reveals differences, but none that detract from the game play. In fact, Galaga is one of my favorite games for the 7800 and is a pretty awesome port when you take into account that compromises had to be made as the arcade units had three CPU’s versus one for the 7800. Galaga utilizes a single fire button, so you can play it with your CX40 or Flashback joysticks.

If you have a 2600, then you should pick a copy of Galaxian or Galaxian Arcade. If you have a 7800, you should pick up both Galaxian and Galaga. Also, no 5200 owner should be without a copy of Galaxian in their collection. Since millions of copies of Galaxian and Galaga were produced, they are easy to find and are still readily available for purchase at relatively low prices!

Wild for Galaxian!

December 16, 2012
by mmervine Leave a comment

Scramble…

Scramble is a video game developed by Konami in 1981 and distributed in the United States by Stern. It is a side scrolling ‘shoot ‘em up’ with outstanding graphics and game play. In Scramble, you control an aircraft with the goal of getting as far into the Scramble system as possible. In addition to controlling the movements of the aircraft, you must also use your guns and bombs to destroy rockets, UFO’s, and fuel tanks. You must keep an eye on your own fuel and destroy a fuel tank to increase your fuel level.

In Scramble the terrain is constantly changing and you must fight your way through six stages:

Stage 1: Launching Rockets
Stage 2: UFO’s
Stage 3: Meteors
Stage 4: Launching Rockets from tall buildings
Stage 5: Mazes
Stage 6: Base

The Scramble arcade units were powered by two Z80 CPU’s and two AY-3-8910 sound generators. It was ported to the Commodore 64, Vic 20, and Vectrex, but not to any Atari systems. Scramble was succeeded by ‘Super Cobra’ which was ported to the Atari 2600, 5200, and 8-bit systems.

Thanks to Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo, it is now possible to play Scramble on the Atari 7800. Bob started his work on Scramble in late 2011 and completed it in March of this year. Bob had made a few cartridges for AtariAge forum members and now Scramble is available for order from the AtariAge store.

Bob referenced the original arcade ROM’s to produce as faithful of a port as possible. Comparing Bob’s Scramble to the arcade version, shows his typical attention to detail. Given that the 7800 only has a single CPU and limited sound, Scramble for the 7800 is amazingly close to the arcade version. My only comment about Scramble is that the game has some bright colors and some of them ‘saturate’ on my 7800. I have tried Scramble on two different systems with the same result. The color ‘saturation’ seems to only affect the lower portion of the screen and does not have any impact on game play.

In an earlier post, I discussed controllers for the 7800. In order to control the guns and bombs, a two button controller is a must. When I play Scramble, I prefer my modded CX24’s. Scramble is a fun game, but it takes a lot of practice to get good at it. Bob has built in three difficulty levels into the 7800 version which will keep you coming back for more. Scramble is a unique side scroller for the 7800 which not only pushes the system to its limits, but, also, shows what a great home arcade system it is! Once again, Bob has ‘knocked it out of the park’ with Scramble…another must have for your 7800!!!

Wild for Scramble!

December 8, 2012
by mmervine Leave a comment

Atari Flashback 4…a second look!

I have had my Atari Flashback 4 for a few weeks now. I posted a review on this unit a couple of weeks ago, but though it was time to post some additional insight…

Let me start with the wireless controllers. As I stated in my first post, these are infrared and require a line of sight to the base unit. I continue to read posts on forums that bemoan infrared controllers, but I wonder if they have actually tried a Flashback 4. Yes, you need a line of sight, but I really like these controllers. They have a good feel to them and work well with no lag. The new wireless controllers are one of the selling points of the Flashback 4 versus previous units.

The second thing that hard core gamers complain about is that these systems use emulation. In the case of the Flashback 4, the system actually runs on an ARM processor. In the past these emulations were a little glitchy, but AtGames seems to have gotten it right with the Flashback 4.

With 75 games included on the Flashback 4, it is worth reviewing my top ten:

Asteroids-an absolute Atari classic! Asteroids plays just as I remember it back in the days that I had a 2600. The 2600 version was not arcade perfect, but was a blast to play and it still is on the Flashback 4. If anything, Asteroids plays a little better as there is almost no flicker in this version.

Battlezone-the arcade version had vector graphics, but I always liked the colors in the 2600 version. This game gets real hard after a few rounds and will keep you coming back for more. Still a blast to play and well implemented on the Flashback 4.

Fatal Run-this game was developed late in the life cycle of the 2600 and was only released in Europe. Needless to say, this is a game that I hadn’t played before. I used to really like driving games like Pole Position and Enduro, so that is probably why I like Fatal Run and it is neat that it is included on the Flashback 4. Follow this link to read more about Fatal Run and also, see AtariAge for a copy of the manual.

Gravitar-here is great game that I did not have for my 2600 back in the day. Gravitar has good graphics and great game play. This is not an easy game, so it should hold your attention for hours. See if you can protect your galaxy from the evil Gravitar!

Jungle Hunt-a 2600 classic that is well executed! It plays just as it should on the Flashback 4 with outstanding graphics and gameplay. You will have hours of fun with Sir Dudley and his jungle adventures!

Missile Command-another all time Atari classic! This is one of my favorite 2600 games and looks and plays great on the Flashback 4. I would probably be rich had I not spent so much time playing Missile Command!

Space Invaders-as I mentioned in my previous blog, AtGames included a new version of Space Invaders that looks almost arcade perfect. I wish that they had also included the original 2600 version, but this version is lots of fun to play and looks great. It is a little too easy, so I always start my games on the 3rd or 4th level.

Super Breakout-I have always enjoyed paddle games. I am not particularly good at them, but they provide a nice relief from the ‘standard fare’. Super Breakout is a simple game, but is still a lot of fun to play. You need to get a set of paddles to really enjoy this game, so it is nice that the Flashback 4 supports them!

Warlords-you need a set of paddles to play Warlords, but they are worth the investment. The paddle input is converted from analog to digital, so they have a different feel than ‘normal’, but you will adjust quickly. Warlords is just as much fun to play now as it was thirty years ago!

Yar’s Revenge-this was an original game developed for the 2600 and is a nice addition to the Flashback 4. So many 2600 games were conversions of arcade classics that struggled with execution on the VCS’ limited hardware. Yar’s Revenge provided a refreshing new game and is a still blast to play!

In addition to my top ten games, I would like to highlight a couple of others. Both Saboteur and Save Mary were prototype games that were not released when the 2600 was in production. I haven’t played either of these games enough for them to make my top ten list, but they are great additions to the Flashback 4 system.

Other great games on the Flashback 4 are Combat, Centipede, Off the Wall, Polaris, Pong, and Video Pinball.

Upon a second look, I still highly recommend the Flashback 4. The emulation and the wireless controllers are a dramatic improvement over the previous edition. If you are looking for some Atari fun at low price, you really can’t go wrong!

December 5, 2012
by mmervine Leave a comment

Taking care of your game carts…

Cleaning your carts…

I had mentioned in a previous blog that I had purchased a number of my game carts second hand. Early 2600 and 7800 game carts had a dusk cover mechanism which protected the carts from the elements pretty well. Later 2600 and most 7800 game carts do not have this dust cover mechanism. Thus, many second hand carts will be pretty dusty and dirty. Not only will this have the potential for the cart to not make good electrical contact; this dust and dirt can get down into your game system. The simplest and most effective way to clean your carts is with isopropyl alchohol and a good quality cotton swab. It is important to have a good quality swap so that the cotton doesn’t come off and get stuck on the cartridge contacts. Cotton swaps are cheap, so don’t be afraid to use more than one to make sure that you have removed as much dust and dirt from your carts as possible. Also, be sure that the cart is dry before you insert it into your game system. The alcohol will evaporate pretty quickly, so you don’t really need to dry the cart off. Just wait a few minutes and you should be all set. Once you clean your carts, you are going to want to keep them clean, so see below for a storage tip!

Wild for Cart Cleaning!

Storing your carts…

Although game carts for retro game systems are relatively cheap, if you build up a large enough collection, the total value can start to add up to some significant $$$. After you have more than a handful of carts, you are going to want to have some way to safely store them. I looked on-line for cart storage systems and, since it has been many years since these systems have been manufactured, asking prices are pretty crazy. I think that I have come up with a pretty clever and simple solution. At a local discount store, I was able to find small plastic storage bins that were the perfect size to store 24-25 carts side by side. These bins are pretty inexpensive; in fact, I paid less than three dollars each for my bins. I also picked up a couple of extras of these bins to store my game controllers. They are also great for transporting your carts, if you want to head over to a friend’s house to play some video games. If your carts are just laying around loose, show them that you care for them and get them a new home!

Wild for Cheap Cart Storage!

December 1, 2012
by mmervine 3 Comments

Sega Genesis Classic Game Console…a review

Up until now, all of my blogging has been about Atari 8-bit systems, but I also want to cover other retro game systems in this blog. One of the most popular 16-bit systems was the Sega Genesis. The Genesis was originally released in 1988 and, almost singlehandedly, caused the end of the 8-bit era. Sega sold more than forty million Genesis base consoles between 1988 and 1997. Outside of the US, the Genesis was known as the ’Mega Drive’. The top selling game for the Genesis was ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’, which also became the ‘pack in’ game for systems sold in the US, starting in 1991.

Recently, I picked up the new Sega Genesis Classic Game Console from AtGames. The system includes 80 built in games, but only 40 of these are ‘original’ Sega games. With that being said, some all-time Sega classics are included on this system such as: Altered Beast, Ecco, Golden Axe, Jewel Master, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Streets of Rage. Additional versions of these classics are also built in including Ecco II, Golden Axe II, and Sonic II.

I haven’t had the time to play all of the games on this system, but the ones that I have tried, seem to play as Sega originally intended. Like the Atari Flashback 4, all games run in emulation on an ARM based CPU. The emulation seems to be very well executed on this incarnation of the system. I am not as familiar with Sega games as I am with Atari games, but I didn’t notice any significant play or sound issues. In my opinion, the emulation is nicely done and will satisfy all but the hard core Sega Genesis gamers.

Like the Atari Flashback 4, AtGames includes two wireless controllers. These ’six button’ controllers are infrared based and required a line of sight to the base system, but seem to work really well. The controllers take two AAA batteries each and have a cool auto off feature, so that you can’t accidently leave them on. There are also two ports included if you prefer to use wired controllers, but I think that you will really enjoy having wireless controllers.

The biggest difference between this system and the Atari Flashback 4 is the inclusion of a cartridge port. This allows you to play almost any Sega Genesis cartridge based game. When the cartridge is inserted, the system simply boots to that game. When there is no cartridge in the system, it boots to the internal game menu. I played Madden ’97 for over an hour and was not able to detect any issues or ‘glitches’ in the game play.

Hard core gamers seem to be opposed to these ‘flashback’ type systems. In some of the earlier versions of these systems, the emulation was a little ‘glitchy’, but seems well executed in this version. I was able to buy my system at a local retailer for under $30. For a base system, 40 classic Sega Genesis games, and wireless controllers, I think it represents an incredible value. Having a cartridge slot and being able to play hundreds of additional games is a real added plus. If you are a fan of the Sega Genesis and are looking for some retro game fun at a great price, get yourself a Sega Genesis Classic Game Console!

Wild for Sega!

November 29, 2012
by mmervine Leave a comment

My top Homebrews and Hacks for the Atari 2600…

I thought that this was going to be easier than it turned out to be, but there are so many great homebrews and hacks for the 2600. I am sure that I have missed some great games, but here is my current list…

Berzerk VE– An extensive hack of Berzerk to improve some of the graphics and add voice similar to the arcade. It is a blast to start this game and hear “intruder alert!”. Mike Mika did a masterful job in taking a great game and making it even better!

Chetiry– An original game just released for the 2600. Finally, there is a Tetris like game for Atari! This game takes advantage of a special edition of the Melody board. Chris Walton, Zach Matley, Nathan Scrum, and Fred Quimby teamed up for a really cool game with outstanding graphics, music, and, believe it or not, high score keeping. Don’t miss this one!

Defender Arcade– An extensive hack of Stargate to create the version of defender that Atari should have done from the outset. This game is so good that you will forget that you are playing it on a 2600. Another must have from Bob ‘PacManPlus’ DeCrescenzo. Grab a friend to manage the special features controlled by the second joystick!

Juno First– An awesome game by Chris Walton. Juno First pushes the limits of the 2600 and has awesome graphics and outstanding gameplay. Not an easy game, but a blast to play. If you like space shooters, this is another must have for your 2600 collection!

Galaxian Arcade– An extensive hack of Galaxian to improve the graphics and eliminate the crazy yellow borders. Jess Ragan did a nice job of making a good game into a great game. I really enjoy playing Galaxian Arcade for the 2600!

Medieval Mayhem– If you like Warlords, you are going to love Medieval Mayhem. This game by Darrell Spice Jr. features a great graphics, great sound, and menu selection for game options. All you need to do is watch the start of this game and you will know that it is something special!

Pac-man Arcade– Rob Kudla did an extensive hack of Ms. Pac-man to create a much improved version of Pac-man for the 2600. Rob’s version is what Atari should have been able to release for the 2600 and should not be missed. If you are a Pac-man fan, you might also want to try the new Pac-man 4K. I haven’t played 4K yet, but it looks to be even better than Arcade.

Space Invaders Arcade– Rob Kudla is back at it with a hack of Space Invaders to make the already good 2600 version even better. Rob improved the sound, colors, and graphics to make this version closer to the real deal. If you like Space Invaders, give Rob’s version a try…you will not be disappointed!

Seawolf– Similar to the arcade game with the same name, Seawolf is a blast to play. The game play is simple, but it is so much fun. Manuel Rotschkar did an awesome job with the graphics and game play. This game belongs in every 2600 collection!

Thrust+ PE– Considered by many to be the best homebrew for the 2600, this is the latest version of Thomas Jentzsch’s masterpiece of programming. Thrust has been updated to be able to use a variety of controllers. Thrust features great game play and graphics. It is not an easy game, but it will keep you coming back for more!

And here is a bonus game that will be released soon…

Space Rocks– An awesome new game from Darrell Spice Jr. The best way to describe this game is Asteroids Deluxe for the 2600. Space Rocks takes full advantage of the ARM CPU and memory on the Melody board to create one of the most advanced games ever for the 2600. Be sure to keep an eye out at AtariAge for the release of this awesome new game!

Of all of these great games, I really have to call out Chetiry and Space Rocks as they push the 2600 in ways that could not have been imagined until now. They both take advantage of the capabilities of the Melody board, in different ways, to produce games that would have been impossible just a couple of years ago.

Check out all of these great homebrews and hacks at AtariAge as well as many others!

November 24, 2012
by mmervine Leave a comment

My top Atari 2600 games…part two

Here is the second half of my list of favorite Atari 2600 games. How about you…any games that you really like that are not on this list? Send me your comments!

Kaboom by Activison- A great game for paddle controllers and one of my favorite game for the 2600. Kaboom has a pretty simple premise…catch the bombs before they hit the ground. In each round, the Mad Bomber gets faster and faster. Despite being such a simple game, there is some strategy involved and it is a great party game!

Midnight Magic by Atari-If you like pinball games, then Midnight Magic is a must have for your collection. The graphics are great and it plays like a real pinball machine. Midnight Magic is much improved over Video Pinball and is lots of fun to play.

Missile Command by Atari- Missile Command for the 2600 only has a single missile battery and simplified graphics, but is still a blast to play. Missile Command is another game that I have played for hours and hours and belongs in every Atari Collection.

Ms. Pac-man by Atari- Pac-man was Atari’s best selling game for the 2600, but a real disappointment to gamers. Ms. Pac-man was a dramatic improvement over Pac-man; it featured better graphics and better gameplay. Skip Pac-man and pick up a copy of Ms Pac-man instead!

Pitfall/Pitfall II by Activison- Ok, I cheated here and included both Pitfall and Pitfall II as one. Pitfall was Activision’s best selling game for the 2600 and sold over four million copies. Developed by David Crane, Pitfall was an incredible programming feat. David managed to program an awesome game with non-flickering, multi-color sprites, and 256 screens in only 4K! Pitfall is a must have!!!

River Raid by Activison- Programmed by Carol Shaw, River Raid was one of the first vertical scrolling games for the 2600. In River Raid, you must fly your jet and attack a variety of targets. Periodically, you must refuel and you must also maneuver to avoid the river band. River Raid is one of the all time classics for the 2600.

Space Invaders by Atari- Space Invaders for the 2600 was a smash hit and the first video game to sell over a million copies. It is credited with dramatically increasing sales of 2600 consoles and, while simplified, is every bit as fun as the arcade version. See more about Space Invaders in October 20^th post.

Super Breakout by Atari- Super Breakout improved on Breakout, but retained the simple, but fun, game play. I always liked paddle games, probably as they provided some much needed variety. After all these years, Super Breakout is still worthy of a home in any 2600 collection.

Warlords by Atari- Warlords is another paddle game in my top 20 and, probably, the best of the bunch. If you had a second set of paddles, four people could play at the same time. This made Warlords the ultimate party game and I remember playing it whenever a group of friends would come over.

Yars’ Revenge by Atari- Yar’s Revenge was one of Atari’s best selling titles for the 2600. Yar’s Revenge was programmed by Howard Scott Warshaw and was named for Atari CEO Ray Kassar. In an era of arcade conversions, Yar’s Revenge is a refreshing, original game that is blast to play. Make sure that you add a copy of this game to your 2600 collection!

Retro Game Guy

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