RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.




Posted on May 30th 2020 at 12:00:00 PM by (Duke0619)
Posted under H.E.R.O Atari 2600, Atari, 2600, H.E.R.O., HERO,


I have always referred to H.E.R.O. as my favorite Atari 2600 game. It's a game I had as a child and have often hailed its theme and gameplay as masterful.  But one little thing had always bothered me about H.E.R.O. - I had never beaten it!  Going back and finally mastering games I played as a kid has become quite the adventure for me. There's something dramatically satisfying about combining the nostalgia driven experience of replaying a game from childhood with the brand new experience of finally beating it. It's like creating a portal between two worlds; like somehow magically connecting my past with the present.  And it's a really special thing when there happens to be a game that you tout as your favorite, but still haven't completed yet. The list of games that fall into this category is obviously finite, and I cherish the opportunities that I have to venture into that realm and overcome a challenge that has eluded me for decades.  In fact,  I cherish them so much that I like to document them.  Here is my three part video series where I put on my laser helmet, strap on my Prop-Pack, and attempt to finally save all of the trapped miners in my favorite Atari game of all time.


Continue reading H.E.R.O. A Whirl to Win



Posted on Jul 30th 2019 at 12:00:00 PM by (Duke0619)
Posted under Pitfall, Atari 2600, 2600, Atari, Pitfall!


Anyone in the RF Generation community, or anyone even remotely familiar with 80s pop culture is sure to have heard of an Atari game called Pitfall!.  You know, Its the one where you swing on a vine over the alligators. The one that makes that funny sound when you touch the logs... the game that made David Crane a household name. Yes, Im sure you have all heard of Pitfall!. But did you know that you could beat it?  Well, I sure didnt, until recently that is. 


Continue reading Pitfall! The Path To Perfection



Posted on Mar 30th 2017 at 12:00:00 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under 2600, Bobby is Going Home, Review, Brazilian, CCE, Atari


My favorite cartridge label for this game, since it best sums up the chaos within.

SPECS:
Game:  Bobby Is Going Home
Genre: Platformer
Year: 1983
Publisher:  CCE/Taiwan Cooper
Developer: Bit Corporation
Rarity (according to AtariAge):  Undetermined
Controls:  Joystick
Number of Players:  1 player
Average Cost:  approx. $5 - $15+ (depending on label variation)
Also Available On:   Only for the Atari 2600 or similar VCS consoles

Tagline/Description: "Bobby feels that the world is so beautiful. He feels his life [is] perfect. But this day as he [is] going home, he meets many strange troubles."

Just over two years ago, I wrote an article about how my Atari 2600 collecting had branched out of North America and into Brazil.  To summarize, there are several Brazilian 2600 titles that were not released in North America, but are playable on NTSC based systems. Of the handful of games that I have acquired, one of my favorites is a little 2-D platformer called Bobby Is Going Home.  Let's take a look!


Continue reading Banana's Rotten Reviews: Bobby Is Going Home



Posted on Aug 21st 2014 at 01:45:28 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under M.A.D., Atari, 2600, US Games, value, 2 player


SPECS:
Game:  M.A.D.
Genre: Shooter
Year: 1982
Publisher:  U.S. Games
Developer:  Western Technologies, Inc.
Rarity (according to AtariAge):  4 = Scarce+
Controls:  Joystick
Number of Players:  1 player (against computer) & 2 player (head-to-head)
Average Cost:  approx. $2 - $5 loose
Also Available On:   Only available on the Atari 2600

Tagline/Description: "Defend your future civilization's energy supply against waves of devious attack missiles. Your energy stations stand vulnerable...use your ground based Photon cannon and pit yourself against computer controlled missiles; or, let another player guide the missiles, and do battle head to head. Each wave of missiles becomes more aggressive and intense. Grab your controller and prepare for a furious battle."


Continue reading Banana's Rotten Reviews: M.A.D.



Posted on Jun 6th 2014 at 06:44:50 AM by (Boshamp)
Posted under Collecting, Atari, Craigslist, 2600

My wife found this box online on a craigslist type posting site for 15 bucks. The colors and switches are as I remember them from my childhood, but I don't remember being able to see the green of the actual circuitry behind the game slot, and it seems super light, so I am not sure if it is an original 2600 or a repro.
Also, these games seem super common, but the shape of the Riddle of the Sphinx cart is not like anything I have seen before. The blue cases were with four of the games and from somewhere that used to rent out these games just a few blocks from where I grew up. The cases seem to be modified VHS tape cases fixed to hold Atari carts. Not sure how rare or hard to find the manuals and warranty cards for 2600 stuff are to find, but they were included in pretty good shape, and I couldn't be happier about that. Smiley



















Posted on May 15th 2014 at 06:01:24 PM by (Zagnorch)
Posted under ds, psp, atari, 2600, jr., 3ds, korea

SEVEN-DAY SCORE CARD:
HARDCORE HANDHELD HARDWARE HAVOC AND THE GREAT RETRO GAMBLE

Week of 4 May to 10 May 2014


No big blustery fanfare this week; let's just get right down to it.


Sunday 4 May & Monday 5 May: I started the week with a meal-break run to my workplace Goodwill, which yielded a crimson DS Lite with charger along with Mario Kart 8, Pokemon SoulSilver, New Super Mario Bros., Nintendogs Lab & Friends, Lego Star Wars, and Lego Batman, for $19.99 all told.

More handheld hardware fell into my... um, hands the following day as I hit the local Savers and grabbed a loose PSP with Lumines UMD for $19.99, along with a Mattel Hockey handheld for $2.99. Also found was a CIB Metroid Prime 3 for $2.99.




But if you think the first two days had impressive handheld hardware scores, just you wait...



Tuesday 6 May:: This was the day for $1.99 CIB PC game pickups, as I grabbed Giants: Citizen Kabuto, KKND X-Treme, and a sealed LucasArts Archives release of Star Wars Force Commander. The latter pickup was especially odd, seeing as how I just got the original version at the same Savers the week before...

I also discovered a sealed Wheel of Fortune TV Games plug-and-play dealie for $3.99. Then there were the four books for $10: strats for Mass Effect 3, Halo Wars, and a limited-edition Final Fantasy XII, along with The Making of DOOM 3.





Wednesday 7 May & Thursday 8 May: After taking a breather on Wednesday, I resumed the hunt and discovered a Special Edition copy of Perfect Dark Zero for $3.95, CIB Borderlands 2 for $1.99, CIB Thunder Strike: Operation Phoenix for $3.99, and a Sega Genesis Super Pad for $4.99.





Friday 9 May:  A lunch break trip to my fave Goodwill yielded a black 3DS with charger for $69.99, and a Korean Onyx DS Lite for $13.49. Also included with each handheld was a flash drive card and Micro SD card.






Saturday 10 May: It was back to my fave Goodwill, where I took a big risk on this grab that I teased on Small Scores a few days ago:




At a penny under $70 and non-returnable, it's the biggest thrifting gamble I've made this year.




And now, the full reveal...




...a compact junior-sized Atari 2600 with three joysticks, AV cord, and twelve game carts.

While I felt the asking price was fairly high, I'd just gotten my state tax refund check the day before, and I figured why not treat myself. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that all twelve games in the bundle were not in my collection previously, not even Centipede, Dig Dug, or Ms. Pac-Man. I coulda sworn I had Pole Position, but after checking my collection page before updating it... um, nope. So if nothing else, at least I significantly expanded my personal library of 2600 carts.




Now you probably noticed that this bundle of retro madness was held together with packing tape... which kinda sucked. The tape was so sticky that my initial attempts to remove it from the paper labels on the console and cartridge end labels didn't go over too well:





So I decided to quit before I did more damage, grabbed an X-Acto blade, and carefully cut around the edges of the labels that got taped.




BTW does anybody know if the plastic covering the rainbow part of the console is lamination, or just a protective plastic film to be removed by the user? 'Cuz I've got some major bubbling action goin' on, and it's not very attractive:




And now the million-dollar question minus $999,930.01: does it actually work?
You'll find out soon enough... evilhappy


NON-VIDYA BONANZA: It's the usual suspects again; I just hope Mr. Nupoile can practice some self-control this week...



Hawt.


-   TI-82, TI-83, and TI-83 Plus graphing calculators, $9.00 for all
-   HDMI cable, $2.99
-   Electronic talking pokedex thingy, $2.49


Well, that's about it for now. But before I go, please note that there will be no Seven-Day Score Card blog next week. Instead, a tribute to one of the greatest masterpieces in cinematic history-- and some of the video games it inspired-- will be presented. Be sure to check it out, and I'll see you again in two weeks with a double-sized episode of Seven Fourteen-Day Score Card, only on the RFG Network!


Byee



Posted on Oct 4th 2011 at 01:06:37 AM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, 2600, Phoenix, October, Challenge, Monthly

I recently found and sent CrabMaster2000 a power adapter for his Atari 2600 so that could finally fire it up and join me in some retro gaming.  Before I sent it, we talked about playing against each other for high score once it arrived.  Well, it arrived today and I looked over his list of games to determine what we would play first.  I have decided on Phoenix as the first game.  After thinking about it (for oh, let's say 5 minutes), I decided to blog about this challenge and open it up for anyone on RFGen who is game.  Scores can be posted as responses to this blog.  Of course we are going by the honor system here, so please, no made up scores or other forms of cheating.  The challenge will run until the end of the month, October 31 at midnight.  Hopefully, we will have enough participants and be able to make this a monthly event.  Good luck!   





Posted on May 30th 2011 at 01:16:11 PM by (NESman93)
Posted under Gaming, History, NES, Genesis, 2600, Atari, SNES, Sega, Nintendo

I sit here in my room, on my bed, with my trusty 'ol NES fired up and a game of Super Mario Bros. going.  As all of this is happening, I can't help but begin to feel a bit nostalgic.  I all of a sudden realized that I have owned my NES since right before I started high school. I graduated last Friday.  Where the hell has the time gone?  All of this makes me reflect upon my gaming past.  And if you'll indulge me, I'd like to sit here and give you a short history.

When I was just a young lil NESman, (Before I actually ever played an NES, so I was more of a lil SNESman, but I digress), I loved video games.  For the longest time, we owned no video games in our house, save maybe those little childish, yet awesome, LCD games.  However, we did have access to a Sega Genesis over at my grandmother's house, so we played that when we could.  Soon after that, we finally got a SNES in our house!!!  Even after that, because we didn't have many games, I continued to play the Genesis (Lay off! They had both Sonic and Sonic 2, what more could you want?!). 

Well, as time went on, I finally got my very own system that I could call mine when I was six.  On my sixth birthday, I got a Sega Genesis 3.  Well, then I ended up finally getting a Playstation, then a PS2, about 2 years ago. 

I have acquired these classic games of the last 4 or so years, except for the Genesis model 2 and 3 that are the self same ones that I've owned since I was but a lad.

I know this was probably a total waste of my time and your time, but I felt the need to do it.  It's weird to sit and play a game and have it make me look back and reflect. However, since I have graduated high school and am going off to college in the fall, I have to look back and realize how fun a time I had with all of these video games.  Chances are, I'll never let them go. 



Posted on Feb 15th 2011 at 10:00:00 AM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Vanguard, Retro Gaming, 2600, Classic Gaming

VANGUARD



SPECS:

Game:  Vanguard
Year:  1982
Publisher:  Atari, Inc.
Developer:  SNK Corporation
Designer(s)/Programmer: David W. Payne
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 2 = common+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost:  $.50 - $2 loose, under $10 CIB
Also Available On:  Atari 5200, originally an arcade coin-op (Vanguard II later released, arcade only).

Tagline/Description:  "Join the Vanguard expedition on a thrilling space odyssey.  Through perilous tunnels you will fight your way to the fabulous City of Mystery and the great Gond."

Vanguard is a vertical and side-scrolling cave shooter for the Atari 2600. Your goal is to pilot your spaceship to the City of Mystery, which is located at the end of a heavily guarded tunnel, to battle the creature Gond. Your spaceship is equipped with lasers that can fire in four different directions, however your speed is decreased when firing. You will also need to keep an eye on your fuel gauge, a solid bar, located at the bottom of your screen.  Your fuel depletes at a rapid rate, and your ship will crash if it runs out; fuel is replenished by destroying enemies.  The tunnel is broken up into several different zones, called the mountain zone, rainbow zone, stick zone, stripe zone, bleak zone, and City of Mystery. Each zone features a variety of enemy spaceships to dispatch and earn points.  In the mountain and stripe zones, you will come across energy pods marked with an 'E'.  When you pilot through these pods, your ship temporarily becomes invincible to the deadly cave walls and enemies which are trying to stop you.  When you finally make it through all the various zones of the tunnel and defeat Gond, the game will repeat at a more difficult skill level.

Early 80's Atari commercial for Vanguard.  Every good video gaming home needs a Luther.


What makes Vanguard such a great game for the 2600 is it's concept.  As many of you already know, the majority of games produced for the Atari system (besides sports titles) have no real ending and were primarily points based.  Vanguard not only allowed the player to accumulate points, but also had one of the earliest defined endings in a video game, which also incorporated a boss.  Though Gond, the overlord of the City of Mystery, is a one-shot pushover, the ultimate goal and challenge of Vanguard is to successfully navigate the tunnel and make it to the boss.  Modern day gamers might be disappointed at such a lackluster boss battle.  However, and I speak as someone who grew up on the 2600, because I grew up with no preconceived expectations of what a "boss battle" was, this ending was quite epic.   

The fierce and all-powerful GOND!!!! (insert sarcasm here)


Vanguard is not the easiest game to finish and since the game repeats at a much quicker and more difficult skill level, one could argue that there is no strictly defined ending.  Before battling Gond, you must navigate through seven (7) zones (the rainbow zone is repeated a few times).  There are always a plethora of enemies on the screen: ones that shoot back at you, as well as those that attempt to ram your spaceship.  The developers of Vanguard made sure that players are never comfortable for long within the tunnel; in some zones, you travel from left to right, while at other times the game becomes a vertical shooter in which you must navigate from down to up, or up to down.  Since the game is a 4-way, multi-directional shooter, players must make full use of the joystick and fire button, since enemies approach from all directions.  Areas within the cavern can get very tight on occasion and my only complaint with the controls is that your ship may move slightly when trying to direct your fire with the joystick.  Since Atari controls are typically very stiff anyway, attempting to fire in a specific direction can cause you to lose control of your ship and plow into an enemy.       

Though the handling can be a little frustrating at times, Vanguard is an excellent port for the Atari 2600.  The graphics are superb under such limitations and the exceedingly vibrant use of color creates an other worldly atmosphere.  Though Vanguard lacks a soundtrack, it's omission is masked by the constant zinging of lasers and exploding enemy starcrafts.  The lone piece of music in the game occurs upon collecting an energy pod.  Fans of 1980's "Flash Gordon" and/or Queen may recognize a familiar tune entitled  "Vultan's Theme: Attack of the Hawkman" (http://www.the-top-tens.c...s-theme-attack-197148.asp).  Some dispute their similarities, but it's quite hard to brush it off as coincidence. 

Vanguard is one of a handful of tight scrolling shooters for the 2600, similar to Fantastic Voyage and Super Cobra (a Scrabble clone).  If you are a fan of early shmups, this title can easily be picked up at a great price either individually or in a large lot of 2600 commons.



**video courtesy of googoo11672

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 3
Graphics: 4
Sound Effects/Music: 3
Concept: 4
Replay Value: 3
Cart/Box Art:  2
Overall Score: 3.17




Posted on Feb 2nd 2011 at 10:00:00 AM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Tapper, 2600, Game Review, Classic Gaming

TAPPER



Specs:

Game:  Tapper
Year:  1984
Publisher:  Sega
Developer: Bally-Midway Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Designer(s): Marvin Glass
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 6 = rare+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost: currently, usually $10 - $30 loose, depending on condition
Also Available On: Arcade cabinet, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, PC, Mobile phone, Xbox 360 (XBLA); also released in the compilation "Midway Arcade Treasures" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and the PC.

Tagline/Description:
"Side-splitting, soda-flinging laughs and spills!
The Official Home Version of Bally/Midway's Arcade Sensation. 
Five belly-busting screens of Soda Fountain Fun, including:
-- Four mad-capped barrooms of soda-starved, clamoring cowboys, sports fans, punks, and space creatures.
-- Plus a head-spinning Soda Bandit Bonus Round
Awesome color-packed action graphics.
Just try to keep your cool as hot-headed, crazy customers blitz your bar for another cold one."

In Tapper, you control a beer tapper (bartender) and have to serve beer to demanding customers. Customers shuffle up the four bars toward your beer taps and you must slide them drinks in order to keep them satisfied and make them go away.  You start out with 5 lives and these lives are lost as follows:  (1) if a bar patron reaches the end of the bar without receiving their beer, (2) if you slide an extra beer when there is no customer and accidentally spill beer needlessly, and (3) if a patron throws you back an empty mug and you fail to catch it.  You can score additional points by competing in a bonus round between every few stages.  In these bonus rounds, a masked bandit creeps into the bar and shakes up all but one, of six available cans.  The cans then flip around in a shell-game fashion and you must keep your eye on the one that was not shaken.  You then select the can you deem undisturbed and the bartender opens it; if you are correct, you are awarded bonus points, if you are wrong, the tapper receives a heady bath.

Tapper was originally a coin-op machine marketed in conjunction with Budweiser and intended to be sold only to bars; many of the cabinets were designed to look like bars with a brass rail footrest and drink holders. The controller was designed to look like the tap handles on a real keg (see photos below).  It's also rumored that digitized belches were also recorded, but never used.  In order to broaden their target market (and to not lure the kiddies toward the "sauce"), Bally/Midway created coin-op cabinets and tabletops known as Root Beer Tapper.  The Atari 2600 version is simply called Tapper, which apparently leaves it up to the consumer, or pre-video game advisory warning parents, to determine which frothy beverage bar patrons are actually chugging in game.  However, in between clearing a few stages there is a bonus stage, brought to you courtesy of your good friends at Mountain Dew.  It's not clear whether or not Tapper on the 2600 was trying to "C.I.A." by employing the soda company's logo, but by doing so, the ad's presence resulted in one of the earliest examples of marketing within a video game.



Tapper is a great game and probably one of the best ports to the Atari 2600.  Not only is the concept original and the gameplay simple and attractive, but the sound effects and music (yes, actual music on a 2600 game) are wild west saloon-like and second to none.  The graphics are as good as they can be due to the limitations of the system and all characters and settings are well defined and recognizable.  My only real knock on this game is the controls.  You use the joystick to move the tapper up and down, while using the orange button to fire off brewskies.  Like many other 2600 games, Tapper is hampered by the rough and often rigorous directional tapping of the joystick.  Because the action is so fast paced, and gets even quicker as you progress through multiple stages, the 2600 joystick cannot keep up and it often results in a few misfired mugs.  One would do well in achieving higher scores by obtaining a European CX78 controller and popping this game into the ole 7800. 

Even though the controls can be a bit sticky, Tapper is still one of the best games for the 2600.  Though the rarity and price point make it a harder game to come by, you can easily snag a loose copy at a good deal with a last minute, no reserve auction bid.  No matter what price you pay due to condition or completeness, Tapper will be one of those games that you will be proud to own.



**video courtesy of Hairman9252

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 2
Graphics: 4
Sound Effects/Music: 4
Concept: 4
Replay Value: 3
Cart/Box Art:  4
Overall Score: 3.50




Posted on Jan 26th 2011 at 08:07:55 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, 2600, Game Review, Space Cavern



SPECS:

Game:  Space Cavern
Year:  1981
Publisher:  Apollo, Inc.
Developer: Apollo, Inc.
Designer: Dan Oliver
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 3 = scarce
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 -2 (turn-based)
Average Cost: approx $1 - $5 loose
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600

Tagline/Description: "You command an intergalactic starcruiser that has landed on a mysterious planet riddled with smokey caverns and inhabited by savage Electrosauri whose horns generate deadly electro-molecular charges.  The Elecrosauri stalk you, their horns crackling and sizzling.  If even one blast of energy strikes you, your skeleton will glow as you disintegrate. Warning: Beware the shaggy marsupods [last sentence added for blue cartridge version only]."

Space Cavern is a very simple space shooter created by Apollo Games.  Apollo only officially released 10 games for the 2600, which does not include three (3) unreleased prototypes and an original (and very rare) version of Shark Attack called Lochjaw, that was removed early on from the shelves due to a lawsuit claiming that it's title was too similar to the movie "Jaws."  Two versions of Space Cavern exist, a red box/cartridge and a blue box/cartridge.  Neither version is more rare than the other, the blue version was released by Apollo later only as a means of cutting costs by using a simpler and more cost-effective color palate.     




Unlike the more popular Atari space shooters, in Space Cavern, you do not control a ship fending off enemy starships in outer space, but instead, command laser wielding astronauts who have crash landed on an alien planet.  Sounds cool right?  Well, that's certainly the draw.  Apollo was masterful in their marketing; if you don't believe me, take a look at the cover art for such super lackluster games as Lost Luggage, Infiltrate, or Final Approach (heck yeah a game about landing planes).  I mean what early 80's video game playing kid wouldn't want to buy Space Cavern after seeing it in the store?  Badass cover art - check!  Cool description - check!  Being hit by deadly "electro-molecular charges" and disintegrating - I don't even know what the hell those are, but DOUBLE CHECK!!!!  The reality is that Space Cavern isn't all that great, but for an Atari fiend like me, it isn't all that bad either.


(Apparently someone took out their frustrations for being duped by this game.)

There are three (3) enemies that commonly fill the sky of Space Cavern and they are collectively called Electrosauri; however in my adolescence, they were affectionately named: egg beaters, toilets, and scissors -- I'll let you figure out which enemies fit these descriptions.  By pressing the orange button, your astronaut fires his laser into the sky and is awarded 115 points (wow, random) for each Electrosauri he/she shoots down.  These particular enemies are fairly colorful and typically either bounce in an up and down pattern or diagonally across the screen.  When you zap one, they change to a pale blue and actually fall from the sky, which is pretty creative.  After 20,000 points, smaller and much harder to hit versions of Electrosauri appear in the sky; at each 20,000 points you are also awarded an extra life.

The only other enemy in the game is the Marsupod (200 points each), which are dull gray in color and come out of the caves from the left and right corners of the screen.  Since the orange button only allows you to fire into the sky, your must press the joystick up or down (up = left: down = right) to fire at and dispense with Marsupods - pushing the orange button to fire left to right is not necessary.  Though you'll fire the wrong way several times, recovery time from firing is quick and becomes second nature after continued play.

There are 48 variations of gameplay, which can be set to adjust the number of participants, the number of Electrosauri that appear in  the sky at one time (4 max), the presence of Marsupods, the random angles of enemy lasers, and the difficulty (i.e. speed of the enemies).

Space Cavern is tough to review, since I get a bit nostalgic when returning to play it (**see eggbeater, toilet, scissor discussion above).  The controls are perfect for the 2600 system, since you only use the four (4) main directional positions on the joystick and the fire button.  The sound effects are pretty good: shooting down an Electrosauri sounds like R2-D2 speaking in tongues and blasting a Marsupod is rather blunt and effective.  There is really nothing that bad about this game, other than the replay value.  Let's face it, there's not a whole lot going on in this game, and after about three to four rounds, you'll probably want to put it away if you are playing it alone.  As far as Apollo releases are concerned, I'd put Space Cavern at the top with the Pac-Man clone, Shark Attack.  If you're a serious collector, or just a casual 2600 gamer, the small price tag makes Space Cavern worth picking up.   



**video courtesy of Highretrogamelord89 (this video does not represent the more difficult setting which includes Marsupods) **

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 4
Graphics: 2
Sound Effects/Music: 2
Concept: 3
Replay Value: 2
Cart/Box Art:  4
Overall Score: 2.83



Posted on Jan 24th 2011 at 06:55:32 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Entombed, 2600, game review, Classic Gaming



Specs:

Game:  Entombed
Year:  1982
Publisher:  U.S. Games
Developer: Western Technologies
Designer(s): Jeff Corsiglia & Tom Sloper
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 4 = scarce+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2
Average Cost: approx $3 - $8 loose
Also Available On: 2600 only

Tagline/Description: "You and your team of archeologists have fallen into the "catacombs of the zombies."  There's no time to look around; these guys are after you, and they mean business!  Your only salvation is that you have discovered the secret to the "make-break."  Grab them, and you can break through walls when you get stuck, or create a wall  behind you - if you are being chased.  The longer you survive, the faster you have to move.  Explore alone, or two archeologists can work together or compete in a frenzied trek through the catacombs."

There was probably no more diverse or stranger catalog of games than the fourteen (14) titles released by U.S. Games, a subsidiary of Quaker Oats (uhhhh....yeah), for the Atari 2600.  Like several other companies (i.e. Purina, Johnson & Johnson, etc.), but with a larger volume than most, the Quaker Oats Company tried to cash in on the video gaming craze of the early 80's.  Titles released by U.S. Games include:

Entombed;
Sneak n' Peek (a game of hide and seek);
Space Jockey (a horizontal, UFO shooter);
Word Zapper (a spelling shooter);
Commando Raid (a parachuting android shooter);
Eggomania (a Kaboom clone where you can fire back);
Piece o' Cake (a cake decorating game);
Picnic (a fly shooter);
Raft Rider (a river rafting game);
Gopher (a vegetable protecting game, similar to Activision's Oink!);
Squeeze Box (a prisoner trying to escape a constantly closing Tron MCP Cone);
Towering Inferno (a firefighting/rescue game);
M.A.D. (an improved version of Atlantis); and
Name This Game (an octopus shooter).



While some believe that a few of these games are among the worst titles for the 2600, I'd have to say that the overall catalog is pretty creative and solid (and fairly cheap).  Where else can you fend off an octopus and fill your diving tank with air from a guy with long, flowing hair in a speed boat?

Entombed is another of these strange games in which you control an archeologist trying to escape a zombie-filled catacomb.  While navigating a random, vertically scrolling maze, your only defense from zombies and dead end walls is an item referred to as a "make-break."  A make-break allows you to knock down a square section of wall or place a similar section of wall in an open area to fend off zombies (similar to Lock n' Chase).  However, make-breaks are not abundant and are collected 3 at-a-time in the form of side-to-side moving rectangles, throughout the maze.  Scoring in Entombed, for the 1-player game, is determined by how deep into the maze your archeologist goes.  You are awarded one point for making it through an undefined section of the maze; there are no treasures to collect or points for killing zombies.  As you might have noticed, scoring is not one of the stronger features of this game.

Another poor feature of the game is it's graphics.  Zombies, which should be very cool, instead look like arachnids, your archeologist is merely a semi-mobile stick figure, and the make-breaks are, well, just blocks (a hammer, or some sort of device would have been cooler).  There is no music and the only sound effects are a series of extremely monotone beeps (only when zombies are near) and an electronic gurgle when you pick up a make-break.

With all of its faults, Entombed is a pretty good game (yeah, stick with me here).  I remember loving this game as a kid and playing it every time I went to my neighbor's house.  When I saw it in a pawn shop several months ago I grabbed it up quickly, even though it had a bit of label damage.  So what is it that I liked so much about this game?  Well for one, I enjoyed the pace of the game (how it continues to get faster as you complete every level) and the frantic dodging/escaping from zombies while collecting make-breaks to ensure mobility; you lose lives by either running into a zombie or by being forced into the top of the scrolling screen when you are out of make-breaks and are unable to escape a dead end.  The controls are adequate for a 2600 game, since your only movements through the maze are vertical and horizontal; however, setting make-breaks correctly in open areas to avoid zombies can sometimes present a challenge.

While the originality of the game is great, the best feature of Entombed has to be its 2-player option.  In two player mode, both participants play at the same time, instead of the Atari turn-based style that is typical with most 2600 games.  Two player mode can be played in two different ways (as determined by the participants): (1) you can battle against each other to see who can make it deeper into the maze (whoever dies first loses), or (2) you can work with each other, hoarding and best using make-breaks, to see how far you both can go.  Being somewhat of an a%$, and torturer of my wife and friends, I tend to prefer the former.

Though there is nothing particularly exceptional in terms of graphics and sound in Entombed, the gameplay is fairly solid and the cost of the game is typically low.  For a few bucks, Entombed should be worth heavy consideration if found in the wild.



**video courtesy of Highretrogamelord89**

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 3
Graphics:  2
Sound Effects/Music: 1
Concept:  3
Replay Value: 2
Cart/Box Art:  3
Overall Score: 2.34





Posted on Jan 18th 2011 at 02:08:05 AM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Game review, 2600, Jawbreaker



SPECS:

Game:  Jawbreaker
Year:  1982
Publisher:  Tigervision
Developer: Sierra On-Line
Designer: John Harris
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 5 = rare
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost: approx $20 - $30 loose
Also Available On: Atari 400/800, Atari 5200 (homebrew), Apple II, Commodore 64, Commodore VIC-20, TI-99/4A, and Tiger stand-alone version  (gameplay may differ for each system)

Tagline/Description: "You're loose in a candy factory! Quickly move the chomping set of teeth to eat up all the candy bars. Be careful, the happy faces may get you! Clear the screen and it's time for some quick hygiene - a tooth brush will clean your teeth to get you ready for your next romp through the candy factory.  Tigervision fun at its sweetest."

Imagine if Pac-Man and Turmoil for the 2600 had a love child, that child's name would be Jawbreaker.  Jawbreaker is essentially a Pac-Man clone and earlier versions of it on the Atari 400/800 verify this accusation (see picture below).  Though Atari never went after Tigervision for infringement, rumor is that they were in heated discussions with Sierra On-Line (the developer) for their very similar 400/800 version.  All 400/800 Jawbreaker games were also replaced by a version similar to the 2600 version referred to as "Jawbreaker II."  Though similar in many ways to Pac-Man, I believe that Jawbreaker for the 2600 stands on its own and adds a new spin to videogaming's most well-known icon.

Jawbreaker for the Atari 400/800 (look familiar?)
 

In Jawbreaker, you control a set of chomping teeth and you must maneuver your way through a horizontal maze eating candy dots, while avoiding the jawbreakers. Although the concept is similar to Pac-Man, in Jawbreaker, the horizontal walls of the maze are constantly in motion and offer only limited escape by traveling through openings in these walls (as opposed to Pac-Man's stationary maze).  The goal of Jawbreaker is to devour all of the candy on the screen and you can also gain additional points by eating a "power bar," which strengthens your teeth and allows you to devour the jawbreakers for a limited time.  If you are successful at finishing a board, you are rewarded with a comical, yet voracious, toothbrushing to prepare you for more candy eating.  Jawbreaker, like the few other "dental hygienic" games on the 2600 (see Plaque Attack (Activision) and Tooth Protectors (DSD/Camelot), reminds us that it's okay to eat like gluttons, as long as we follow up with keeping our choppers nice and sparkly.

Jawbreaker for the Atari 2600

**video courtesy of Highretrogamelord89**

What I like most about Jawbreaker are the controls and the fluidity of the game.  Though movement in the game is limited to up, down, and side-to-side (perfect for the stiff 2600 controls), the action is fast-paced and you really have to be able to take in all of the movements on the board very quickly.  The jawbreakers and escape openings travel at various speeds and one must not only pay attention to the line you are currently on, but also those directly above and below you.  If your mouth comes in contact with a jawbreaker, you not only lose a life, but your teeth are also shattered and actually drop out of your mouth.  The teeth dropping, the creepy, smiley faced jawbreakers, and the toothbrushing at the completion of each level add a fun and comical element to the game.  Also, Tigervision cartridges are colorful, have a unique look, and are fun to collect, since they add a nice rainbow of coloration to your normally bland, black stack of rectangles; Jawbreaker being a distinctively bright, candy apple red color.   

Like the majority of the 2600 catalog, Jawbreaker is played for points.  Since the gameplay is so simple and easy to grasp quickly, I've enjoyed hours of playing this game with friends and competing for highest score.  For many of you who were disappointed with the port of Pac-Man on the 2600 like myself, I can highly recommend this game as a suitable substitute.


RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls:  4
Graphics:  3  (should I even be rating this category, it's Atari)
Sound Effects/Music: 3
Concept:  3 (not original, but fun none the less)
Replay Value: 4
Cart/Box Art:  4
Overall Score: 3.50

**Since this is my initial blog entry, please comment and feel free to let me know what features or qualities about this game, or the others I will review, that you would like to know more about.  Any suggestions or constructive criticisms are greatly appreciated.  Thank you**




Posted on Jan 6th 2009 at 04:15:26 AM by (NESman93)
Posted under Atari 2600, video games, Atari, 2600, classic gaming, review


Back in the 1970s, in a time when video games began to increase in popularity after the success of games such as Pong, companies, such as Atari and Magnavox released home versions of the game. Then, Atari's engineers designed a way to play video games at home via cartridges, making it possible for home gamers to own one system, but play many different games. Finally, in October 1977, Atari released the Atari Video Computer System, or Atari 2600. The system didnt become an instant success until around 1978, when Atari gained the rights to the game Space Invaders, and ported it to the 2600, becoming the world's first ever ported arcade game.

Now, like many of you on the site, along with me, consider the Atari 2600 to be one of your favorite video game systems. Many of you may remember the hours you spent in front of your tv playing favorites such as Missile Command, Asteroids, Pitfall!, Berzerk, Combat, Centipede, and Ms. Pac-Man.

Looking at the system, you see that the system is very simple, despite the number of switches on it. Originally, the first run of Video Computer Systems came from the Sunnyvale, California plant with black plastic, a woodgrain front, and six switches. The weight of the system and the number of switches on the front, the early run of the systems became known as the "Heavy Sixer."  As time went on, Atari continued to downsize the system. Some revisions were a 6 switch with less weight (Light Sixer), woodgrain front with 4 switches (4 switch woody), and an all-black 4 switch model (the Darth Vader model).

Another good point of the system was the controller. It remains today as one of the simplest controllers for a video game system. The controller is simply a joystick and one button. The other controllers made for the system are the paddle controllers and the driving controller. The paddle controller is a simple spinning knob made for pong and breakout style games. The driving controller was the same as the paddle controller, but the paddle is a continuous 360 degree spin. On top of this, literally hundreds of third party controllers were designed and released for the system.

As the 80s came around, more arcade games made more possibilities of ports for the 2600. Unfortunately, these were also the years when the 2 worst 2600 games were released. First off was the 2600 port of Pac-Man. The biggest problem with the game was the fact that it looked nothing like the original arcade game. This was because of the fact that when Todd Frye, programmer in charge of the game, presented the prototype, Atari released the prototype. Millions bought the game and were extremely disappointed. The other game is the infamous E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. The game was so bad that the 5 million unsold copies were buried in the New Mexico desert.

In the mid 1980s, fierce competition came from companies such as Nintendo, causing people to begin to abandon the 2600. At this time, Atari redesigned the 2600 as the new Atari 2600 (called the Atari 2600 Jr.), with a new "The Fun Is Back" campaign. This boosted sales of the 2600 for a few years. Finally, Atari discontinued the Atari 2600 in around 1992

As you can see from this review, the Atari 2600 has had a very long and exciting history. As of late, popularity of the 2600 has exploded, and fandom of the system is alive and well. Recently, homebrewers have began creating and releasing brand new Atari 2600 games, via Atariage. http://www.atariage.com/store/  (link to the atariage store)

Even though I wasn't even born when the system was out, it has become one of my highest rated video game systems. This one deserves a perfect 10/10.



Posted on Feb 18th 2008 at 03:17:45 AM by (Tondog)
Posted under Classic Gaming, Movies, Documentary, ET, Atari, 2600, Most Epic Documentary EVER

We all know about E.T., the infamously bad Atari 2600 game. But did you know that Atari buried thousands of unsold copies of the game in a Alamogordo, New Mexico landfill in September of 1983?

Many have doubted this event's authenticity, however a team of four enterprising Auburn University students have decided to team up and make E.T.'s March, a documentary about them trying to locate the landfill where Atari buried all these games. Together, the four students will travel from Auburn, Alabama to El Paso, Texas, which is where the Atari plant was located. From there, they will travel from El Paso to the landfill in Alamogordo, recreating the path that the semitrucks took, while in the meantime taking in the video game culture of the United States.

Judging by the website, they seem very determined to locate this goldmine of video gaming history, and the documentary should prove to be a very interesting watch. Now, I haven't seen King of Kong, the other video game documentary that's been making waves lately, but I can imagine that E.T.'s March must have been inspired by it and the critical acclaim it has been receiving.

The filming of the documentary will take place from March 15-23 and will be released over the internet sometime this summer. There are no plans for a theatrical or DVD release stated on the website, but I assume that they would be willing to do something like that if the right distributor steps in and funds them.

While you're waiting for the film to be released, here's a great, well-researched site all about the E.T. burial story: http://atari.digital-madman.com/

E.T.'s March Official Website


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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