The Atari 2600 is one of the few pre-NES systems I didn't make a thread for a few years ago. I focused on other consoles and computers I felt were more underrated. Still, given the average age of people here I imagine there's a good number of gamers who didn't fully experience it despite the popularity it once had.
I made the mistake in the past of dismissing some of its multiformat games. A lot of them are damn good even if they aren't the most technically advanced ones. I was more of an Intellivision kid back in the day but today I prefer the 2600 overall.
For those who don't know, the 2600 console was launched in 1977 under the name of Atari Video Computer System(VCS). It went on to become the first highly successful console in history. It brought home gaming to the masses.
Here are some cool games for it:
Adventure(Atari)
The great granddaddy of all quest games with graphics. While it has aged in the nearly three decades it has been around, there's still something appealing about its somewhat abstract world.
Combat(Atari)
As the original pack in game in 1977 this two-player tank duel blew away everything else on the home market at the time.
Dragonfire(Imagic)
This game consisted of side view jumping and levels where you roamed the screen for treasure. The Coleco version was much more advanced but I find it a lot more frustrating than the 2600 original. I might like the Vic 20 version the most though.
Enduro(Activision)
A very smooth and intense racer for its time.
Fathom(Imagic)
In the Genesis game Ecco: The Tides of Time you play as a dolphin that can transform into a bird. Fathom did the same basic concept over a decade earlier. The goal in this adventure was to gather pieces of the trident to free Neptune's daughter.
Frankenstein's Monster(Data Age)
One of my top pre-NES platformers. I have been playing this quite a bit recently.
Frostbite(Activision)
This has aged very nicely. You need to jump on various pieces of ice which somehow creates an igloo. Q*bert fans should definitely check it out.
H.E.R.O.(Activision)
This shoot and rescue cavern action game might be my favorite 2600 title. There are various more technically advanced versions on other consoles and computers but this is a case where speed and overall feel win out over graphic detail.
Joust(Atari)
Jr. Pac-Man(Atari)
Most people probably know the original Pac-Man on 2600 was kind of shitty. Ms. Pac-Man turned out nicely and Jr. improved upon it with a better presentation and feel.
Jungle Hunt(Atari)
A quality port of the Taito arcade game. There are better versions but I still play this one sometimes.
Kaboom!(Activision)
Catch 'em before they fall. Like other paddle controller games it's just not the same playing it in a modern compilation.
img]http://www.the-nextlevel.com/hosted/neozeedeater/Kaboom.gif[/img]
Keystone Kapers(Activision)
Catch the thieving bastard!
Laser Gates(Imagic)
Don't let the generic name and look fool you. This side-scrolling shooter is still addictive despite all the advancements in the genre.
Millipede(Atari)
Missile Command(Atari)
Simplified over the arcade game but I like it as much. Oddly, I didn't become a fan until twenty or so years after I first played it.
Pitfall!(Activision)
While it's not the first platformer like it's sometimes mistaken to be, it was a milestone for the genre.
Pitfall II: Lost Caverns(Activision)
Expanded over the original and with some of the most advanced sound and music on the system.
Pressure Cooker(Activision)
Still one of, if not the, best food themed games ever.
Room of Doom(CommaVid)
Kind of like a single screen Berzerk. Pretty cool.
Solaris(Atari)
This late release shooter really pushed the hardware.
Space Invaders(Atari)
Atari's killer app in the late '70s. Sales of the system dramatically increased because of people wanting the arcade game at home.
SpaceMaster X-7(20th Century Fox)
Shoot the core. This doesn't seem to be well known but I quite like it.
Spider Fighter(Activision)
A typical shooter in many ways but there's something about it that makes me go back to it.
Super Breakout(Atari)
Tape Worm(Spectravideo)
TRON Deadly Discs(M-Network)
It lacks the fancy controls and boss battles of the excellent Intellivision original but it's a faster paced game and has its own feel.
Warlords(Atari)
Four-player versus Pong.
Yars' Revenge(Atari)
What started its development life as a port of the arcade game Star Castle turned into one of the most unique and timeless shooters ever.
Numerous cartridge-based consoles have had add ons using other types of media. The Famicom had the Disk System. The TurboGrafx and Genesis had their CD upgrades. Before all those the 2600 had the Supercharger which played games on cassettes. Unlike with those other consoles, this was a third-party release by a company called Starpath(originally called Arcadia but changed for legal reasons).
The Supercharger wasn't very successful and it didn't have many games but it did offer a noticeable improvement in over the regular 2600 because of its RAM(mostly in how the games animate so you probably won't see much difference in the screenshots). Starpath was later bought out by Epyx.
Communist Mutants From Space
Name aside, there wasn't much originality in this Galaxian-ish shooter but it was well made.
Dragonstomper
One of the earliest console RPGs.
Escape from the Mindmaster
This 3d maze game was incredibly smooth. A ColecoVision port was planned but never released.
Frogger
The regular 2600 version was excellent but this improved upon its graphics.
Rabbit Transit
A fast-paced platform/dodging game. Aside from Frogger I would say this is probably my favorite Supercharger game.
What are your thoughts on the system or anything related?
The 2600 was my first console, and the one that made me a gamer. I had a buttload of games for it, but I don't know how well many of them hold up now that MAME is so availible and all.
I do want to say that Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of the most underrated games on the system. Ahead of its time.
Sausage-in-training
Can't forget the "Double-Ender" carts!
Chuck Norris Superkicks was the neighborhood favorite kung-fu game back in the day. One of the first games I can think of with branching paths.
Artiliery Duel was hours of fun too, it was basically just lobbing bombs across the playfield, but the sensation of gauging your trajectory/altitude was a first time experience back then.
Last edited by Shooting Love; 07 Jun 2006 at 09:39 PM.
So much ****ing semen.
we need Krull added ASAP.
same here with it being my first system. yeah RotLA was really only beatable with two players. great little game.Originally Posted by Frogacuda
Roll it up !
The Atari2600 wasn't my first console (my Dad was a bit more into computers so we got an IBM PC instead). But I remember playing it at a friend's house, and especially Centipede. I still own one and many games but haven't played it for ages...
Sausage-in-training
Word-up in regard to Krull!
As far as Raiders being only beatable with two players... What?.. just hold the other joystick (item inventory) between your thighs or knees.
I just played through Raiders like 6 or 7 years ago. Could probably do it in my sleep back in the 80's.
and btw, Adventure 2 is due out on the 5200 later this year. Cafeman evidently got the official go-ahead from Atari Corp to use the Adventure name and everything.
Last edited by Shooting Love; 07 Jun 2006 at 09:46 PM.
or bust.
I still remember how freaked out I was by the fact that Joust had a title screen. That was super high tech back in the day.
Never did figure out how to reach the end of Solaris, and I played it for hours.
I remember how games would advertise on the box "200 different games!" but it would be like, you could make the sprites different colours and each colour was supposed to count as a different "game."
Also, this thread needs more Berzerk. Evil Otto the demonic happy face ftw!
-Kyo
So much ****ing semen.
i'm not even going to comment
Sausage-in-training
Yeah. Whatever.i'm not even going to comment
You're the one claiming it couldn't be beaten without 2 players.
It was cetainly fun to play with two people. But the real hardcorecould beat that shit all by themselves.
So much ****ing semen.
truth be told i havnt played it since i used to beat the game with my brother way back when it came out. so i just assumed from memory it was only 2 player. ahhhh......i hated the teetsy (sp?) flys.Yeah. Whatever.
You're the one claiming it couldn't be beaten without 2 players.
It was cetainly fun to play with two people. But the real hardcore
Posting Permissions
.gif)
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks