Favorite Atari 2600 Games

[yotsuya]

Going the other way...

...did anybody enjoy the Swordquest games?  They had the seriously awesome looking commercials, actual prizes that were enough to make a ten year old boy start puberty early, comic books, four games (as marketed)...

...and then you tried to play one and were like "what the hell this is terrible.  Can we bring this back and get Pitfall II?"

Yeah. ---smurfing--- Swordquest. That ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- was WEAK.

[Well Fed Games]

Also, Solaris- having never played PC games at that time, probably the first game I played that felt "epic." It really pushed the 2600.

[DaveMMR]

Going the other way...

...did anybody enjoy the Swordquest games?  They had the seriously awesome looking commercials, actual prizes that were enough to make a ten year old boy start puberty early, comic books, four games (as marketed)...

...and then you tried to play one and were like "what the hell this is terrible.  Can we bring this back and get Pitfall II?"

Yeah. ---smurfing--- Swordquest. That ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- was WEAK.

Swordquest is one of those games you NEED the manual (the numbers point to hidden words in the comic), but even then, it's still convoluted and ultimately pointless to play nowadays.

[Generic Eric]

I've said this before, but Reactor was nemesis.  I haven't played it since watching a video on youtube, but when I was younger, I couldn't figure it out.

[ChadTower]

Swordquest is one of those games you NEED the manual (the numbers point to hidden words in the comic), but even then, it's still convoluted and ultimately pointless to play nowadays.

It was pointless to play then considering they never finished the series nor the contest.

[wp34]

What was that game with the keypad?

Donkey Kong on Colecovision
(notice the guy playing it not with the joystick, but by poking at the keypad)

Colecovision helped put the nail in the coffin for arcades IMHO.  I remember sitting in front of my TV thinking "I don't have to beg my parents to take me to the arcade anymore" the first time I played DK on it.  Thirty years later and I'm trying to fill my basement with dedicated machines.  Oh the irony. 

[RandyT]

Donkey Kong on Colecovision
(notice the guy playing it not with the joystick, but by poking at the keypad)

Classic example of a company attempting to promote a differentiation in a very stupid way.  I can hear the meeting now...

Stuffed Shirt: "The ad looks great, but I can't see him using the keypad.  We don't want Intellivision fans to think we don't have one"
Ad guy: "Ok.  But the game never uses the keypad, except to start the game"
Stuffed Shirt: "Don't argue with me.  Just fix it"
<Ad guy gets pissed and tells them to re-shoot with the actor going nuts on the keypad, to demonstrate how stupid it looks>
Stuffed Shirt: "Perfect!"

 

[ChadTower]

Donkey Kong was the perfect game for the Colecovision, too.  The only more frustrating thing than playing Donkey Kong on a Nintendo joystick was playing it on a Coleco joystick.

[DaveMMR]

Swordquest is one of those games you NEED the manual (the numbers point to hidden words in the comic), but even then, it's still convoluted and ultimately pointless to play nowadays.

It was pointless to play then considering they never finished the series nor the contest.

Not entirely, the first two went off without a hitch and prizes were awarded.

Donkey Kong was the perfect game for the Colecovision, too.  The only more frustrating thing than playing Donkey Kong on a Nintendo joystick was playing it on a Coleco joystick.

Colecovision Donkey Kong has a special place in my heart - it's the first video game (where I knew what I was doing) I played.

Anyway, having cut my teeth on the Colecovision, I got quickly used to that poor little nub. (Though a Super Action Controller helps matters.)  Conversely, I just can't work out the Intellivision disc.  Tried playing Discs of Tron and Buzz Bombers and my hand cramped up something horrible. (To be fair, it's the plastic Intellivision II controllers.)

[wp34]

Donkey Kong was the perfect game for the Colecovision, too.  The only more frustrating thing than playing Donkey Kong on a Nintendo joystick was playing it on a Coleco joystick.

Good point.  That was a sucky controller but I got used to it.

You should hear my daughter complain when she runs across a DK that has an 8-way in it.  The disgust makes a dad proud.

[Ginsu Victim]

Pac Man for the 2600.

Even as a kid, I knew that port was a steaming pile of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---.

[Vigo]

Pac Man feels weird when it is "fat"

[yotsuya]

I enjoyed Pac-Man on the 2600. As a kid, the difference between arcade and home graphics didn't bother me that much. I could play ports and not get mad that they didn't look like the real thing, probably because I had more regular access to the Atari as opposed to the arcade models.

[lilshawn]

pac man... mainly because i'd never played the arcade ever.

dragster - i was a baus at that game.

defender.

also, they are called "atari tapes" according to my mother at the time.

[Hoopz]

I enjoyed Pac-Man on the 2600. As a kid, the difference between arcade and home graphics didn't bother me that much. I could play ports and not get mad that they didn't look like the real thing, probably because I had more regular access to the Atari as opposed to the arcade models.

I agree.  It was incredible when a friend got it and we could play it.  The 2600 sounds, however bastardized, was as iconic as the arcade version albeit in a completely different way.

And to DaveMMR, the original Intellivision controllers are much better than the Intv II's.  Chad had a II for sale in B/S/T a few years ago and I was sorely tempted to get it.  If it was an original, it would have been easy.  The II's were so much different that I couldn't use it.

[DaveMMR]

And to DaveMMR, the original Intellivision controllers are much better than the Intv II's.  Chad had a II for sale in B/S/T a few years ago and I was sorely tempted to get it.  If it was an original, it would have been easy.  The II's were so much different that I couldn't use it.

I played very little Intellivision growing up but everyone told me the same thing you did.  I got the Intv II in a package deal for dirt cheap and I when I checked it out, I thought the guy sold me a Happy Meal toy. There's barely any feedback on any of the buttons; if the game is not responding, I can't tell if it's the controller's fault or my fault. If I find an original model Intv for cheap enough (and I have the money at the time), I'll definitely pick it up. There are games I do otherwise enjoy playing.

Oh and thought of another Atari game I just played: Fantastic Voyage - based on a movie but still a fun little shooter.  Look up the instructions though to tell you what you should and shouldn't be attacking. 

[Howard_Casto]

Relevant:



I have a hard time finding anything on the 2600 worth playing.  I like some of the ones you guys have already mentioned like Combat! and Pitfall  but honestly those 70 era consoles were merely prototypes for the superior 80's consoles.  Back then I enjoyed them, but most of the good games were crappy ports of arcade titles...that I now play in mame... so there you go. 

It's a problem with a lot of consoles actually... if the majority of your games are arcade ports then they are no longer relevant.

So yeah, the Nes era is about as far back as I'll go anymore and even that is finally starting to show it's age a little gameplay wise. 

[degenatrons]

pressure cooker - was probably my favourite as a kid
keystone capers - running away from the pigs was GTA back in the day
starmaster - poor mans elite
snoopy and the red baron - flying around on a doghouse,  nuff said
combat - is still a fun multiplayer game that i bring out occasionally
indy 500 - ditto
the empire strikes back - the reason i wanted to own 2600 after oogling over at a friends house
vanguard - great shooter complete with flash gordon music

 

[BadMouth]

I remembered the Demon Attack cartridge having a silver label with colored stripes, but I didn't remember what the picture on it was.
Had to do a double take at the video Howard posted.



Metal dinosaurs with jetpacks and missiles FTW!

[ChadTower]

I agree.  It was incredible when a friend got it and we could play it.  The 2600 sounds, however bastardized, was as iconic as the arcade version albeit in a completely different way.

And to DaveMMR, the original Intellivision controllers are much better than the Intv II's.  Chad had a II for sale in B/S/T a few years ago and I was sorely tempted to get it.  If it was an original, it would have been easy.  The II's were so much different that I couldn't use it.

Heh, my kids love to watch 80s movies and pick out all of the scenes where some random computer is spewing out 2600 Pac Man sounds.  We've also found Yars Revenge and of course lots of Donkey Kong (which tends to be full arcade).

I forget what happened to that particular Intellivision.  I might have been unsuccessful selling it so I traded it to cw for parts to be named later.

[yotsuya]

pressure cooker - was probably my favourite as a kid
keystone capers - running away from the pigs was GTA back in the day
starmaster - poor mans elite
snoopy and the red baron - flying around on a doghouse,  nuff said
combat - is still a fun multiplayer game that i bring out occasionally
indy 500 - ditto
the empire strikes back - the reason i wanted to own 2600 after oogling over at a friends house
vanguard - great shooter complete with flash gordon music

Starmaster was the only game I knew that used the B&W switch on the 2600 as a game control. Awesome stuff.

Howard, you're getting angry spittle all over my rose-colored glasses! 

[ChadTower]

There is an incredible library of homebrew out there, too.  Head over to AtariAge and buy a few.  I used to buy one about every month but fell off a couple of years ago.  Heh, my kids sometimes aren't sure which games are homebrew and which are 35 years old, other than the print quality on the label.

[lamprey]

There is an incredible library of homebrew out there, too.  Head over to AtariAge and buy a few.  I used to buy one about every month but fell off a couple of years ago.  Heh, my kids sometimes aren't sure which games are homebrew and which are 35 years old, other than the print quality on the label.

I don't know if I'd bother actually getting any home brew 2600 games. Maybe the best seller list is where I should be looking. But, do you have a list of a few you think are good? I'm kinda curious what people have been producing.

[DaveMMR]

There's a more accurate version of Pac-Man (although you can just play that in MAME, or on literally any other device that exists.)

http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1010

And also Donkey Kong VCS (not the sneaky, half-assed port by Coleco)
http://kotaku.com/after-30-years-donkey-kong-gets-a-proper-port-to-the-a-851576160

[ChadTower]

There's a more accurate version of Pac-Man (although you can just play that in MAME, or on literally any other device that exists.)

http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1010

That's not exactly the best way to encourage talented hobbyist software developers to continue releasing high quality games.  Sometimes buying an item is about more than just acquisition.

[Generic Eric]

I would have been much happier with that version of pac man 2600

[Howard_Casto]

There's a more accurate version of Pac-Man (although you can just play that in MAME, or on literally any other device that exists.)

http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1010

That's not exactly the best way to encourage talented hobbyist software developers to continue releasing high quality games.  Sometimes buying an item is about more than just acquisition.

I think your rose-tinted glasses are obscuring your vision.  Making an inferior port of an arcade classic for a 40 year old piece of hardware on a rather expensive homebrew cart doesn't exactly scream "talented hobbyists releasing high quality games" to me but rather "talented hobbyists wasting their time making a game nobody asked for or wanted". 

[DaveMMR]

There's a more accurate version of Pac-Man (although you can just play that in MAME, or on literally any other device that exists.)

http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1010

That's not exactly the best way to encourage talented hobbyist software developers to continue releasing high quality games.  Sometimes buying an item is about more than just acquisition.

Far be it from me to discourage talent. I think it's great that this version exists and I wouldn't mind owning a physical copy.  But I also thought I was giving a poor/weak example for someone curious about homebrew games. While Pac Man 4k is cool and impressive, there are tons of original homebrew games unavailable anywhere else, that may be more interesting to some people.
 

[DeLuSioNal29]

I can't believe I forgot to mention Joust.  The Atari 2600 port was the first version I had ever played and my cousin and I were hooked from day one!  The fact that it was a co-op game made it cool.  I've since played other versions (including the arcade) and I still gravitate towards this one.

Also, to Randy T, thanks for the updated info with Stella on Dragon Stomper and the Supercharger.  I found it in my list of games on my arcade machine, fired it up and it worked!  I had played it years ago and remember that it wouldn't load in between levels, so I gave up on it.  But I updated Stella earlier this year to the latest version.  It brought back tons of memories!

DeLuSioNaL29

[ChadTower]

I think your rose-tinted glasses are obscuring your vision.  Making an inferior port of an arcade classic for a 40 year old piece of hardware on a rather expensive homebrew cart doesn't exactly scream "talented hobbyists releasing high quality games" to me but rather "talented hobbyists wasting their time making a game nobody asked for or wanted". 

Did you even look at the store's list of titles or are you just assuming they are all Pac Man remakes?  The vast majority are not ports.  Some of the homebrews would be counted among the best original 2600 titles if they had been released in 1981.

[matt4949]

THIS WAS THE ONLY GAME THAT MATTERED IN MY HOUSE IN 1983

[Howard_Casto]

I think your rose-tinted glasses are obscuring your vision.  Making an inferior port of an arcade classic for a 40 year old piece of hardware on a rather expensive homebrew cart doesn't exactly scream "talented hobbyists releasing high quality games" to me but rather "talented hobbyists wasting their time making a game nobody asked for or wanted". 

Did you even look at the store's list of titles or are you just assuming they are all Pac Man remakes?  The vast majority are not ports.  Some of the homebrews would be counted among the best original 2600 titles if they had been released in 1981.

What does that have to do with berating Dave for not recommending a homebrew port of pac-man?

[HanoiBoi]

I enjoyed a lot already mentioned like Kaboom, Circus Atari, Yars Revenge, Pitfall, etc.  Had forgotten completely about Freeway and Barnstorming...yeah, they were fun too.

I think I remember finishing Pitfall.  The game ended with like 14 seconds remaining, or something?  I dunno.

I recently tried downloading a Kaboom app for the phone, but didn't find anything impressive.

I never got a 2600 emulator, so from memory I recall loving Maze Craze and look forward to trying it again someday.  Also liked Dodge Em, Sky Diver (splat), Football, Baseball, Breakout and the Sprint racing.  Sorry, think I probably have the name of that one wrong, but I liked the ice track - one bad move and you were in the wall.

[RandyT]

I recently tried downloading a Kaboom app for the phone, but didn't find anything impressive.

The paddle control is really what made this game.  Swiping a screen isn't the same.  It's a knockoff of sorts of the Atari Avalanch arcade game, which also used a potentiometer for control. 

[Kier]

H.E.R.O. I played the crap out of that game, although now I am not sure if it was the C64 or 2600 I played it on, lol.

[vidmouse]

Swordquest is one of those games you NEED the manual (the numbers point to hidden words in the comic), but even then, it's still convoluted and ultimately pointless to play nowadays.

It was pointless to play then considering they never finished the series nor the contest.

Not entirely, the first two went off without a hitch and prizes were awarded.

I actually have 3 of the Swordquest games, I think only the Airworld one was never
released, which was a shame.   Well, actually, yeah the games sucked but I liked
the comic and wanted to see how it would end.

For my money the 2600 had these gems:
Yars Revenge
Laser Blast -- this is my mindless fun one
Realsports Baseball
PacMan -- because it is so different from the arcade version, it's just worth playing
Shark Attack

[kiwasabi]

Threshold
Quadrun
Shooting Gallery
Atlantis
Kaboom
H.E.R.O.
Yar's Revenge
Adventure
Space Invaders (for 2 player co-op)
Carnival
Crackpots
Pitfall
Missile Command
Riddle of the Sphinx (requires reading manual )
Turmoil

[darthpaul]

Pitfall
Pitfall 2
Robot Tank
Frostbite
Missile Command
Centipede

[mgb]

Combat
Demon Attack
Kaboom
River Raid

[DeLuSioNal29]

I recall once when I was a kid and heading to my local "Odd Lot" store and buying them for .54 cents. I stumbled upon it while shopping with my dad. He couldn't believe the price either and he told me to pick up one of each game. He helped me look through the bargain bin to make sure we didn't miss any. I got 7 games that day!