Shannon Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I kinda like Emkay's list. But I always got the impression that Bandits originated on the Apple..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warriorisabouttodie Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 how about K-razy shootout and Space Dungeon? Both were 8bit/5200 only games. Was Zybex an 8bitr only game? K-razy Shootout is a Berzerk knockoff, and Berzerk has been ported to everything. Not sure whether we're counting clones, knockoffs, unlicensed ports or not. Space Dungeon was an arcade game first... I dunno about Zybex. I like K-razy shootout a lot more than Bezerk but you have a point... never the less it is 8bit only as far as I know. Another one is Caverns of Mars (unless you count the flickery unplayable flashback 2 2600 version). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMR Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Zybex also C64 and Spectrum (not sure about Spectrum) Yes to both and originated on the C64. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZylonBane Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I kinda like Emkay's list. But I always got the impression that Bandits originated on the Apple..... Not only did it originate on the Apple, it was a blatant clone of Stratovox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wright Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 (edited) My personal faves, at least these the titles I spent any amount of time with: (1) Preppie (Russ Wetmore) (2) Preppie 2 (Russ Wetmore) (3) Yoomp! (4) Chop Suey (Adam Billyard/English Software) (5) Crystal Raider (Mastertronic) (6) Phantom (Tynesoft?) (7) Dimension X (Synapse?) ( Clowns & Balloons (Datasoft) (9) Leggit! (Imagine) (10) Screaming Wings (Red Rat) Some of it's junk, but I got quite adept at finding obscure Atari-only software in the UK, during the mid-80s, when the big-name conversions to the C64, Spectrum and Amstrad were what most stores stocked. Obscure import titles, budget releases, English Software compilations and discounted US Gold/Activision clearance items is what I lived on. And if it wasn't for my local Atari dealer - Intoto in Nottingham - I would have been restricted to the few titles that Boots stocked (Elite's "unique" Atari version of Airwolf was the first game I bought for my 800XL - imagine my disappointment...) Sanxion you say? Pah, have you even SEEN "Electric Starfish" ?? Elite?? Tch, bow before my "Bug Off!" cassette! Uridium? No thanks, I'm happy here playing "Fire Chief" Sabre Wulf? You've obviously never seen "Savage Pond" Nemesis??? Give me "Nuclear Nick" any day! And so on... Edited March 29, 2008 by Mark Wright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaperman Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 screaming wings isn't a8 only. I don't even think I've played our version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.atarimania.com Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Phantom (Tynesoft?) This one's on the C64 as well. Clowns & Balloons (Datasoft) Also exists on the CoCo (IIRC). Leggit! (Imagine) Also known as Jumping Jack on other computers. -- Atari Frog http://www.atarimania.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasholzer Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 (edited) If you want to check an A8 exclusive game : http://atari.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=3810 I guess, commercially we don't gather 10 games that are "exclusive A8". sure i did on the first page. let's see again: The Tail of Beta Lyrae (Datamost) Myrax Force (Tynesoft) Gangsters Ville (Lindasoft) Powerstar (Pandora Software) Dimension X (Synapse) Hawkquest (Red Rat) Batty Builders (English Software) Zone X (Gremlin Graphics) Eastern Front (Atari) Plastron (Harlequin Software) all the above were commercial releases. But thruthful, most of these were UK companies, I don't think you can find 10 A8-only USA releases. Mark could also be right with Preppie and Preppie 2, unless they made it onto Apple ][. Anyone? Let's see US A8 exclusives then: Preppie Preppie 2 The Tail of Beta Lyrae Dimension X Eastern front Powerstar that's 6 so far, I reckon we could find 4 more. Try Avalon Hill, maybe there's an A8 exclusive too. Edited March 29, 2008 by thomasholzer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wright Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 Well, I only checked Lemon and Arnold before posting my list, so forgive me! I guess the question itself - what were the best games that were Atari-only? - yields only games that either weren't good enough to be converted to other systems or simply weren't possible. As we've learned from experience, commercial pressures normally meant they'd be converted whether they were possible or not (look at the 3rd/4th generation arcade to 8-bit conversions that barely resembled their sources) but I think Preppie! is a good example of a supremely playable game that managed to remain Atari-only. I'm not seeing many others in this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wright Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 that's 6 so far, I reckon we could find 4 more. Try Avalon Hill, maybe there's an A8 exclusive too. Talking of Avalon Hill, I always assumed that TGIF (Thank God It's Friday) was Atari-only, but having just tried the aggravatingly frustrating C64 version for the first time, I stand corrected! Always loved that simple time-waster on my 800XL but the C64 version? Ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Wright Posted March 29, 2008 Share Posted March 29, 2008 I think we can add Robert Bonifacio's "The E Factor" by Cosmi to the list of US Atari-only games. Can't find any trace of it on other systems. I remember buying it, in a big battered box, from a market stall in 1985 for about £2 ($1) in 1984. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 The problem is that, with very few exceptions, any Atari games that did well ended up getting ported. For the love of god, there was even an NES version of Ballblazer. T Yeah - even if they weren't on other consoles, they are on other Atari systems usually. Just looking at my 8-bit carts, the only ones I can think of as "maybe" (and that's a big maybe - because I'm not familiar with a lot of EURO computer releases) exclusive are: Into the Eagle's Nest Crime Buster Jurrassic Park 2 (because it's an unlicensed game different from the other Jurrasic Park 2s) Thunderfox Everything else I have was on something else Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZylonBane Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Into the Eagle's Nest Released for many other systems. Thunderfox This is just a clone of Uridium, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellrazor Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 hi there. i would include all the games released in ACTION!. those would only be on the atari for the most part. they were also some of the best games available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 How about Matterhorn (AFAIK this is vaporware on C64), Attack at EP-CYG 4 (and possibly some other Romox titles), Carnival Massacre, Major League Hockey, and several other Thorn EMI titles, Colony 7, and Assault Force? I'm sure that a reasonably large list could be constructed, and that not all of the titles would be unplayable Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZylonBane Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Colony 7 You're kidding, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Buried Bucks by Analog computing is a decent game and I'm sure they've done maybe a couple others as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathtrappomegranate Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 You're kidding, right? No. Although the games have the same name, they appear to have very little else in common. If the System Three game is supposed to be a port of the Taito coin-op, then it's a very poor job. In fact, it's a pretty poor job whatever it was originally meant to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
13matt Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Hmm difficult, but 1 Omnitrend's Universe 2 Caverns of Mars II 3 Laser Hawk 4 Dandy 5 Diamonds 6 Yoomp! 7 Tagalon 8 S.A.M. Poker - if only for the constipated sounding voice! 9 Skiing Construction Set 10 Qb 11 Xagon 12 Pondering About Max 13 Topper 14 Capture the Flag 15 Batty Builders 16 Rubber Ball 17 Snow Ball 18 Megablast 19 Blaster 20 Wloczykij 21 Starblade 22 Zone x 23 Slot Machine 24 Enigmatix 25 Tail of Beta Lyrae 26 Hard Hat Willy 27 Airstrike 28 Scram 29 Eastern Front 30 Dog Daze Deluxe - silly but compulsive with 2 lol Just some of the stuff i go back to more oftem than not Know that's more than 10, but guess 2 out of three might have turned up somewhere else already! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Philsan Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Soccer by Thorn Emi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiss Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 domain of the undead ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shannon Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Big dog daze deluxe fan here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gklinger Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 I'm a new Atari user so I'm not sure I have any business posting in this thread. With that disclaimer in place I have to say that I am having an absolute blast playing Dandy Dungeon. It exemplifies everything that is wonderful about 8 bit gaming. So far, my favourite Atari 8 bit game, exclusive or otherwise, by a country mile. I really appreciate this thread and am now looking forward to trying all the games mentioned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomasholzer Posted April 8, 2008 Share Posted April 8, 2008 Forgot about Universe. Let's see US A8 exclusives then: Universe (Omnitrend) Preppie (Adventure Int) Preppie 2 (Adventure Int) The Tail of Beta Lyrae (Datamost) Dimension X (Synapse) Eastern Front (Atari) Powerstar (Pandora Software) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fres Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 (edited) Personally, I've always enjoyed Abracadabra and Droids from TG Software. Not sure if they were exclusives, but I've never seen mention of them on another system. Of course, they also released Ozzy's Orchard and Night Strike, but I haven't really played them enough to qualify them as notable Atari 8-bit exclusives. I thought Rally Speedway would be an excellent entry as well, but it appears to have been released later on C64. Another interesting thread would concern only titles that were originally released on the Atari 8-bit, regardless of later porting. Drelbs? Not sure. Edited April 10, 2008 by ponderosa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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