Congo Bongo?

[King Atari]

Does anyone like this game? I've heard bad things about it, mainly the graphics don't even come close to the arcade, which is true, but does anyone find it fun? I for one like it.

[SS]

While it doesn't find it's way into the pile next to my VCS very often, I don't think that the game's nearly as bas as it's reputation would have you believe.

[Inky]

I kinda like the game. They almost got the graphics down on the first screen, and the second screen is fun. The main problem is that it suffers from the DK syndrome of only 2 screens.

[King Atari]

Yeah, but how well would the other two screens work out on the 2600 anyway? They had to make screen two look more "Frogger-esque", just imagine what the others would have looked like. Whatever, it's still an awesome game.

[StanJr]

I liked Congo Bongo as a kid, but after playing it again as a "grown up" I can see its weak points. The game play is rough, and at points the game play glitches are game killers, can you say "jump the gap" boys and girls? ugh. The graphics are weaker than they could be, but it is a very colorful game. My biggest gripe is the scoring cheat that allows you to roll the game without really playing it that hard.

 

I still like it somewhat and I still play it, but its lost some of the "magic" it had as a kid.

[Stella'sGhost]

It stinks, I tell you, stinky doo.

[VectorGamer]

Congo Bongo on the 2600 absolutely sucks.

 

If you want to play Congo Bongo on a console play the ColecoVision version. It's more enjoyable than the arcade version since you have 4 difficulty levels to choose from. I always play it on skill 1 and still lose a life on that second screen.

[zzip]

It was such a nice looking game in the arcade for it's time. It's a shame that all the Atari conversions look like someone wretched all over the screen!

 

I think it plays all right, it's just nauseating to look at. Not the kind of game the 2600 was designed for.

 

[Inky]

I'd be interested to see a newer version with the techniques available to programmers today.

[BassGuitari]

Oh, necrobumps. They've really become a thing lately, haven't they? (No skin off my ass--if I haven't read it, it's new to me! )

Anyway, to answer the nearly 16-year-old question:

No.

If you want to play Congo Bongo on a console play the ColecoVision version.

Don't do this. There are no good console versions of Congo Bongo, and therefore no reason to play any of them unless you either just like shitty games, or you have a lulzy hipster-gamer YouTube channel and you want to see if you can find the absolute worst version out there to wretch over for your subscribers (hint: it's the VIC-20 version). Even the "better" versions like the Coleco's are full, fluffy loaves of poo, as opposed to diarrheal soups of blood and ebola.

[VectorGamer]

Here's a "let's compare" video...

 

I couldn't find any long videos for Congo Bongo for the Vic-20

[zzip]

Here's a "let's compare" video...

 

I couldn't find any long videos for Congo Bongo for the Vic-20

 

Ow My eyes!!

 

I think the best-looking home version is the Apple II version. Probably because its limited palette just happened to have the right colors that worked for the game.. They couldn't give it the overly bright neon colors that every other home version seemed to have even if they wanted to.

[+save2600]

Congo Bongo for any system, can end up being a frustrating exercise in tolerance. The isometric "3D" gimmick gets old quick as you accidentally die trying to make well placed jumps in a game where most versions feature shoddy collision detection. Not sure the arcade game has aged so well either. We played Congo Bongo BITD because it was different. Today, I'd rather not play it for the very same reason.

[Pac-Guy 26]

2600 Congo Bongo is like the Wii U; it sacrifices graphics for gameplay and is an underrated gem.

[King Atari]

I find the crap I posted 16 years ago more embarrassing than not, and as such necrobumps are a bane of my existence.

That said, from my modern viewpoint, I don't hate 2600 Congo Bongo. It's ugly, and probably shouldn't have even been attempted, but it plays well enough - once you get used to it. However, it's not a cart I find myself jonesing to fire up very often.

[Video]

I loved this on c=64. On 2600 the hit detection is hella off. You can jump to a platform, land in the middle, and just be like "wtf?!" As you fall through.

 

I still like it, despite the two screens and spotty hit detection.

 

Isometric donkey Kong, woo!

[littleman jack]

I enjoy it from time to time. I just wish it had more screens. It is better than the Atari 800 version, due to the better, more responsive control on the 2600. The Atari 800 version control scheme is way off.