Star Raiders 2600 - RU a fan of this conversion?

[Scorp.ius]

hi!

 

i wonder if there are people who think Star Raiders on the 2600 is a good conversion of the Atari 8-bit computer game.

perhaps I missunderstand the game - so i have some questions

 

the 800xl version has a big galactic chart (map) with many places to jump and many enemies.

On the 2600 this map is 4 by 4. there is no place to maneuver or for tactics at all. right?

 

what do you think.

 

or is the map bigger than 4x4 and i just dont understand it?

[Tinman]

I personally think that the original 8-bit version of Star Raiders is the best computer game ever made. It has always been my favorite and I think that the 2600 version is pretty decent, given the limitations ofnthe platform. However I actually like Activision Starmaster better on the 2600. It seems a bit faster-moving and just a more fun game. Starpath Phaser Patrol is excellent, too, especially with the improved graphics on the Supercharger.

[Nukey Shay]

2600 has the difficulty ramped up quite a lot compared to (the vastly superior) 8-bit original. Unfortunately, the attributes that made the jump were done kinda halfass...understandable given the limitations of doing the conversion using the console's native ram only, however. Too many things that made the original a cool game were not present at all...and reaching for the little keypad was too distracting compared to the full cockpit control panel... err... computer keyboard.

 

BTW the game has loads of romspace that was not used at all...so this could have been expanded a bit had they taken a little more time with it. Maybe give all those leftover buttons some additional functions? Or at least make the "galaxay" a bit larger

 

Anyway, I agree with the above...Starmaster cut out all the mucky-muck and just stuck to the basics (and beat Atari's 2600 port to market, too), and is a much more fluid game because of it. It's still far below the 8-bit game it was ripping off, but something fun to play instead of feeling like a chore.

[zylon]

I like the 2600 port of Star Raiders.

[atari181]

Never played the 8 bitvetsion, bit absolutely loved the 2600 version.

[_MHR_]

2600 version was extremely good - played it alot and still love it.

[Master Phruby]

The 2600 version was really good but difficult. The 8bit version had a lot more depth and was more fun. The Atari ST version was like the first Star Trek movie. Lots of special effects but no fun to watch (play).

[high voltage]

I like it and the extra controller makes it feel like you're in a space ship

[roryjr]

I loved it back in the day. There was an Atari fanzine called (iirc) The Atari 2600 Connection. There was a question of what is the secret rank. I played and played. I bobbed and weaved (on screen and physically) as I tried to get the secret. Finally, I achieved... wait for it... Atari 1 rank. And I never played again for almost 20 years because I did not know if I could do it again. For the record, I did not save the starbase even with the highest rank and class so I don't think it is possible to save it.

[+LS650]

8-bit > Starmaster >> 2600

[WolfAmongWolves]

I liked (and still like) the 2600 version of Star Raiders too, but its main problem is the small galaxy, as Nukey said. This allows for only one group of enemy ships, so the fun of warping around space and engaging different groups while stopping for repairs at the starbase every now and then is almost nonexistent. Starmaster does this much better. On the other hand, Star Raiders has a more realistic 3D feel than Starmaster, with enemy ships actually able to zip past you and attack you from behind. Starmaster is kind of flat in that respect, with the enemies only really "there" and shooting when you can see them in front of you. A combination of Starmaster's galaxy map mode and Star Raider's flight mode would have been really awesome.

[+FujiSkunk]

Here's a question. Has anyone ever actually beaten the 2600 version of Star Raiders? To this day I wonder if there is some trick that I'm missing, because I can never kill the bad guys quickly enough before they wipe out the starbase. Easiest or hardest difficulty, it doesn't matter.

Edited September 27, 2013 by FujiSkunk

[roryjr]

Here's a question. Has anyone ever actually beaten the 2600 version of Star Raiders? To this day I wonder if there is some trick that I'm missing, because I can never kill the bad guys quickly enough before they wipe out the starbase. Easiest or hardest difficulty, it doesn't matter.

 

See my post above. I got the highest rank and still could not save the starbase. If you play with the reset button, you can start at the opposite corner of the map from the starbase (which is what I did) and you still won't be able to save it. As you destroy more and more Zylons (?), they seem to begin to play hide and seek to slow you down.

[+FujiSkunk]

 

See my post above. I got the highest rank and still could not save the starbase. If you play with the reset button, you can start at the opposite corner of the map from the starbase (which is what I did) and you still won't be able to save it. As you destroy more and more Zylons (?), they seem to begin to play hide and seek to slow you down.

 

Ah, sorry, missed your earlier post. I'm glad to know it wasn't just me. I think the 2600 adaptation is pretty good for what it is, but you definitely get a sense of futility knowing the starbase is going to bite it no matter how well you play.

[shadow460]

I typically reach for Starmaster the quickest, but Phaser Patrol is my favorite of the three games talked about so far. I'd play it more if I had an mp3 player within easy reach so I could load it.

 

Another version of Phaser Patrol was found a few years back. Iv'e played it and I think they toned down the difficulty before its final release. The earlier version is still a lot of fun to play even though it takes me a couple of tries to even finish it without getting killed.

Edited September 29, 2013 by shadow460

[Unbeliever]

I love the 2600 version of Star Raiders. Probably only because the keypad controller, although gimmicky, is awesome. I love the fact that you have "extra controls" for your starship. Makes it all feel more "real", as it were. Starmaster is very high on my list, perhaps slightly less appealing than Star Raiders. No extra controller, but the flipping switch thing works excellent for this game, and the graphics are certainly crisper (as with most Activision games that I hold dear to my heart).

 

Never beaten either game, though.

[PFL]

There was a thread recently about old games that would be nice to see updated. I never thought about Star Raiders at the time but wouldn't it be nice to see an expanded universe these days?

[SpaceDice2010]

Does anyone here besides me like Stellar Trek? I was a Star Trek junkie on the Apple II and find Stellar Trek an amazing game. You just have to consider that the game is what it is; a re-make of the Apple II Star Trek.

[SoulBlazer]

Does anyone here besides me like Stellar Trek? I was a Star Trek junkie on the Apple II and find Stellar Trek an amazing game. You just have to consider that the game is what it is; a re-make of the Apple II Star Trek.

The 2600 version of Stellar Trek is quite good, considering what they tried to do, I think. It's a unique game and, like Star Raiders, a chance for people who had the 2600 to play a popular computer game, even if watered down a bit. The Star Trek mainframe game was always a fav of mine...had a very good C64 version that I played all the time BITD.

 

Speaking of that, is there a good online/browser version of Star Trek anyone online? Maybe with some updates like extra features or a upgrade in sounds/graphics?

[Keatah]

Stellar Track

[SpaceDice2010]

 

 

Speaking of that, is there a good online/browser version of Star Trek anyone online? Maybe with some updates like extra features or a upgrade in sounds/graphics?

 

There is this one -

http://www.arctuviangambit.com/startrek.html

 

There is also an amzing version for the PC called EGATrek (or something like that). I have no idea how to get it to run though.

 

Lloyd

[Keatah]

dosbox

[oky2000]

I like it and the extra controller makes it feel like you're in a space ship

Haha yes THIS

 

Is there any point chastising the VCS chipset from the dark dank mid 70s era of clockwork toys (ie the machine is a miracle way ahead of its time) like this saying blah blah version is better? The truth is it is an awesome game in its own right. I have VCS, A8 and ST versions.

 

IMO the keypad is genius, the sound is awesome and the graphics although blocky are smooth and fast and give the same atmosphere and are at least not monochromatic.

 

Actually is there a hack of the A8 version that will use the VCS touchpad?

[stringfellow]

never played it, always loved the 5200 version though

[Sardonyx]

Here's a question. Has anyone ever actually beaten the 2600 version of Star Raiders? To this day I wonder if there is some trick that I'm missing, because I can never kill the bad guys quickly enough before they wipe out the starbase. Easiest or hardest difficulty, it doesn't matter.

 

Star Raiders for the 2600 was one of my favorite games as a kid, mostly because of the novelty of having the keypad and being able to control the view and ship systems with it. I happened across this topic because I've been on a retro kick the last couple days and went back to play Star Raiders again today.

 

After a couple games I was able to beat it on Skill Level 20. No luck with Level 30.

 

As roryjr said, I've only managed to kill a few of them before they reach the starbase because after killing a few it seems they're always too far ahead to be seen or behind, at least according to the attack computer, so it's not possible to really engage them. I think at most I've managed to pick off 10 targets before they reached the starbase no matter how far away they start because there's no visible targets. Inevitably the starbase gets destroyed and then it's a fight to the end as the Krylons will continuously engage after that.

 

Maybe there's a way to use the information about them being behind you or too far in front. I've tried turing the ship around, but it doesn't allow me to engage them more often and the manual doesn't give any hints on it. It might interesting to walk through the assembly and see how much of the location within the sector and orientation of the ship is modeled. In the 8-bit computer version orientation and range to the ships is all there.

 

As an aside, I played Starmaster for the first time tonight. My younger self always saw it as a cheap knock off because of the lack of keypad. In many ways it's a better game though. I just wish I could have recognized that 35 years ago There's multiple starbases, multiple enemy fleets attack. You can't turn shields on or off, but really in 2600 Star Raiders it's kind of superfluous looking at it now. I never want the shields off and the computer is something I would only turn off if it was destroyed as the auto target lock is very useful for hitting the ships. That only leaves the Hyperwarp button and the switch between Fore View and Galactic Map. Starmaster handles that view switching with the Color/B&W switch which works fine and the button on the joystick engages warp.

 

The other great part about Starmaster is that the ships actually engage you. As soon as you land in a sector with enemies they show up and attack. Star Raiders will always be a great memory as me and my friends played it a lot growing up. I'd definitely say Starmaster has a better execution on the concept and does more with the limited 2600 hardware. It's also less frustrating to play That said, I'm going to keep at Star Raiders for the next couple days and see if I can manage to beat the 3rd level (Skill Level 30).

Edited June 19, 2017 by Sardonyx