8 replies to this topic

[Tin_Lunchbox]

I guess I noticed Desert Falcon on an online auction site while browsing Atari items. I bought it (2600/Video Arcade version) from one of those Venezuelan sellers and am pretty happy with it.

It's a Zaxxon sort of thing with an ancient Egyptian theme. You maneuver some sort of falcon past other flying things, and over crawling scarabs, and dodging pyramids and so forth, to get a chance to defeat a giant Sphinx.

The isometric view I think is unique among 2600 games. It's mainly like Zaxxon, but then you often land and jump along a bit to pick up hieroglyphs and get various power-ups (which I haven't figured out how to use at this time).

I would class this among the best later-era (like 1986 until the advent of homebrewers) 2600 games. I think the programmer Robert Polaro didn't get the memo that Atari was grinding out shovel-ware by that time.

Anyhow, while websearching to find out more about Desert Falcon I looked at online video of the 7800 and Atari 8bit computer versions. From the videos (and it's sometimes hard to tell because of the quality of the transfer and frame rate and so forth) the 7800 programmer did a really nice job, at least as detailed and much smoother than the 8bit version.

The 2600 version goes about it the best possible way it could have I think. It preserves the isometric view (unlike the 2600 Zaxxon port), distills the graphics to the bare minimum, pays close attention to the colors, and keeps the core elements. It also has an interesting musical introduction to set the mood and nice in-game sound effect.

Anyone else care to remark on Desert Falcon?

[StanJr]

I like it quite a bit.  Learning how to make combos on the glyphs and get the big rewards is key.  I like the boss fight at the end of each level as well.  The difficulty ramps up pretty good after a few levels also making the game a challenge.  There are a few cheap deaths that can add some frustration, but overall I think it's a pretty good game.

[Fr0st]

I have it, but haven't actually played it in a long long time. I can remember as a kid loving it and having the combos down to a tee. Thanks op, next time i throw on the 2600, i'm playing this!

[Tempest]

I only ever played the 2600 back in the day and I didn't care for it.  A 3/4th perspective game is just too tough for the 2600 to do convincingly.

[Jinks]

I got it new for the 2600 when i was a kid played the hell outa it. Awesome game, title screen. decent music. the 7800 version i have is even better. if you like df get a 7800 to play it and enjoy the better graphics. bullets are spear things and the enimies look like something other that blobs. sound? Well its EXACTLY the same as 2600 so not to far from  your security blanket of vcs weirdness..

[Inky]

Not a fan of either the 2600 or the 7800 version.  The 2600 version tries to be like the 7800 version, but the 2600 can't handle it.  The 7800 version, the graphics are way too muddy, and it's hard to tell what's what, and your height.

I wish a faithful Zaxxon for the 7800 was available.

[littleman jack]

I like Desert Falcon for the 2600 quite a lot. I've got it on an Atari collection for the PC and I've played it on Stella. I want to get a 2600 cart eventually. I'm not a fan of the 7800 version, however. I felt that it wasn't as good as I expected it to be, and I'd rather play the 2600 version.

[Zwackery]

I never liked the 2600 version.  It was really glitchy.  I bought the title NIB back in the early 1990s thanks to Radio Shack's back catalog, and I returned a couple copies as being defective before I realized that many were made with a v-hold issue such that I had to adjust the control on the back of the tv in order to play it.  (And then change it back for everything else.)

[Torr]

All I know is this is a game I really want for my VCS collection, played the ROM a few times and it seems awesome.