+atari2600land Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Since I like Computer Golf! for the Odyssey 2, I figured why not try Golf for the Atari 2600? So I did. I expected it to be somewhat similar, but geez, it's really similar. The only differences are the background (Atari 2600 has a blue one while the Odyssey 2 had a black one), the Atari 2600 has sandtraps while the Odyssey 2 one doesn't, and all the greens are the same. Also, if you hit a tree, the guy in Golf doesn't throw a fit. The hole in the Atari 2600 version is the size of the ball itself, which makes it really hard to get in compared to the Odyssey 2 version. As for which is better, it's so similar it's a toss-up. I wonder if the guys at Atari played Computer Golf! for the Odyssey 2 or vice versa. Both games have a copyright date of 1978. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted June 2, 2014 Share Posted June 2, 2014 Very interesting. Cross development maybe? Whatever the case, Golf may not exactly be "golf," but man I can sure sit and play 8-10 rounds without batting an eye. Wish I had this as a kid! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 It's ugly as hell but I have a soft spot for this game. I'm assuming there is a best possible minimum score if you make the same shot every time. Or does it throw in some randomness like Bowling? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Very interesting. Cross development maybe? Whatever the case, Golf may not exactly be "golf," but man I can sure sit and play 8-10 rounds without batting an eye. Wish I had this as a kid! I bought 2600 Golf from Sears BITD as a kid and had lots of fun with it. Very playable game actually and enough of a challenge to keep you coming back for more. Interesting the O2 version is so similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 It's ugly as hell but I have a soft spot for this game. I'm assuming there is a best possible minimum score if you make the same shot every time. Or does it throw in some randomness like Bowling? Oh sure. Like all golf games there is a lowest possible. I've seen no randomization of any kind, apart from trying to guess how hard that wind-up is going to whack the ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynicaster Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I remember a non-gamer friend of mine saw me playing 2600 Golf once, and he started laughing out loud at the game. He was baffled that I could actually sit there and play it for more than a few seconds. I don't know... it's not my favorite game, but it's a lot more entertaining than you'd think it would be at a glance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I've played both, and they are very similar. I find it's a mellow game to play when you want to just relax and kill some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyK Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 It's easy to criticise Golf. I find it a pretty poor game. If only they hadn't tried to actually put a golfer on the screen and come up with some other method of aiming and hitting - but then this was before the famous 3 press system that the likes of Leaderboard had which I guess was quite revolutionary. I remember playing a Golf game on the old Apple 2 that only showed the course without a player figure - just the ball and the hole (a bit like the 1990 title "My Golf". You used the paddle controller to select the club, direction and how hard you hit the ball. There was no power meter or anything like that but it worked really well and the original golf would have been a lot better had it used a system like that.....but again....easy to say that in 2014!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Random Terrain Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 I like to swing the club: randomterrain.com/atari-2600-memories-favorite-games.html#golf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Too bad they didn't use the same mechanism for Miniature Golf. It's bizarre and confusing as is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davyK Posted June 3, 2014 Share Posted June 3, 2014 Once you get it, Golf is OK - it's actually quite clever. It's just the way it looks that puts me off. I know - it's a really early 2600 game - but even the simplest graphics can have an appeal and Golf just doesn't do it for me. That really is saying something as I have a very high tolerance for old graphics (being in my late 40s i am well used to them from back in the day). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Yeah, it's the golfer that really hurts the game. Even so, at its heart, it's golf, and I am a sucker for good golf games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceDice2010 Posted June 12, 2014 Share Posted June 12, 2014 Mini Golf was much more fun imho. I remember playing that game all the time. Lloyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 What's the best verified score in Golf? I might try to equal it or best it in Stella using the save states just out of boredom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Miniature golf was (and is) awesome. One of the more engrossing games of the time. I also don't see how it was complex or confusing. Couldn't be simpler. You set the club angle and effort by simply positioning your guy. Angle = direction, and distance = force. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 I guess I don't like the fact that sometimes you have to hit the ball AWAY from the hole and hope for a good bounce to get enough force on the shot. Take the first hole for example, if you wanna shoot it straight up the screen you can get no force since your guy can only move a little bit down below the ball. Maybe I just need to practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 BTW can you get a hole in one in any Atari Golf game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 In Miniature Golf (Arcade Colf Sears) It's not too difficult to get a hole in one for all levels. Maybe not all in the same game because there is a bit of chance and Butterfly Effect involved if you're one-pixel off in aiming. I've been playing this game since I was in diapers and still enjoy a good reparte' with my buddies.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godzillajoe Posted June 19, 2014 Share Posted June 19, 2014 Shot a 34 today. Could probably bring that down a few strokes with some trial and error. This game needs a course editor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Whatever the case, Golf may not exactly be "golf," but man I can sure sit and play 8-10 rounds without batting an eye. Wish I had this as a kid! I played Atari 2600 Golf for the first time this week, and these are my sentiments. It looks horribly stupid at first because of the static golfer yet dynamically shifting golf club ... but its a lot of fun and strategy. My best score is in the low 40's so far. I really don't have a feel yet for how hard to hit the ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Do you guys play Miniature Golf on Difficulty A or B? "A" seems to cause the ball the bounce around a lot more, which I like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I tried playing real life golf once swinging the club over my head and back down my back and around to my legs but all I accomplished was whacking my friend in the head standing behind me while dislocating my shoulder and falling backwards on the butt end of the golf club which lodged itself deep in a place it wasn't designed for. Sure am glad I didn't try real life Dodge 'Em Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickR Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I wonder why they never made "RealSports Golf"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 Heh heh, funny - one of the homebrew ideas I had years back was trying to do either "RealSports Golf" (or "RealSports Racing") . I wanted to do it on 5200. I also thought about a miniature golf on 5200, I think I was going to call it "Atari Age Mini Golf" . But I never got the free time. I also just noticed there was a hack called Golf+ where you guys made custom courses based on Golf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AtariLeaf Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 I also just noticed there was a hack called Golf+ where you guys made custom courses based on Golf. That's one I've been contemplating buying. IIRC it's only a $20 game. I played the rom via my ouya and it's got some interesting courses based on other 2600 games like Adventure. Can't remember them ( or even identify) all the courses but I've always been curious about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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