Wanted: Feedback For Robotron 2084 & Xevious

[nosweargamer]

I'm looking for feedback for the next episode of the Atari 7800 Game By Game Podcast (you can find it on iTunes or use this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/78gbg )

What are your memories and/or thoughts on Robotron 2084 & Xevious on the 7800?

Also, how would you rate them? I use a system of 4 choices (From Best to Worst):

Hall of Fame Game (Top 5 game on the system)

Solid Game

"Meh" Game

Trash Game (Bottom 5 game on the system)

These games will be covered on Episode 8.

You can also e-mail text or audio to atari7800podcast@aol.com

Just keep it family friendly

You can also send feedback on previously covered games or the system itself. Thanks!

[+save2600]

Love both of these hall of famer's myself. Robotron is a bit on the easy side as the difficulty takes a while to ramp up though. Really enjoy using the joystick coupler and is one of the few reasons to ever use the thing. Excellent that Atari had the foresight to build that compatibility into the game!

 

I didn't have either game BITD, but would have been really impressed with them and the systems capabilities had I.

 

Xevious is also a very solid port and glad Atari chose to go with it for the 7800. Great all around shooter. We actually had the arcade game BITD and it didn't take long for it to sell. I remember being impressed by the "AI" of the ships on the first stage. How they'd fly toward you, then zip away. Figured out you just needed to wait a little before lining up a shot in order to get 'em all. Then being blown away by the Nazca-like lines on the ground in later levels. Thought it was very cool seeing something of antiquity reflected in a modern video game. Pyramids, etc. Really added to the atmosphere and uniqueness of the game.

 

Saw later that one of the Gradius games featured Easter Island heads in one of the levels. Another great challenge of the game is knocking out two or more installations on the ground with a carefully timed/placed shot. Fun trying to blow a few things up with one shot!

[+GoldenWheels]

Robotron is definitely in my top 5 most played 7800 games--with the dual joysticks. I made a homemade coupler and was glad I did. I'd call it HOF.

 

Xevious is very much a meh game for me. Has good graphics and is a well done game for the 7800, just does absolutely nothing for me. It's not bad, I just find it totally boring.

[Trebor]

Robotron: 2084 is a Hall of Fame Game.

Xevious is a Solid Game.

[gambler172]

For me....both are solid games....

[toiletunes]

I didn't have a 7800 bitd, but I picked one up around 96-03 or so. Buying games was hit or miss.

Robotron became an instant classic, I played it for hours on end. Xevius is also a very good game and a must have if you like that genre (I don't ever play it because that style game just doesn't do it for me, but I can respect it nonetheless.)

[JonnyBritish]

Robotron - HOF game for me and I play it single joystick only as its a new challenge

Xevious - solid game - cant say even arcade was awesome but solid conversion and pretty impressive

[thursday83]

Both solid. Both great arcade ports.

[mitchd61]

Both are solid games. Plenty of fun to be had with both.

[Lynxpro]

I'm a fan of both games going back to the original arcade versions. Both ports deserve to be in any 7800 collection.

 

The only weakness that they both share is the lack of POKEY audio. They'd both be definitive if they had the A8/5200 POKEY audio available.

 

I don't care what anyone says… 7800 Xevious is better than the NES port. And it certainly blows away the ST port.

[Nutsy Doodleheimer]

Easily 2 of the must own games to newbies interested in wanting to get a 7800. Both are great arcade ports and Hall of Fame games. 2084 does start off fairly easy, then everything starts to get serious in later levels. I actually think the 7800 version of Xevious is slightly better than the NES version. My favorite Robotron 2084 version is the 5200 version hands down.

[Lynxpro]

Easily 2 of the must own games to newbies interested in wanting to get a 7800. Both are great arcade ports and Hall of Fame games. 2084 does start off fairly easy, then everything starts to get serious in later levels. I actually think the 7800 version of Xevious is slightly better than the NES version. My favorite Robotron 2084 version is the 5200 version hands down.

 

The 5200 version of Robotron 2084 certainly does have better audio thanks to the POKEY but the 7800 TIA audio isn't bad despite itself...

 

From what I know, Robotron does support HSC; Xevious might as well.

[Trebor]

From what I know, Robotron does support HSC; Xevious might as well.

 

Indeed, Xevious does support the HSC. Further, some of the better TIA music is played during the high score entry screen:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_1v1JZR6LU&t=4m52s

 

Press play and then fast forward to ~4:54 to see a demonstration of it in the above video.

[SoulBlazer]

Both of these are solid games. Very good ports of the classic arcade games. Xevious is only handicapped by the 7800's controllers. It's on par with the NES version, although I give the NES port the slight edge due to superior music/sound. Great idea for Atari for a joystick coupler for Robotron and something I don't think any other home port of the game had. Quite playable with one joystick also, though more difficult a game.

 

(I missed the FB post for comment on these, with my super busy week, so I'll comment here. )

[ntavio]

ROBOTRON 2084: Hall of Famer

Xevious: Solid Game

[Inky]

Both are hall of fame games.

The best things about Robotron are the challenge difficulty. One life, no free guys. Fun for torunament play. The othrer thing about Robotron is the two joystick control. While it's difficult to work both by yourself without some sort of contraption holding them both together, my brother and I would play one person moves, the ofther fires. Made for an excellent twist on the game.

As for Xevious, the only thing I have against it - and it's not just a Xevious problem - is that it doesn't have the rich green color like the arcade does. Indeed, I find that as a problem with all 7800 games. That having been said, I actually like this version more than the arcade, and I love the arcade version. All the hidden bonuses and free lives are there, as is the satisfying "PING!" when your bullets hit the resistor shields. Probably my most favorite 7800 title.

[Jinks]

Both great.

[+jeremiahjt]

Both solid games. Although there is something about Xevious that annoys me to no end that no fault can be placed on the game. People play the game with a Genesis pad and then complain that they cannot fire missiles and bombs seperately. And occasionally people play with a 7800 controller and make the same complaint because they have the difficulty switch in the wrong position.

[Papa]

 

Indeed, Xevious does support the HSC. Further, some of the better TIA music is played during the high score entry screen:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_1v1JZR6LU&t=4m52s

 

Press play and then fast forward to ~4:54 to see a demonstration of it in the above video.

 

Now if only they put THAT music at the beginning! I know it would be different, but man does that sound AWESOME!

 

Xevious was one of my first 7800 games back in the day and Robotron was the prequel (at least in a programming sense) to Smash TV, which is one of my favorites of all time, so yeah..they both are GREATNESS!!

 

At 4.34 you can watch a great comparison of the NES version of Xevious versus the 7800 version. I really like how the 7800 just busts out the pixels. There are also many other great comparisons in this video..

 

 

[Lynxpro]

 

Indeed, Xevious does support the HSC. Further, some of the better TIA music is played during the high score entry screen:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_1v1JZR6LU&t=4m52s

 

Press play and then fast forward to ~4:54 to see a demonstration of it in the above video.

 

 

That's awesome! Friggin' Atari Corp(se) not releasing the HSC back in the day.

 

Do any A8 cartridge games have options to save high scores to a connected tape player or disk drive?

[Lynxpro]

Both solid games. Although there is something about Xevious that annoys me to no end that no fault can be placed on the game. People play the game with a Genesis pad and then complain that they cannot fire missiles and bombs seperately. And occasionally people play with a 7800 controller and make the same complaint because they have the difficulty switch in the wrong position.

 

Use the 7800 EuroPad if you want a joypad that uses the second fire button.

 

I know, I know. Back in the day, Atari Corp(se) didn't make them available here in the States. Same with the XG Light Gun.

[+jeremiahjt]

 

Use the 7800 EuroPad if you want a joypad that uses the second fire button.

 

I know, I know. Back in the day, Atari Corp(se) didn't make them available here in the States. Same with the XG Light Gun.

 

Even if they have the EuroPad if they have the difficulty switch in the wrong position both buttons fire both weapons.

They sold the XG Light Gun here in the States. And it was a great deal! When you bought the gun you got an Atari XE, a keyboard, and 2 games for free!