Bonus life with musical tune/melody

[Emulator 67]

For me, the Atari 2600 games started becoming more arcade-like when they incorporated little neat features as a little tune or melody when you gain an extra life. I remember when I first played Demon Attack and I was very surprised to hear the little ditty when you completed a wave without dying. Music to my ears!

 

Other games followed suit, such as Centipede, with its Charge! theme, and Crystal Castles. I have 2 questions regarding this:

 

1. Which other original Atari titles have these bonus life melodies?

 

2. What was the first game to have the melody? Is it Demon Attack?

 

 

 

Regards, Emulator 67

[davyK]

Not a melody but I loved the high pitched beep when you got a 1UP in Asteroids.

 

Missile command had that sequence of beeps - hardly a melody though.

Edited November 3, 2017 by davyK

[Video]

I like dig dugs tune when you get the extra life. I don't know what would've first though.

 

Bonus props that it has an in game tune as well as a static tune.

 

Music in game is one of the larger things that set Nintendo and previous gens apart more than anything IMO.

Edited November 4, 2017 by Video

[Supergun]

The 2600 Asteroids 1up beep holds a special memory for me.

 

I'll never forget, it was Thanksgiving, and my mother was hosting the holiday at our home. We had dozens of family members over at the house. My cousin & I were playing the hell out of Asteroids, trying to see who could get the highest score. One of the guests at the party was a Doctor & he had a beeper. And this was back in the early 80's when they were not so common yet. Anyhow, every time we got an extra ship in Asteroids, and the sound played, he would get agitated and go to use the phone. It took a while before we figured out what was going on, but surely enough, he thought it was his beeper paging him when he heard the sound.

 

Once he figured it out, he was pretty upset.