Fatal Run

[AAA177]

Was playing Flashback 7 this evening and engaged this one for the first time. Never really heard of this until about a week ago. I think it's a pretty good game, but the review linked on AtariAge (I think at the Atari Protos site, if I got that correct?) was negative. Surprised me, actually. I was having fun with the game (was hard for me, though; then again I'm bad at most games, honestly).

 

What is the general opinion here on the game? Funny, too, because when I first learned about the title, I mixed it up with Road Blasters (I think that's the name); that's the one with the car that can acquire a nuclear missile and then shoot the city, causing the cars to melt (or something like that). Thought at first it was an adaptation of that one.

[toiletunes]

Fatal Run on 7800 is one of my 'must haves,' but I haven't studied the 2600 version yet.

[Tempest]

I wrote the review for AtariProtos (thats my site). I might have been a little harsh, but I expected a lot more out of a 32K game than a supped up Pole Poisition with weapons. Just my opinion, YMMV.

[+save2600]

I gave it a quick play or two a looong time ago on the 2600 and was disappointed as well. Gotta be an expectation thing as Tempest mentioned above, but just YouTubed it now and looks better than I remember. The small, single line of text that scrolls by at the end of a level leaves a lot to be desired though, but yeah... have the feeling Fatal Run is kind of a poor mans VCS adaptation of Road Blasters, but *might* be a little underrated at the same time. Or undercooked, I can't make up my mind.

 

Have it for the 7800 too, but haven't spent a lot of time with it. Graphics are a lot nicer of course, but the gameplay seems a bit shallow at first blush. It's the kind of game I really *want* to like though, so one of these days, will have to sit down and get a better feel for it. I know the videogamecritic didn't care much for it either. That's another good review site if you're not already familiar with it AAA177, but doesn't look like he's gotten around to reviewing the 2600 version yet.

[chavert]

It could have been the "outrun" of the 2600 atari but as the car was not a convertible they never managed to modelize the blonde woman in the car and so the game was canceled.

[AAA177]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Tempest, that's fair enough, and I respect the opinion. I can understand that perspective. For me, it just feels that there is so much going on for a 2600 game that it's cool to me. I like the storyline as well. I normally don't play racing games, but I guess the attempt at builiding a mythology attracted me.

 

Thanks for the tip save2600 on the other review site. Hopefully a review will eventually be written there as well.

 

Pretty interesting Chavert if it could have been Outrun.

 

And there was mention by toiletunes of the 7800 version. Reminds me that I have to get a 7800 at some point. Hope they aren't hard to track down (I wish I had purchased a 5200 and 7800 years ago when they were first out, but by then I went to the 400 and the 800, thinking that's all I would need; years later, I have such regret).

[Tempest]

Thanks for the replies.

 

Tempest, that's fair enough, and I respect the opinion. I can understand that perspective. For me, it just feels that there is so much going on for a 2600 game that it's cool to me. I like the storyline as well. I normally don't play racing games, but I guess the attempt at builiding a mythology attracted me.

 

It's not a bad game, I just don't understand why it needed 32K. With that much space the game should have been so much more.

[Shawn]

It could have been the "outrun" of the 2600 atari but as the car was not a convertible they never managed to modelize the blonde woman in the car and so the game was canceled.

 

 

What are you talking about? It was released in PAL format. Only the NTSC version didn't get released. Please show me one ounce of proof it had anything to do with not being a convertible car in the game like outrun has or any merit to the not having a blonde in the passanger seat along for the ride as the reason it didn't get a state side release. I've never once read or heard of that as reasoning for it not getting an NTSC release. Honestly? I'm sorry to say, but your post smells like you just made that shit up.

[Mister-VCS]

I wrote the review for AtariProtos (thats my site). I might have been a little harsh, but I expected a lot more out of a 32K game than a supped up Pole Poisition with weapons. Just my opinion, YMMV.

 

Sometimes I miss the "dislike-button" at the AA-forum....

[chavert]

 

What are you talking about? It was released in PAL format. Only the NTSC version didn't get released. Please show me one ounce of proof it had anything to do with not being a convertible car in the game like outrun has or any merit to the not having a blonde in the passanger seat along for the ride as the reason it didn't get a state side release. I've never once read or heard of that as reasoning for it not getting an NTSC release. Honestly? I'm sorry to say, but your post smells like you just made that shit up.

 

[borntorun]

I definitely enjoy this game. I actually have a PAL copy of the game, even though I'm in the US. I have an old TV, and I adjusted the vertical hold so I can play PAL games. It seems like an unlicensed Roadblasters clone, but it's still pretty good. I also have the 7800 version, which is even better.

[Raticon]

I really like Fatal Run, and the first time i played it was on a Flashback 4. I do however have a hard time when the enemy cars gets up towards my rear bumper and smashes me to bits with the only way to evade is driving super fast, which of course leads to inevitable crashing at some point.

The "menu"-system and the little snippets of music is kickass in my opinion, and something that adds to the game in many ways.

[Supergun]

Out Run was (still is) the spotlight driver which every driving game developer wanted a piece of. Back in the day, I used to say that Fatal Run was our Out Run & Radar Lock was our After Burner. They were the closest we had anyhow.

 

In this case, name recognition alone was worth it for developers, and they knew it:

 

Out Run -- Sega

Fatal Run -- Atari

Victory Run -- NEC

Big Run -- Jaleco

 

(Highway Star / Rad Racer -- Nintendo)

[+KaeruYojimbo]

Huh. I'd never heard of Big Run before. Looks like it and Victory Run are based on the same premise. Driving a Porsche 959 in the Paris-Dakar Rally. I played the crap out of Victory Run in the early 90's.

[Shawn]

 

 

 

 

What is that supposed to mean? I don't get it.

[chavert]

My first message was just a (bad?) joke.

sorry, that's taken this way.

[Tempest]

My first message was just a (bad?) joke.

 

sorry, that's taken this way.

 

Just ignore Shawn. We're still not sure what made him that way.

[Shawn]

 

Just ignore Shawn. We're still not sure what made him that way.

 

It's from the lack of hugs that my bullshit tolerance got broked. We've talked about this. I still love you though Matt.