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Atari 8-bit Game Scene

Entry posted by Bryan January 18, 2018

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I've been watching videos of upcoming game releases on various platforms and I've noticed that sometimes developers get in a rut and we see far too many of the same types of games and not a lot of innovation. I guess what bothers me most is hearing of some new game coming out and then finding out it fits the following template:

1. Amazing full-color RastaConverter title screen. Probably a bigger executable than the game itself.
2. Amazing title screen music.
3. Pressing Start dumps you into some ho-hum puzzle game or some other simple concept that doesn't live up to the extravagant intro.

I realize we have tools to make impressive images and music now, but they make a simple game look worse by setting the standard too high. What I really want to see on the A8 is innovation. Either bring something to the A8 library that's been missing or come up with an experience no one's seen before.

I look at what's going on in the (admittedly larger) C64 community and it's pretty incredible what people are attempting there. People are writing impressive game engines for the Spectrum too even though they know they'll always look kinda mangy in the end. Of course, they can do stuff we can't do and we can do stuff they can't do so let's find more of those things. Then we can slap 70 color title screens on them.

And oh yeah, why do I find SID music to be so irritating after a while? Somehow I find myself suffering from sawtooth overload after just a few minutes.

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Cafeman 4,045

Posted January 20, 2018

Im not familiar with the C64 Sid, but Im not a fan of many modern A8 games' composed techno music either. Impressive, but the same sounds and beats and techno style, after a few listens too repetitive, too in your face, and I want to turn it off. Mind you, same issue with many modern games music! Yet, I still dont tire of the simple tunes in Popeye , Moon Patrol. I guess I prefer more incidental and beginning of level music ditties and more emphasis on game sounds than a looping track.

I dont pay too much attention to the A8 or C64 scene lately so not sure which games you might be referring to. Every now and then I poke around online to see whats new.

Remember the innovation of the early 80s arcade scene? All kinds of new and good types of games.