pocketmego

Yeah, Hawkins wrote a paper and pencil Football game when he was a kid and started a business selling them, the business tanked. But, it left him in a mind to sell games and he went on to form Electronic arts (ever notice how sports-centric EA is...). He was famous for backing powerful systems that no one was interested in to any major degree. He backed the Amiga until it folded and then actually quit EA to get together a bunch of investors and produce the 3DO. It tanked and I haven't really heard anything about him since, though I could be wrong. -Ray

LMAO!!! Good point. -Ray

Funny I love the one line... "This guy returns EVERYTHING." LOL Thanks for posting that. -Ray

The Mac wasn't any more of a 'niche' in the 80s and early 90s than the ST, Amiga, or any other machine. I don't know what it was like in your neck of the woods, but in the US on the East Coast 8-bit computers were pretty much forgotten come the late 80s, and even the ST was rarely seen in stores or mentioned outside of being great for music studios. Writing for a PC or Mac in the late 80s would be the mainstream audience in the US. I sold my c64 in '88. I lived in New Orleans and kept my C64 until about 91 or 92 and then switched to a Sega Genesis for my gaming needs. When I mentioned the Mac as a Niche machine, I sort of meant more in terms of gaming. The Mac has never really been what I would call a gamer's computer. I would say if anything the Mac has more established itself as the ultimate desktop publishing machine. In terms of editing film, documents, newspapers, books, etc... I'd use a Mac if I had one available before any other machine. But, when I want to blast stuff, I gotta go with a PC or my Trusty C64. -Ray

I was curious as to your thoughts on Abstract vs Realistic games and which you all prefer. A realistic (give or take) type of game would be Defender or Superman. Very straight forward premises that can stand up to some form of reality even if Science Fictional or Fantasy in nature. Abstract would be something more like Q-Bert, Pac-Man, or Centipede. All of these games are very gamecentric in their logic and con't really be placed in any kind of realistic setting. Which do you prefer and which kidn of game do you think the VCS handled better? -Ray

I played it just last night. I kind of liked it, still. -Ray

This was REALLY cool. thanks for posting. I like his ideas and way of doing things. It is a shame he had such awful book keeping skills. -Ray

I had been reading Crawford's writing for the last few months and that was why I made my arrogant response in my first post in this thread. Ask anyone here, I'm not like that usually. I found Crawford's site from reading Random Terrain's web site, which had a link to his first book on game design. He has some interesting reading on game design as well. It's www.randomterrain.com. You'll have to type it out yourself, I've posted enough links in this thread. LOL, No problem. Thanks -Ray

Later when talking about how it takes 46 shots to take out a walker: Finally, he says: So it sounds like they just shoved it out the door at the end. Thankfully, it still is a pretty good game compared to a lot of the other shovelware from that time period..... Maybe someone should take up the task of completing it like it was supposed to be :) I think his statement is being a bit misunderstood. He is not saying we put out a 50% complete game because at the time people would buy anything (Atari or Star wars I assume he meant). No, I think he bemoans not having the game they wanted, but knew the game would sell anyway and went ahead with it like it was. I dn't think he is using the same arrogance and malice that later quotes of the Crash years would be associated with. It's the first Star Wars video game and I think they managed a pretty good one for the first. It was no SW arcade game, but we never knew better at the time. -Ray

There are many games on the Atari that are rocket fast even compared to some of todays games. Spider Fighter immediately comes to mind. That game is one that starts fast and only gets faster. -Ray

Oh, then scratch that. In that case I have nothing to add for 90's games -Ray

I was playing a round of Empire Strikes Back and something occurred to me. Empire is a pretty innovative and original game design. Yes, its a side scroller, and yes you attack multiple waves of the same enmeies. However, what makes it interesting to me is that it is the only game that I can think of in the entire VCS libraray that used that particular play style and come to think of it I can only think of one later game that ever copied its game play style, that would be Jeff Minters Attack of the Mutant Camels which could almost be called a CLONE. But to be able to attack a big enemy multiple times while taking mulitple hits is the equivalent of a complete boss battle in later games. Empire is the first game I can think of that used the idea of one mini-boss battle after another to gain ground and rack up points. It seemed to do well, I wonder why this particular type of game play never caught on? In any event, it sure is a fun game to play. -Ray

I actually have a Megamania that doesn't work. But, I don't know how to open up an Atari cartridge. -Ray

No, actually I can totally respect that. Very few titkles didn't get ported to Commodore, but the ones that didn't always kind of stick in my craw. At least you have a tangible entity to blame. Plus, Hawkins really does hit me as kind of a jerk. I recall the story about him passing on Bard's Tale because he called Role Playing Games "Nicheware for Nerds". But, that is OK, the 3DO just about spelled the end of his career, so what goes around...etc...etc... Oh and Player, I want to mention that after reading some of the material you posted, I owe Crawford a bit more respect than I previously gave him, I just thought you'd like to know that. -Ray

Where I grew up in New Orleans, Activision was KING. It seemed bigger than Atari itself as their games always seemed to be more available. I never heard of Imagic before I came to this site, sad to say, because IMAGIC rules. Parker Bros. ran second to Activision. -Ray

Rondo of Blood was in fact far awesomer than Dracula X. I'm voting Resurrection, though. Just for the sheer stupidity of putting a game that was never released, or even leaked and pirated, as an option for best ever. We really need something that prevents anyone with under 200 posts to create threads. WTF??? Like your freakin' WIT and Witicism is so much more advanced than someone who just started. You are just being an asshole. -Ray Rondo of Blood was in fact far awesomer than Dracula X. I'm voting Resurrection, though. Just for the sheer stupidity of putting a game that was never released, or even leaked and pirated, as an option for best ever. I'AM TIRED OF HEARING YOUR RUDE REMARK'S SO TAKE YOU GAY AVATAR AND SHOVE IT. JERK. NOT YOU GUITARMAN Both of you can kindly go back to game FAQ forums where you belong. Gee, I would, but then I'd be denied the nuggets of wisdom that spew forth from you on a regular basis. By nuggets I mean shit of course. -Ray

No, but I gotta think that Steve Kitchen was PROBABLY gay and then Transgendered. I'm just going by his very obvious feminity here... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLpP2uh-zmE -Ray

Ok, been letting this one stew a bit before answering... 70's - Superman (as was stated earlier, just a great game and quite ahead of its time) 80's - Demon Attack (In my opinion it may quite possibly be the greatest 2600 game of all time) 90's - It was a real close tie on this one for me. I was VERY close to going for the one everyone else has voted for, but I think in this case I have to give it to Solaris, which is just a technically superior and beautiful rendition of star raiders) 00's - Hunchy 2 and Wolfenstein VCS : The Next Mission are exactly tied in my book as the two finest games of the 00's. -Ray

Run through a game of C64 Gyruss and it is pretty evident. It also appears from time to time on Jeff Minter's more psychadelic games, but there is so much going on in those things it isn't always evident that its flicker. -Ray

I am thrilled to see someone voted for the Amstrad. I know most of what it had on its system, gamewise, were mostly just Spectrum ports. But, the Amstrad had a good, solid graphics and I think is a very underated machine. -Ray

Rondo of Blood was in fact far awesomer than Dracula X. I'm voting Resurrection, though. Just for the sheer stupidity of putting a game that was never released, or even leaked and pirated, as an option for best ever. We really need something that prevents anyone with under 200 posts to create threads. WTF??? Like your freakin' WIT and Witicism is so much more advanced than someone who just started. You are just being an asshole. -Ray

And instead we got slowdowns. Well fair's fair... As one poster pointed out with the NES you got the fun of flicker AND slowdowns. -Ray Yup, I always thought it was FAR worse on the NES. It could be pretty bad on the Master System too - Double Dragon for example. Got that right. Flicker is so bad on SMS Double Dragon as to make the two player mode...UNPLAYABLE. I am convinced this is why the 2 player co-op moder was left out of the NES version. -Ray

I bought a 2600 Jr. Pac-Man cartridge today and when I put ti in my Heavy Sixer to play it seemed to big fr the slot. It went in real tight, wouldn't play and got stuck in the unit until I pulled it out really hard. It wouldn't fit in my normal woody either. It seems to fit in my 2600 Jr. OK, but the problem with that is my Jr doesn't work, so i can't tell if the thing even plays. What's going on here? -Ray

Now, I diddn't know he inventede Wizard, so thanks for that info. So, you dislike Trip Hawkins? I'm curious as to why? I mean don't get me wrong, he was sort of the anomoly of gaming history. The Jock who became a computer geek. He's also arrogant as hell and it is interesting that he felt he needed to be on that show to hold Bill Budge's hand. The most tellig thing about trip is that you can tell hge hated looking like a looser, EVER. This is evidenced by the fact that he wouldn't stop playing that game during the interview until he made a successful shot on camera. -Ray

Yes, but everything about Mr. D is sort of mediocre. Character sprites are rough. Gameplay is off...I agree with the initial poster, it could have been a better port even at the time. Even despite technical limitations. -Ray