Room 34

Tried it again today and you're right. But I noticed something else... even on the correct 1-player game, the AI moves player 2, but you can still force it to shoot by pressing the button. Was the original that way and I just never noticed?

I warned my contacts at Atari about Pong. So many people are unfamiliar with the actual original 1972 Pong. It had "bugs" (not really bugs, since the thing is built on TTL not software). We create games exactly, so we recreated these behaviours. So, for example, the paddles would cut off at raster row 256, but the ball would reach row 262. The ball is only 4 pixels high, so could sneak past the paddle at the bottom corner. Likewise, the pots weren't tuned such that the paddles could reach the top of the screen. They came up about 10 pixels short. So, again, the ball could sneak by. Third quirk: the ball wouldn't bounce until it touched the bottom of the screen, so you would see it blip on the bottom for a frame as it wrapped around from the top. You can turn off this behaviour and have the paddles reach the full scope (see Settings) but I'm adamant that arcade authentic behaviour be the default mode "out of the box". (It's bad enough Pong has an AI at all -- borrowed from Video Olympics -- because the arcade Pong never did.) Back when we did the Nintendo DS releases I actually had to write a document that went out with review copies explaining to the press that these were not bugs in the recreation so please don't say we did a bad job because of this. No such luxury for user-based reviews on iTunes. I actually want to add a disclaimer to future updates informing the user (just once) that the quirks are intentional. If they still don't read it, there's not much I can do. I wish all of the 1-star reviewers on the App Store could (wait, I mean WOULD, since of course they COULD) read this before complaining. First of all, it humanizes the faceless entities that produce apps, but more importantly, it shows how much care and attention to detail DID go into this game. Do I think it's perfect? No. But a lot of that has to do with the fact that it's incredibly hard to find a good way to translate the experience of some of these games to a small, handheld, touchscreen device with no physical controls. That aside, you and your team clearly do know what you're doing, and you care about the quality and authenticity of the experience. (And I hope the review I wrote on my blog, before I'd been back here to see what was going on in the forums, conveys that respect adequately, despite any criticisms I give.)

They're not broken. You're playing a 4-player game (in Warlords) or a 2-player game (in Basketball) without networking. It should say "All Players" next to the controls indicating that you are controlling all players. It was either that or the other players did nothing at all when you weren't networked, and that would make Combat even more dull. Use Game Select to select a 1-player game. I did notice that in one game (can't remember which one), but in Basketball I specifically noted that it said "1 player" on the game select screen ("Console" overlay). (Then again, I seem to remember the 1-player version of Basketball being game variation 2, but this was variation 1.) I'll have to check more closely... but if this isn't a bug, then there may be some incorrect or misleading text on the game select screen.

Seems to me most of the 1-star reviews are actually because it doesn't have licensed games it COULDN'T have (and which often already ARE in the App Store) or because they're mad about in-app purchase game packs, even though that's clearly explained at the beginning of the description.

Thanks for checking out my post. A couple more comments on the 2600 controls (since I was just playing it): the d-pad on the joystick games feels too sensitive. It's hard on some games to keep from flying all over the place. I notice this especially on Home Run and Yars' Revenge. Conversely, the paddle slider could be a tad MORE sensitive. Super Breakout would be easier if I didn't have to slide quite so far. Last comment... computer players on 1-player games seem broken: they just mimic whatever you do. I noticed this on Basketball and Warlords. Still, complaints aside... I love this. And I gave it a 4-star review in the App Store. Sorry about all of the boneheads there giving it 1 star because it doesn't have Galaga.

Hey guys... I haven't been around here in ages but this HAD to bring me back. I had suspected for months that a set like this was in the works (ever since the original Centipede, Super Breakout and Missile Command apps disappeared from the App Store). Short review: it's not perfect, but it's still incredible to finally have all of these games in my pocket wherever I go. Long review: I wrote a 2500-word blog entry about it today! http://blog.room34.com/archives/4647 @JeffVav: It's cool to have someone who worked on the set here on the forum. Nice work overall! But maybe I can bend your ear on possible improvements for the future... especially the 2600 control modification I suggest near the end of the blog post! Now I need to go play some more Tempest...

Oh man... I'm glad I wasn't around to discover this the way I did the puzzle hidden in Harry's Pitfall map back in 2002. (Was I the only person who ever actually stumbled upon that one independently?) Anyway... I'd have lost hours of my life trying to make sense of this one. It seems exponentially more complicated than the first.

For what it's worth, I remember absolutely that Ms. Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 was released in 1983. As someone else said, a copyright date does not mean that's the year it was released. I have very specific memories tying Atari games to specific months in 1982-1983 as well. I got my Atari 2600 in May 1982. I was in second grade. That summer I got Defender, shortly after it was released, in JUNE 1982. I also very specifically remember getting Berzerk, Star Raiders, and Pitfall! for Christmas in 1982. Ms. Pac-Man was not available yet. Forget about copyright dates. Think about it logically: For Christmas of 1982 Atari was aggressively promoting two games: Pac-Man and E.T. There is no way Ms. Pac-Man was available yet. Also check the announced release dates for games in the Atari game catalogs of the era. Those were not always right, but the games were NEVER released BEFORE those dates. Finally, focus on the label styles. The silver labels were introduced in late 1982, it's true, but the games that were released with those labels in 1982 were extremely limited. E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark are the only two I can think of, offhand, but I know Ms. Pac-Man was not among them. Here are some links to relevant pages in the game catalogs: A pre-silver label catalog announcing Berzerk's release in August 1982 http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?CatalogID=33&currentPage=18 And the same catalog announcing Star Raiders for September 1982 http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?CatalogID=33&currentPage=20 The first catalog to mention Ms. Pac-Man, with a February 1983 release date http://www.atariage.com/catalog_page.html?CatalogID=83&currentPage=6

Yeah, I've seen a handful of Asteroids clones, and a ton of blatant ripoffs of Activision games -- River Raid and Kaboom! specifically -- that I can't believe Apple approved. But I want the real stuff, and I know Atari (as it currently exists) has the wherewithal to put something together for iOS. And I absolutely believe there's a market for it. So where is it?

Hi... haven't been around here much in ages but I thought maybe someone in the community might have an answer to this. I bought all of the classic Atari games that were released for the iPhone back in the early days of the App Store -- Super Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command. And those of course have long since disappeared from the App Store, for reasons unknown (at least to me). Well the other day I discovered the new "Atari Greatest Hits" for the Nintendo DS... a great collection of Atari 2600 and arcade games, emulated quite well for the Nintendo DS. The fact that this package has just recently been released for Nintendo DS has renewed my interest in Atari games for the iPhone/iOS devices. Does anyone know if such a package is coming to iOS? (And, while we're at it, does anyone know why the Atari games got yanked from the App Store in the first place?)

OK, getting Atari on CNN is reason enough in my book for all of this to have happened. Good comments on how the games (and records) that have had the most impact on our culture are still within reach. My personal collecting goal was to get all of the Atari and Activision games I coveted from the game catalogs that came with games in 1982. I obtained them all several years ago and never spent over $10 for any of them. OK guys... Thanks for helping me get some perspective on all this.

Why? Because you have an opinion and place your priorities a little differently than some others? If anyone else has a problem with that, it's their issue, not yours, fuggedaboutit! Some people will spend a lot of $ on a box, others won't, still others would but can't, and many wouldn't and can't anyway LOL... takes all types. I think the problem is that he has an issue with us, not the other way around. Additionally, he may just be seeking attention as a drama queen. After all, we are talking about a single unique event. It's not as if every day here at Atari Age is a celebration in excess and frivolity. Most of us appear to be down to earth penny pinchers, at least usually. If I felt so offended and disenfranchised with an internet forum, I would simply not come back. I would forgo the drama of: "I'm really leaving now, guys, so don't even try to stop me...I'm grabbing the door handle....I'm turning the door knob...I'm pulling open the door...This is for reals, yo!...I'm taking a step across the threshold...Stay back!...Oh? You want to tell me how great I am? How 'special' I am? How 'wonderful' my opinions are? Well, okay, I'll stay for a few minutes more, but then I'm really leaving. I mean it! Now, you were saying about my insightful wisdom?" Ironically, I suspect if people were actually jumping on his opinions and attacking him, he'd stick around for a long while. It's no fun when people don't voraciously snap up the bait. I say yes, if you're looking for drama, attention, and ego stroking, then you may not fit in here. All is IMHO. Well, OK, now that I've had a chance to cool off a bit, I feel like I should probably come back and at least address some of what you said, so I don't come off looking like as much of an ass as I set myself up to be! (Whether or not I really AM that much of an ass will probably be determined by the end of this post.) Yes, I can see quite well how the way I acted would prompt a response like this, and probably to some extent you were right. Unfortunately all of this came as I was in a bit of a misanthropic funk, so my opinions were exaggerated. On the other hand, as CPUWIZ notes: I'm hardly a n00b in these parts. Look at my post count! Look how long I've been here!! Respect my seniority!!! Blah blah blah. I guess there was probably a bit of wistful nostalgia for the way things were back in 2002 when I was a hardcore member of the community. The fact is, I've scarcely posted here in the last 4 or 5 years. I had already drifted away. I suspect that the different values I'm perceiving now have probably always been around, there just haven't been $31,000 Air Raid auctions to amplify them. Again, congrats to Tanman on the great find, and I'm glad at least that the winner is someone who appreciates the Atari 2600 instead of some money-grubbing speculator who just wanted it because of its potential to increase in value. I still find it utterly staggering, and honestly disheartening, that even the rarest of rare, holy grail Atari item could sell for anywhere near this amount of money. On the one hand I honestly don't think it's worth it, and on the other I think it changes the character of Atari collecting. Even if in this particular case the nostalgia and desire to preserve this era in technological history are still at the heart of the transaction, it changes things. And the fact that things are changing like this, and that most people here (seem to) see it as a good thing, saddens me, and that is why I feel like I don't fit in anymore. But since I was visiting so rarely in the months/years preceding this event, maybe I just didn't fit in anyway. I'm not posting all of this to try to get attention or to get people to beg me to stay. Honestly, the only reason I posted that last message (and this one) was because I had been gone so long, and I had hung some things out to dry in this thread, and I felt like maybe I should at least provide a tiny bit of an explanation of why I was likely to disappear again, for the few who've been around as long as I have and who just might wonder what happened.

Congrats to Tanman. And now that I know just how much I really don't fit in here anymore, I'll say goodbye to you all (until the next soapbox opportunity, anyway).

OK, that was more than a couple. I set out to only post 2 things in that list of 5.

A couple thoughts: 1. I'm surprised my post wasn't received more negatively than it was. 2. Don't get me wrong; I think this is a wicked cool find and it's satisfying to have this long-standing mystery solved. 3. I can appreciate how it would be cool to have this in your collection, but I'd much prefer to have Tanman's story behind it than to have paid a huge sum for it on eBay. 4. Sure, the money is relative... to an extent. But there's still a lot that could be done in the world with $12,000 that couldn't be done with 60 cents. 5. This is just like political debates -- I'm never going to convince someone who doesn't already agree with me. But I'm still an idealist who wishes things were different.

I know it's probably best for me to keep this thought to myself but... well... I just can't. With a little less than a day and a half to go, the bid on this item is now up over $12,000. $12,000 for some cardboard, plastic and silicon, housing one of the crappiest video games ever made. It's rare, sure. But it's still crap. I don't have any ill will towards Tanman for selling this -- absolutely it's his prerogative and good for him for making it happen. I also don't have any ill will towards the bidders on this item, and the eventual winner who will pay at least $12,000 for it, maybe a lot more. There's a good chance that these bidders are part of the community here and if not, they're still probably known to some of the board members. But... really. $12,000? For this? I think it's madness. If you are wealthy enough that you can spend that kind of money on a collectible item like this without incurring severe financial hardship, good for you. You've achieved a level of one definition of success that I am sure a lot of Americans (and others, but mostly Americans, of which I am one, although I don't count myself among this lot) both envy and aspire to. And you're free to spend your money however you like. But, honestly... is this how you want to spend it? Do you anticipate looking back on this years or decades hence and think, that was a good way to spend that money? "It really made a difference in my life, in the world, for me to spend that money on this game and add it to my personal horde of rare items." Minimum wage in the U.S. is $7.25 per hour. A lot of people are struggling to get by in life on that. Working for $7.25 an hour, 40 hours a week, it takes over 41 weeks to make $12,000. Before taxes. Realistically, this is more than a year's wages for a person in that boat. Good for you. You're not in that boat. But... again... really? I'm not sure what Tanman plans to do with the money he'll make on this. And again, it's his prerogative to spend it any way he wants. I am just hopeful that he finds a better use for it. That is all. Flame away.

Wow... I haven't been around here much lately and I almost missed some of the biggest 2600 collector news of all time! It's unfortunate that this is coming out around April 1, as others have said, because it immediately arouses suspicion. If that box is a fake, it's one of the most meticulously-crafted fakes I've ever seen, and it's accurate to the time period and the printing flaws likely to have occurred with something produced on the cheap by a Taiwanese printer in the early '80s. Then, of course, there's the matter of the stones it would take to run an eBay auction as part of an April Fools prank. The response would not be amusement but mass outrage in the community. A lot of people would be seriously pissed at Al for participating in this hoax. My assessment: it HAS to be real.

Just opened the poster tube and checked out the art prints. They are amazing. The quality is incredible. First rate... a labor of love. Yeah, I dropped $80 on this stuff but it was totally worth it, especially considering how much use I've gotten out of their very reasonably priced Mac software. P.S. Wow, guys... I haven't been here in more than a year, and I've only slipped to #26 in the all-time post count list? What's going on around here?

Hope the software is programmed better than the order/web form, had to fill it in 3 times. Not sure what that's about... I use both Transmit and Coda daily and they are excellent. I practically LIVE in Coda, come to think of it.

Got my boxes and art prints in the mail today! Very excited! I just opened up the box containing the game boxes. They are... AMAZING. Totally freakin' sweet. And... wait a minute... something's INSIDE the box! It is too cool... hilarious! I don't want to spoil the surprise...

Well I did go to "that" Target the next day like I had posted, and... D'OH! They've just remodeled it! All of the outdated video game stuff is long gone, of course. So... I've checked all over (Target, Best Buy and Discland, the local place I mentioned, in Minneapolis; Target, Best Buy and Circuit City in the Chicago suburbs; Best Buy and GameStop in Rochester, MN) and there seems to be absolutely no sign of any new Pokemon games for GBA except FireRed. (Not even LeafGreen! And as for FireRed, it's just an empty space in the Target case, no actual copies!) Anyway... after several outbids, I won a copy of Emerald on eBay, and I finally broke down and bought my son Sapphire used at GameStop --for $29.99. They also had Ruby and Emerald (with trashed labels!) for $34.99!!! Stupid @#%*)^ GameStop!

Hmm... well I just remembered there's one particular Target here in Minneapolis (the one at The Quarry -- which is considerably harder for me to get to since the bridge collapse last year) that always seems to consolidate all of their old inventory from the entire metro area (I got a Game Boy Player for the GameCube there about 6 months after they'd disappeared everywhere else, and they were still selling the Game Boy Micro long after it was dead, too)... I should go there tomorrow and check it out.

It seems like it was just within the last month or so that I was still regularly seeing Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire / Emerald on store shelves everywhere, still (inexplicably) selling for $35. And now... *POOF!!!* They're gone. Nowhere. What happened? I'm curious about how games suddenly disappear like this. It has to be a coordinated effort by Nintendo. Are they buying up all of the unsold stock, or what? You'd think there might be a few stray copies on dusty shelves SOMEWHERE but even the few local non-chain places that sell video games are completely cleared out. And just when I was ready to buy them! Well, off to eBay... but I am still wondering what this is all about. I know the GBA platform is pretty much dead but you still see new shovelware on the shelves for it. Is Nintendo planning a Player's Choice release of these games or are they gone for good?

I'm sure there are some Pokemon fans here. I never would have imagined I'd count myself among them, but my 5-year-old son is obsessed with all things Pokemon right now, and he's dragged me into that world too! Anyway... he's always asking me which Pokemon evolves from which and what type each Pokemon is, etc. and I wanted to have the information at my fingertips. It's already online at both official and fan sites, but they're all either Flash or so overloaded with information that there's no way to use them on the iPhone! I was surprised no one had done it already (although it sounds like a few people might have tried, and then abandoned it), so I went ahead and created my own. http://room34.com/pokemon It's not an exhaustive encyclopedia of all Pokemon facts, but it does have all of the Pokemon, their basic info, sprite graphics, etc. Everything I could think of for a pocket reference. I'll probably be adding more features such as charts of relative type strengths/weaknesses, etc., but it's ready to use as 'version 1.0' right now! It works just fine in a web browser too, but it's optimized for the size of the iPhone/iPod Touch screen. Comments, suggestions? If you like it and you know of a Pokemon fan with an iPhone, spread the word! Thanks... (Yeah, I took that screenshot at 1:42 AM. Since then I've added in all of the data that shows up as 'N/A' here...)

Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. 3 Metroid Castlevania R.C. Pro-Am Super Sprint Those are pretty much what I played back in back in the day (high school), when I'd go to friends' houses who all had an NES, while I was still stuck with my pitiful Atari 2600... and my Tandy 1000 computer (which my parents decided to buy for me INSTEAD of the NES). Oh yeah, Double Dragon too.