StanJr

Do I wanna know what the naked lady sprite is about? Since you started this out by short selling the game on how bad it was, I was pleasantly surprised at just how good this game is. You've got the starter of a really fun and great looking game here. Gives me a reason to look forward to the Fall! Well done!

Issue #1 hit this week and I'm still not overly impressed. I think my main problem is that I don't particularly like or empathize with the main character. He just kind of feels like a dreadful loser. I don't want him to steal the sword. I'm not cheering for him. I don't get his motivations, beyond the superficial "I want to steal the sword because I'm a pathetic loser and I'm dying" angle. I'm just not sure what I'm looking at and there's not much substance around the character to keep me interested. All the nerdy Atari trappings surrounding the story aren't enough to keep me reading. Also, Yars' Revenge harder than Jr. Pac-man? Who writes this stuff?

Take all the time you need. This is a great game and should be crafted with care. No need to rush. I'll anxiously await the next version and keep running through this one to see if anything else susses out. Thanks

Ok. Having played it through a few times (and not through many, many more...) here are some thoughts: The new Horn item appears WAY to frequently. I see it more than I see the mushroom as a drop and I once got it three screens in a row. This takes the challenge level down dramatically. I love having it in the game, but think I should see it less. The game seems shorter. I realize you are working on lots of parts right now, so maybe that is why, but it seems like there is less to it overall. I assume you are working on additional areas/features, etc. I failed to get the Clergyman to appear in the church during any of my games. Did I miss something? Is there any purpose to the forest screen just above the cave screen which holds the Berserker with the coins? I found nothing to do there. Is perfectly fine if it's just a forest, just want to make sure I saw everything. I did the entire run with the bow. I had to run from the Draugrs and several of the ravens because they were taking 8+ hits to kill. The Dragon boss (the coolest boss in a 2600 game I've ever seen) is too easy. Once he reaches the right side of the screen he stays there and I can just wail on him from the left side. Sure, he'll kill you with one hit if he touches you, but if you can avoid him until he crosses from left to right, it's an easy kill. The Torch is gone, correct? The Fire Breathing Demon boss (also very cool) is also too easy. If you can make it into the room with him, you can stand in the upper left corner and just pummel him with sword or bow until he's dead. And since he turns away and walks to the right, it is EASY to get in the little room with him. This is easier with the bow than the sword. The Maelstrom is brutal. Is there any chance of getting a slightly wider gap to get past it? maybe just one more boat width? If not, I can live with it, but man, that thing will take your boat down in the blink of an eye. I never ran across any Elves... Is the only purpose of the Crypt to be a potential spot for the armor to appear? I've not seen anything else show up in there. Is there anything to do with the animal in the pen outside the shop, or is it just a really cool part of the backdrop? I so totally LOVE the rainbow bridge and everything in Valhalla! This is a fantastic game and I really enjoy how it is coming together! Thank you for sharing!

That switch helped tremendously. Playing bow only, I have noticed that it is DRAMATICALLY underpowered for some enemies. I cannot beat the draugrs with it, even at full health and running away like crazy. A couple of birds have taken over 4 shots to kill as well. That's ok, just makes a swordless run really, really tough. I notice the DEADLY AIM now. Wow, rapid fire! Hooray! I actually got those fireballs in the previous version, but it wasn't on the dragon screen it was on the screen just west of the sea. I ran into a block on the ground and took damage, three hits and I was dead. Had no idea what was going on. Hasn't happened since. LOVING this game! Thanks

Yeah, this is really unfortunate the hear. This was an incredible project at the time and it's sad to see it shuttered, but totally understandable. Rarely do things like this get picked up and finished, but maybe... Thanks for all the incredible work to get it this far.

As far as I am aware he just got very defensive any time anyone didn't gush over the game during development and the longer it went on the more and more the walls went up and he would only listen to positive feedback and would argue with anything that wasn't praise. It was very off-putting. Then, apparently, he went completely off rails a couple of weeks ago, but I missed that. RT, will your new batariBasic game feature lots of flashing? Because I like flashing. Lots of it.

That did it, thank you, Nathan. And I know I'm late to the game, but oh my god, Darrell, just take my money right now. This thing is so silky smooth it's unbelievable.

I'm getting stuck in the Gold Castle. I go south across the sea, get the money and buy the key, then through the graveyard, open the secret passage with the tombstone, go through the blue castle (get the armor), press the switch and cross the bridge, exit and go to the gold castle, get the dotted circle (what is it?), but then I cannot get back across the bridge in the blue castle because I cannot press the switch again and there doesn't appear to be any other way to access the gold castle. Even with that, I am totally loving the game and love how different it already is from the earlier version! Final nitpick, is there anyway on the playfield on the second screen to indicate that you are on the shore so that when you go south and turn into the ship it's not as disorienting? Not a major issue, more of a style quibble. keep up the awesome work!

This isn't working for me through Stella. I just get a black screen. Is that on me or is something up?

Very excited to see more!

I'm not trying to justify anything. I'm perfectly happy to buy a crap pile and call it a crap pile. I'm just saying, despite VGC's ardent defense that he really put effort into the game, it was my experience that there is more to the game than just a complete mess and I'm not sure how a reviewer of his caliber could come away from such serious effort into a game with such a throw away review. But maybe I'm just being catty. It's ok. I also love Uncanny X-men for the NES and the aforementioned E.T. so I'm sure I'm the problem.

I think he's a little hasty in reviewing the game. I spent 2 hours playing it and managed to beat it on EASY. The manual explains what the fairies are, so I get the feeling this review was a bit of a rush job. I see why, though. If you play the game for 5 minutes, then you toss it in the pile and play Lady Bug, but if you stick with it, you figure out most everything. I'm not saying the game is good. It's troubled, but having played the game as much as I have, I feel that VGC's review is a bit limited.

Are you suggesting that modern programmers aren't also high on drugs? I mean, sure, the drugs are better these days, but still...

Yeah, I always look for Nathan's reviews when I'm shopping in the AA store. Since I started buying and reviewing one homebrew per month, I've been making an effort to be more critical and less general when I review a game. I gave Titan Axe only 3 stars (before it was yanked). I think it has been difficult for me to be as nit-picky since I understand how much effort, time, and talent it takes to produce these games. I find myself forgiving of things I would otherwise be critical of in a game from the original era. I'm trying to break that habit and just review them based on how much I enjoy them. The other problem is that pesky Atariage quality standard. Very few 2 star games make the cut, so it's hard to find a solid loser in the store. Now I could review a few of the shovelware pieces from other online sellers of 2600 games and give them a good roasting, but I prefer to spend my time and money on the good stuff. Of course I say all of this as I am about to write a love letter to Darrell over Stay Frosty 2 in a couple of weeks... Thomas, Thrust+ is STILL too hard for me. Make me a new game that's easier and not finesse based.

Flashing does not bother me in the slightest. Plenty of classic games flashed like a disco party. Flash it up.

I have no reason to distrust either of you. Whatever info you provide on the subject is gospel as far as I am concerned. I haven't time nor inclination to rummage through 1K+ emails when you can give me the digest version in a few short paragraphs.

Super stoked to play the new version! Thank you!

I remember back when you didn't have access to anything other than a hand drawn screen shot in a catalog and a marketing description to help you determine if a game was going to be good or not. I don't need a ROM out there to coerce me into buying a homebrew. If the game looks good and the reviews are good, then I'm willing to risk my dollar to ride the pony. Some games are relatively risk free. Anything by Thomas, Darrel Spice Jr, and handful of others is a lock, worry-free purchase. But otherwise, I check out screen shots, reviews, and descriptions and then just buy or not based on the research. It's part of the fun of it all, and always has been. We bought some serious crap back in the day, but we also bought a bunch of great games. You take the good you take the bad. I see the modern homebrew scene no differently. Honestly, I think developers should wait a year to release a ROM for a game that they are trying to sell. Give plenty of time for the newness and excitement to sell as many carts as possible, and then, if they choose, let loose the ROM for free play. I, for one, don't need it, but I understand why some out there do. I missed lots of great games due to risk/reward purchasing as well. It's part of it. And yeah, I've missed some great homebrews that probably won't come around again, but I also missed Magicard, Video Life, and Cakewalk. Life goes on.

Sorry to resurrect the dead here, but does anyone have a label for Tetris 2600 or Boing! My copies are from the dawn of homebrewing and have no label.

I definitely want this on a cart. Just PM Albert about how to get the ball rolling on that. It is customary to hold a label design contest and let the art wizards in residence craft an incredible label for you, unless, of course you are an art wizard in which case we expect great things! Played plenty more games with no major issue and no unreachable water refills in the dream sequence. Expert level still relegated for experts only! Thanks for sharing such a great game!

Feels and plays like Thrust+. Are more game elements planned at this time? I'm the worst person to ask about finesse games like this because I unilaterally suck at all of them. If it helps, this is just as frustrating and annoying as Gravitar, which probably means you're doing something right.