kencrisis

Glad to see you got Starfire, it's definitely my favorite present from Xmas, but my second-favorite is Space Treat Deluxe -- undeniably addictive.

I just got this game for Xmas. I haven't cracked 10K yet, but I think I'm getting close. I'm using the the highest difficulty (switches set to A/A). What difficulty combo are you using to get these scores? Love this game, but not as much as Starfire (the other 21st century game I got at Xmas).

OK, and it anyone wants to jibe me about my editing abilities based on the problems in that last post, it's really late and I'm off to bed. Hopefully 12 years as a copyeditor will prove effective. (Just wanted to diffuse a potential for jokesterism.)

I would be happy to collect, filter and edit the information for this. To avoid the potential of having this thread explode, I suggest that everyone PM me or send an email to [email protected] To make this as easy as possible on Albert, I'd like to send him one big batch of info. So, let's set a deadline for this of 2/1/05. Albert: sticky? Of course, I assume that information may come in after that date (and ther could possibly be arguments over the "better explanation," so I'd like to keep it to the actual manual text unless you REALLY KNOW you're text is superior. Albert, if you have any other ideas on how to make this easy for you, let me know.

I had an idea tonight, and searched AA and could not find anything like it. I've only been back into the 2600 and on AA for 6 months now, so forgive me if this has already been discussed or if there's already something like this out there. The problem: you grab a game from your growing collection that you haven't played in a while and can't remember what the A/B switches do. You just want to play, but you have to go look for your manual, or look it up on AA and read through the manual to find the A/B switch information (it always seems to be in a different place in the manual depending on the game, doesn't it?). Now, while I have a real love for my manuals and spend a lot of time pouring over them for fun on its own, sometimes you just want to play and don't want to waste any time. My solution: SwitchBase, an online database devoted solely to collecting and displaying what the A/B switches do on 2600 games. I envision a simple page with a search field and a text box below that pops up a short description of the relevant information. What are your thoughts on this? Would you find this useful? Ideas on implementing it? (While I make my living maintaining a non-profit Web site, my experience is pretty lo-fi and I would have to do some research on how to make this as fast, easy and pleasing as possible.)

I've only ever seen pics of these mobiles in packaging. Does anyone have a picture of one "in action?"

I have Activision Anthology for SP and, to be honest, there aren't that many games on it that I enjoy playing. Once you've played the original on a 2600, it's hard to enjoy the SP versions. Plus, the small screen and the very un-joystick-like controller make it less fun for me. (Just my opinion, I know a lot of people like this controller pad style). I usually whip it out for a quick game of Frostbite, but can't think of another game on that cart that I've played in a long time.

I already posted my faves, but my wife wants to vote too: 1. Centipede 2. Millipede 3. Frogger 4. Seaquest 5. Ice Hockey 6. Tennis 7. Boxing 8. Circus Atari 9. Demon Attack 10. Super Breakout

Thanks. Probably would've figured that out with more playing, but it's nice to know early on. Thanks for a great game, M! I love this cart, and the manual is so pretty! - K

Huh? Excuse my ignorance, but I've only been playing this for two days. What do you mean by "bonus ship"? I don't see anything in the instructions about this.

I'm looking for suggestions too. I've barely played my GBA SP since I got a 2600 this summer and want to get back into it. Here's what I like, can you make a suggestion? I'm a big FPS fan and, although it was hated by just about everyone, the game I play more than any other is Star Wars: Flight of the Falcon. I like to shoot things, I don't care about storyline (Wing Commander: Prophecy tested the limits of my patience with all its dialogue screens), I hate cutesy stuff, and I have an unexplainable aversion to anything Mario. Although it's not a FPS, I'm looking at Payback, which isn't out yet. Also, can anyone recommend any GBA review Web sites? The only one I know of is http://www.gameratio.com.

I like Kangaroo too, but primarily because it was the first cart I got when I got back into 2600 this past summer. I've never heard anyone say anything good about Pong Sports, but my wife and I love playing different variations for 15 minutes or so every now and then. People don't seem to like Defender -- I can't understand why, as it was a HUGE hit around the neighborhood when I was a kid. I play it now as often as possible (of course, I don't have Defender II, my opinion might be different if I had it). Everyone, and me too, seems to prefer Super Breakout over Breakout. While SB has much more playability, I like Breakout because it seems faster and more challenging to me. But to be honest, I'll take SB game 7 (progressive) over old Breakout any day.

Do you get points for shooting energy diamonds? I'm often at full shields and see a diamond and wonder if I should shoot it.

Audio-based games for the blind might have a wider appeal, I know I'm interested: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4112725.stm Sounds appealing to my classic-game mindset: "Our games have the feel of the old text adventures but then, at times, there will be action sequences which are like mini arcade games."

Correcting typo: make that "I figured that everyone in the world would BEAT my scores on any game."

I know, I know, I really need to start getting in on that. It's a time issue, more than anything. I don't really get to play every day and some days I only have time for a quick five-minute game. But to be honest, I figured that everyone in the world would be my scores on any game. The Seaquest High Score thread was the first High Score Contest thread I ever looked at -- and realized that I could have been somewhere in the middle. Makes me feel good!

That is my fav game, Boxing is a real favorite of mine, especially two-player. I haven't really seen too many bad comments about this game, I think a lot of people like it.

1 Demon Attack 2 Super Breakout 3 Seaquest 4 River Raid 5 Bump'n'Jump 6 Warlords 7 Circus Atari 8 Milipede 9 Ice Hockey 10 Defender Homebrew vote: Star Fire

Although I try to whip through a few games of all my (few compared with members here) carts as much as possible, I always plunk down for a long session with Demon Attack. For long, exciting game play, it's my number one in a top three of: Demon Attack Super Breakout (game 7, progressive) Seaquest

Funny thing is, in general my wife hates all things "cute." And as a fan of logic problems and reading about physics as a hobby, she's not really about simplicity either. Maybe it's a reaction against these other things in her life that make her love Frogger and Centipede.

My dad braved the Internet and actually ordered me Sea Wolf and Bump'n'Jump from AtariAge. (Funny side note: he also sent AA a nasty note to "join the 21st century" since they don't take credit cards.) A friend found and gave me a bunch 2600 game manuals, and with money I got for Xmas, I bought Star Fire, Space Threat Deluxe from AA and I ordered Wizard of Wor, Starmaster, and a few more manuals off eBay. On the "analogue" front, I got Battleship and Operation boardgames.

I'm on a roll. Just got a package from a friend who sent me a ton of manuals he found in his mom's garage. For me, a real high. I love the manuals almost as much as the games (sometimes more) because when I was a kid, my older brother rarely ever let me play the Atari, so I spent many many many hours pouring over all the manuals while I watched him and his friends play. Fond memory: my arm stinging from the punch my brother gave me when I tried to grab the joystick and play a game of Stampede. Tears in my eyes, I grabbed the manual and exclaimed, "OK, I'll just take your manual and you'll never see it again!" I took it to bed that night, slept with it under my pillow and secretly burned it the next day. How many of you can say you've slept with an Atari manual!!??

This may sound like heresy to true video game buffs and may sound just plain stupid to most other people in the world, but I gave away my PS2 to my little brother this Xmas. I realized one day that I only play my 2600 games and, with the limited game-playing time I have, I never get around to all the work it takes to get good at a PS2 game. I also realized that with all the money I would have spent on Halo or San Andreas, I could get TONS of new 2600 carts. For me, it was a no-brainer.

Ah yes, Tetris. It was Star Trek Next Generation and Tetris that got my wife through law school; but it was definitely Tetris that got her through studying for and taking the Bar exam. For 3 months straight, she would study until midnight and then play Tetris until 3 am. She had a great quote back then: "Tetris is just like preparing for the Bar, just different." Good times, glad they're over!