supercharger?

[beyondoasis]

I've heard some things about it...but what is it? Besides the obvious thats its an Atari attachment/peripheral , what is it? what does it do? any screenshots? is like an early Expansion Pak? help plz!

[Shawn]

I've heard some things about it...but what is it? Besides the obvious thats its an Atari attachment/peripheral , what is it? what does it do? any screenshots? is like an early Expansion Pak? help plz!

 

It plays games and is a kinda expansion as it adds RAM but it and it's games are honestly over rated with hype. It's more of a novelty aside from Frogger.

[GrizzLee]

I've heard some things about it...but what is it? Besides the obvious thats its an Atari attachment/peripheral , what is it? what does it do? any screenshots? is like an early Expansion Pak? help plz!

 

It plays games and is a kinda expansion as it adds RAM but it and it's games are honestly over rated with hype. It's more of a novelty aside from Frogger.

 

What????

 

 

The best games, IMHO, were SC games. Escape form the Mind Master, Survival Island, Dragonstomper, Phasor Patrol and Frogger are some of the best games on the Atari 2600. And then there is Communist Mutants from Outer Space, Fireball, Party Mix (good 4 player game), etc... you are missing some great Atari gaming goodness my friend.

 

It's not a novelty, it is a necessity!!

 

-Lee

[riffraff]

Thinking back to dragonstomper.. gives me chills! I remember the first time I won the game by "avoiding" the dragon.. fun stuff.

 

You are right the supercharger had some of the best games for the 2600.

[beyondoasis]

So...screenshots?

[Lemmi]

So...screenshots?

 

 

http://www.atariage.com/catalog_overview.html?CatalogID=40

 

 

http://www.atariage.com/catalog_thumbs.html?CatalogID=16

 

http://www.atariage.com/catalog_thumbs.html?CatalogID=40

[mos6507]

http://www.atariage.com/software_list.html?SystemID=2600

http://www.atariage.com/screenshot_page.ht...wareLabelID=196

http://www.atariage.com/screenshot_page.ht...wareLabelID=524

http://www.atariage.com/screenshot_page.ht...wareLabelID=167

[beyondoasis]

Well...I guess the supercharger version of Frogger looks better.....but does it play better?

Edited March 8, 2007 by beyondoasis

[Shawn]

Arn't the graphics supposed to be better looking?

 

 

Yes they are better.

[beyondoasis]

Arn't the graphics supposed to be better looking?

 

 

Yes they are better.

Srry...that was a joke. I changed it.

[Nukey Shay]

Well...I guess the supercharger version of Frogger looks better.....but does it play better?

 

Pick up a copy of Stella Gets A New Brain to find out. But whatever you do, don't click here. Nope. Nosir.

[jboypacman]

I like Fireball and Communist Muntants from Space myself.

[shadow460]

You guys knew I'd chime in here.

 

My avatar is a sprite from a Starpath game. It's enlarged, and that's why it looks so blocky.

 

Anyway, the Supercharger's hardware abilities have already been mentioned. While the extra RAM allows better looking games, the cassette load system allows for more complex games.

 

Most of the games do have similar titles in standard cartridges, however, in all cases except Killer Satellites, I feel like the Starpath version is better. (To be fair, Sweat wasn't finished, but if it were, it would likely outperform Decathlon and Winter/Summer Games).

Here's a comparison list:

--Phaser Patrol:

Starmaster

Star Raiders

Star Voyager

Star Ship/Outer Space

--Communist Mutants From Space

Galaxian

Demon Attack

Phoenix (sort of)

--Fireball

Breakout

Super Breakout

Kaboom! (sort of)

--Suicide Mission

Asteroids

--Escape From the MindMaster

Tunnel Runner (only game that even comes close)

--Dragonstomper

Adventure (though it's a very distant similarity)

--Killer Satellites

Defender

Stargate/Defender II

Stargunner

Subterranea

--Rabbit Transit

Frogger

Miner 2049er

--Frogger

Frogger by Parker Bros.

Freeway

--Party Mix

No games come close

--Sword of Saros

Adventure

--Survival Island

Pitfall (stage 2)

Tunnel Runner (stage 3)

--Sweat! The Decathlon Game

Activsion Decathlon

Summer/Winter Games

 

IMO, Killer Satellites was the worst of the Defender clones.

 

What's not been mentioned is that with the right mods, the Supercharger can load early VCS games into itself and play them.

As for what it actually does, it connects to a cassette player (or CD, ipod, mp3, computer, you name it) and loads audio files from cassettes. Those audio files were actually Starpath's library of games. With one exception, Rabbit Transit, if you want to play the games on actual hardware, you'll need a Supercharger or a more modern multicart.

 

I got a Starpath model for $40 a couple years ago, and I still have my Arcadia model from 1983. Pick any of the Starpath games and buy it with a Supercharger--you will not regret it. They absolutely blow away their cart based counterparts.