Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 This may be the first in a series of posts I will be doing, comparing games of similar concept for the Atari 2600. First off, Atari's 2 pinball offerings for the system. There's no question that graphically, Midnight Magic is vastly superior to Video Pinball. In fact, I think Midnight Magic may be one of the best looking games made for the system. The detail is impressive, and unlike Video Pinball, it actually looks like a pinball machine! However, there's one critical element, the element that for me is the thing that makes Video Pinball fun, that's missing from Midnight Magic: the ability to nudge the ball. Video Pinball is just one of those games where you get "in the zone" and can play forever, but without really getting bored. There's something incredibly gratifying about mastering the art of nudging the ball in Video Pinball. Now this is the Atari 2600 we're talking about, so game play is king! Despite Midnight Magic's qualities, I have to give the crown to Video Pinball! Now granted, maybe I am biased because I've been playing Video Pinball since 1982 but I just got Midnight Magic a couple months ago. Therefore I'm opening up the floor for your opinions. (Next showdown: Super Breakout vs. Off the Wall) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Nah, Midnight Magic is LIGHTYEARS better than VP. Thanks to your nudge trick I can roll video pinall on the first ball in about 20 minutes. NO FUN. I do miss the "bump" in MM, but it is SO much better for SO many reasons. Longer table 2 sets of flippers that little spinny thingy in the middle multiple targets skills shots screen changes colors when the bumpers are increased Kick backs in the side drains etc. MM wins HANDS down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Atari's 2 pinball offerings for the system. What about Bumper Bash? : Let's not leave it out now before you move on to Super Breakout! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisjohn Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I love computer pinball games. When I was first getting into the Atari retro scene I went off and found Video Pinball and had a go. It was awful. Then a little while later I picked up a copy of Midnight Magic. It's so much more enjoyable that I left it in the deck for a number of weeks before I found another cart to replace it. The Cuttle Cart if I recall. Summary: VP: Blows MM: Rocks Perhaps we could make this series into an official voting thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Tails Prower Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Dude.... Midnight Magic, come on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 Whoa! Quick, someone get me a copy of Fire Fighter before I go down in flames! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Tails Prower Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Whoa! Quick, someone get me a copy of Fire Fighter before I go down in flames! Good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Player Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I must add that Video Pinball was the first cart I took apart to see what it looked like inside. Yes, even before Combat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miles Tails Prower Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 heres my showdown offering... Plaque Attack vs. Tooth Protectors! Im thinking Plaque Attack... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 I must add that Video Pinball was the first cart I took apart to see what it looked like inside. Yes, even before Combat. I guess that says it all. Well, actually, the first copy of Video Pinball I owned was a loose PCB without the cartridge case. A friend of mine smashed his copy (I never questioned why) and gave me the chip. I played on that thing for hours! OK, I guess I am a chump. Next showdown: Scott's a chump vs. Scott's a BIG chump. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 Plaque Attack vs. Tooth Protectors! I have thought about that one before. But I guess I am one of the few people here who does not own a copy of Tooth Protectors! :wink: For that matter, I don't own Plaque Attack either! But at least I've played it. I always wondered why the big mouth would even bother brushing the 8 pathetic, widely-spaced teeth it had. Let 'em all rot and get you some dentures, I say! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 So I take it Bumper Bash is out of the running then eh. Sure it's rare but if you're going to be making 2600 Pinball games duke it out, I think it should be given a fair chance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquid_sky Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 actually, VP.. holds alot more nostalgic memories.. I remember paying it with my dad while he would tell me how when he was younger he played "the real pinballs like no one could stop him" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 NE146: I left out Bumper Bash because I have never played it! (I suppose I could run it in an emulator...) liquid_sky: Yeah, I think my interest in VP is primarily out of nostalgia too. Now I own a real pinball machine (Taxi by Williams, 1988) but unfortunately it needs some TLC. The guy who sold it to me put all the wrong fuses in it and now some of the resistors are fried. Mechanically it works 100% but the score display and the music don't work. So it's back to Video Pinball for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubersaurus Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 bumper bash seems like it kinda sucks, to me ;p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 OK, I just played Bumper Bash on Stella. Not bad. I think Midnight Magic is better. And since I think VP is the best, I guess that means Bumper Bash is the worst! Just kidding. It's not too bad. But it seems to me like the controls are all out-of-whack. Are you supposed to hold the joystick in some weird way like with Q*Bert? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcostin Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I've always had a soft spot for Video Pinball, myself, but it's probably because I also have a Video Pinball arcade game, circa 1978. That's a fun game, complete with that handy nudge/tilt feature and a groovy blacklight disco-themed playfield. Unfortunately mine needs a little TLC at the moment to bring it back into fully working order. Neat idea, BTW. I'm looking forward to more of these comparisons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NE146 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Are you supposed to hold the joystick in some weird way like with Q*Bert? Well probably the reason it seemed out of wack is you use the PADDLES in Bumper Bash not the joystick! .. I guess it's supposed to give you the sensation of holding the flipper button in each hand. By the way, I forgot to vote! I vote Video Pinball I love it but for some reason haven't mastered it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 Well probably the reason it seemed out of wack is you use the PADDLES in Bumper Bash not the joystick! I was beginning to wonder about that. But if that's the case, then something is weird with Stella... because most paddle games use the MOUSE when you're playing them in Stella. I tried using the mouse with Bumper Bash, but it didn't work. I found that I had to do some weird combination of left and right arrow keys to get the ball going, and then use the RIGHT arrow to work the left flipper and the LEFT arrow to work the right flipper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaliColts Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I'm voting for Video Pinball, I still have it in my top 10 favorites all-time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lost Monkey Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 Video Pinball... plain, simple and fun. I used to roll that score over an' over.. to me, that was fun.. Midnite Magic... looks nice, but I don't find it very fun to play. My vote is for Video Pinball. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Mitchell Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I gutted a broken Atari Video Pinball console C-380 .. you know the pong clone game! and rewired it to work with the VP MM and Vectrex Spinball. I have not rewired it to work with BB yet .. So I have real L/R flippers for these games! I use a stick wired into the same port for ball release .. Rocks better than a joystick for control! BTW: The worst VP are the ones on C-380 .. but this is about 2600 ... Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Room 34 Posted July 19, 2002 Author Share Posted July 19, 2002 Cool idea, Rob! You should sell those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdstuff64 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I looooove Midnite Magic.I'm not sure why I like it more than VP,I just do.I am working on breaking the record. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanJr Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 What IS the record? Is it game 1b or 1a??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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