The Joy that is Older Games

[Inky]

When you look at the catalog of Atari's games, I find out that I derive most enjoyment from earlier games. My favorites are Air-Sea battle, Canyon Bomber, Circus and Human Cannonball. I can play these gems for hours upon hours. Esp. Canyon Bomber. What early favorites do you derive much enjoyment from?

 

Also, if anyone has an extra Sky Diver they'd be willing to part with, as I'm pretty well addiced to this one as well...

[StanJr]

give me a day or two and I'll track down that Sky Diver for you, there is one floating around here, unless someone else has one for you...

 

Yeah, I find myself returning to the simple games, Golf, Berzerk (VE now!), Circus Atari. They are just simple, easy fun. Plug and play. The games require skill more than anything, and they present a challenge. That's most of what I ask for out of a game and those early games deliver in spades.

[Inky]

They had no pressure on arcade-quality graphics, or state of the art baloney. They were just fun!

[NE146]

They had no pressure on arcade-quality graphics

I dunno.. but Canyon Bomber, Circus, Pong (in Video Olympics), Surround, Indy 500, Basketball, and Breakout, were pretty darn close graphically to their arcade counterparts (except maybe the square vs. round balloons). Of course this was circa 1977 or so. Things just started changing as arcade games got better, naturally

 

Yeah all those games were cool. and sure I had a blast playing them. But despite all the hours I spent playing Target Fun/Air-Sea Battle, I sure as heck couldn't spend hours playing it today.. sorry.

 

Circus, Breakout, and Indy 500 are another story however.

[MegaManFan]

Also, if anyone has an extra Sky Diver they'd be willing to  part with, as I'm pretty well addiced to this one as well...

 

Funny you should ask, I have a spare. Do you have a trade list I could look over for a similarly rated cart to swap for it?

[Inky]

I only have a SPace Invaders, Berzerk or a Yar's to trade.. Nothing special..

[MegaManFan]

I only have a SPace Invaders, Berzerk or a Yar's to trade..  Nothing special..

 

I was hoping you had an Othello, or a Sneak'n'Peek (both rated 2). Unfortunately I've not only got the 3 you listed, I have duplicates too.

[SS]

I was hoping you had an Othello, or a Sneak'n'Peek (both rated 2).  Unfortunately I've not only got the 3 you listed, I have duplicates too.

 

I've got to disagree with the rating on Othello. This cart is totally not a two! It took a whole lot of active searching to finally track one down. Maybe it's just an eastern Pennsylvania thing, but I've had a heck of a time getting my hands on some of the more "common" carts as rated by Atari Age.

 

(Hey, really, no offense meant here guys. I love 'ya. I really do. )

[Rob Mitchell]

But despite all the hours I spent playing Target Fun/Air-Sea Battle, I sure as heck couldn't spend hours playing it today.. sorry.   Circus, Breakout, and Indy 500 are another story however.

 

Well one person Air-Sea Battle and Combat is not too much fun ..

 

Last night I had the Atari setup with the Commodore Monitor to welcome my 12 year old nephew .. He and I played Combat (Tank, Tank Pong, Biplane, and Jets), Circus (he's terrible), Indy 500 (hilarious!, Lots of that one), Stampede (Fun!), Steeplechase (two runs), Demon Attack (He could do that one), maybe a few others. At one point he just SLAMMED a cart into my custom 2600 .. (I just about lost it!) But we had a great time while he was visiting!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[MegaManFan]

I've got to disagree with the rating on Othello.  This cart is totally not a two!  It took a whole lot of active searching to finally track one down.  Maybe it's just an eastern Pennsylvania thing, but I've had a heck of a time getting my hands on some of the more "common" carts as rated by Atari Age.

 

In an EXTREMELY ironic twist of fate, I stopped by the gaming store down the street from our apartment on my way home tonight and they had Othello in the $1 Atari dump bin. I picked it up, along with Entombed, Hangman, and Flag Capture. $4 very well spent.

[DuckandCover]

Air-Sea Battle, Blackjack, Flag Capture, Human Cannonball...I still find them all quite absorbing. Funny how I've appreciated the simple elegance of these (and other) early titles more and more the longer I've been gaming.

[Inky]

I forgot about Blackjack. That one I spent many hours on. Very simple and elegant in its own way.

[Nostalgic]

I've taken a liking to Backgammon and Othello (which I found at the last PhillyClassic - in Pennsylvania, which somewhat contradicts Othello not being in eastern PA ) to pass some time. I also plugged in Codebreaker after playing Mastermind for the first time in many months.

 

I guess I must like the board game games.

 

I also had a friend visit a couple of weeks ago. While waiting for a phone call from another friend, we fired up the 2600. We played Yars' Revenge, Warlords, Super Breakout, Canyon Bomber, and Air-Sea Battle, the latter two because he was frustrated (not being a frequent gamer) and simply "wanted to shoot stuff". Then again, this is a friend who can beat the heck out of Diablo. I don't get it.

 

I'd enjoy some of the very early games more when playing on my own if the computer players put up more of a challenge. I became rather disappointed with Warlords when I became able to win 5-0-0-0 almost every time against three computer players.

[Atarinvader]

The best of the earlier games has to be Adventure, but other than that it has to be the later games for me... Jr. Pac-Man, Klax and BMX Airmaster.

[D.Yancey]

Kaboom! and Stampeede are two of the most difficult and addicting games one could ever hope to play! Both are fairly early games(circa 1981). Game on my friends!!!

[Rob Mitchell]

I've taken a liking to Backgammon and Othello ... I also plugged in Codebreaker after playing Mastermind for the first time in many months.  I guess I must like the board game games.

 

I was thinking of Backgammon .. The problem with that 2600 game is the vertical orientation of the board ... but solved when I turn the commodore monitor on its side.

 

I introduced my wife and 8 year old daughter to Mastermind recently. I've been playing MM since the mid-1970s .. and our family bought Codebreaker and the keyboard controllers in 1978 .. which I played alot back then .. just because my sister could not code correctly! About 8 years ago I wrote my own MM on my palmtop (HP200LX) which allows up to nine numbers in nine places (insane).

 

I did enjoy Othello as a child .. and have it in cart .. I should pull it out.

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[DuckandCover]

Mastermind happens to be one of my all-time favorite board games as well. I recently scored a set of keyboard controllers at a local flea market for a couple of bucks, and this past weekend snagged a Codebreaker cart on Ebay for a measly dollar. I'm eagerly awaiting that cart's arrival!