Games for Girls on the A8?

[jaybird3rd]

I've mentioned in other threads that I'm putting together a pair of XEGS systems with MyIDE interfaces as "kid computers" for my niece and nephew (ages 7 and 5, respectively). My niece already has hers and her brother will be getting his in January. In building these computers, I'm trying to include lots of software that is educational and/or creative: typing tutors, writing, drawing (they already like using Atari's light pen), music, programming, etc. Of course, they will include a large collection of games, too. I'll start my niece off next year with Atari's Touch Typing for typing lessons and Logo for simple programming; my nephew is a little too young for that yet, so I'll give him about another year.

 

Here's my problem: when it comes to games, my nephew likes playing the classic arcade and computer games that we all know and love (or at least likes to watch me play them!), but my niece tends to unplug her XEGS in favor of battery-powered TV-game units that are more specifically made for girls: Disney Princess, Sleeping Beauty, etc. The only exceptions are a handful of titles on the XEGS that she does (or did) seem to like: Frogger, Kangaroo, Jungle Hunt, Track and Field, and Q*Bert. This is a pretty short list of games, though, and I'd like to find more for her.

 

I know that designers have been trying for decades to figure out how to make games that girls would like, and from studying the online games and TV-games that my niece plays, it's interesting to see what's been accomplished in this area recently. I haven't seen anything that the A8 machines aren't theoretically capable of doing; underneath all the "pink frosting," the actual game mechanics tend to be quite simple. But, as we know, the A8 library is from a much earlier era, and is very heavy with arcade ports, space shooters, driving games, and strategy games, all of which seem to be better suited for boys.

 

So, my question is: if you are a woman who played games on the A8 computers (or even other classic computers) as a child, or if you have kids/sisters/nieces/cousins in your life who did, what kinds of games did you or they enjoy? Is there something out there that I've missed, or should I leave "girl gaming" to newer platforms and use the A8 strictly for the educational/creative stuff? Some possibilities I'm exploring are the Spinnaker educational games (Agent USA, In Search of the Most Amazing Thing, etc), as well as some offbeat games like Alley Cat, but are there any others?

 

Thanks very much!

[+therealbountybob]

Try Nibbler and River Rat both easy to get into and great fun (there are links here)

p.s. and High Rise!

Edited December 22, 2009 by therealbountybob

[mimo]

my wife enjoyed playing Preppie!,Pac Man, Centipede and Donkey Kong when she was a kid

[mimo]

And Picnic Paranoia was a pretty easy and fun game. If you can get them to play together I remember Dog Daze Deluxe being a lot of fun with my brothers as opponents

[Goochman]

Ms Pac Man and Centipede were very popular with girls back in the day.

[oky2000]

My Girlfriend says she used to love playing Pharoah's Curse on here A8 if that helps

[Warriorisabouttodie]

Ms Pac Man, Donkey Kong. Wouldn't a used Nintendo DS with a flash card be better, cheaper, more durable, and last longer as far as their interest goes?

[monzamess]

Wouldn't a used Nintendo DS with a flash card be better, cheaper, more durable, and last longer as far as their interest goes?

 

Funny, that's what my 5-yr-old daughter got for Christmas--a used DS Lite with a flash card. She likes a couple of games that act like an electronic storybook, showing the words and pictures on the screen and reading them out loud. She likes the "your pet whatever"-type games too. Plus we can link up to play Mario Kart together. The portability is great as well.

 

For the OP, I can't offer too much help. My daughter just can't handle most classic games focused on reflexes and coordination or educational games that require reading skills.

 

She does like playing 2-player games, if only to have daddy-daughter time. She loves Rampage and liked Gauntlet (arcade) as well.

[flashjazzcat]

My wife Deborah is really good at Tetris. I installed Tetris 5000 on her laptop last year and she really kills it. I tried to best her for a while but soon gave up. I wondered if getting her to play Tetris on the Atari might improve her strained relationship with the old computers.

 

I should add that she's been a fan of Tetris since childhood.

Edited December 22, 2009 by flashjazzcat

[+Stephen]

Maybe River raid - at least it was written by a female (Carol Shaw).

 

Stephen Anderson

[Fres]

Kaboom!

[mightymouse2275]

We got our 800XL for Christmas 1984. My sister and I (5 years apart) would always fight over who got to use the computer!

 

She liked a variety of games ranging from educational to arcade. Some of her favorites were: Monkey Up A Tree (APX game), Dr. Seuss Fix Up The Mix Up, Don't Shoot That Word and Pac Man.

 

She also really liked Hard Hat Mack, Chop Suey and Mr. Robot and His Robot Factory.

 

When she got older we used to play Archon and Match Wits. Ah those were the days.

 

Anyways..hope that helps.

[jaybird3rd]

We got our 800XL for Christmas 1984. My sister and I (5 years apart) would always fight over who got to use the computer!

 

She liked a variety of games ranging from educational to arcade. Some of her favorites were: Monkey Up A Tree (APX game), Dr. Seuss Fix Up The Mix Up, Don't Shoot That Word and Pac Man.

 

She also really liked Hard Hat Mack, Chop Suey and Mr. Robot and His Robot Factory.

 

When she got older we used to play Archon and Match Wits. Ah those were the days.

 

Anyways..hope that helps.

It does, thank you! I hadn't heard of some of those titles, but I'll give them a look.

 

Thanks also to everyone for the other suggestions; I'll certainly be trying them, too. Some of them had occurred to me already, and I got the impression they would be too hard for her at the time, but she might be old enough to enjoy them now. I don't know how I could have left Kaboom! off of my list: we usually play on the "Pitch & Catch" variation, with her controlling the mad bomber.

 

I do find that the classic games seem to be a bit too difficult for most kids under age ten. I appreciate the ultra-simple "kid variations" that were offered on some of the 2600 games, and I wish that the 400/800 versions offered similar options for very young players who don't quite have the reflexes yet.

[jaybird3rd]

Wouldn't a used Nintendo DS with a flash card be better, cheaper, more durable, and last longer as far as their interest goes?

She already has a DS. But, as I mentioned above, my main motivation in getting her an XEGS was as a way of introducing her to the world of computers. I got my start on computers when I was about her age, and as I look back, I can clearly see that my early exposure to them--especially the fact that I learned to program computers at a young age--was a very positive influence on my own growth and development, for reasons that Chris Crawford describes in his essay, You Should Learn To Program. This project is my attempt to recreate the same kind of computing/learning environment that I enjoyed so that my niece can enjoy those same benefits, which (for reasons I won't attempt to get into here) would require a machine that is more accessible and approachable than an ordinary desktop PC. Hence, the XEGS. Gaming is really a secondary concern.

[w1k]

my girlfriend playing YOOMP!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVQnRp1eNL0

 

Edited December 23, 2009 by w1k

[+Stephen]

She already has a DS. But, as I mentioned above, my main motivation in getting her an XEGS was as a way of introducing her to the world of computers. I got my start on computers when I was about her age, and as I look back, I can clearly see that my early exposure to them--especially the fact that I learned to program computers at a young age--was a very positive influence on my own growth and development, for reasons that Chris Crawford describes in his essay, You Should Learn To Program. This project is my attempt to recreate the same kind of computing/learning environment that I enjoyed so that my niece can enjoy those same benefits, which (for reasons I won't attempt to get into here) would require a machine that is more accessible and approachable than an ordinary desktop PC. Hence, the XEGS. Gaming is really a secondary concern.

Jay, I agree. My folks got me my 1st computer, an Atari 400 back in 82 (I was 7). I don't know where they got it from, but the saleperson told my dad to not load up on games for it. I had Star Raiders, and a BASIC cart. I am certain that the time I spent programming helped me later in school because it teaches (or at least strengthens) logic, analytic, and problem solving skills. I now work as a coder in IT and I know it's because of the early start I got. I hope your niece and nephew have as much fun with the Atari as I did (and still do).

 

Stephen Anderson

[graywest]

When we got our Atari 800XL in the mid/early eighties, my sister was really into "Getaway".