Adventure (2600)

[OldAtarian]

Yes I agree, it's not a missing feature... though would be cool to have a 4th or 5th game which will offer time counter or a score.

 

One feature that would have been really cool back in the day, and probably wouldn't have been too hard, would have been to allow a player to select a random number seed (from, say, 10,000 possibilities or for some games even 100). Without such a feature, a time score isn't very meaningful, since there's a lot of luck involved in how easy or hard a particular arrangement of objects is. With such a feature, though, it would be possible to have contests where players would compete with the same setup. Have each player pick a number 0-99, add all the players' numbers together (ignoring any overflow to the hundreds digit), and have all players use that setting.

 

Imagine how cool Adventure, Pitfall, or Skiing (to name a few) could have been with such a feature.

 

Better than a time score would have been a countdown timer where you had to finish before the timer reached zero.

[+Gemintronic]

I had no particular passion for Atari before Adventure. I didn't even associate Adventure with role playing games at the time. All I knew is Adventure was a goldmine of re-playability. Even after countless hours I would discover new tactics and situations. I admit to collecting all the dragon carcasses and putting them into the yellow castle. I even remember having fun partially controlling the bat while inside the belly of a dragon.

 

Adventure made me come to the realisation that Nintendo games ENDED. Zelda had 2 different level layouts and then you're done. No more replay. After this epiphany I really started to value 2600 games.

 

Maybe not perfect, but Adventure would be the one game I take to a deserted island.

Edited November 5, 2010 by theloon

[Stan]

Although I admit it's groundbreaking, even in its heydey I was never a big fan of Adventure, it was just too simplistic to me and lacked the atmosphere of something like Haunted House. I prefer that over Adventure, and there are other games in the same style that have more depth to them (like Quest for Quintana Roo). The dragon was always a scary son of a bitch, but in general I was never really that impressed with it.

[scogey]

I feel this way especially with the earlier games...My love for them is more based on nostalgia than gameplay which was mostly clunky in the first year or so of the system. I never had Adventure as a kid but I am sure to heap underserving praise on games like Video Pinball or Golf or Night Driver

[NE146]

I've posted this a couple of times before.. but always nice to revisit.

 

[Fujifruit]

I've posted this a couple of times before.. but always nice to revisit.

 

Someone should make a game called "Duck Attack" but make the ducks look like dragons!

Brilliant I tell you!

[Bakasama]

Hmmm, that gives me an idea...

 

[scogey]

Hmmm, that gives me an idea...

 

Doctor Grant was right!.....Dinousaurs came from birds.....dragons came from ducks.....God creates dinosaurs, God destroys dinosaurs....God creates man....man creates duck dragons!

[yorgle]

Adventure was the first game I ever played wherein the non-player characters had personality. The fact that the OP blames the bat for getting stuck in a gate confirms this -- you really do start to believe the bat is out to screw with you.

[OldAtarian]

Adventure was the first game I ever played wherein the non-player characters had personality. The fact that the OP blames the bat for getting stuck in a gate confirms this -- you really do start to believe the bat is out to screw with you.

 

Bat>duck dragon

[+Gemintronic]

The Bat actually had a name: Knubberrub

 

He was on a mission to annoy you as well. It's probably already been mentioned in this thread, but, the enemies in Adventure were one of the first to have personalities.

 

Anyone who would deign to argue the point has not felt the sheer terror of Knubberrrub stealing your sword and exchanging it with a red dragon before!

Edited November 6, 2010 by theloon

[+wood_jl]

Anybody who thinks "Adventure" is overrated is **OBVIOUSLY** not old enough to have either existed, or been old enough for consciousness in the era in which it was released.

It was simply amazing. There was nothing finer.

 

 

Is there no end to revisionist history, by the young?

[Fujifruit]

The Bat actually had a name: Knubberrub

 

He was on a mission to annoy you as well. It's probably already been mentioned in this thread, but, the enemies in Adventure were one of the first to have personalities.

 

Anyone who would deign to argue the point has not felt the sheer terror of Knubberrrub stealing your sword and exchanging it with a red dragon before!

"Grundle, Rhindle, and Yorgle"

 

Lmao xD

Can't wait til I get this game.

[Miss 2600]

arrow?

 

Ah - you must be holding it wrong

you should never hold a sword by the pointy side

 

Whoa! That totally blows my mind! I always thought it looked like an arrow and held it that way! But, the other way, it DOES look like a sword!

 

I never had Adventure when I was a kid, so it doesn't have the same magic for me. The game I wanted when I first got my Atari was Defender. I've read the lousy reviews for Defender and was shocked. I thought it was considered one of the best games for Atari. I guess personal experience plays a significant role in how you remember/rate things.

[Miss 2600]

I was just visiting an Atari alumnus who, while we were talking, pulled out a vintage printed listing of the actual source code for Adventure. I flipped through it eagerly, and giggled when I saw the game's singular weapon identified as AROW. Maybe this is widely known, but it's the first time I've seen it specifically identified as such.

 

The comments in the code refer to the Bat as BAT and GIANT BAT, for what it's worth.

 

 

Referred to as "Arrow" in the code? Hmmmm, now I've got to rethink this.

 

Look at the manual:

 

 

Looks like it IS held as an arrow.

[NE146]

I never had Adventure when I was a kid, so it doesn't have the same magic for me. The game I wanted when I first got my Atari was Defender. I've read the lousy reviews for Defender and was shocked. I thought it was considered one of the best games for Atari.

 

It is one of the best games for the Atari and got awesome reviews in it's day. See below:

 

 

It's only in the days of the internet and hindsight that people started bashing it.. especially when comparing it with Stargate (which of course was not out at the time.. duh.)

[SoulBlazer]

I never had Adventure when I was a kid, so it doesn't have the same magic for me. The game I wanted when I first got my Atari was Defender. I've read the lousy reviews for Defender and was shocked. I thought it was considered one of the best games for Atari.

 

It is one of the best games for the Atari and got awesome reviews in it's day. See below:

 

 

It's only in the days of the internet and hindsight that people started bashing it.. especially when comparing it with Stargate (which of course was not out at the time.. duh.)

 

Yeah, I had Defender for the system as a kid as well and I really enjoyed it. I sucked at the arcade version (still do ) and this version was much easier. Sure, having to drop below the city to use a smart bomb was annoying, but with only one controller button there wasn't much choice.

 

The biggest problem with the game was the flicker -- especily with your ship being gone when the laser is fired. Yes, it's annoying, but I always knew where my ship was anyway from seeing where the lasers were coming from. After a bit I got used to it. All things considered it was a good port.

 

And if anyone wants, they can play 'classic' Defender on XBox Live, which seems like a PERFECT port of the arcade version. (i.e., I still get my ass handed to me in two minutes. )

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Adventure is one of the all time classics for the VCS. And will ever be!

[Dino]

Adventure is one of the all time classics for the VCS. And will ever be!

 

And that's why theres a nice, minty SEALED copy in the Iwan collection

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

Adventure is one of the all time classics for the VCS. And will ever be!

 

And that's why theres a nice, minty SEALED copy in the Iwan collection

 

 

.......and another lovely and sealed copy in Dino's collection as well!

[JacobZu7zu7]

I was just visiting an Atari alumnus who, while we were talking, pulled out a vintage printed listing of the actual source code for Adventure. I flipped through it eagerly, and giggled when I saw the game's singular weapon identified as AROW. Maybe this is widely known, but it's the first time I've seen it specifically identified as such.

 

The comments in the code refer to the Bat as BAT and GIANT BAT, for what it's worth.

 

 

Referred to as "Arrow" in the code? Hmmmm, now I've got to rethink this.

 

Look at the manual:

 

 

Looks like it IS held as an arrow.

 

Yes, and maybe it wouldn't be held like an arrow, if there was MORE room on the sword handle for a persons "HANDS". That little dot on the end is only long enough for a baby hands

 

I also thought it was just an arrow... or a sword that looked like a cheap arrow.

but from a different end it looks sword-like.

[Dino]

Adventure is one of the all time classics for the VCS. And will ever be!

 

And that's why theres a nice, minty SEALED copy in the Iwan collection

 

 

.......and another lovely and sealed copy in Dino's collection as well!

Well all the most highly playable games should be kept in their original sealed boxes

[iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin]

 

Well all the most highly playable games should be kept in their original sealed boxes

 

 

You sir are a wise man................for an Aussie...............

[JacobZu7zu7]

Anybody who thinks "Adventure" is overrated is **OBVIOUSLY** not old enough to have either existed, or been old enough for consciousness in the era in which it was released.

It was simply amazing. There was nothing finer.

 

 

Is there no end to revisionist history, by the young?

 

Well if they agreed with you?? Then what it's all ok...? The whole idea behind rating a game based and baised by our own opinions. As long as there's some kinda idea or reason to back it up, maybe a youngster could chime in about a classic video game. As long as they think and don't follow the crowd or do the typical answers.

 

So, if we go by "FIRSTS" that means Pong is the best game of all time, because "at the time", (early 1970's) there was nothing better and it sold right into peoples living rooms.

 

If someone questions an Atari classic it doesn't always mean they are under 35-40 years old. Some older gamers don't like Missle Command and/or Space Invaders, but these folks did play it "in the day". Just how they feel about the game, and might put their opinion to the test.

 

In my opinion, Adventure hasn't got enough to quality or "enough to it", to be a classic. I think I might prefer Haunted House even. But I guess the gameplay in Adventure is innovative and timeless and is why people like it. I just think it's a great game but not "Amazing my favorite", I'd rather play E.T.!

 

One thing I don't like much about Adventure is the lack of vision walking through the maze, with a little bit of effort and memorizing, you always get where you need to go, so why not just be able to see clear through, or maybe after the first blind run through it??

 

Seems ironic how on one side, Adventure is the great classic on Atari VCS, and E.T. is often considered the "NAIL IN THE COFFIN" for Atari 2600.

I'm not seeing a big gap between the two, even if down a "deep" well.

 

To me, Quest for the Rings on Odyssey 2 is my dragon-style classic game, and always feels more fun and challenging to play.

[JacobZu7zu7]

arrow?

 

Ah - you must be holding it wrong

you should never hold a sword by the pointy side

 

Whoa! That totally blows my mind! I always thought it looked like an arrow and held it that way! But, the other way, it DOES look like a sword!

 

I never had Adventure when I was a kid, so it doesn't have the same magic for me. The game I wanted when I first got my Atari was Defender. I've read the lousy reviews for Defender and was shocked. I thought it was considered one of the best games for Atari. I guess personal experience plays a significant role in how you remember/rate things.

 

I was surprised by the negative review I read, by Video Game Critic, but he's in his late 30s at least now, so he most likey had Defender back when it was most popular. I loved the game when I first played it, lol.

 

That magic for Adventure must be its NOSTALGIA and probably %40 of why the game is loved so much. I'm like you it wasn't one I played long ago like, Donkey Kong or Pac-man.