Atari A8 Games vs 5200 Games

[SpaceDice2010]

For the most part, which were better. The 5200 version or the A8? Anyone that has both wanna chime in on specific examples? Since moving to NYC I had to part with my 5200. Use an A8 instead. But, I am really missing Space Dungeon and Counter Measure. IF some of the other games were really better on a 5200, I MAY just get one again. ugh!

[Rybags]

Both those games can be had on the computer.

 

Most releases were pretty similar - in some cases hackers converted the 5200 versions to run on the computer, as Atari kept some titles 5200 exclusive to encourage sales.

 

There's quite a number of titles from Atari and others that have multiple revisions or are almost entirely different from the ground up, with extra features or better graphics.

Pacman, Dig Dug, Mario Bros and Frogger to name just a few.

[olavese@online.no]

For the most part, which were better. The 5200 version or the A8? Anyone that has both wanna chime in on specific examples? Since moving to NYC I had to part with my 5200. Use an A8 instead. But, I am really missing Space Dungeon and Counter Measure. IF some of the other games were really better on a 5200, I MAY just get one again. ugh!

 

Atarimania : http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-countermeasure_1366.html

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-space-dungeon_4821.html

 

My list have a Space Dungeon too : http://pokeysoft.no/games/atari/a8arc.htm

main page at : http://pokeysoft.no/games/

[Divya16]

For the most part, which were better. The 5200 version or the A8? Anyone that has both wanna chime in on specific examples? Since moving to NYC I had to part with my 5200. Use an A8 instead. But, I am really missing Space Dungeon and Counter Measure. IF some of the other games were really better on a 5200, I MAY just get one again. ugh!

 

I have been playing HSC on both Atari 5200 and Atari 800 forums and there are differences between some of the games of the same title. Pac-man, a common cartridge on Atari 5200, is much harder on Atari 5200 where the monsters catch-up to you faster. Centipede is also different on Atari 5200 vs. Atari 800. So it depends on what you got used to since one of the reasons I don't play the remakes on the Nintendo and Playstations of the classics is because the timing and play is different when compared to original Atari versions.

[+Stephen]

Qix was TONS better on the 5200 in both gameplay and sound. Star Raiders was identical except for the fact that on the 5200, it had analog control which was a great addition.

[Bryan]

The differences are mostly because a standard A8 cart holds 16K, while a 5200 cart can hold 32K. This meant that 5200 games had the potential to be better.

[SpaceDice2010]

So. Atari did release Space Dungeon And Counter Measure on the A8? I never knew that.

[AtariLeaf]

One of these day's I'll get a 5200 with working controllers and give this thing a shot. Everyone seems to love it so much there must be something to it. I do love my A8's but I'll give a 5200 a shot if I can.

[Divya16]

One of these day's I'll get a 5200 with working controllers and give this thing a shot. Everyone seems to love it so much there must be something to it. I do love my A8's but I'll give a 5200 a shot if I can.

 

Get it with a Wico joystick or some digital joystick. Give the Atari 5200 joysticks a shot literally with a gun, and give the Wico and Atari 5200 console a shot non-literally.

[SpaceDice2010]

The 5200 joysticks kicked butt on Space Dungeon. I am not sure how you would play that on an A8 though. Did they make a holder to put the two sticks together?

[ApolloBoy]

So. Atari did release Space Dungeon And Counter Measure on the A8? I never knew that.

No, but someone named "Glenn the 5200 Man" hacked them to work on the A8. They were never released in cartridge form, so you'll have to use a SIO2PC adapter to play them on real hardware.

[atariksi]

The 5200 joysticks kicked butt on Space Dungeon. I am not sure how you would play that on an A8 though. Did they make a holder to put the two sticks together?

 

Yeah, I just played that game on A5200 and it's pretty good. However, that doesn't use the buttons for shooting or motion and the POTs are pretty good on the stock A5200 sticks. It's the buttons that usually go bad. I played Robotron 2084 on A8 and it works fine with 2 joysticks; the analogicity doesn't help the A5200 as the motion is just the 8 directions and center.

[MEtalGuy66]

I vastly perefer the 5200 version of Star Raiders..