Massive Atari collection for iPhone launches tonight

[JeffVav]

It plays OK on my 3rd Generation version but on my new 4th Generation it plays terribly. You would think the creators of this app would have made this app play nicely on the updated iPod Touch. But the joystick control on the later version is just horrible. I really hope that updated versions of the app will improve the controls.

 

I'm surprised to hear this. We tested on everything, and I haven't seen a difference between my 3rd and 4th gen devices. How is it different exactly? Do the sensitivity adjustments help?

[JeffVav]

The latest version of the app seems to be working better, but it didn't save my games that I bought! I am able to download them again without having to pay (at least, I hope that's the case since I have already paid for them) but it will only allow me to download one at a time. Will I have to do this on every new version of the app? That is so annoying and is not fair to people who have already bought these games for the app. Is anybody else also having trouble with the latest release of the app?

 

There's no way around this, but there is new content coming in (new control schemes). Have you tried the Download All button over Wifi?

[mckafka99]

Whenever I choose to 'Download All Purchases" (over wifi) I get an immediate message that "Download complete - All purchases finished downloading", but nothing has downloaded - I have to do each game separately.

 

Will see what updating within iTunes does.

Edited May 26, 2011 by mckafka99

[+SpiceWare]

I ended up pulling them all out and using my own screws. After getting it together, I find that the top of the unit is not even level with the flap that makes up the top of the unit.

My unit is level. Perhaps your own screws weren't tapered the same as the original screws, that could cause an alignment problem.

 

I am having a problem with mine though - it won't pair. I held down the 5 buttons for 4 seconds, but the light never started to blink and the iPad never sees it

[+SpiceWare]

Whenever I choose to 'Download All Purchases" (over wifi) I get an immediate message that "Download complete - All purchases finished downloading", but nothing has downloaded - I have to do each game separately.

My iPad did this as well. What was really odd was when I did the individual download for Asteroids, it started up Space Duel when the download was finished! When I exited the game and went back in it correctly started Asteroids.

[ComputerSpaceFan]

Version 1.2 of the app appeared in the store last night. It adds more choice of control options, amongst other things.

 

One issue is that you need to download more content for every purchased game - presumably the extra graphics for the control option screen. It seems that the option to download content for all games at once isn't working, so at the moment you have to do it on a game by game basis.

 

How much of an improvement are the new controls? I tried the app on my 2nd generation iPod Touch, the app that comes with Missile Command for free and I wasn't impressed with the trackball movement. Is that better now? I will re-download it tonight and see for myself but I'm just curious if this new version is worth redownloading everything as people have described.

 

Besides, I have it for DS and I'm pretty happy with that version. Unless this fix is a vast improvement I'll probably just stick with the DS carts.

[+Nathan Strum]

Whenever I choose to 'Download All Purchases" (over wifi) I get an immediate message that "Download complete - All purchases finished downloading", but nothing has downloaded - I have to do each game separately.

This is exactly what mine is doing as well.

[AbnRgr1508]

Mine too, although the individual downloads didn't take too long. The refined controls and sensitivity adjustments work very well. I am glad support for this app continues. Code Mystics did a great job with this, looking forward to future content and refinements.

[JeffVav]

Hi, seems like several people are having trouble with the Download All button. Anyone who would like to help us diagnose the problem, please message me. I'd like to know your device type(s), OS version(s), method of download, and what version you upgraded from. If you are familiar with the iPhone Configuration Utility, it would help tremendously to send me a log of what happened during the attempt to Download All.

[Rastignac]

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh, now it doesn't work anymore ! On iPhone1 with iOS313, it displays the first logo, the second logo, one or two seconds of music is heard, then it crashes back to springboard.

No way to run it. Damn. All has been tried (reboot, etc). Now I must remove it and put v1.1 back... Damn.

I removed v1.2, then I put back v1.2, and now it seems to work fine. So, it seems that updating v1.1 with v1.2 leads to problems, but installing v1.2 from scratch does work better.

[+Nathan Strum]

Yep - deleting the app from my iPhone then re-syncing with iTunes fixed the broken "download all". It's working fine now. (iPhone 3GS, iOS 4.3.3)

[+SpiceWare]

Was at Fry's today and walked past the AC adapters so picked up one for the iCADE. Got home, plugged it in and it worked - so the problem with my iCADE has to do with either the wiring for the batteries, or the AC adapter plug isn't switching back to batteries like it should.

 

The Atari games map the extra firebuttons to the console switches, as I found out on accident when I switched Adventure to Black & White mode!

[ComputerSpaceFan]

How much of an improvement are the new controls? I tried the app on my 2nd generation iPod Touch, the app that comes with Missile Command for free and I wasn't impressed with the trackball movement. Is that better now? I will re-download it tonight and see for myself but I'm just curious if this new version is worth redownloading everything as people have described.

 

Besides, I have it for DS and I'm pretty happy with that version. Unless this fix is a vast improvement I'll probably just stick with the DS carts.

 

I downloaded a few game packs now that the controls have been tweaked and reckoned I should answer my own questions above in case anyone else is wondering.

 

The improvements are very good. Using Missile Command as my only title to base that opinion on, I can say that the new options are movement are a lot better. In addition to rolling your thumb around for trackball control, they have added another version where you just touch on the screen where the missiles are going to fire. It's a big improvement.

 

For those like myself who already have the DS version, I personally say the DS controls are better but the iOS controls come as a close second. Then again, the previously discussed trouble with Red Baron, Circus Atari, and Night Driver exist on DS and the iOS version has multiple control options now so that's one thing that elevates this version over DS.

[AbnRgr1508]

Looks like another update is available in the app store to address the update all issue. I didn't notice anything else different. Really appreciate Jeff and his team rapidly addressing the issue. Note that if you already updated your games, it doesn't ask you to update again.

[JeffVav]

Looks like another update is available in the app store to address the update all issue. I didn't notice anything else different. Really appreciate Jeff and his team rapidly addressing the issue. Note that if you already updated your games, it doesn't ask you to update again.

 

Looks like you beat me to it on that announcement. Thanks to everyone who helped us diagnose the problem.

 

Just FYI to everyone, the message needs to be phrased better but when you are told a game is downloading that you already download, it's actually updating. It's not that you're downloading the same thing twice, but rather in Version 1.2 we added new control schemes and it's the art for the new control schemes that's coming in when you select a game you already bought and downloaded, first time after upgrading the app.

[timsit]

Anybody try the USB Classic joystick from Think Geek with the Apple camera connection kit?

Be really cool if the iPad would recognize it for gameplay.

 

Here's the link: http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/retro-gaming/2600/?cpg=cj&ref=&CJURL=#tabs

[lucifershalo]

Dont know if it has been discussed here

I bought the whole package for Iphone

and when I got the Ipad

I could download for free the Ipad version

[The Gentleman]

wheres crazy climber

The same place as Berzerk, Pole Position, Galaxian, Ms. Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Space Invaders, Defender, Joust and others: they were licensed from other companies, so Atari would have to pay to re-license them for this compilation.

 

This brings up an issue that I find interesting. Although these may have been state-of-the-art translations at the time, time has only made even more explicit how far these versions are from their original arcade counterpart, in graphics,sound, and gameplay (even if the best ones certainly retained the "spirit" of their arcade parent). It's hard to imagine a modern court deciding that the content of the 2600 "Pac-Man" is an infringement on Namco's copyright, even if the name would be. Legally, can Atari just re-name them and include them in the set? In most cases, there aren't even title screens that would need to be changed.

 

I believe there have been instances of this, such as the AD&D games on the Intellivision collections.

Edited July 11, 2011 by The Gentleman

[+FujiSkunk]

Legally, can Atari just re-name them and include them in the set? In most cases, there aren't even title screens that would need to be changed.

 

I believe there have been instances of this, such as the AD&D games on the Intellivision collections.

 

I believe the Tron games also got renamed when Telegames re-released them back in the '90s.

 

I suspect a lot of people would still cry foul, however, and it's debatable whether any additional sales would be worth the trouble.

[Rob Mitchell]

I have the complete download of the games .. So I bought the ThinkGeek sucker joystick for ipad (The larger one). The joystick sense pads are too far apart to use the sucker joystick ... In contrast I downloaded the NAMCO Pac Man lite and in joystick mode the TG sucker joystick works great! Sooo...

 

1. I wish there were an option to have the ipad sense pads closer together so this could work.

 

2. I'm getting the icade too so I wish there were an option to not show the controls at all.

 

3. I wish there were an option to show the 2600 games in full landscape (4:3 video or ipad sideways) for icade.

 

More options please?

 

Rob (Atlanta)

[Mamecade]

Here is my review and impressions of the Atari's Greatest Hits App.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqtkegLxmjk&feature=channel_video_title

[JeffVav]

It's hard to imagine a modern court deciding that the content of the 2600 "Pac-Man" is an infringement on Namco's copyright, even if the name would be. Legally, can Atari just re-name them and include them in the set?

 

Who knows what the agreements with the original licensors said. Sometimes the licensors technically owned the ports. Either way, I know industry lawyers are not the kind to gamble on grey areas.

 

1. I wish there were an option to have the ipad sense pads closer together so this could work.

 

There is. It's the sensitivity slider below the control scheme thumbnails under the control screen.

 

2. I'm getting the icade too so I wish there were an option to not show the controls at all.

 

There already is. When the iCade is detected and used, the on-screen controls fade out.

 

3. I wish there were an option to show the 2600 games in full landscape (4:3 video or ipad sideways) for icade.

 

Noted...

[gorfcadet]

Anyway to use a bluetooth controller that isn't the icade? its a little rich for my blood.

[garyd97]

I wish we could see a collection of games like this available on the Wii.

[eggomania]

I'm hoping that the developers of this app can find a way to make some deals with other companies such as Namco so that this app can have some better games. It would be nice to play some of the better Atari 2600 games since most of the games that the app has are not the cream of the crop. Also, it would be cool to see some more classic arcade games added. I realize that it would cost the developers a lot of money to secure the rights to games outside of Atari. It would be nice to at least see the classic arcade games from Exidy, which has allowed their games to be free on MAME.