Need some AMIDAR help

[rhindlethereddragon]

I have a few questions about Amidar for the Atari 2600:

 

1) Do the "enemies" move randomly, or is there some "intelligence"? It's hard to tell because there are so many of them.

 

2) Speaking of there being so many of them, how is it that there is basically NO "flicker", while Atari's "Pac Man" struggled with 4 "ghosts"?

 

3) Can you suggest some good strategies, game playing tips or tricks for AMIDAR?

[Stan]

They have patterns I believe, been awhile though. I seem to remember working corners, the enemies tend to always move corners even when they're coming towards you.

[The Usotsuki]

Arcade Amidar enemies had a set pattern, "Amidar Movement", based on something called amidakuji.

[toiletunes]

One enemy circles the perimeter, the others will always turn corners.

[rhindlethereddragon]

Thank you for the replies. I am slowly but surely getting a little better at this game. My strategy now is - since I notice that the enemies work their way from one side to the next (and then back again, etc), is just to try to stay out of their way and clear the areas opposite to where they are on the other side.

 

Remember "back in the day" when getting a new Atari game was such a huge deal that you played it for hours and days on end, and developed strategies and got very good at the game? I wonder if I would have had Amidar back then if I would have developed a winning strategy? For example, when I got Pac Man, I eventually developed a pattern where I could basically play forever.

 

I wonder if I practiced enough if I could develop such a pattern on Amidar? This is really a great game, isn't it??

Edited November 5, 2011 by rhindlethereddragon

[high voltage]

Excellent game, I love Amidar, it's in my Top 5 of VCS games. Demolition Herby is great too, a sort of Amidar in reverse, damn hard.

Love the graphic style used, also used for Super Cobra.

[maiki]

Well, the problem with the 2600 version is:

 

1. speed - it is way too slow compared to the original

2. graphics - everything is too different to the coin op machine

3. sound - they did not even bother to try a single note from the original

 

As for the speed, you have lots of maze games on 2600 that play miles and miles faster. Amidar plays way too slow. It takes forever to reach the other side of the playfield. And the vertical speed of the sprites is slower than horizontal one. It even seems to me that the game is simply not coded well, hence the slowliness.

 

As for the graphics - have a look at games like Mario Brothers or even Donkey Kong. I mean I could easily answer the question - which games they are the ports of, but Amidar? no similarity to real Amidar in terms of any graphics...

 

 

THe main reaosn why I am complaining about the 2600 version is that I used to play Amidar a lot in the arcades and I do miss everything in this port. Well, actually Demolition Herby seems closer to real Amidar!

Edited November 6, 2011 by maiki

[The Usotsuki]

Maybe it would be worth a 7800 port...xD?

[R.O.T.S]

Yep one bad guy does the outer perimeter and the others turn as they climb or fall when possible,so if a bad guy starts in the top left corner it will head bottom right turning every oportunity ie Dwn-Rgt-Dwn-Rgt-Dwn-Rgt.Once you get used to this you can sometimes stop and watch them fall/climb past before moving on.

[toiletunes]

Well, the problem with the 2600 version is:

 

1. speed - it is way too slow compared to the original

2. graphics - everything is too different to the coin op machine

3. sound - they did not even bother to try a single note from the original

 

 

You are correct- this is why I prefer Spider Droid. It's basically the same game with the same flaws, but at least it's not called Amidar.

 

Somewhere in the forums, I picked up a hack called "cat piss," which is double-speed Amidar. Now there's a challenge!