Star Raiders Atari 8 bit version Large ship... Why?

[José Pereira]

Probably no-one can give me the answer and that's not important... but why Atari always use the Mother Ship as those joined 'up and invert' type Pyramid ship on the boxes and then code the game with a totally different one:

 

 

When electric Dreams got the rights for the other 8bit versions they do exactly this original idea of 'Pyramids looking'.

ST also has the same cover box Pyramid but don't remember how it was on ST.

 

 

What was supposed to be that 'Pyramids type' ship? The Large Enemy ship or our Mothership?

It seems we are shooting it on the carts front cover but indeed we are 'docking it' and it is indeed our Mothership because Electric Dreams version done it as Mothership as we can see here on the C64 version:

http://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/star-raiders-ii/screenshots/gameShotId,124018/

 

 

Then I still have this questions (for years) why we get a diferent one (and it was Atari themselves and a new, totally original one)?

Why design a ship for the front cover and design a new one for the game playing?

(the large ship it's PMGs that would be the same a 'Pyramids type' as it is what we have or it could be anything else...)

Why? What was on their Heads?

Edited September 17, 2012 by José Pereira

[Rybags]

Box art of that type practically never reflects what the game itself looks like, and that still applies today sometimes.

 

Star Raiders has the obvious influences from Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, both ingame and with the artworks.

[Tinman]

The mother ships are pretty clearly based on Cylon baseships from the original Battlestar Galactica. The artwork was probably done before the game was finished.

[Bryan]

I always thought the clouds-in-boxes thing was kinda neat looking.

[Bill Lange]

I've always wanted to build a dedicated Star Raiders arcade cockpit based on the Star Wars cockpit or Star Trek cockpit, but with a couple of arm rests with the 25 or so buttons and joystick needed. Maybe use a cosmetically broken but functional 400/800 as the brains. Wire up a keyboard interface with a bunch of Happ buttons.

 

http://www.videogameauctions.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Star-Wars-Cockpit-Arcade.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_pYf1RHDDbs/TpO9i4Qw5QI/AAAAAAAAEfA/YwBL-J9TY48/s640/16217501.jpg

0-9 Twin-Ion Enginge Control (velocity or speed)

Also aborts hyperwarp. A Aft View C Computer Attack Control F Front View G Galactic Chart H Hyperwarp Engines Engaged L Long-Range Sector Scan M Manual Target Selector S Shields T Tracking Computer P Pause (suspends game)

 

Select

Start

System Reset

 

Maybe added some machine code to the rom to send output through the unused joystick ports to turn cockpit lights (push buttons, shields, red alert) on and off.

 

One of these days ....

[AtariLeaf]

This reminds me, I bought a copy of Star Raiders II a while back and have yet to try it.

[Tinman]

I've always wanted to build a dedicated Star Raiders arcade cockpit based on the Star Wars cockpit or Star Trek cockpit, but with a couple of arm rests with the 25 or so buttons and joystick needed. Maybe use a cosmetically broken but functional 400/800 as the brains. Wire up a keyboard interface with a bunch of Happ buttons.

 

Yeah, that would be very cool. Even with it's simplistic graphics (compared to modern games), Star Raiders had a way of really pulling you into the simulation like no other game. With a cockpit, I can only imagine the effect would be even greater.

[Gunstar]

 

 

Yeah, that would be very cool. Even with it's simplistic graphics (compared to modern games), Star Raiders had a way of really pulling you into the simulation like no other game. With a cockpit, I can only imagine the effect would be even greater.

 

I've often thought about making an arcade-style cockpit or buying an old one and redesigning it for the same reason, though I did intend to make it compatible with the 8-bit and Jaguar (Battlesphere). But I also wanted to have both a flightstick and steering wheel in it to, and they would swing or slide in and out of postition depending if I was racing or flying. But I've actually scaled back on stuff in recent years, and I don't even own Battlesphere anymore, so ideas like that will have to wait or fade away. I do have a projector I can play Star Raiders on though, it's a 120" screen, 150" if I play out of ration in 16:9 screen mode. So that makes up for it to me.

Edited September 18, 2012 by Gunstar

[Marius]

If you are thinking of this... don't you wonder why Ms. Pacman on the box has ARMS & LEGS!? (not seen on the screen)

 

or don't you wonder why the Millipede on the box has very angry EYES? (not seen on the screen)

 

Haha... no just kidding... I Think you should not take those artworks too serious. They look awesome in most of the cases, and I love them too... although they do not always match the game completely.

[+rdemming]

Sadly the graphics of the "Softporn Adventure" game was nothing like the picture on the packaging

 

 

[Gunstar]

Sadly the graphics of the "Softporn Adventure" game was nothing like the picture on the packaging

 

 

 

What kind of game was this? Text/graphic adventure? Are there pics or an image to download somewhere? This is simply a vague interest, believe me, if I was really into softporn I'd look elsewhere for my kicks, not a 30 year-old game.

[+rdemming]

What kind of game was this? Text/graphic adventure? Are there pics or an image to download somewhere? This is simply a vague interest, believe me, if I was really into softporn I'd look elsewhere for my kicks, not a 30 year-old game.

 

It was a text only adventure. Leisure Suit Larry was heavily inspired by this game. Actually LSL is more or less the graphical version of this adventure. You can find it on AtariMania.

 

Robert

[Bill Lange]

Note that the woman on the far right is Roberta Williams co-founder Sierra On-Line.

[Marius]

What kind of game was this? Text/graphic adventure? Are there pics or an image to download somewhere? This is simply a vague interest, believe me, if I was really into softporn I'd look elsewhere for my kicks, not a 30 year-old game.

 

Haha so what? Which healthy and normal man isn't interested in a bunch of good looking female exposing their... inventory So it's a rather normal question to ask for more information about this game Or is this a difference between American and Dutch people?