Best 2600 Shooters

[segagamer99]

Hey guys,

 

I'm interested in getting some 2600 games, and I love shmups.

 

Can you give me a top 5 list of favorites and say why? Thanks.

[Arkhan]

Astroblast: It's really twitchy and fun to play. Easy to get into..

Demon Attack: It's really well done visually, controls very well, and has some fun attack waves to deal with.

Phoenix: Same as above

Demons To Diamonds: It's a sort-of-retarded game, but for some reason it's fun anyways. It looks pretty stupid to be honest, but I like it.

Mega Mania: It's really great. The sounds, attack wave patterns, and franticness make it really fun.

 

 

Non-Usual Shooters:

Yar's Revenge: You have to just play it to get it.

Star Raiders: First Person flight shooter sim space thing with keypad controller.

Defender: Duh

Seaquest: Defender Underwater basically

River Raid: This game is frigging great. You have to manage fuel while not crashing into stuff, and it's really fun to blow through the gates and try not to die. I approve

 

These are all really cheap games too, IIRC.

[Rex Dart]

Standard joystick control:

Beamrider - Closest thing to Tempest you'll find on the system. Totally entertaining in its own right, too.

Demon Attack - Technically impressive for the time, and the game variations add replay value

Phoenix - Like Galaxian, but less boring

 

Analog paddle control:

Astroblast - Paddle-controlled cross between Missile Command and Space Invaders... sort of. Hectic as hell.

Demons to Diamonds - More fun with two players, but that's why they give you two paddles in a set. Big whopping laser beam, too.

Tac-Scan - Instead of "lives", you control all your ships at once, in a formation, losing & adding ships as the game goes on.

 

The only somewhat pricey title is Beamrider, and possibly Tac-Scan. I think I paid $15 and $10, respectively.

Edited October 8, 2012 by Rex Dart

[StanJr]

Beamrider for sure. Dynamic game play and extremely challenging level designs.

Phoenix is great too. Very straightforward, but the different levels scratch that itch just right.

Megamania is very similar, straightforward, but with enough diversity to make it a real challenge.

Vanguard is a lot of fun too, both a horizontal and vertical shooter with a boss fight!

[Thorsten Günther]

River Raid - an all-time classic and at the same time the first title that was banished (or sorts of: no advertising and no sales to persons under the age of 18 practically wiped it off the market) here in (back then: West) Germany for "endangering the youth", plus it has soft scrolling and no flicker

Chopper Command - puts Atari's version of Defender to shame (Atari redeemed themselves with Stargate aka Defender 2 some years later)

Solaris - so much better than the VCS version of Star Raiders (which should be played on an 8-bit Atari computer instead)

Turmoil - fast-paced, colourful and flicker-free

Juno First - an excellent homebrew version of the arcade classic, available from the AtariAge store

Edited October 8, 2012 by Thorsten Günther

[Arkhan]

As unclose to the arcade as Vanguard is, its still pretty awesome for the 2600.

 

 

I vote for Beamrider too. and Solaris.

 

I also vote for Thunder Ground.

 

That's sort of a shooter, maybe.

 

I am not really sure, but it's a fun friggin' game.

[godzillajoe]

Spider Fighter

Seaquest

[Arkhan]

Does Atlantis count?

 

I really enjoy that game, alot. It's like a not-shitty Missile Command!

[Brian O]

I vote for Lead: http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=932

 

-B

[Bones Brigade]

River Raid gets my #1 spot

 

Chopper Command is pretty great.

 

Phoenix, Vanguard are competent

 

Worm War I is fantastic for an oddball title.

 

Millipede is better than Centipede, but both are pretty great.

[high voltage]

Super Cobra. my favourite Scramble type shmup on VCS, completed it on 'fast', very enjoyable. Excellent graphic style.

Planet Patrol, another excellent 'scroller' day and night scenery, refuelling. great game

Spitfire Attack, yeah great FPS....shoot German WWII slime, blast 'em....get a load of this, Jerry scum....of course, best played with the Flight Commander

Espial, well to tell the truth, I just won this game, so I cannot wait to play it. Wanted this game since 85.

Omega Race. well converted for VCS, play with Booster Grip for best control

Edited October 8, 2012 by high voltage

[segagamer99]

As unclose to the arcade as Vanguard is, its still pretty awesome for the 2600.

 

 

I vote for Beamrider too. and Solaris.

 

I also vote for Thunder Ground.

 

That's sort of a shooter, maybe.

 

I am not really sure, but it's a fun friggin' game.

 

Thunderground isn't very good. It's actually an extremely simplified of the Sega arcade classic Borderline, also on SG-1000;)

[BassGuitari]

Honestly, there are probably a lot more good 2600 shooters than bad ones. You could pick virtually any of them and do okay.

 

GOOD:

River Raid

Space Invaders

Galaxian

Spider Fighter

Megamania

Demons To Diamonds

Phoenix

Defender

Defender II (Stargate)

Vanguard

Demon Attack

Subterranea

Rescue Terra I

Astroblast (paddle controllers recommended)

Beamrider

Radar Lock

Solaris

Moonsweeper

Chopper Command

Seaquest

Worm War I

Centipede

Millipede

Warplock (requires paddle controllers)

Encounter At L-5 (requires paddle controllers)

Berserk

Star Master

Communist Mutants From Space (Supercharger cassette)

Phaser Patrol (Supercharger cassette)

Missile Command

Atlantis

Omega Race (requires Booster Grip or Colecovision controller)

Air Raiders

Fantastic Voyage

Marine Wars

Gorf

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

Yars' Revenge

Laser Gates

Plaque Attack

Polaris

Marauder

Asteroids

 

NOT SO GOOD:

Skeet Shoot

Bugs (requires paddle controllers)

River Raid II (a valiant effort, but just doesn't quite get there)

Space Cavern

Space Chase

Cosmic Corridor

Dark Cavern

Space Battle

Pooyan

Deadly Duck

 

UGLY*:

Star Ship

Air-Sea Battle

Star Raiders (requires joystick + video touch pad/keyboard controller)

Space Jockey

Cosmic Swarm

Submarine Commander

Stargunner

Subscan

Bermuda Triangle

Zaxxon

Time Pilot

Star Wars: The Arcade Game (This is a great game marred by stupid controls. Shame. If you can get the hang of it, it's pretty good; I can't.)

Planet Patrol

Threshold

Cosmic Ark

Gyruss

 

(*These aren't bad games, but they may require a little digging beneath the surface to be appreciated. Background info and manuals may be helpful. And some of them ARE pretty ugly. Looking at you, Submarine Commander.)

 

Even the not-so-good games are worth a try. You might even like some of them. Bugs is a guilty pleasure of mine.

[yllawwally]

Chopper command is my favorite. After that Phoenix, Vanguard, fantastic voyage, and empire strikes back.

[BigO]

I don't know that I'd call it "shooter" exactly, but it is along the lines of launching projectiles at an enemy: you may appreciate Crackpots.

[raskar42]

moon patrol

[cvga]

Beamrider is my favorite of all games for the atari.

[shadow460]

Seconded for Subterranea. I highly recommend it even though it's rare and somewhat expensive ($20 or $30 loose). While you're looking for Subterranea, get yourself some carts of Moonsweeper and Solar Storm. Solar Storm is another paddle-controlled shmup, and Moonsweeper is a semi standard vertical shooter.

Commie Mutants deserves a look for the amount of customization, and Ram It is like Squeeze Box except that it's actually fun.

 

If you're looking for flight sim style shooters, Phaser Patrol sets the bar high, and Starmaster is close behind it. Phaser Patrol alone will justify the purchase of a Supercharger.

Oh, BTW, is there no love for Cross Force?

Edited October 8, 2012 by shadow460

[sqoon]

Chopper Command beats Defender hands down

Laser Gates is excellent fun

Spider Fighter is probably my favorite VCS shooter

Megamania gets repetitive, but is fun for a spell

Tac Scan is highly underrated

[shadow460]

IMO, Subterranea owns both Defender and Chopper Command, but there is that price tag.

[Armonigann]

I'm going to list outta what I have, then read the other suggestions to see how I measure up,

 

Galaxian

Beanie Bopper

Megamania

Flash Gordon

Beamrider

Demon Attack

Turmoil

Stargate

Moon Patrol

Plaque Attack

Berzerk

[LidLikesIntellivision]

Omega Race (requires Booster Grip or Colecovision controller)

Amazing! Now I have a Colecovision

Good info!

[Arkhan]

Thunderground isn't very good. It's actually an extremely simplified of the Sega arcade classic Borderline, also on SG-1000;)

 

I dunno, I thought it was funny when I used to sit and play it. Of course its extremely simplified. Its an Atari 2600 game

[Bones Brigade]

As for FPS - Robot Tank and Starmaster are fantastic.

[CRV]

I dunno, I thought it was funny when I used to sit and play it. Of course its extremely simplified. Its an Atari 2600 game

 

There's simplified, and then there's simplified. This only has one screen from the arcade game.

 

I think Chopper Command gets too hard too quickly.