Atari 2600 text adventures - do carts exist?

[karokoenig]

Next question. According to my favourite retro (i.e. text adventure) database http://solutionarchive.com , the Atari 2600 boasts a stunning number of two homebrew text adventure type games: "Dark Mage" and "Fellowship of the Ring". Does anyone know...

 

... if these exist as actual carts? And if yes...

 

... how I can get my hands on them? And if yes...

 

... do they come as PAL or NTSC versions? PAL would be very much preferred.

 

Thanks!

[eshu]

Dark Mage is in the store here: http://www.atariage.com/store/index.php?l=product_detail&p=196

[Tin_Lunchbox]

I'd noticed Dark Mage before. No disrespect intended really but a text adventure on the 2600/Video Arcade? Seems a bit silly. I mean there's just the low-res characters (though it seems they could go higher-res than Dark Mage, Activision's numerals did). But the main flaw is no keyboard. It'd be tedious to cycle through letters with the joystick or paddle to spell stuff. I guess Dark Mage lets you cycle through words instead? But then Fellowship of the Ring I hadn't heard of. Anyone tried that?

 

 

Above image from Dark Mage.

[+Gemintronic]

I'd noticed Dark Mage before. No disrespect intended really but a text adventure on the 2600/Video Arcade? Seems a bit silly.

 

If you have to ask why then you're probably not the target audience. Truth be told the only Kings Quest I've completed is the Sega Master System version. Sometimes making the interface streamlined for the platform is a good thing.

[karokoenig]

Dark Mage is in the store here: http://www.atariage....ct_detail&p=196

 

Hmm... Shipping from the US to Germany is gonna be kind of expensive. Also, I'm not sure if I can run that thing on my PAL system. Shame. I'd love to give it a shot, just for shits 'n giggles.

[SoundGammon]

Is STELLAR TRACK considered to be a text adventure?

[Gorfy]

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring........

 

http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareID=3369

[Gorfy]

Is STELLAR TRACK considered to be a text adventure?

 

It's derived from an old text adventure game, but it adds some primitive graphics. Also, you don't really use language to solve the game. I would consider Stellar Track to be some sort of hybrid. I love Stellar Track. It's one of a handful of carts I originally got back in the early '80's, and I still go back to it now and then today.

[Gateway]

Fellowship is based on Dark Mage, but with some expanded code, IIRC, from Thomas Jentzsch. It plays more as Interactive Fiction because it follows the storyline of the book/movie rather than multiple choice gameplay.

 

Looks like Packrat is under new ownership, but they are currently out of stock..

 

http://www.packratvg.com/index.html

 

 

Also, currently out of stock at Gooddeal Games, but should be more soon at both stores.

 

http://www.gooddealg...Atari 2600.html

[+thegoldenband]

Isn't one of these a spoof of the other one? I played through both of them at some point...which, now that I think of it, means I should add them to my beaten games list.

[BassGuitari]

Stellar Track is based on the old Star Trek games, which were text-based (it was the '70s...EVERY computer game was text-based; whatever graphics existed were usually made from text characters, Maze War notwithstanding), but it's very different from games like Colossal Cave or Zork or other games we commonly know as text adventures.

 

If you're unfamiliar with Star Trek and its derivatives, think Star Raiders in RPG form. Like most '70s computer games, it's pretty dry by today's standards, but it's a neat game for those with the patience and attention span for it. Stellar Track on the Video Arcade/2600 is underrated, I think, since it's a more streamlined version. The keyboard controllers would have made more sense though.

[grownup]

I bought the Lord of the Rings text adventure game years ago and never actually tried playing it untill recently. I dont mean to be a jerk or hurt the feelings of the programmer, should he ever read this, as I know programming is difficult. But I have to admit that I dont really like the game. Its hard to control and the story skips a lot of detail. Overall, I have to say I just dont like it, and was not impressed. The label made the game look very interesting though

[godzillajoe]

Wee need Zork ported to the 2600. Hey we got Boulder Dash. Anything is possible!

[+Gemintronic]

If SpiceWare and some of the other assembly gurus ever release a batari BASIC compatible 32 char text mode mini kernel I know a whole group of fools who would make use of it. I don't think an entire z-machine interpreter would be needed.

[Rob Mitchell]

I would like a text lunar lander game ..

[grownup]

I would like a text lunar lander game ..

Write one in Basic on a vintage computer. Save it to tape and sell copied on ebay. You may enjoy that hobby project more then playing one!

[Rob Mitchell]

Write one in Basic on a vintage computer. Save it to tape and sell copied on ebay. You may enjoy that hobby project more then playing one!

Did that already .. no one bought it .. so Atariage is my last hope.

[xxx]

is there a text adventure with graphics?

[high voltage]

Keyboard, hey maybe one could try a CompuMate version. Quest-A is already available on CompuMate, but that's not a text adventure, I think.

Edited June 22, 2015 by high voltage

[high voltage]

Stellar Track is based on the old Star Trek games, which were text-based (it was the '70s...EVERY computer game was text-based; whatever graphics existed were usually made from text characters, Maze War notwithstanding), but it's very different from games like Colossal Cave or Zork or other games we commonly know as text adventures.

 

If you're unfamiliar with Star Trek and its derivatives, think Star Raiders in RPG form. Like most '70s computer games, it's pretty dry by today's standards, but it's a neat game for those with the patience and attention span for it. Stellar Track on the Video Arcade/2600 is underrated, I think, since it's a more streamlined version. The keyboard controllers would have made more sense though.

I love Stellar Track, because way back I played Star Fleet I on A8, took many month out of my life, excellent game.