Overrated games. EXPOSED!

[Emehr]

Was Freeway ever a critically-acclaimed, highly-rated game?

[AtariLeaf]

Interesting, I never knew Freeway came out first. I had always assumed it was a frogger rip-off.

[108 Stars]

Freeway was a lucky coincidence. It came out around the same time when Frogger became an arcade hit, and with its similar concept it benefited from Frogger's success; Frogger was hot, there was no home version yet, but Freeway was close enough to get people to take it as an alternative.

[BassGuitari]

Freeway wasn't a rip-off of Frogger; it was a rip-off of Space Race, wittingly or not.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvP_HomsfDM

[Master Phruby]

I'd say the number one overrated game is Halo 2600. This game gets by on name and author alone. Some of the problems with this game are control. The control doesn't allow the character to shoot in different directions. Also, there needs to be more enemies to shot at per screen. A score would be a good addition. Right now it feels like a programming demo and very incomplete. It's more Outlaw than Halo.

[Goochman]

Barnstorming and Freeway.

 

It seemed Activision pushed alot of graphically appealing games with little gameplay in retrospect.

 

Though I thought PItfall was awesome back in the day.

[abraXXious]

I think I would go for ADVENTURE. It's rated superclassic everywhere I look, but I sincerely can't find it appealing, no matter how hard I try. But that's just my personal feeling about the gameplay. I am very much aware about its importance in the history of video games.

 

+1 - this games stinks like an exploded possum.

[abraXXious]

How about this for a mind bender - Solaris.

 

Amazing technical showcase.... that is simply no fun to play. I think of it like a funky looking version of Star Raiders that has had the fun surgically removed.

[karokoenig]

How about this for a mind bender - Solaris.

 

Amazing technical showcase.... that is simply no fun to play. I think of it like a funky looking version of Star Raiders that has had the fun surgically removed.

 

+1 returned, with best regards. I totally agree. A fine example of pushing a system OVER its limits, trying to make it into something it can't be. I admire the complexity of the game, I resent how cryptic it is. And it's cryptic not because the programmers wanted it to be, but because of the system's limitations.

[Syntaxerror999]

Here's one no one mentioned...

 

Asteroids. Is it a terrible game? No. It's just too easy. It has its merrits but the simple up down and lazily listing to the side movement just doesn't provide enough excitement to keep me playing longer than five minutes.

 

I agree with pitfall II...its the unlimited lives that always irked me. I do disagree with Pitfall though.

 

All Yars revenge needed was more than two levels but I wouldn't call it overrated.

 

as for night driver...one word...unplayable

[Serious]

The opinions on this thread are interesting; an example of how wildly tastes can differ.

 

Barnstorming, for example. I actually love the game, and it is currently one of the most popular at my office.

 

Regarding Apollo: I love Space Cavern by Apollo. And I think Shark Attack is a pretty cool game, as well.

 

I'm a bit hard pressed to think of the 2600 games I don't like. There's some I've never gotten into, but I can't think of many I hate.

 

Kool Aid Man seems kinda crap, actually, but I don't have the instructions for it, so I may just not know how to play it. Home Run and Football seem pretty lame.

 

I used to hate Pac-Man for the 2600, but now that I can appreciate it on its own merits, its actually a pretty good game.

[VectorGamer]

I used to hate Pac-Man for the 2600, but now that I can appreciate it on its own merits, its actually a pretty good game.

 

That's a tough one for me. In my mind I know what Pac-Man is and it's not what was released for the 2600 back in '82. Pac-Man Arcade (available in the AtariAge store) would have been an acceptable port of Pac-Man had that been released in '82 instead. But it wasn't and so I continue the hate on Atari's Pac-Man for the disappointment unleashed over 30 years ago.

[BassGuitari]

I forgot about Yars' Revenge. I just do not get the appeal. I don't think it's a bad game in and of itself, but my god, is it overrated. I suppose in a way it's my fault for listening to all those people for all those years putting it up on a cloudy pedistal. Taken for what it is, it's alright. Good for about 10 minutes.

 

If you like Yars' Revenge, play Solar Conqueror on the Astrocade. You'll see immediately how stunningly average Yars' Revenge really is.

[Master Phruby]

I don't know. Solar Conqueror doesn't have much to it. Yar's Revenge has a indestructible missile that chases you and a neutral zone to hide in. You have to time the firing of the cannon just right to blow up the bad guy. Solar Conqueror is just a bunch of rockets being fired from the sun on the right. Pretty basic stuff. I think the best part of Yar's Revenge is bringing up the easter egg.

[ThePieManOfDeath]

Every game in the top ten that isn't H.E.R.O., Warlords, or Space Invaders is pretty overrated. Especially Pitfall! and Adventure.

[DesertJets]

Every game in the top ten that isn't H.E.R.O., Warlords, or Space Invaders is pretty overrated. Especially Pitfall! and Adventure.

 

Actually add Space Invaders to my list. I was trying to play it again somewhat recently and just found it slow and clunky. Demon Attack or Galaxian are my preferred space thingy shooters. I don't have any other version of Space Invaders so I don't know if it is just the 2600 version just seems bad to me and that other versions are better.

 

 

 

And that further reminds me I bought H.E.R.O. a month ago and haven't even played it yet.

[Goochman]

Here's one no one mentioned...

 

Asteroids. Is it a terrible game? No. It's just too easy. It has its merrits but the simple up down and lazily listing to the side movement just doesn't provide enough excitement to keep me playing longer than five minutes.

 

I agree with pitfall II...its the unlimited lives that always irked me. I do disagree with Pitfall though.

 

All Yars revenge needed was more than two levels but I wouldn't call it overrated.

 

as for night driver...one word...unplayable

 

While competing in a High Score Record race I got into Night Driver and played as perfect a game as you can - once you start memorizing the track you can really get into it and enjoy it - however the first 5 minutes are frustrating.

[+wongojack]

When I encounter a game that others rave about but I don't enjoy, I try to dig in and really experience the game variations. I'm also aware of certain game genres that don't appeal to me, and I make sure to take some time with those and add some of my own "meta" targets to make the game more interesting.

 

For years, I never really understood the appeal of Yar's Revenge, but I discovered that some of the different game variations made it more interesting. I also READ THE MANUAL and discovered how the game scoring changed so that I could track my improvement. I had to set high score targets for myself and other goals to sort of compete against myself: How many extra men can I get by killing with the missile? How many times can I hit with the missile in a row without missing? At how many areas of the board can I hit with the missile (forces me to move around a little)? And, of course what's my high score.

[the.golden.ax]

How about a thread about Exposed games that were overrated. Xman, Peekaboo, heck all of the adult titles

[ThePieManOfDeath]

Actually add Space Invaders to my list. I was trying to play it again somewhat recently and just found it slow and clunky. Demon Attack or Galaxian are my preferred space thingy shooters. I don't have any other version of Space Invaders so I don't know if it is just the 2600 version just seems bad to me and that other versions are better.

 

Space Invaders is meant to be more controlled and defensive, rather than frantic. It's really up to personal taste. What sets SI apart in my opinion is the HUGE number of game variations.

[toptenmaterial]

For us younger guys (relatively speaking, I cut my teeth on the NES), I think it's hard to appreciate the percieved magnatude of legendary 2600 titles. A lot of it has to do with nostalgia; I will always love Super Mario Bros because my sister and I played it together when I was eight and she was twelve. Some famous games are non-intuitive and require instructions. We have more tolerance for that today since every game is at least part movie, but pre-crash stuff requires you to read and memorize instructions studiusly.

 

Famous games I can't get into:

 

E.T. I can't really figure it out and don't have the patience. Impressive effort for the time but the fun just isn't there for me.

 

Pitfall: Repetitive and boring. I haven't played it too much so take it with a grain of salt.

 

Yars Revenge: I have absolutely no fucking idea how to play this.

 

Asteroids: Decent game but I suck at it royally.

 

Adventure: Not as cryptic and weird as E.T. but still a cognative riddle of sorts.

 

Games that I dig on the 2600:

 

Enduro: My favorite 2600 by a country mile. Simple and intuitive racing which paved the way for more sophisticated titles like Rad Racer. Just the right amount of challangw.

 

Donkey Kong: Sure, the graphics are shit and DK looks like a racist charicature of the ginger bread man, but the game play is really tight.

 

Spider Fighter: Really beautifull rendered sprites without flicker. The action is tight and the controls and collision detection are spot on.

 

River Raid: A really fun game for two people to share a controller for. Probably influential on the later WWII virtical shooters. Not sure if this was an arcade game at some point but the spirit is definitely there.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I was wondering when someone would bring up E.T. I won't touch that can of worms.

 

Pitfall I and II both left me a little underwhelmed. Both of them the controls seem a little off. Pitfall II is the better of the two however.

 

The original Pacman was full of suck, but I don't really hear anybody praising it, but Jr Pacman is pretty overrated to me. It seems dated even for a late release Atari game, despite the technical marvel known as vertical scrolling. The ghosts are so relentless, it's hard to pass the first level with two or more ghosts at a time. And using "Teddy Bear" mode with one ghost just so I can see all the levels feels really lame. For a better experience, Ms Pacman is a very well-balanced game and overall done right, and the recent AtariAge "Pacman 4k" homebrew is incredible!

 

I booted Quadrun on my Harmony cart a couple of times. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't pay X monies for it. Ditto for Air Raid, which I can't even play in my bedroom because it rolls the TV in my bedroom with it's quasi scanline count.

[toptenmaterial]

I forgot about Ms. Pac-Man! Very well done game for the 2600. I also feel that original Pac-Man 2600 gets more shit than it deserves, though it's obviously a rush job. My E.T. comments aren't based on the internet hyperbole (it caused the crash and other myths). Rather I was commenting on my dislike of games that aren't intuitive. However I don't think E.T. is a great (or fun) game.

[ThePieManOfDeath]

Space Invaders is meant to be more controlled and defensive, rather than frantic. It's really up to personal taste. What sets SI apart in my opinion is the HUGE number of game variations.

 

Another thing I forgot to mention is the legitimate 2 co-op.

[Csonicgo]

Pitfall II: Lost Caverns

 

hoooly crap, finally someone agrees with me.

 

I love the music, I love the graphics, i love the way it handles. HOWEVER, I hate the way this game punishes you! It's like getting spanked with one screw-up!

This is why life-bars are essential. If you're gonna do a one-hit kill, do it contra style, warp me back to where it's safest. The checkpoints were a start, but they are so sparse!

 

And while I love the music, that 15 second loop between finding treasures can die in a tar pit. If Pitfall II had an option to turn that music off, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot better. Maybe some sound effects for the waterfalls, or enemies, and let me crank my own tunes.

 

 

 

The original Pacman was full of suck, but I don't really hear anybody praising it, but Jr Pacman is pretty overrated to me. It seems dated even for a late release Atari game, despite the technical marvel known as vertical scrolling. The ghosts are so relentless, it's hard to pass the first level with two or more ghosts at a time. And using "Teddy Bear" mode with one ghost just so I can see all the levels feels really lame. For a better experience, Ms Pacman is a very well-balanced game and overall done right, and the recent AtariAge "Pacman 4k" homebrew is incredible!

 

 

Jr Pac Man is one of my favorites because I love that kind of difficulty, but I would love to see a hack for Jr. Pac Man to tone down the ghost behavior, for those that want a more arcade-style of play. As it is now, Ghost-bullies come after the player like he owes them lunch money.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Csonicgo