7800Lover Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I've said it before and I'll say it again. Just who got the bright idea to put games on the Atari 2600 that use a three-quarter isometric perspective? Experience has taught us that the 2600 CANNOT handle isometric perspective. Examples: Congo Bongo Desert Falcon Up 'n Down (All these images BTW are courtesy of the Atari Protos page.) Anyway...YECCH! Didn't programmers understand that these games were proof of the 2600's poor handling of isometrics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nofrills100 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 (edited) Experience has taught us that the 2600...In retrospect perhaps, but at the time they were trying to push the limits of the system. Edited September 4, 2013 by nofrills100 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emehr Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Q*Bert turned out pretty well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I think this would totally rock! Isometric: Go for it! This game mockup IS on the 2600! marble_2011_02_12_b.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I really liked Crystal Castles back in the day. I remember one of the magazines current at the time gave that game a D+ and stated something to the fact that the isometric perspective ruined the game. I personally thought they did a great job and that the isometric perspective looked awesome. I used to play that game a lot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Q*bert and Crystal Castles are just fine. Someone needs to hack Desert Falcon into Zaxxon already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gregory DG Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Love Crystal Castles. Played that game to death! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iesposta Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 You do realise that is an Atari 2600 Marble Madness demo of the scrolling training level, and not the arcade game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 You do realise that is an Atari 2600 Marble Madness demo of the scrolling training level, and not the arcade game? Yep, looks pretty sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin_Lunchbox Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I've said it before and I'll say it again. Just who got the bright idea to put games on the Atari 2600 that use a three-quarter isometric perspective? Experience has taught us that the 2600 CANNOT handle isometric perspective. Examples: Congo Bongo Desert Falcon Up 'n Down (All these images BTW are courtesy of the Atari Protos page.) Anyway...YECCH! Didn't programmers understand that these games were proof of the 2600's poor handling of isometrics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tin_Lunchbox Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 (All these images BTW are courtesy of the Atari Protos page.) Anyway...YECCH! Didn't programmers understand that these games were proof of the 2600's poor handling of isometrics? That Congo Bongo first screen actually does it very nicely I think. Look at those smooth diagonals. Both levels (though they abandoned the isometric on the second) of that cartridge *look* really great. The control on the first level felt a little awkward to me. Desert Falcon is really the same way. With the static image you provide it's a little harder to see but when the game is playing (and isometric scrolling!) it looks acceptable to me, but again I found the control awkward. I never played Up -n- Down, yeah I can see the graphics are very blocky (but nice colors). I have read reviews that the gameplay on that is excellent. In my opinion you're really criticizing the 2600's graphics resolution. It's not so much the case that the 2600 "handles isometrics poorly" but rather that isometric games require an higher resolution to clearly convey the view. So you could extend your criticism to really any system with low resolution graphics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 (edited) I love Congo Bongo, only got it recently, but playing it and enjoying it. Always a fan of Q*Bert and Crystal Castles too. Way back we played Q*Bert constantly. But my absolute favourite is Boing!, that game rocks. One day I find a cib copy :-( Edited September 4, 2013 by high voltage Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enthusi Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Hm, personally I cant stand those heavily interleaved Playfield graphics. Only exception so far is Boulderdash 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vaughan Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I don't know. You aim for the sky, not the ceiling. Developers were pushing pushing pushing at the hardware. We should rejoice in that, rather than moan that a screen isn't quite right, or a game failed. There's glory in failing admirably. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 If the 2600 can do 3D, why shouldn't it be able to do 2.5D? It all just depends on the developer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I don't get it. At the time these graphics were pretty sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enthusi Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 to add: neither of those (it shows in particular in desert falcon) were supposed to be viewed in emulators or TFT screens Add some nice noisy ray cathode to it and blam, there's your great gfx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+D Train Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 If the 2600 can do 3D, why shouldn't it be able to do 2.5D? It all just depends on the developer. That's what I would think. In the past few years, 2600 coders have pulled off a number of supposedly "impossible" feats. It would be interesting to see if someone (or a team) could pull off a new interpretation of zaxxon or desert falcon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 I think the Atari 2600 handles them just fine and the developer did a great job with it. Up n Down had 2 color sprites for the cars, music, 8 different color sprites in a row for the flags. Also changing the playfield register midway to change the reflection and symmetry bit. Congo Bongo did a great job using the ball and missile objects to help make that scene, the controls in that area really work well. Plus the nifty 3D perspective scene in the 2nd screen along with setting the ape on fire scene really made this version of Congo Bongo great. Plus, it has music playing in the background. Sega did an awesome jobs with their games for the Atari 2600 games and abusing it limitation. They are playable and fun to play to boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sqoon Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Frostbite is a game that does 3/4 isometric well and never gets credited for it. Maybe most do not recognize the isometric elements of that game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Ah indeed. Frostbite is a very well done game for sure!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 I agree, I think it can do it, it's just not easy. I too LOVED the 2600 port of crystal castles. I'd love a hack with extra castles :-) And, yea, that marble madness thang looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oky2000 Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 (edited) Nah isometric scrolling games with scenery and objects of Zaxxon is not possible IMO Edited September 5, 2013 by oky2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Gemintronic Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 Nah isometric scrolling games with scenery and objects of Zaxxon is not possible IMO Of course it's possible. Sadly, roland p needs to finish Ballblazer first 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 there's no way you could have 2 scrolling, scaling, 3d displays on the 2600! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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