3/4 Isometric on the 2600

[7800Lover]

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?

[nofrills100]

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

[Emehr]

Q*Bert turned out pretty well.

[iesposta]

I think this would totally rock!

Isometric: Go for it!

This game mockup IS on the 2600!

marble_2011_02_12_b.zip

[+moycon]

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.

[+save2600]

Q*bert and Crystal Castles are just fine. Someone needs to hack Desert Falcon into Zaxxon already.

[Gregory DG]

Love Crystal Castles. Played that game to death!

[iesposta]

You do realise that is an Atari 2600 Marble Madness demo of the scrolling training level, and not the arcade game?

[+moycon]

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.

[Tin_Lunchbox]

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?

[Tin_Lunchbox]

 

 

 

(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.

[high voltage]

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

[enthusi]

Hm, personally I cant stand those heavily interleaved Playfield graphics.

Only exception so far is Boulderdash

[Vaughan]

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.

[Thomas Jentzsch]

If the 2600 can do 3D, why shouldn't it be able to do 2.5D?

 

It all just depends on the developer.

[+Gemintronic]

I don't get it. At the time these graphics were pretty sweet.

[enthusi]

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

[+D Train]

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.

[Kiwi]

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.

[sqoon]

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?

[+moycon]

Ah indeed. Frostbite is a very well done game for sure!!

[Godzilla]

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!

[oky2000]

Nah isometric scrolling games with scenery and objects of Zaxxon is not possible IMO

Edited September 5, 2013 by oky2000

[+Gemintronic]

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

[Godzilla]

there's no way you could have 2 scrolling, scaling, 3d displays on the 2600!