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Atari 2600 & 7800 games with decent TIA sound


gamecat80

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The Atari 7800 usually gets criticized for it's crude sound. I know I have made my fair share of comments about it. The Atari 7800 uses the same TIA sound as the Atari VCS/2600 from 1977. The 2600 usually gets a "pass" on this because -- for it's time -- the TIA sound in the 2600 was pretty good for 1977 home console hardware. But the 7800 came out many years later and uses the same TIA sound. Although the 7800 was able to take advantage of the better in-cartridge POKEY sound, only a couple games did so.

 

I want to look at the positive side of what the TIA is capable of from good programming. So I will start off with a few games for the 2600 & 7800 that have decent/good sound. Try to keep this about the game sound effects & music -- not weather the game sucks or not.

 

 

Just off the top of my head.....

 

Atari 2600:

 

Smurf Rescue, Jungle Hunt, Kangaroo, Dig Dug.

 

 

Atari 7800:

 

Xevious, Ms. Pacman, Food Fight, Dig Dug, Galaga.

 

 

There are many others, but it's late and I can't think of them right now.

IMO, those games listed above have decent sound; some quite good. They may not be on-par with most NES games' sound or most POKEY-based carts, but I'd put them on-par with some SMS games, sound-wise.

 

 

Discuss :P

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Space Invaders is OK - in some regards the sounds are as publicly recognisable as the arcade version.

 

Adventure - a bit minimalist but not much more would be needed.

 

Indy 500 - it's been a long time but it sounded OK from what I remember.

 

Asteroids - 2600 was OK although the shot sounds a bit annoying. 7800 version passable.

 

Missile Command - another one I've not heard in a long time but it was OK.

 

Quite a few more - generally the early 2600-only games were largely acceptable but when there's no original or other to draw comparisons with the critical opinion will usually be better.

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You forgot 2600 Donkey Kong! I'm not saying the sound is good, but you hear the sound effects used ALL the time as generic "video game sound effects" on all sorts of TV shows.

 

I remember sounds from this game and KC Munchkin being used in Saturday morning cartoons.

 

 

The fuse burning sound in Kaboom is pretty good.

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Yars' Revenge. Great atmospherics. It's hard to believe all that sound is getting pumped out of only two sound channels.

 

Midnight Magic. Good tunes and effects that actually manage to sound a little like the pinball machines of old.

 

Homebrew Thrust+, Platinum Edition. Probably the best music you'll hear out of a TIA.

 

Millipede, Stargate, Crystal Castles, Track and Field, Jr. Pac-Man. 1984 was a banner year for Atari 2600 development. These arcade conversions had spectacular graphics and sound, far better than anyone could have dreamed of even two years prior.

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