New to A8bit, need suggestions

[zetastrike]

I'll be receiving my first 800XL in the next couple days. I've wanted an A8 for a long time. It's always seemed more accessible than the C64 or Apple II in that you don't need a floppy or tape drive or any peripherals to play many of the available games. So, I'll only have access to cart games for the time being and I want to know which ones I should seek out. I already went ahead and bought Defender, Ms Pac Man, Super Breakout, Star Raiders, and One on One Basketball. I know about a lot of the arcade ports and which ones to get, but what about home exclusives? About what percentage of the game library came on cart? I know I'll eventually have to get a floppy drive or sio2PC, but I just want to mess around with cart games for now.

 

Also, using Genesis controllers is a bad idea right? I've looked at schematics for both and the ports aren't exactly the same. I already have a Wico command control and a Flashback VCS stick, so it doesn't matter.

[Tinman]

Also, using Genesis controllers is a bad idea right? I've looked at schematics for both and the ports aren't exactly the same. I already have a Wico command control and a Flashback VCS stick, so it doesn't matter.

There's no issue using a Genesis controller, to the best of my knowledge. Only the directional buttons and the B button will work, however.

[pixelmischief]

On cart, you have to get Joust and BallBlazer as well. Pengo was a pretty good port, too. Never underestimate a nice flash cart, as well. Even before you get an SIO2SD or something like that, you could flash a cart via USB on PC and be playing the full library.

[MAC-42]

I love, love, love Mr. Do! on the A8. That's one that will require a disk or SIO2PC or some other such device to play, but it really is great.

 

And Tinman is correct about the Genesis controllers. I steal my daughter's controllers for use on my Ataris all the time. Should be no problem for you at all on your 800XL.

[+DrVenkman]

I second the recommendation for Joust - one of the best ports out there (second only to the 7800 version in my humble opinion) and eminently playable. Galaxian is excellent too. I'll make a couple more suggestions regarding games: Centipede, Missile Command + a Trak-Ball (either the CX-22 or CX-80 - they're basically the same, although the CX-22 matches the XL computers better than the CX-80). The Trak-Ball will probably set you back more than the carts, lol.

[zetastrike]

I second the recommendation for Joust - one of the best ports out there (second only to the 7800 version in my humble opinion) and eminently playable. Galaxian is excellent too. I'll make a couple more suggestions regarding games: Centipede, Missile Command + a Trak-Ball (either the CX-22 or CX-80 - they're basically the same, although the CX-22 matches the XL computers better than the CX-80). The Trak-Ball will probably set you back more than the carts, lol.

 

Centipede on the 8 bit doesn't look too good to me. The 5200 version looks (aside from squishing) and sounds arcade perfect. The 800 version looks like garbage in comparison.

[+DrVenkman]

 

Centipede on the 8 bit doesn't look too good to me. The 5200 version looks (aside from squishing) and sounds arcade perfect. The 800 version looks like garbage in comparison.

 

Well, Centipede on the 7800 is better than both, if you ask me. But A8 Centipede has excellent sound, gameplay is great and most of all, it's a lot of fun. I mean, honestly if just how a game LOOKS is what you're after, you won't be impressed by Star Raiders, for instance. But it's still a classic that's incredible fun to play.

 

Oh, here's another suggestion that both looks good AND is great fun: Donkey Kong.

[+MrFish]

This is my favorite Atari cartridge: SIDE II

[adam242]

(another vote for Joust!)

 

Forget Centipede, Millipede is simply outstanding... one of the most flat-out addicting carts on the A8.

 

River Raid, Pitfall II, and Miner 2049er are must-haves, in my opinion.

Lode Runner is available on cartridge... Great fun.

Deluxe Invaders is way better than Space Invaders, if that's your thing... and K-razy Shootout is a great knockoff of Berzerk.

 

And don't forget to check the AtariAge store: Castle Crisis in an excellent Warlords-inspired game, and Beef Drop is a spectacular Burger Time clone.

 

Oh, and I'm also a fan of Qix.

[zetastrike]

Did Montezuma's Revenge come out on cart? I love that game.

 

I've compiled an excel list of ~40 cart games I'd want to pick up.

Edited September 24, 2014 by zetastrike

[+MrFish]

This is my favorite Atari cartridge: SIDE II

 

Although, comparatively speaking, I think this one is better out-of-the-box for straight-up game playing: MyIDE II. I just don't own one yet...

[+MrFish]

...Millipede is simply outstanding... one of the most flat-out addicting carts on the A8.

 

Totally agree there.

 

If you want just straight-up carts, I would definitely say it's great experience itself, just popping a cart in and playing. It's also cool just seeing the different carts styles, the label art, and playing old-school style, as opposed to using modern devices loaded with games. The same thing holds for disks, when you get to that point, and it'll open up the wider part of the library. Still, there are hundreds of carts available. Now, about those end labels, or lack of...

 

There are some great XE carts, like Mario Bros, Commando, Crystal Castles, Blue Max, etc.

[AtariGeezer]

 

Totally agree there.

 

If you want just straight-up carts, I would definitely say it's great experience itself, just popping a cart in and playing. It's also cool just seeing the different carts styles, the label art, and playing old-school style, as opposed to using modern devices loaded with games. The same thing holds for disks, when you get to that point, and it'll open up the wider part of the library. Still, there are hundreds of carts available. Now, about those end labels, or lack of...

 

There are some great XE carts, like Mario Bros, Commando, Crystal Castles, Blue Max, etc.

That's exactly why I collect cartridges, I love playing the games and apps on cartridge or in their original format. It brings back great memories of my Atari 800 and the 80's

 

Oh, I'm now up to 280 individual carts and still finding more to buy...

[+MrFish]

That's exactly why I collect cartridges, I love playing the games and apps on cartridge or in their original format. It brings back great memories of my Atari 800 and the 80's

 

Oh, I'm now up to 280 individual carts and still finding more to buy...

 

A lot of time and effort went into everything surrounding the software; the packaging, the labels, all the artwork, and layout.. and it was all meant to be enjoyed together. Take some of those elements out, and you're missing part of the experience that was intended.

[Mclaneinc]

My vote would be to forget the carts unless you like owning the actual item and to get an SIO2PC and then plunder the many archives around to enjoy the full set (almost) of games, there are a few pay games out there by new devs like Venture and Tempest Extreme which I'd recommend instantly and for Extreme there's a nice playable demo on disk to try it out on.

[+DrVenkman]

If and when you DO pick up an SIO2PC type device, there are some great modern hacks that are often better than the originals. There is a program out there called "Asteroids Emulator" which runs real arcade Asteroids 6502 emulated code to create a MUCH more authentic version of Asteroids than the one released by Atari on cartridge. Similarly, there is a hacked version of 5200 Centipede which not only provides the better graphics mentioned above, but also includes native analog Trak-Ball support. There are also .XEX versions of many, many cartridge games which can be loaded through the SIO2PC devices.

[zetastrike]

What are you guys' experience with floppies? I don't know how hardy ~30 year old magnetic discs are. I've never used 5.25 (only 3.5), but isn't a disc ruined if you touch the exposed part where the drive reads?

[ryanmercer]

That depends entirely on the quality of the disk and how it's been stored/handled.

[+MrFish]

I'd say 95% or more of what I've gotten on disk has been fine. But the main lot where I got most of my disks was for $25, and there were quite a few titles, mostly all boxed. So it was a good percentage based on the price, not to mention that I also got 6 carts in the deal (5 boxed).

 

I'm mainly into carts, so I was buying the lot for them in the first place anyway. Not that I'm not into disks, but I just don't have the space to collect them -- same reason why I'm also into loose carts rather than boxed.

 

Atari 8-bit Software Score

 

[+slx]

Most of my discs still work 30 years later.

As for games, I recommend Shamus (very fast labyrinth shooter).

[+MrFish]

Another great cartridge based solution:

 

The Cart combined with The Cart Studio software

 

Great if you want to run actual cartridge ROM files. It supports a huge variety of cartridge mappers compared to any solution that's come before, and it looks like it's also supporting more and more disk images.

 

It's slower for doing the initial programming/setup, compared to loading files on the CF based solutions. Maybe a future version of The Cart would just take a CF instead, but maybe there's a technical reason why it can't be designed that way.

 

I don't own one yet, but it's high on my priority list of devices to get in the future.

Edited September 24, 2014 by MrFish

[zetastrike]

I just bought Centipede, Missile Command, Ballblazer, Donkey Kong, and K-razy Shootout on ebay.

 

I sprung for Centipede because I've always preferred it to Millipede and you really can't go wrong with it, even if the 5200 version is truer to the arcade.

 

Is Ballblazer two player only?

 

K-razy Shootout looks like a nice Berzerk clone.

 

DK is DK, and this one has all four stages.

 

Missile Command is one of my favorite VCS carts, so yeah.

[+wood_jl]

 

Centipede on the 8 bit doesn't look too good to me. The 5200 version looks (aside from squishing) and sounds arcade perfect. The 800 version looks like garbage in comparison.

 

Fortunately (thanks to Glenn the 5200 man - whoever he is), the 5200 versions have all (or mostly) been converted over to 400/800/XL/XE so that that's no longer a concern. Here's Centipede....

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-centipede_982.html

 

....for example. Of any versions of which there are differences, you get both versions with 400/800/XL/XE computer.

[+MrFish]

Is Ballblazer two player only?

 

No, you can play against a "Droid", adjustable with 9 levels of difficulty.

 

Here's the manual: AtariMania - Ballblazer

 

You can get a lot of info on AtariMania.

 

 

Missile Command is one of my favorite VCS carts, so yeah.

 

Missile Command rocks.

Edited September 25, 2014 by MrFish

[+DrVenkman]

What are you guys' experience with floppies? I don't know how hardy ~30 year old magnetic discs are. I've never used 5.25 (only 3.5), but isn't a disc ruined if you touch the exposed part where the drive reads?

 

A couple months ago I was going through stuff in my garage and I found a box that my mom had packed up for me literally decades ago that contained all of my remaining 5.25" floppies, last used in 1986. They spent the next couple years living in a floppy file, then stacked up haphazardly in that same cardboard box for at least 25 years. I've moved about 5 times since then and never opened the box. That box was stacked among other boxes in my present garage in the summer of 2001 when I bought my house and ignored for 13 years. When I started testing them, I found that all but about 3 sides out of 46 disks were completely readable. And in retrospect, I'm not even fully convinced those three unreadable sides were ever even formatted in the first place. Like most Atari kids back then, I just bought single-sided disks and used a hole-punch to notch them and use them double-sided.