Star Wars: Which is the best title from Parker Bros.?

[Shawn]

Ewok is the best.

[+save2600]

I've never seen such love of Star Wars The Arcade Game on VCS. Is this revisionist history? Or did people actually love it back then, too?

 

Revisionist history in my case, since I listed it behind TESB. It's more fun than the other two today and wasn't aware of the other Star Wars games back then honestly.

 

If not revisionist, maybe they're the same people that had Mr. Do!'s Castle and Q*Bert's Qubes too BITD.

[Flojomojo]

I loooooved the arcade game, and always thought about getting the Atari cartridge, but it was $30 in the store and I never could quite justify it at the time, which was during the big crash, when everything was $5 or less. I remember asking PB for a direct mailing price a few years later, and it was $15, and I didn't get that either. I think I traded something for it on re.games.video.classic in the early 1990s, and by that time, was very much underwhelmed. I'm still glad they tried to make it, but it wasn't all I wish it could have been.

 

This ad was accurate ("Atari 5200 graphics shown") but it looked a whole lot better to me back then. Also, that guys teeth, yecch.

 

[Lynxpro]

I loooooved the arcade game, and always thought about getting the Atari cartridge, but it was $30 in the store and I never could quite justify it at the time, which was during the big crash, when everything was $5 or less. I remember asking PB for a direct mailing price a few years later, and it was $15, and I didn't get that either. I think I traded something for it on re.games.video.classic in the early 1990s, and by that time, was very much underwhelmed. I'm still glad they tried to make it, but it wasn't all I wish it could have been.

 

This ad was accurate ("Atari 5200 graphics shown") but it looked a whole lot better to me back then. Also, that guys teeth, yecch.

 

 

 

You're complaining about his teeth? What about his nose gold? [those might be hairs reflecting; either way, he should've trimmed them]….

 

By the way, Domark's later port of this to the ST sucked. I don't recall the yoke controller I had for the ST working with it.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Lynxpro

[Tickled_Pink]

TESB wins hands down. Still have my boxed original that I bought back in the day. That was the thing about Parker. They didn't go for throwaway boxes. Still have my Jedi Arena in its box as well.

 

I remember spending hours on that game and ending up with blisters. Getting in behind the AT-ATs and smashing the missile port, hoping to trigger the bug was part of the fun. I'm not sure why Jedi Arena gets so much hate. Saw a Youtube video the other day giving a rundown of the 10 worst Star Wars games. I think the schmuck put Arena at no. 2.

 

I played Death Star Battle just a few times at a friend's house on the A8. That looked a pretty cool game. But if Star Wars: The Arcade is anything like the A8 version then, for me, that would be bottom the pile. I remember seeing it and Frogger: Threedeep being advertised in a flyer I received from Silica Shop. I was a big fan of the arcade machine. Unfortunately Parker were getting out of the video game market and stocks were limited so by the time I decided to order, they were sold out.

[Flojomojo]

You're complaining about his teeth? What about his nose gold? [those might be hairs reflecting; either way, he should've trimmed them].

 

By the way, Domark's later port of this to the ST sucked. I don't recall the yoke controller I had for the ST working with it.

LOL, nose gold.

 

I'm surprised about the ST version. The Amiga version, which I just recently discovered, is brilliant. The Mac version is similarly excellent but lacks the color and sound of the Amiga. Both were done by the same clever dude. http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/by_year/developerId,26633/

[BladeOfOsiris]

 

 

You're complaining about his teeth? What about his nose gold?

 

 

Omg... It's... So disgusting hahaha

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Omg... It's... So disgusting hahaha

Ahh the good old days before Photoshop was invented

[Raticon]

I only have The Empire strikes back and Jedi Arena myself, and to place TESB first among them is a no-brainer, but Jedi Arena can be good fun if you have someone to play against as playing vs the Atari is just dull.

[Lentzquest]

I gotta go with Death Star Battle by a mile with ESB & Arcade tied for 2nd. This is coming from somebody that has rediscovered them all in the last 10 years or so. I didn't have any of the four BITD but remember playing ESB at a friend's house. I also have a distinct memory of my dad steering me away from picking out jedi battle as a kid.

[Lynxpro]

Did Parker Bros convert ESB over to any other consoles besides the Intellivision?

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Afaik no, intellivision only. A homebrew port has been released on the coleco though.

[Torr]

Empire Strikes Back for the VCS vote from me!

This really shoulda been a Poll.

 

Only ever played the VCS games;

The Arcade Game was just too wonkey with the flight controls... normally I like them, but in this game you don't feel like your flying, just moving a crosshair, so it's confuses me everytime. Otherwise it's a solid port of a solid game.

Jedi Arena is a close second. Always liked this game, but it IS more fun with a second player, and they don't show up very often.

Death Star Battle is... okay... but far from great and teetering on good in my opinion. I can go more in depth on it's flaws (in my opinion) if necessary; I'm honestly surprised at how many compliments it's gotten so far. I thought it's tied last with Jedi Arena for most loathed. Though I'll never get why Jedi Arena get;s so much hate...

 

Never played the Ewok game. I'm sure most of you played the ROM but has it ever been Repro-ed? I must say I would like it for the collection.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Torr

[Omegamatrix]

The Arcade Game was just too wonkey with the flight controls... normally I like them, but in this game you don't feel like your flying, just moving a crosshair, so it's confuses me everytime. Otherwise it's a solid port of a solid game.

Maybe a trackball would be better for control.

[Philflound]

I actually never cared for the Arcade game, even in the arcade. The vector graphics didn't do it for me and flying into the trench was always a pain. I loved ESB and never owned the others when I was young until I started collecting the games in 1995. And yes, the Star Wars music in ESB is great.

[sn8k]

Arcade is hands down the best once you get used to aiming and flying at the same time.

 

Next is death star battle, then empire, ewok and then Jedi. Always hated how there was no collision detection in death star battle. Feels too easy with out it.

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Always hated how there was no collision detection in death star battle. Feels too easy with out it.

 

If you read the manual, you'd learn that you can enable collisions (from memory, using difficulty switches).

In those times, the manual was often very useful !

Edited December 14, 2015 by Cambouis de l'Atari

[sn8k]

 

If you read the manual, you'd learn that you can enable collisions (from memory, using difficulty switches).

In those times, the manual was often very useful !

I'm 27, no games I buy come with manuals. They are all loose when I come across them for the most part. Didn't have a chance to save any manuals from back in the day with not being born at the time and all.

[Cambouis de l'Atari]

Tut tut tut no excuse, AtariAge has all you need !

 

http://atariage.com/manual_html_page.php?SoftwareLabelID=500