Blue Max vs. River Raid

[Mister-VCS]

???

[MrFish]

I voted for the 1064, but there are other ways to upgrade a 600XL too.

 

Blue Max is worth it. Don't forget to read the instructions though...

Edited February 17, 2016 by MrFish

[+David_P]

And don't bomb your own hangers, unless you want some Display List craziness.

 

(And from my misspent youth, Blue Max must be played on a 48K 800, booted off an 810 drive. Otherwise it's not real.)

[+Roydea6]

Two memory chips and three small lengths of wire and you can have your 64K 600XL..

 

Edited February 17, 2016 by rdea6

[Rybags]

River Raid though technically great in that the landscape is procedurally generated is just so much simpler.

 

Blue Max just has more staying power where RR will put you to sleep in under 30 minutes.

 

48K or better system, you can play RR as a cartridge dump.

[+Stephen]

And don't bomb your own hangers, unless you want some Display List craziness.

 

(And from my misspent youth, Blue Max must be played on a 48K 800, booted off an 810 drive. Otherwise it's not real.)

Was this an intended feature or a bug? I remember the first time I did it.

[Mister-VCS]

ok- now i need an offer for a 1064 - can't find it at ebay...

[MrFish]

ok- now i need an offer for a 1064 - can't find it at ebay...

 

Best Electronics has them.

[Mister-VCS]

Anybody here at AA who wants to sell me a 1064?

[Level42]

Why not go with the internal chip upgrade ? The 1064 is clunky and impractical and it hurts the nice compact shape of 600XL (which is why its my favorite machine).

 

I'll admit that I have another 600XL with a 1064 for sentimental values, since that was the set up I had for quite a while. I found it tossed in a stack of electronics stuff which was ready for our annual junk sale. The 1064 was still firmly connected to the 600. I powered it up and it ran 100% right away, much unlike the boxed C64 which looked like new in the same stack of stuff ;)

 

Blue Max rocks. I still like RR though but you can't play it as long.....I never understood why Activision was so lazy with their conversions and almost copied their graphics from the 2600......

[Mister-VCS]

ok - the poll isn't very helpful - i have to decide by myself....

why is the picture quality of the XL-line so poor? River Raid is ok, but on Robotron and Pac-Man it is very hard to read your own score!

[lbaeza]

Hi Mister-VCS

 

I think the 600XL lacks of the chroma/luma monitor output, that's the best output you can get out of a XL computer. The 800XL has it.

I use it with my Commodore 1701 monitor, and it looks great.

 

Kind regards,

 

Louis BQ

[Mister-VCS]

Good news: I upgraded my 600XL to play Blue Max (1064 without the plastic-case sold by an Atari ABBUC-club-menber)

Next stop: 1050....

 

[Mclaneinc]

Glad to hear, the upgrade itself was the best choice, it opens your gaming ability right up, out of the games, Blue Max every time...

[Tempest]

Was this an intended feature or a bug? I remember the first time I did it.

I always wondered this myself.

[Marius]

Blue Max is epic! I have played it hundreds of time, and yes... sometimes I put the game away for a while, but there always comes a moment that I play it again.

 

River Raid is cool too, but it gets boring sooner.

[Mister-VCS]

Hi Mister-VCS

 

I think the 600XL lacks of the chroma/luma monitor output, that's the best output you can get out of a XL computer. The 800XL has it.

I use it with my Commodore 1701 monitor, and it looks great.

 

Kind regards,

 

Louis BQ

 

 

The german 600XL has the monitor output.

[Gunstar]

ok - the poll isn't very helpful - i have to decide by myself....

why is the picture quality of the XL-line so poor? River Raid is ok, but on Robotron and Pac-Man it is very hard to read your own score!

If you are judging the picture quality of the entire XL line from a 600XL with only RF output, then you are misjudging. Although some Atari 8-bit's have better video than others.

I voted for you to get the 1064 (or an internal 64K upgrade is fine). But if you think the RF video on the 600XL isn't good enough, then sell it and get an 800XL or 65XE or 130XE and get your 64K or better machine, that can play Blue Max, with better composite or chroma/luma (S-video) video output.

[Gunstar]

Sorry, I didn't see your post about German 600XL with monitor port.

[Mclaneinc]

Blue max is classic 8bit, think I reviewed it for Atari User (mind you it had been in the UK American wise for a LONNNG time before), ok it was a cheaper Zaxxon but it had style and class and extremely playable with the all important 'just one more go factor'. People who like it should have a play of Panther, not strictly exactly the same but its also great fun.

 

@Gunstar....Damn, every time I look at your avatar I just want to go and pull out the 25th edition DVD of The Last Starfighter, I love the film but the 25th dvd has so many gems about the making of it, for the full nerd its a real blast

Edited September 4, 2016 by Mclaneinc

[+CharlieChaplin]

I never get very far in Blue Max, Blue Max 2001 or Panther, therefore I prefer RR. Not very far means, I do not even finish one level in Blue Max, Blue Max 2001 or Panther, whereas in RR its easy for me to play many many levels.

[Spanner]

You could buy a 1064 or you could buy a C64 cos blue max on that is 10 times better.. ,or like me have both.

 

Love that film,The Last Starfighter,and Battle Beyond The Stars..

Edited September 4, 2016 by Spanner

[Spanner]

ok - the poll isn't very helpful - i have to decide by myself....

why is the picture quality of the XL-line so poor? River Raid is ok, but on Robotron and Pac-Man it is very hard to read your own score!

Are you using RF,I use composite and its fine.With a lead I made from this video.. If the person who made the video is a member here I thank you..

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwomI7iGD3w

Edited September 4, 2016 by Spanner

[Gunstar]

Blue max is classic 8bit, think I reviewed it for Atari User (mind you it had been in the UK American wise for a LONNNG time before), ok it was a cheaper Zaxxon but it had style and class and extremely playable with the all important 'just one more go factor'. People who like it should have a play of Panther, not strictly exactly the same but its also great fun.

 

@Gunstar....Damn, every time I look at your avatar I just want to go and pull out the 25th edition DVD of The Last Starfighter, I love the film but the 25th dvd has so many gems about the making of it, for the full nerd its a real blast

Thanks, yeah, I have the 25th edition too. My member name has always been in honor to TLS Gunstar, but I added the Avatar pic a couple years ago because people actually thought my member name was from the Gunstar Heroes, and I loath that Japanese crap, so I had to make sure people KNOW that's not what my name is in reference too!

Edited September 5, 2016 by Gunstar