Raiders of the Lost Ark Thoughts

[yell0w_lantern]

Occasionally, Raiders of the Lost Ark appears in my dreams. Yeah, the Atari video game, not the movie. It's only happened 5 times or so in the 30+ years I've owned it but I still think that's something unusual for a 2600 game. In these dreams, the game is always larger in scope - more rooms, more objects, more to do. I think this is because of two things in the game that I just don't understand: the spider room and the second grenade. I never figured out what the heck the point of the spider room was and the grenade from the black market was completely useless - you couldn't even use it to reopen the temple entrance after using the secret exit. Does anyone know the stories behind these? Were they filler? Did they have functions that were cut from the game?

Edited May 3, 2017 by yell0w_lantern

[Flojomojo]

We call that kind of dream a "nightmare" in my part of the world.

[+TwentySixHundred]

I have had a few with games, one that comes to mind was Mountain King after playing for many hours trying to better my score in HSC. All i remembered was trying to get enough diamonds to trigger a musical sound for treasure chests. Problem was i kept collecting for what felt like a really long time but no trigger would ever happen (truly was a nightmare). There was a couple of other games but no where near as vivid.

 

However i usually get this with programming too, im guessing it happens when spending excessive time on a game or program. Programming ones usually are a breakthrough only to wake up and find out i never actually solved the bug. Then i find myself, sitting there scratching the head trying to workout how i solved the bug in the dream.

[Torr]

I've always assumed the second grenade is a bug, hence why the sprite is flipped horizontally.

 

What I'd like to know is why you have to drop the grenade in an empty arbitrary spot and not on the big rock with a friggin crack in it.

 

Honest to god, I had this game since the 80's and it was not until around 1999 and the internet that I finally found out what to do with that grenade.

 

I tried blowing up the houses (I thought the Shiek heads were houses) the road gate (the flute) and the garden/whatever (the parachute).

 

And MANY MANY times I tried blowing up that rock to no avail. Can't believe that in all my attempts I never once put the grenade in a spot that would also just happen to blow open that wall.

 

 

 

...and how many times did I try to get the timing just right so I could use my whip and grab that branch and swing into the hole in the cliff...

 

Considering that even though I understood the controls I had no idea how to 'play' the game, I still wrung a lot of fun and game play time out of this cart! I can't say I've ever disliked it, just that once upon a time I was perpetually perplexed by it.

Edited May 3, 2017 by Torr

[zzip]

Occasionally, Raiders of the Lost Ark appears in my dreams. Yeah, the Atari video game, not the movie. It's only happened 5 times or so in the 30+ years I've owned it but I still think that's something unusual for a 2600 game. In these dreams, the game is always larger in scope - more rooms, more objects, more to do. I think this is because of two things in the game that I just don't understand: the spider room and the second grenade. I never figured out what the heck the point of the spider room was and the grenade from the black market was completely useless - you couldn't even use it to reopen the temple entrance after using the secret exit. Does anyone know the stories behind these? Were they filler? Did they have functions that were cut from the game?

I think the purpose of the spider room is that if you use the secret passage in the room below it, that room eventually gets walled off, and you can only use the spider room as passage to the temple.. I guess to make the game harder as a penalty for using the secret passage.

 

The second grenade? No idea. Maybe it can blow up the barrier that forms when you use the secret passage?

 

Anyway, I always loved this game and would have loved to see an expanded version of it!

[zzip]

I've always assumed the second grenade is a bug, hence why the sprite is flipped horizontally.

 

What I'd like to know is why you have to drop the grenade in an empty arbitrary spot and not on the big rock with a friggin crack in it.

 

Honest to god, I had this game since the 80's and it was not until around 1999 and the internet that I finally found out what to do with that grenade.

 

I tried blowing up the houses (I thought the Shiek heads were houses) the road gate (the flute) and the garden/whatever (the parachute).

 

And MANY MANY times I tried blowing up that rock to no avail. Can't believe that in all my attempts I never once put the grenade in a spot that would also just happen to blow open that wall.

 

 

 

...and how many times did I try to get the timing just right so I could use my whip and grab that branch and swing into the hole in the cliff...

 

Considering that even though I understood the controls I had no idea how to 'play' the game, I still wrung a lot of fun and game play time out of this cart! I can't say I've ever disliked it, just that once upon a time I was perpetually perplexed by it.

Lol, this was one game where you really needed the manual. It explained what things were, and gave hints on other things. I'm pretty sure it told you or heavily suggested where to put the grenade.

[gauauu]

I always assumed the second grenade was just there to add more confusion to the game. As if it wasn't confusing enough already. (but dang, we had a lot of fun with it. What a great game)

 

What I never figured out is what makes the medallion decide to appear in one of the baskets.

[NE146]

What I'd like to know is why you have to drop the grenade in an empty arbitrary spot and not on the big rock with a friggin crack in it.

 

Honest to god, I had this game since the 80's and it was not until around 1999 and the internet that I finally found out what to do with that grenade.

 

lol really man? 1999??.. it told us what to do with the grenade right in the manual, which everybody read after getting frustrated with what the heck to do in that game.

 

 

[toiletunes]

I used to drop the grenade by the wall, then hide behind the boulder to protect from the blast. I also tried to catch the parachute on the branch, to swing into the hole. Neither one worked.

[Rom Hunter]

Occasionally, Raiders of the Lost Ark appears in my dreams. Yeah, the Atari video game, not the movie. It's only happened 5 times or so in the 30+ years I've owned it but I still think that's something unusual for a 2600 game. In these dreams, the game is always larger in scope - more rooms, more objects, more to do. I think this is because of two things in the game that I just don't understand: the spider room and the second grenade. I never figured out what the heck the point of the spider room was and the grenade from the black market was completely useless - you couldn't even use it to reopen the temple entrance after using the secret exit. Does anyone know the stories behind these? Were they filler? Did they have functions that were cut from the game?

 

The second grenade is to get in the temple if the entrance has collapsed.

 

But both grenades must be ignored to collect the most points.

 

 

 

[Torr]

 

lol really man? 1999??.. it told us what to do with the grenade right in the manual, which everybody read after getting frustrated with what the heck to do in that game.

 

Yeah, but I got this game, (along with SwordQuest: EarthWorld and E.T.... I'm sure my stories about those games are on here somewhere!) along with a bunch of other hand-me-downs from my cousin when he got an NES.

So I had NO manuals for ANY of the games... he was wasn't (and certainly still ISN'T) the brightest kid.

 

When I asked him about those 3 games because they were obviously hardest to figure out his reply was "Forget 'em, they're stupid games anyway".

I'm betting he never even read the manuals.

 

Then again, my own parents could be just as bad... I'd have to keep stuff like that hidden away, or mom would throw it away while cleaning.

"What does he hold on to all this garbage for?"

You know.... things like GI Joe blueprints, game manuals, little catalogs that came with Lego sets...

 

In their minds the inserts to a toy or video game were no different than the inserts to her toaster, or washer/dryer set. A waste of paper and one more thing they gotta throw away after opening.

Edited May 3, 2017 by Torr

[sloth-machine]

I really appreciate Raiders for what it is, basically a puzzle/adventure game. There was no preset design mold to follow that were later paved by games like King's Quest. The game was just a bit too ahead of it's time, or I shoukd say, ambitious. At least the manual gave you hints. I remember watching my friends older brother play this. Seeing him explore the ruins while using 2 controllers made me think this was a game for grownups haha.

 

When I finally got to play the game I was confused as hell, so I thought "Well, I haven't seen the movie yet, after I watch it, the game will make sense." Nope.

 

Look at mych later games like Zelda 2 and Castlevania 2. They are impossible without buying Nintendo Power. Even modern games like Dark Souls require guides for the cryptic parts of the game.

Edited May 3, 2017 by sloth-machine

[zzip]

I always assumed the second grenade was just there to add more confusion to the game. As if it wasn't confusing enough already. (but dang, we had a lot of fun with it. What a great game)

 

What I never figured out is what makes the medallion decide to appear in one of the baskets.

I think it just shows up at certain points in in-game time, you can verify this with the timepiece.

[zzip]

Yeah, but I got this game, (along with SwordQuest: EarthWorld and E.T.... I'm sure my stories about those games are on here somewhere!) along with a bunch of other hand-me-downs from my cousin when he got an NES.

So I had NO manuals for ANY of the games... he was wasn't (and certainly still ISN'T) the brightest kid.

Lol good luck with Earthworld without a manual! Wait, what am I saying? I meant good luck with EarthWorld even WITH a manual

 

When I asked him about those 3 games because they were obviously hardest to figure out his reply was "Forget 'em, they're stupid games anyway".

I'm betting he never even read the manuals.

Yes and sadly that's why games like this and ET get such bad reputations. You probably aren't going to understand what's going on without the manuals. Raiders was one of my all time favorite 2600 games. My friends and I spent days trying to solve that game, and it was so exciting when we finally discovered it's secrets, like how to use the map room, the location of the black market, etc. I think we even found the Yar easter egg once.

[yell0w_lantern]

The second grenade is to get in the temple if the entrance has collapsed.

But both grenades must be ignored to collect the most points.

 

 

I have tried that numerous times with the 2nd grenade. It has never worked; not once.

 

 

I will admit that up until a few years ago, I had no idea that you could enter the temple from the market.

 

 

Has anyone here played Raiders of the Pharaoh's Tomb on the PC?

[zzip]

I will admit that up until a few years ago, I had no idea that you could enter the temple from the market.

Wait... wut?? You can?

[yell0w_lantern]

Wait... wut?? You can?

Iirc, you select the key then walk Indy up and down the upper right side of the screen while pushing right. I can't remember if you have to push the joystick button or not.

[GeekDragon]

I had a friend in grade school who hyped this game up to me. Went out, got the game, came home and had no idea how to play the game. No, I never read the manual. My friend came over to show me how to play, but we ended up playing something else. To this day I have no idea how to play and I have no idea what ever happened to the mahual. I know, I can look it up online now. It's probably been at least 30 years since I last played it. Gonna have to dust it off and give it another run since I now have gotten into 2600 collecting(I'm up to 144 games now) and have all our system hooked up. Between my brother and I we have like 23 systems. As far as dreaming about games, can't say I ever had one.

[yell0w_lantern]

Correction: the medallion and, yes, you have to press the button.

[sn8k]

This has happened to me when ive been playing a game for hours on end through a span of days. Played Splinter cell blacklist for 3 days straight. Finished he game and uncovered all secrets. When i slept. I kept dreaming about the game. Ive had dreams.of raiders of the lost ark as well. Its as if youre on a repeat loop still playing the game in your dream.

 

Raiders of the lost ark might be my favorite 2600 game of all time.

[schuwalker]

Raiders is on my top 5 list of 2600 games. Much like your favorite movies of all-time where you go back and visit at least once a year; Raiders has the same ritual. Looking at Youtube vids, it's always interesting how people traverse through the game, items they pick up or don't and what tasks they do first. I guess that's why (at east to me) the game has a nice replay factor to it.

 

For those in the know and fans of this game, there is a nice topic on this site where members give a thorough explanation of this game, even to the point of dissecting the code - check it out!

 

It's a shame that some things were removed before the final release which in turns fumbles up the scoring. With the current scoring we have w/ the final game, and playing a perfect game, has there been a hack to reflect on the ending score sequence w/ the ark? Meaning can Indy's head finally reach and touch the ark?

 

I always like how this dude plays through the game.

Edited May 29, 2017 by schuwalker

[Torr]

I always like how this dude plays through the game.

 

He didn't use a grenade.

I never knew you could just walk into that green cave from the marketplace!!!

I gotta try that out later!

[StanJr]

Cool. What is the thing he does at the 1:17 mark falling off the mesa?

I've never been back and forth as much as this guy is. Very cool.

[NE146]

Cool. What is the thing he does at the 1:17 mark falling off the mesa?

 

 

He got the Yar to show up.

[StanJr]

Ah, it happens so fast that I had trouble even stopped the footage. Nifty.