Top Games You'd Like to Have for Atari 8-Bits

[Gunstar]

I think this thread might be ready for a list of games mentioned more than once in this thread, to get a better idea of the "most wanted" with how many times mentioned for each. Just on this page, I see a few of my choices mentioned by others, and I've only looked at this last page of the thread so far.

 

As far as talk of certain games not being possible. I say maybe not exact versions, but version changed to fit the system doesn't have to be a bad thing. I point to the 2600 and the hundreds of cut-down versions of arcade and computer games that are still very good games on the 2600. Of course there are plenty of shit ones too, I don't deny it.

 

That being said, another game I would love to see on the 8-bit would be an upgraded version of the 2600's Solaris.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Gunstar

[+MrFish]

I think this thread might be ready for a list of games mentioned more than once in this thread, to get a better idea of the "most wanted" with how many times mentioned for each. Just on this page, I see a few of my choices mentioned by others, and I've only looked at this last page of the thread so far.

 

Good idea; I'll comb through it and see what we've got so far;

and maybe break things down into categories or something

too.

[Ransom]

Rally-X

Galaga 90

Populous

Wizards Crown

AD&D (Cloudy Mountain)

[+MrFish]

Mappy

 

I never really liked this game much before, but it's grown

on me over the years. It's one of those games I can play

a few rounds and get some enjoyment out of. I'd definitely

be into a good A8 port. I was amazed to see what they're

doing with it on the 2600 recently.

 

 

Vindicators

 

First time I'd seen this one; it's pretty cool, if a little slow-

paced. I played NES version a little too last night. It looks

like something that could translate well for A8's.

[+MrFish]

Rally-X

 

As you probably already know, we have a fairly well developed

beta of this already and available source code. This is a really

fun game and looks like it translates well on the A8's. So it's just

waiting to be finished.

 

 

Wizards Crown

 

Don't we already have this on the A8's, or there's some other

Wizard's Crown game out there?

 

SSI: Wizard's Crown

[Ransom]

As you probably already know, we have a fairly well developed

beta of this already and available source code. This is a really

fun game and looks like it translates well on the A8's. So it's just

waiting to be finished.

 

Yup. And Im eagerly awaiting it!

 

 

 

Don't we already have this on the A8's, or there's some other

Wizard's Crown game out there?

Youre right, we do. I even own a boxed copy! Ive just always played it on the Apple ][, and forgot all about the Atari version. Doh!

 

Let me replace that with an old NES favorite of mine that was ported to many systems and computers: Nobunagas Ambition. That should be doable for the A8, I would think.

[+Philsan]

I like new games (original or conversions from nowadays devices) and I would like conversions from other A8 contemporary platforms:

 

Atic Atac (ZX Spectrum)

The Bard's Tale (C64)

Batman (ZX Spectrum)

Bubble Bobble (C64)

Buggy Boy (C64)

Elite (BBC)

Emlyn Huges International Soccer (C64)

The Hobbit (ZX Spectrum, C64, tape versions)

IK+ (C64, Tebe was working on it)

Impossible Mission (C64)

International Basketball (C64, impossible for A8)

https://youtu.be/Nj1bP941ep0
The Last Ninja (C64)

https://youtu.be/CWmqoEdjKR4
Maniac Mansion (C64)

https://youtu.be/SIr9D7RlDHY
Match Day II (ZX Spectrum)

https://youtu.be/irmx31VWTzM
Match Point (C64)

https://youtu.be/laKF7r08tzI
Microprose Soccer (C64)

https://youtu.be/Ntq6CD1w5_w
Paradroid (C64)

https://youtu.be/gCdIXJsIuu0
Prince of Persia (Apple II)

https://youtu.be/fggouSd3dr4
Project Firestart (C64)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUb-oWAkuX0
Rambo First Blood Part II (C64)

https://youtu.be/n4l3ZVSon_4
The Rocky Horror Show (C128, half work already done by me ah ah)

https://youtu.be/1_4UUHqfWyk
Space 1999 (Oric)

https://youtu.be/oDkaimbO4FU
Summer Games II (C64)

https://youtu.be/o16pcic14tg
Winter Games (C64)

https://youtu.be/1j362vuW5pg
Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (C64)

https://youtu.be/5-v-TrhM9bo

[Sheddy]

Would love to see bubble bobble on stock hardware, if it's possible - the c64 version seems very impressive to me.

 

Same with Buggy Boy.

[+MrFish]

Youre right, we do. I even own a boxed copy! Ive just always played it on the Apple ][, and forgot all about the Atari version. Doh!

 

Haha... alright; well, at least it says you like the game a lot.

So, now that you've been re-awakened to the Atari version,

have you played it, and is a worthy version? (I personally

haven't played it yet)

 

 

Let me replace that with an old NES favorite of mine that was ported to many systems and computers: Nobunagas Ambition. That should be doable for the A8, I would think.

 

I just had a look on YouTube; it looks like an interesting sim.

It looks pretty light graphically. How do you rate the game overall,

and what is it about the game that you particularly find fun or

engaging?

[+Cafeman]

Reactor.

 

And a version of Adventure II... wish itd get done soon.

[+MrFish]

I guess it's meant to be the other way around you see it. The arm is left behind the body and throws a "shadow" onto the body. A single pixel would improve the visualization, as the arm is very thin in the transition - not good.

 

I'm not seeing it bro. I guess that's the point, if someone has to tell you

what you're looking at, then the job hasn't been done very well. Man,

it just looks terrible to me; laughable.

 

The sprite looks reasonably well done when the guy is actually swimming,

although it could probably be improved on. Maybe this is the weakest

event in the game animation-wise/visually.

 

I guess I see no reason why this standing sprite couldn't have been done

much better. I mean, this is a (mostly) vertically oriented graphic, which

means it has not much limitation with how P/M graphics work. Seems kind

of a ridiculous result, especially when so much impressive work can be

seen elsewhere in the game.

 

I imagine this wouldn't take too much time to correct.

Edited April 4, 2018 by MrFish

[+MrFish]

I like new games (original or conversions from nowadays devices) and I would like conversions from other A8 contemporary platforms:

 

Atic Atac (ZX Spectrum)

The Bard's Tale (C64)

Batman (ZX Spectrum)

Bubble Bobble (C64)

Buggy Boy (C64)

Elite (BBC)

Emlyn Huges International Soccer (C64)

The Hobbit (ZX Spectrum, C64, tape versions)

IK+ (C64, Tebe was working on it)

Impossible Mission (C64)

International Basketball (C64, impossible for A8)

The Last Ninja (C64)

Maniac Mansion (C64)

Match Day II (ZX Spectrum)

Match Point (C64)

Microprose Soccer (C64)

Paradroid (C64)

Prince of Persia (Apple II)

Project Firestart (C64)

Rambo First Blood Part II (C64)

The Rocky Horror Show (C128, half work already done by me ah ah)

Space 1999 (Oric)

Summer Games II (C64)

Winter Games (C64)

Zak McKracken and the Alien Mindbenders (C64)

 

Thanks for the reply Philsan; I'll check through it later when I have more time.

It's convenient to have the videos for each game, but If you post any more lists

in the future, if you can just link to the videos instead of inserting them into the

thread, it would be better. So many videos like that make the thread difficult to

open and manipulate (initiate responses, etc.), as these these videos all have

to load every time the thread is opened to this page.

Edited April 4, 2018 by MrFish

[+Philsan]

 

Thanks for the reply Philsan; I'll check through it later when I have more time.

It's convenient to have the videos for each game, but If you post any more lists

in the future, if you can just link to the videos instead of inserting them into the

thread, it would be better. So many videos like that make the thread difficult to

open and manipulate (initiate responses, etc.), as these these videos all have

to load every time the thread is opened to this page.

I made that list today using a text editor and then I pasted it in AtariAge.

Questions like yours occasionally are asked on forums and Facebook, so I thought a txt would have been useful for me.

[+MrFish]

I made that list today using a text editor and then I pasted it in AtariAge.

Questions like yours occasionally are asked on forums and Facebook, so I thought a txt would have been useful for me.

 

No big deal; just for future reference. If it's just a few videos it should be ok.

I appreciate the input.

Edited April 4, 2018 by MrFish

[Level42]

No love for Eyes ?

 

Should be very doable on stock hardware IMHO.

Edited April 4, 2018 by Level42

[+Philsan]

No love for Eyes ?

 

Should be very doable on stock hardware IMHO.

I love Eyes!

It's not on my list only because I didn't mention arcade games.

[Ransom]

I just had a look on YouTube; it looks like an interesting sim.

It looks pretty light graphically. How do you rate the game overall,

and what is it about the game that you particularly find fun or

engaging?

Note: All the apostrophes I typed in the message below keep disappearing. Editing to add them doesnt help. Anyway...

 

I havent played it in a bazillion years, but in college a friend and I used to play it together collaboratively, strategizing together. We even stayed up all night playing it a few times.

 

Ive always enjoyed simulation games, especially ones with an economic component, all the way back to my first taste with Kingdom.

 

In fact, Nobunagas Ambition was a bit like Kingdom on steroids. The point of the game was to conquer, but you had to keep people happy and fed, too.

 

Later I bought Romance of Three Kingdoms, which was from the same publisher, but it was a little over-complicated to me, and never saw the amount of play Nobunagas Ambition did. I think I bought a follow-on Nobunagas title later on, and didnt really play it much.

 

Maybe it was just the right time & place for the first one, but its stuck with me as one of those titles I really enjoyed.

[Lord Thag]

Rally-X

Galaga 90

Populous

Wizards Crown

AD&D (Cloudy Mountain)

AD&D Cloudy Mountain is a *great* idea. Perfectly suited to the Atari as well, would love to see this one!

[snicklin]

Sensible Soccer at a good speed might be tough to

pull off. It'd probably take a good P/M graphics

multiplexer. Might possibly work with something

similar to what Paul Lay used in Atari Blast.

 

Take a look at Thorn EMI's "Soccer" game on the Atari 8 bit. This demonstrates to me a sideways version of how the graphics could be done, without PMG's.

 

When done vertically, you probably wouldn't have to show so many players at the same time, therefore speeding it up.

 

[Level42]

EDIT: sorry...was going off topic too much....

Edited April 4, 2018 by Level42

[+MrFish]

Buggy Boy (C64)

 

Same with Buggy Boy.

 

This is a pretty neatly done game on the C64. I think I first heard about it when

popmilo brought it up in regard to the somewhat large, blocky boulders it uses.

I haven't spent much time with it or the arcade version. But it seems like

something I could get into.

 

There's quite a bit going on and a lot of infos filling the screen. So it makes for

a pretty interesting looking display. The C64 version seems to run pretty fast

and smoothly, and retains a lot of detail.

 

I'm not sure what a good approach to implementing something like this on the

Ataris would be. Apparently it's just a 1 player game, but sometimes I'm seeing

another random vehicle drifting around the course. There are only so many

objects at once on a given horizontal plane, but there is some vertical overlap

of object at various distances.

 

I suppose it's possible the Space Harrier approach might be one way to deal

with the amount of objects and colors; but then that doesn't account for the

road, as Space Harrier just used a simple alternating horizontal color band to

show motion of the ground. In fact didn't you mention before, Sheddy, that

you avoided having the grid to save on the processing cost? Although, maybe

Space Harrier has a lot more going on with objects than what there is in

Buggy Boy.

 

[+MrFish]

Take a look at Thorn EMI's "Soccer" game on the Atari 8 bit. This demonstrates to me a sideways version of how the graphics could be done, without PMG's.

 

When done vertically, you probably wouldn't have to show so many players at the same time, therefore speeding it up.

 

Well, being vertical as opposed to horizontal alone wouldn't necessarily give

you less players on the screen at a given time. Part of the reason you might

have less in Sensible Soccer is that it's view is zoomed in more.

 

The view of the field itself is zoomed (more than EMI Soccer) and it also

uses 8-way scrolling. Now, vertical scrolling is cheap on the Ataris; so, if you

did it to where the width of the playfield was always seen, then you'd save

some processing by not having to scroll horizontally.

 

Although, that might really take away something from the game; as I think

the 8-way scrolling is really animating how the action moves from side to side

(and up and down the field too, of course), and really helps give the game an

active feel.

 

[Edit] I had vertical and horizontal switched in the 1st paragraph.

Edited April 4, 2018 by MrFish

[+MrFish]

* All users here likely have a PC to use the forum. So they can use f.e. "MAME" - I don't know where the benefit is in porting a classic arcade game to the A8, while the original is just "a mouse click" away. (Not that I'm not able to appreciate the efforts put into e.g. "Bosconian", "Pang" etc. These are nice additions to the platform, but they didn't keep my attention very long, as the full featured versions are just nearby.)

 

The benefit is this: ports are always different from the originals. We're talking about different hardware, different screen height and width (very big difference in cases where the tall vertical arcade screen is being converted), pixel aspect ratio (like comparing the color clock, single scan line pixels, with their wide ratio to height; arcade games invariably have square pixels), different sound processors, different controllers, and for computers having a keyboard there really is no comparison in the arcade. These differences make the game, however close it may be done, always different in some significant ways. Moving will having a different feel, enemies will attack different, be of different size, shape, and color. Some elements may be left out altogether. It all contributes.

 

I don't think that the arcade versions are always "the best" versions amongst their ports either. They may be in many cases, but there are games I play on the Atari that I prefer to the arcade versions. Sometimes I prefer them because they're simpler, or easier, and sometimes I just think they're done better in general. Sometimes there are just certain parts that I think are done better, while other parts may not be so.

 

Think about this too: when games were created for the arcade, they were created with the idea that they want the game to be addictive, but hard enough so that more quarters will be inserted. When those games get translated for a home computer or console, they've already got all your quarters when you buy the game (in the case of commercially sold conversions). So, it's in their best interest to make you appreciate what you've got for the game you already purchased. That's why we see things like: starting at a chosen level, getting more players, and also having difficulty options. These things add to making ports much different from arcade versions; and especially these days, with all the hindsight we have about what's been done on the home computers and consoles in the past, we have a lot of knowledge to help us improve what can be produced.

Edited April 4, 2018 by MrFish

[Level42]

I don't think that the arcade versions are always "the best" versions amongst their ports either. They may be in many cases, but there are games I play on the Atari that I prefer to the arcade versions. Sometimes I prefer them because they're simpler, or easier, and sometimes I just think they're done better in general.

 

 

Donkey Kong !!! SOOOO much more fluent on the A8 than the original arcade version.

[+MrFish]

Donkey Kong !!! SOOOO much more fluent on the A8 than the original arcade version.

 

Yes, it's got pretty smooth gameplay on the Atari.

 

I prefer Donkey Kong Junior on the A8 to the arcade,

and also Joust (for a couple off the top of my head).

 

I love the sounds, how DKJr. moves, the death

animation, and the screen size.

 

For Joust, I love the gameplay and how easiy the

bird is to move around the screen. Joust in the

arcade has a more lazy feel to it.

 

Both totally different from the arcade versions.

Edited April 4, 2018 by MrFish