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


MrFish

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1. Pitfall II.

 

It's good as is but an updated version would be even better.

 

Replace the flat white/brown creature P/M's with something more colorful.

Ability to create custom levels with external editor.

Option to save game when returning to restart position.

Multiple musics. I like the original one but it gets boring after a while.

 

attachicon.gifpitfall2.png

I was just recently thinking how Pitfall II could be visually improved:

1. Alternating resolution display list : have the floor (including the few scanlines of terrain right below it) in HiRes (320x). Since each floor will trigger DLI, we may as well use it to place 4x wide PMG for the third color on the HiRes floor

2. The Rock section right below the floor (the 4 scanlines) would have at least 1 DLI change since we have just 2 colors in HiRes (plus the third in the 4x PMG)

3. Have DLIs that change shades of each section (e.g. have a slightly adjusted color scheme for each section between 2 floors)

4. Replace the current black background with some non-disturbing / low-frequency / dark rock bitmap so it doesn't stick out (kinda like certain ports of Prince Of Persia do - they also show a bit of the bricks in the main background)

5. For a 128 KB build, have additional set(s) of bitmaps (requires a DLI to switch to a new set on screens that have both)

6. if I'm not mistaken, main player could be made of 2 PMGs (it would require to have a few precompiled sets of DLIs that just would be flipped at run-time, depending on presence of other PMGs)

7. All in all, we need 6 DLIs per section, so ~18-20 per screen (not too bad)

8. If performance allows, additional DLIs could be utilized for more colors on the player/enemy sprites

 

Pitfall II has only one vote (I didn't vote for it, it's already a very good game and the best 8-bit version).

I suppose it's because it's a great game already. But, given what we know about Atari now, it certainly can be drastically improved, while keeping the original spirit and atmosphere.

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What's really missing, is THE Atari 8-Bit game. THE game that takes advantage of what the machine could do.

Somehow a "Starraider 2" . Flying through space with fluent depth animations. Fighting against enemies.

Landing on the Planet, solving puzzles like in "Journey to the Planets" , but using fullscreen gr.7 projection.

Landing on dark planets, using the color palette for ambient screens. Walking through Project-M like mazes to find the needed resources. Some Planets won't allow to land on. So let's play some levels "Axelay" like (but don't forget the colors ;).

The next Planet is based on the depth projection in gr. 9 and shows details by PMg.

And, when it's night, put the special nightshades on ... showing infrared colors (gr. 11) .... unclear but recognizable...

 

About the Axelay level. ANTIC is able to do the depth scrolling. Using the Multiplexer as in Atariblast, makes the thing perfect.

Somehow , after all those years, it seem there is still 99% not done yet, that had been obvious ;)

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Before you get too excited, keep in mind that there is a limitation

on the size of objects created with P/M's. Now, you could have a

smaller number of large objects (doubling up on P/M's for each),

or you could use double-width pixels -- or even quad-width if it

seemed bearable. And of course you could do both too: doubling

up on P/M's and using double-width pixels together.

 

Personally, I think using double-width and a good multiplexer

(like used in Atari Blast), you could get some pretty nice looking

and fast moving, large sprites.

 

Maybe I'll get into G2F and model a few up to see what's possible.

 

Multiplexing is not really anything new. In fact, I think a lot of

thinking with the 8-bits in the early days was that it was a

transition from the 2600 days where multiplexing was used for

nearly everything. New system, new hardware, more sprites, no

flicker. But as games progressed to where a single color didn't

look so good in comparison, the "new" system couldn't keep up.

 

However, multiplexers weren't used so much to make up for

things. Development went the route of software sprites more

often than using a multiplexer (maybe because it was simpler).

Yet, many later console systems utilized multiplexers, in spite

of having better sprite systems than the A8's (like NES).

 

Atari Blast pushed things in the right direction for getting a lot of

objects on screen and moving them around fast. I think things

can be taken further for getting a decent number of large objects

on screen.

Edited by MrFish
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Not sure about you all but I am finding it hard not to revote! :grin:

 

A lot of really good titles and suggestions have come up here, and many thoughtful posts! :thumbsup:

Great to see the back and forth exchanges, give and take of ideas between those replying and the topic starter.

Thanks again MrFish! :)

 

It is especially good to see the positivity in this thread -- even when alternative/different viewpoints come up! ;)

 

I found a C16 version of Way of the Exploding Fist by Fandal and Miker! :thumbsup: Very cool! :grin:

Hadn't seen any link yet posted (though might have missed it) and saw this on the master list for A8 games for this thread.

 

If it is relatively easy to port Lynx games to A8 it would be great to see any of them. :)

 

I'll add S.T.U.N. Runner, A.P.B. and Rampart to the list of Lynx games already listed (i.e. Blue Lightning, Battlezone (remake/multiplayer), California Games, Checkered Flag, Desert Strike, Double Dragon, Hard Drivin', Klax, Paperboy, Raiden, Rygar, and Shadow of the Beast). Might have missed one or two; these games were all out on multiple systems as well as Lynx.

 

Maybe the next game to really drive A8 could be something like a Gunstar Heroes for Sega Genesis?

 

emkay mentioned Axelay: a shooter with some elements that are unique/genre-defining/redefining even now 25 years after its SNES release.

Visually impressive with lots of background, power up and enemy variations but even stronger gameplay/controls.

 

I seem to be stuck on the Turrican type model, but perhaps including simple platforming elements -- like puzzle solving, avoiding enemies and environmental hazards or collecting items/resources -- along with great power-ups could work for an A8 system driving, original title?

 

Instead of Mega Man, it's Atariman! :lol:

A stick figure with an appropriately scaled/sized Atari logo head that is usually clear/white but changes colors to indicate power up(s) being used. :-o

With a few different weapons as well as power ups for each! And let's not forget the sub bosses and bosses! :evil:

His mission: to escape Atari's own dreaded 2600 E.T. (and other) blunder(s) and survive the great crash of '83! Sorry, got carried away there a bit...

 

I enjoy AtariBlast and how it pushes our Atari 8 bit computers; it's an incredible fusion of classic shooters with a very catchy tune too! :music: (thank you very much kiwilove!)

 

I also really like the sound of 21st Century Star Raiders! :jango:

 

Thank you to all who have contributed to this thread!

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If it is relatively easy to port Lynx games to A8 it would be great to see any of them. :)

 

I'll add S.T.U.N. Runner, A.P.B. and Rampart to the list of Lynx games already listed (i.e. Blue Lightning, Battlezone (remake/multiplayer), California Games, Checkered Flag, Desert Strike, Double Dragon, Hard Drivin', Klax, Paperboy, Raiden, Rygar, and Shadow of the Beast). Might have missed one or two; these games were all out on multiple systems as well as Lynx.

 

Although it does have a 6502 (but 2x faster ),the Lynx is vastly better in everything except only 160x102 resolution and does things in a very different way. It's very impressive for its time and probably no other 8 bit computer or console comes close (apart from resolution)

So, a shame, but that's not to say demakes can't be done though and some code useful.

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However I realize the Atari 8-bit already has a few very good shoot 'em ups in the same genre, titles like Zybex, Humanoid and even Matta Blatta plus the preview version of Menace which would suggest the actual demand for the first group of games may not be that high if you already have decent substitutes, even though they're not identical to the games you were looking for.

 

BTW: I would recommend Kult (1992), which is not widely known among AtariAge users I think:

 

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I enjoy AtariBlast and how it pushes our Atari 8 bit computers; it's an incredible fusion of classic shooters with a very catchy tune too! :music: (thank you very much kiwilove!)

 

You know what keeps me being agnostic? Even after Atari Blast was shown, and, really, it looks like from a "next generation" computer of the A8. In other forums people claimed, they had seen similar things on the A8 before, and no one was denying it.

All one can do is to take a deep breath , if you understand ;)

Paul Lay did a marvelous job there. The PMg is not just multiplexed. Every moving object is well animated as well. This means that games like Axelay can take place there, as the fluent animation is needed for the 3D depth presentation.

And there is a cause why I mention particular Axelay. The game also has some "Turrican" like 2D scrolling levels. Not that extensive, but very powerful . So everything would fit to have an "Axelay" game for the Atari on a Cartridge.

Edited by emkay
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I agree with emkay. The C64 version of Toki, which came as a 128K cartridge, is quite unplayable by my opinion. If you would be able to make an Atari 8-bit version, even if it would require 320K or more RAM, that is enjoyable to play, you have either accomplished a miracle or redesigned and cut down the game significantly so it might not look like Toki anymore but be a playable platform game.

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I agree with emkay. The C64 version of Toki, which came as a 128K cartridge, is quite unplayable by my opinion. If you would be able to make an Atari 8-bit version, even if it would require 320K or more RAM, that is enjoyable to play, you have either accomplished a miracle or redesigned and cut down the game significantly so it might not look like Toki anymore but be a playable platform game.

 

It's got some pretty large (animated) sprites, so I can see the need

for memory.

 

It gets mixed reviews on Lemon64, but overall a 7 rating. Most people

think it's decent. An A8 version would be a completely different

ballgame.

Edited by MrFish
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OK

 

Was the Amiga forced to anything here though?

You sure they didn't just want to keep the width

of the arcade version?

 

Weird game btw...

They did it to have the colors available. And, yes, it is a weird game. And it looks shyte on the C64. Actually, it COULD look better on the A8, because the C64 used limited colors of the 16 color palette. You know, violett isn't a monkey's color

Edited by emkay
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