Underrated/Hidden Gems on the Atari 7800?

[yy958]

I originally got my 7800 to play 2600 games like five years ago when I saw a 7800 console and game lot for 40 dollars. Oh, what happened to the market?!! Anyway, I noticed that 7800 arcade ports are really well done, and might become my console choice for arcade ports (although the Colecovision is also great for that). But are there any games on the 7800 that are originals, perhaps some that are rarely mentioned, but not a holy grail item? I wanna dive deeper in the 7800!

[Inky]

Since the library is small, and because most of the games have been talked about ad infinitum, I'd say there aren't really a lot of "hidden" gems, but there are gems nonetheless.

I'd say Midnight Mutants, Ninja Golf, and Alien Brigade are original titles that are well worth checking out. Especially Midnight Mutants, as there's not another first party adventure title on the 7800.

[accousticguitar]

Food Fight and Centipede are my favorites.

[+GoldenWheels]

Best version of Joust on a home console, bar none.

 

Frankly I've never been blown away by any of the 7800-only games. Of the stuff only the 7800 got, I'd say Ninja Golf is the best.

[VicViper]

Centipede is must have, as well as all the original arcade ports. Maaaaaybe not Galaga. There are many amazing homebrews for sale in the shop thanks to the tireless work of PacManPlus.

[Shawn]

There is only 60 games and then homebrews. The 7800 has nothing to hide so nothing can be found hidden.

[BydoEmpire]

IMHO Galaga is underrated. It get slagged for the graphics not being arcade-perfect, but they're still pretty good and imho the gameplay is better than the arcade. Smoother difficulty ramp and it doesn't feel quite so "stiff," although all the key elements are there.

 

As everyone else said, there isn't much in the way of "hidden gems" on the 7800. Maybe some of the homebrews...

[John Stamos Mullet]

Some of the later titles that didn't have a long shelf life or were harder to find could be considered hidden gems. Specifically stuff like:

 

Midnight Mutants

Ninja Golf

Scrapyard Dog

[SS]

Midnight Mutants

Ninja Golf

Scrapyard Dog

 

I own all of these carts but aren't really a fan of any of them. "Ninja Golf" has so much potential and it's all just squandered away by completely lackluster gameplay.

[FroggoGamer]

Ikari Warriors is close to arcade perfect in terms of game play... not as much soundwise but it is way, WAY better than the NES version (even most NES fanboys won't dare dispute that one). Seems it is underrated IMO.

 

I imagine Food Fight is high on any 7800 connoisseur's list so i'm not sure that's a hidden gem, but that one is a must have.

 

I also feel Ballblazer is underrated, it is a simple but fun game especially with 2 players. Of course, it is probably less thought of as a fun game and more as a sacrificial lamb for POKEY chips these days.

 

I also think Tower Toppler is a good game and it doesn't seem to get much attention, so maybe that one counts.

 

Oh, and despite how NES lovers feel, Xevious is just better on the 7800.

[SS]

I also feel Ballblazer is underrated, it is a simple but fun game especially with 2 players. Of course, it is probably less thought of as a fun game and more as a sacrificial lamb for POKEY chips these days.

 

Ballblazer is the greatest game ever made. EVER.

[+save2600]

Ballblazer is the greatest game ever made. EVER.

The f#ck?!

[yy958]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've seen almost all of the titles mentioned here online for low prices CIB, I'm about to squander my paycheck because of this thread lol. Galaga's one of my favorite arcade games, I didn't know the 7800 port is criticized, but I'll take BydoEmpire's word and grab a copy, the graphics don't need to be perfect

 

Writing down all of these titles, thank you all so much. I actually just found out there are only 57 or so games for the 7800 total, so I suppose there wouldn't be many "hidden" gems indeed. A great upgrade from the 2600 though, with backwards compatibility and access to remastered/new games with better graphics on the same console!

Edited October 24, 2018 by yy958

[Skippy B. Coyote]

I'm pretty sure that for most gamers, even retro ones, the entire 7800 library is a hidden gem. That said, Ninja Golf and Midnight Mutants are two really fun and unique 7800 titles that are not to be missed.

[Shawn]

Thank you all for the suggestions. I've seen almost all of the titles mentioned here online for low prices CIB, I'm about to squander my paycheck because of this thread lol. Galaga's one of my favorite arcade games, I didn't know the 7800 port is criticized, but I'll take BydoEmpire's word and grab a copy, the graphics don't need to be perfect

 

Writing down all of these titles, thank you all so much. I actually just found out there are only 57 or so games for the 7800 total, so I suppose there wouldn't be many "hidden" gems indeed. A great upgrade from the 2600 though, with backwards compatibility and access to remastered/new games with better graphics on the same console!

 

I'll second Bydo's recommendation of Galaga. You won't regret buying it for the 7800 one bit.

[+save2600]

Besides some of those mentioned, I kinda/sorta think of Water Ski, Basketbrawl, Rampage and Double Dragon as "gems".

 

Midnight Mutants and Alien Brigade for sure. Not so sure about Ninja Golf... but maybe if it had a little more depth to it. As it stands, it excels at being a mediocre side scroller mixed with a watered down game of golf. Besides the novelty factor, very tough to recommend really.

[fluxit]

Water Ski has a bit of a difficulty curve(mostly related to the control scheme,) but I'd have to agree- it's surprisingly good for what it is. I've enjoyed getting progressively better at Water Ski over time.

[John Stamos Mullet]

 

Ballblazer is the greatest game ever made. EVER.

its waaaaay too easy. The 3D graphics are nice, but they should have made the gameplay more challenging. Edited October 24, 2018 by John Stamos Mullet

[Trebor]

its waaaaay too easy. The 3D graphics are nice, but they should have made the gameplay more challenging.

 

Respecting the default difficulty Droid, sure it is easy.

Press the Select button before starting the game and set the Computer opponent/P2 to "Droid 9" with the controller.

The last word to describe the gameplay against Droid 9 (8 or 7 too) would be easy.

[SS]

 

Respecting the default difficulty Droid, sure it is easy.

Press the Select button before starting the game and set the Computer opponent/P2 to "Droid 9" with the controller.

The last word to describe the gameplay against Droid 9 (8 or 7 too) would be easy.

 

The 7800 version IS just a little easier than the 8Bit one. On the A8, Droid 5 gives me a real challenge but generally ends up beating me in the end while on the 7800 version I can usually beat Droid 5. But, yeah, Droids 8 or 9 are going to wipe the floor with me every single time and I am a pretty darned good and well practiced Ballblazer player.

[boxpressed]

Commando for me.

 

I also have Pac-Man Plus Scramble and Super Circus Atari, which are great.

[Jinks]

Tons of homebrews. Purchase all now.

[Noah98]

Midnight Mutants is amazing, and maybe considered a hidden gem.

 

IMHO, Galaga is not done well on the 7800. I play the arcade version all the time at local arcades, and there is no comparison. There's also no way the 7800 version is better than the nes version, which is an argument only fanboys would make. Because there are so few ports of the game, it's still worth picking up.

 

I agree that Ikari Warriors is a hidden gem. It looks and plays much better than the nes version, although the sound is clearly inferior. Wish there was a pokey version.

[King Atari]

Where the original library is concerned, because it's all been discussed around these parts for so long, I'm not sure how many games can be considered legitimate hidden gems. But from the viewpoint of retro gaming in general, Midnight Mutants is a terrific horror-themed Zelda-esque action RPG starring Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis that doesn't get the attention it deserves. Setting aside homebrews, which I admittedly have no experience with, I think it's the best game on the console - at least in the realm of the original offerings, anyway.

 

Also, Ninja Golf is an uber-quirky beat-'em-up, and while the gameplay never quite lives up to its potential, I'd say it's still absolutely worth having.

 

Double Dragon may qualify as a hidden gem. Of the three main 8-bit ports (NES, SMS, 7800), it's far and away the least-recognized. It certainly doesn't look or sound a nice as the NES or SMS versions, and you can't approach it in the same manner when playing either, but it's the most faithful to the arcade. Once you learn the mannerisms of the enemies and some of the more essential moves, it's a lot of fun IMO. My tip: ignore the punch, which has a delay, and stick with kicks and jump kicks. Also, finding an alternative to the painful stock US Pro-Line joystick is a must. (Shameless plug: I wrote a big honkin' article about the game once; I really love the port!)

 

In the same vein, the 7800's Kung-Fu Master doesn't seem to get a lot of attention, but I like it a lot. Graphically it's richer than the NES' Kung-Fu, and while the sound is technically inferior, it's still just fine - and it's not like Kung-Fu Master ever featured the most-intricate soundtrack ever anyway. (The biggest difference is the absence of the voice samples.) The control scheme kinda lets the game down, using only one button in conjunction with joystick directions, and while I'd have greatly preferred both of the 7800's buttons being taken advantage of, it does at least allow you to use a more comfortable controller if all you have is the Pro-Line joystick. (The 7800 KFM can be a pricey item, but as I recall it, the much-cheaper 2600 port plays and sounds identically, though with the obvious graphical downgrade.)

 

7800 Commando is a terrific port, besting the NES version in every way. I've actually seen some people online prefer the NES version over it, and I just find that completely baffling. It's graphically superior, plays wonderfully (and without all the flickery bugs), and thanks to the POKEY chip, sounds fantastic.

 

Around here, Food Fight is the exact opposite of a hidden gem, but it's without a doubt a must-have title for the 7800. Madly addictive and with "just right" ramping difficulty in the default mode. I think it's nearly exclusive to the console as well. (As I recall it, only the 7800 and the XEGS received ports, correct?) FF is one that I kept loaded up for the longest time, until recently when I got on a 2600 Kangaroo kick.

 

Crossbow is also a big one for me; much time has been spent trying to hit every section on the map and gaining as many new friends as possible without dying before heading into the castle. The graphics are maybe a little chunky, but there's usually a lot going on on-screen at a given moment. I've never tried it with the light gun, but even with just a controller, it's got a real addictive quality to it.

 

Those are the main ones that come to mind. Of course there's the standbys like Ms. Pac-Man, Asteroids, Dig Dug, Xevious, Centipede, arcade classics that received extremely playable 7800 translations and are all absolutely worth owning. Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario Bros. all appeared on the console in decent form (and with a bit of a novelty factor, too; competing 8-bit and all), albeit with some pretty annoying sound effects. A fun version of Choplifter!, as well. None of them would probably be considered hidden here, but where retro gaming at large is concerned, probably underrated if nothing else.

[Baby Blue Azure]

Perhaps the biggest hidden gem are all the gems in CRYSTAL CASTLES are missing and that title is completely missing as well. Instead, you could try Bob's BENTLEY BEAR. The game that shows the ultimate capability of the 7800 sprite delivery is invincible PACTRON EXTREME - a ROBOTRON whack. Nothing available in 1984 could challenge these specs. ROBOTRON was a great game as well, but a bit too challenging for the average player.

 

PHOTO OF RACK9, packed with sprites and much more fun than the photo depicts:

THE GAME a78:

Pactron_Extreme_12292014.a78

 

 

Enjoy your 7800 experience! /BBA