Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 What are some "endless" games for Atari? I don't mean run up the high score or do wave after wave til you're too bored to keep playing, but games that appear to continue moving forward. I'm thinking Crossy Road and Pac-Man 256. They have the illusion of unlimited forward progress, and the only thing that can stop you is messing up and losing a life. They aren't confined to a single screen, and there's no timer or other limiting factor. I can't think of any -- except for the sense I had a kid, where I would have trouble reaching the end boss, so everything seemed "endless." Am I wrong about this, or did this concept only come into vogue recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryleffaovell Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Missile Command? Like in the real life with bombs: There is NO winner at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2019 Author Share Posted April 10, 2019 Yes, Missile Command is hopeless, just like Asteroids or Space Invaders, but that doesn't mean it's endless in the sense I meant. The game over screen literally says "THE END" and all of the action takes place on a single, unmoving screen. I'm thinking more like Moon Patrol, Jungle Hunt, Super Cobra, or Vanguard -- but without the act breaks and repeated stages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 River Raid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr0st Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Solar fox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2019 Author Share Posted April 10, 2019 Solar fox Isn't that a Pac-Man style, single-screen, "eat all the dots then do it again" kind of game? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2019 Author Share Posted April 10, 2019 River Raid. Of course, how could I forget. I wouldn't be surprised if that were the first one ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr0st Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 True, but the pattern of dots changes! Maybe I misunderstood sorry 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2019 Author Share Posted April 10, 2019 True, but the pattern of dots changes! Maybe I misunderstood sorry Fair enough, that makes it different from Pac-Man. We didn't see many procedurally-generated games on the Atari 2600, like with Intellivision and later systems. I guess Secret Quest is different every time. Berzerk comes to mind as an endless game. You're always moving from room to room, but never reaching any destination. Spy Hunter is another. The road stretches out in front of you, forever, so long as you can stay alive. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeekDragon Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 Would Pitfall fall into the catagory? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 10, 2019 Author Share Posted April 10, 2019 Would Pitfall fall into the catagory? It feels like it, but it has a finite number of screens, and a time limit. I wonder if Temple Run has an end, too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr SQL Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 "Endless Games" is a good way to describe the library, both the thousand classics and the new releases - thousands more. Endless production seems about right too, 1977-1992 and now as many years again of retro clone Atari consoles. Will it ever stop? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inky Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Space Chase. A mindless shooter, but it's fun in quick bursts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbd30 Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Empire Strikes Back Night Driver And probably many others. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Enduro. As long as you pass enough cars each day, you keep driving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 Nope, yep, and I think so? Empire Strikes Back only runs til the walkers make it to the right. Though you can slow them down for a long time... Night Driver is endless in modes 5,6,7,8. Good one. Enduro keeps going after 5 days, yes or no? I'll likely never know, so this one is essentially endless for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+KaeruYojimbo Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 You earned the patch for Enduro at day 5, but the game keeps going. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high voltage Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Instructions for Enduro read: Endure the race for 5 days or more. I earned the racing trophy way back, and if I remember right, I made it to day 7. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TwentySixHundred Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Robot Tank = The war is endless Reactor = Gotta maintain that core Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Cafeman Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Robot Tank does have an ending. The OP seems to want not games where you play forever until you died, often in a looping pattern (Which is most of them), but games where the further you go, you seem to keep seeing new stuff like patterns, not repeats ,.. erm, right?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapitanClassic Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 It feels like it, but it has a finite number of screens, and a time limit. I wonder if Temple Run has an end, too? Technically so does River Raid. They both repeat after 255 jungles/bridges. You cannot even play River Raid infinitely, because eventually you will get !!!!!! (Mullion) Points. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddhell Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 (edited) River Raid. well.....sort of.... I think ALL Activision games with a 'score counter' technically end when you fill all digits possible with 9's I never got that far in River Raid, but i did watch someone beat Laser Blast, and I personally beat the cartridge in my avatar pic. (that is the actual cartridge used also!) I can confirm those two games 'end' when you hit all nines.... but i understand the gist of it, River Raid's 'mission' did seem endless looks like same type of responses came in all at same time! Edited April 11, 2019 by eddhell 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddhell Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Fantastic Voyage? I never got too far, but it seemed to keep getting harder and harder..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edladdin Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 Entombed by US Games 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 I personally beat the cartridge in my avatar pic. (that is the actual cartridge used also!) ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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