Video Life Atari 2600 Review

[Atariperson23]

This is an really, really rare game. You all know why, right? So basically, CommaVid knocked up a little programming tool named the MagiCard, which was some primitive programming device that allowed you to write in hexadecimal language (hence the a hundred-something page manual that I eventually fell asleep reading). I don't really think MagiCard counts as a game, just like B***C M**H. (My stomach tightens, and my head hurts like heck when I hear the horrendous disgrace called BASIC- Stop! Stop already! This is suicide! I'm going to die on my own disgust over hearing the name BASIC- AAAAUGGHH! NNNNOOOO!) Anyways, the few people that were nerds and were interested in MagiCard heard something else in the commercials. A new game named... Video Life! Sounds awesome, right? Video Life must be about bringing some complex alien-like civilization to life after being frozen for millions of years, and you have to form an uprising against the pathetic humans to gain control of the Earth, right? Right?!! Wrong by a mile and many more. What you really have to do is... randomly draw a pattern around one of the dullest play fields i've probably ever seen (Yes, I know that this is an Atari 2600 game, but you have to admit, a black and dark green playfield is somehow underwhelming), and hope that the sort-of primitive computer "intelligence" system draws something remotely resembling an organism. Now, Video Life isn't a bad idea for an Atari 2600 game, and is certainly extremely ambitious, but the minimal graphics and weird controls almost ruin the controls (In what other game do you have to hold the reset button to start a game?) Also, the graphics would be slightly better if your creation wasn't only in purple (Hey man,  ever heard of the pixilated purple lobster?) But the thing that kills it isn't the two-coloured playfield, or the fact that everything is in purple, or that the controls are half-dead and are very convoluted (Even after reading the manual four times, I couldn't figure out how to play the game and every friend I knew also couldn't figure it out, even though they also read the manual four times). The fact is, the thing that kills the game is the horrendous sound. The sounds are ear-splitting, with very high and low-pitched sounds that sound like a baby hammering random notes on a rotting corpse of a 10$ toy piano. Seriously, the sounds were so bad that I sprinted to click "mute", and I checked the cartridge (I play on a real 2600 and also an emulator), cleaned it, rubbed it with rubbing alcohol, and disassembled the cartridge to see if it was broken. I'm by no means a game designer, but I don't think a game that has sounds that are so bad that the player thinks the cartridge itself is broken will sell a million copies. So what do I think about Video Life? Well, even though the idea is very good, and the execution is commendable, there are some certain aspects of the game which almost ruins the entire game. Had Commavid made the graphics a little better and a slight bit more detailed, the controls a little better to figure out (why are most of Commavid game controls so weird? Atari said themselves one of the secrets of a good game were good controls in an "Why Atari Is #1 Ad") and the sounds more elaborate and not as horrid, Video Life could've been a legitimate contender for one of the more amazing games of the market, like maybe some of Activision's games) Commavid proved that they had original ideas and fresh gameplay, but sometimes they struggled to make games with good or even mediocre gameplay. Video Life unfortunately manages to be a prime example of this. I didn't like the Video Life experience too much, because I never got the hang of it and it was too frustrating, even for my long attention span. I've clashed with myself for almost hours now, but i'll give Video Life a relatively humble D, when in retrospect it more likely deserves an D-. Video Life proves to be one of the 2600 games that almost had it, but it just couldn't go all the way. 

 

-R.R

(Side Note: The cartridge I was playing with was not a real Video Life cart. It was a cheap reproduction cart, but i'm not complaining. I certainly don't want to spend thousands of dollars on a D rated game)

[+Andrew Davie]

Well, i was somewhat amazed by "Life" when it was first introduced by John Conway.

It opened many eyes to the complexity that can result from simple rules. And many people "built" amazing constructions which behaved as little "machines" - for example a glider gun...
 

 

I wrote a life clone back in the '80s and had some fun with it. I think Video Life on the '2600 is quite an ambitious thing.

It's not a "game", really - its a bit like a visual mathematical doodle. Certainly, a difficult one to review but perhaps D is harsh.

Writing a variant of this game is on my do-list. Here's a final say from the inventor...

 

 

 

[fiddlepaddle]

"Life" was a common type-in program for early personal computers. I think I first remember reading about it in Scientific American; and the computer magazines shortly after. A simple and elegant algorithm producing interesting and complex results.

But I gotta say I never was a fan of the 2600 version.

[davyK]

I remember a type-in in a magazine back in the 80s for Life. Think it was an Apple IIe version.

 

As always it was painful to type in and get working. Was underwhelming at the time but all I wanted then was Space Invaders!!

 

It's a rather interesting little example of how simple rules can create a surprising amount of complexity.

Edited March 13, 2020 by davyK

[high voltage]

Hi Mr Atariperson, you have to remember, all programmers from those days were experimenting, and they had the freedom to do so. The famous 'Life' on VCS, why not, it was an important program way back. A Math program, hell yeah do it. 

[Voxel]

It's nice see non-gaming titles making an appearance.  A decent implementation of Life (cellular automata) on the VCS, would have my attention.

 

I've messed around with Golly:

http://golly.sourceforge.net/

 

It's stunning but takes time to set up the field:

https://youtu.be/C2vgICfQawE

 

I would have to agree that an early VCS release should not be judged too harshly.  I often put on my rose tinted specs when looking back.