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What are some good/interesting A8 games NOT on AtariMania's Top 500?


Guy1

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8 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

What I do from time to time is load up the Atari gamebase and just pick random games or just look at massive list and see what takes my fancy... Also having screenshots and being able to split the lists up in genre, year or software house helps find what you like.

 

8 hours ago, Gunstar said:

I just go to Atarimania or Homesoft or Fandal's and select a genre I fancy at the moment or random disc number for menu discs, and then basically "judge a book by it's cover" or in this case game by it's screen shot.

 

Just want to add that I have tried out each game on the Top 500 list released between 1979-1985. 

I have also scoured the database by year, looking at the genres I am interested in - Never would have found Maxwell Manor if I hadn't.

But there's a good possibility that I missed some interesting games by limiting my genres, or simply judging by screenshots / user rating.

 

You both seem like you have played a lot of Atari 8-bit games, so I have to ask, are there any games that you personally feel are underrated or overlooked? 

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Hmmmm,

 

I am not a fan of most war simulations by SSI, Avalon Hill and others, but surprisingly I really like Tactwar originally written in Basic and quite slow, but there is a faster version in Basic XL available that also works fine with Altirra Basic.

 

Another war sim. I like is Infantry Squad. While the disk is not copy protected (and can be copied with a sectorcopy program), the Basic program has various protections - e.g. list protection (can be easily removed, but then the program does not work anymore), file protection (change the order of the files on the disk and it does not work anymore) and other things (Reset + Break protection, etc.). The game is very slow and not as easy as Tactwar, but therefore you have 20 different maps which require different tactics to win...

 

And errmm, I like Mahjong/Mah-Jong and Shanghai type games, so besides the commercial Shanghai (from Activision, ported by Peter Sabath from the C64) and Taipei XL 1.1 (by Martin Lange), I also like Mahjong XE which does NOT require 128k, but also works fine on XL/XE computers. Afair, there was also a Mahjong type game in the old Antic magazine written in Basic...

 

 

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10 hours ago, Guy1 said:

 

 

Just want to add that I have tried out each game on the Top 500 list released between 1979-1985. 

I have also scoured the database by year, looking at the genres I am interested in - Never would have found Maxwell Manor if I hadn't.

But there's a good possibility that I missed some interesting games by limiting my genres, or simply judging by screenshots / user rating.

 

You both seem like you have played a lot of Atari 8-bit games, so I have to ask, are there any games that you personally feel are underrated or overlooked? 

Pondering About Max's is the most overlooked I think, as it was only available in '89/90, only via Antic Magazine mail-in ad, so it is ultra rare, but available for download. Really three games in one, the first two are like an original and sequel together and are puzzle platformers where you have to accomplish stuff on one screen to get to the next, a bit like The Goonies game, only you don't have to worry about controlling more than one character. The third is a completely different game, really a fighting game, a combination of boxing and WWF with weapons, like bottles and chairs, etc., fought in a bar-room "fighting ring". All three are top-notch, in all three you play the same "frat boy" character. The only thing I feel is missing graphically is the use of DLI's or other tricks for more color on-screen. Great games in every other way.

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-pondering-about-max-s_499.html

 

 

 

 

Edited by Gunstar
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1 hour ago, CharlieChaplin said:

I am not a fan of most war simulations by SSI, Avalon Hill and others, but surprisingly I really like Tactwar originally written in Basic and quite slow, but there is a faster version in Basic XL available that also works fine with Altirra Basic.

Do you know where to find it?

Original Basic version is too slow (epecially menu)

I've copied the program on a TBXL disk but it becomes too fast!

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2 hours ago, Gunstar said:

Pondering About Max's is the most overlooked I think, as it was only available in '89/90, only via Antic Magazine mail-in ad, so it is ultra rare, but available for download. Really three games in one, the first two are like an original and sequel together and are puzzle platformers where you have to accomplish stuff on one screen to get to the next, a bit like The Goonies game, only you don't have to worry about controlling more than one character. The third is a completely different game, really a fighting game, a combination of boxing and WWF with weapons, like bottles and chairs, etc., fought in a bar-room "fighting ring". All three are top-notch, in all three you play the same "frat boy" character. The only thing I feel is missing graphically is the use of DLI's or other tricks for more color on-screen. Great games in every other way.

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-pondering-about-max-s_499.html

 

 

 

 

Now there's a blast from the past! I hadn't thought about this in about thirty years...and am now sorry that I didn't buy it at the time. Antic sure did phone it in at the end...

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Its one game I never saw back in the day and considering I was waste deep in the dark side it always amazes me that it never 'did the rounds', in truth I only found out about it on here when someone wrote about it (might have been Gunstar). Really liked the look of it but I only have played it a couple of times (the joys of a very hectic life style and depression). Really must make some time for it..

 

Right, made time for it and found it frustratingly hard, I'm not so sure I'm even doing anything right..

 

Was there ever any instructions for this, I'm talking re The Dream, The Brawl seems simpler (in a hard way)...

 

I have no clue how to beat the first screen of The Dream, the thing I thought was a spring is one but I can't get it to make me jump high enough to reach the next ledge.. 

Edited by Mclaneinc
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Obviously it came with instructions originally. I think someone did post them in another thread about this game, on here. I think I downloaded it too. I'll see if I can find the topic or the download. But it is definitely frustrating, even when you know what your are doing, but, for me, it was always a level of frustration where I was just not quite making it, but almost, enough for me to just want to "give it one more go." I haven't had enough time to play it properly either, I made it to about the second or third screen on both the platformer games, but that's it. Baroom Brawl I've played more, it's really fun once you learn and get down the fighting controls. But the games, for me, just ooze so much quality in every other way, great animation, good controls, etc, that I think it's an important title in the Atari library, but maybe not everyone's cup of tea due to difficulty. But it's also a game where practice makes perfect and progression is possible if you are willing to put in the time.

 

OK, in post number 10 of this thread @Fred_M took pictures of the manual, etc. that he posted:

 

 

 

Edited by Gunstar
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6 hours ago, Goochman said:

Ultima II needs 1 more vote to qualify and Midi Maze a few more.  

 

Would be great if someone could give U2 its final vote to make the list

Done for Ultima II. My brother and I played Ultima II/III/IV obsessively back when they were relatively new, and I've always been fond of them.

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12 hours ago, Philsan said:

Do you know where to find it?

Original Basic version is too slow (epecially menu)

I've copied the program on a TBXL disk but it becomes too fast!

 

Think Tactwar was on the Pooldisk Too, but evil as I am, I attach it here.

As said before, the faster version was written for Basic XL and I used Altirra Basic (V1.54) instead...

 

TACTWAR_BXL.zip

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Ixion(US Gold) - very addictive 

Zombies(Bram)/Realm of Impossibility(EA) - especially fun as a two-player team effort game

Gladiator(Richwood) - cheesy looking, but fun and challenging

 

More recent games that I find super addictive include Assembloids XE and Animal Party.   Once I start either of those I know it's going to be a late night. 

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8 hours ago, CharlieChaplin said:

 

Think Tactwar was on the Pooldisk Too, but evil as I am, I attach it here.

As said before, the faster version was written for Basic XL and I used Altirra Basic (V1.54) instead...

 

TACTWAR_BXL.zip 29.62 kB · 4 downloads

I don't like this version too. Menu and selections are faster but still unresponsive.

No problem if a strategic game is slow but interface should not be slow.

Did you take the Basic code and used Altirra Basic instead of Atari Basic?

I've used TBXL but menu are too fast. I think the code could be fixed.

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1 hour ago, Philsan said:

I don't like this version too. Menu and selections are faster but still unresponsive.

No problem if a strategic game is slow but interface should not be slow.

Did you take the Basic code and used Altirra Basic instead of Atari Basic?

I've used TBXL but menu are too fast. I think the code could be fixed.

 

You are right that the menu is not as responsive as it should be. This BXL version simply came as two files on a disk: a) *.BXL program and b) *.FNT (maybe a DOS was also on the disk, do not remember). But there was no Basic XL or BXL runtime on that disk, so I copied the files onto a disk with DOS 2.5 and put Altirra Basic on it and the program seemed to work fine. In other words, I made no changes to the BXL program... (you could try Basic XL or BXL runtime and check if it is faster there)...

 

Homesoft also has a single fileversion of Tactwar available, maybe that one is better and more responsive in the menu ?!? Of course I would not mind if someone creates a complete new version of Tactwar. e.g. in another programming language (Action, Mad Pascal, C, Assembler), with a more responsive menu, with more than just one map and maybe the computer using different strategies...

 

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I've not made choices about games because its so personal, the truly outstanding games have already been noted and generally there's an agreement about them, the others that people find to be great little games are just personal. I urge people to get stuck in to things like the Gamebase 13.1 By Mark Hardnman (and others) and just sample the games yourselves, the only person who can truly appreciate the game is you. I don't like strategic / role playing games, you may love them so my suggestions would be pretty pointless for the most part.

 

Not trying to be a grouch, I just know that what you like needs to be judged by you..

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48 minutes ago, Mclaneinc said:

I've not made choices about games because its so personal, the truly outstanding games have already been noted and generally there's an agreement about them, the others that people find to be great little games are just personal. I urge people to get stuck in to things like the Gamebase 13.1 By Mark Hardnman (and others) and just sample the games yourselves, the only person who can truly appreciate the game is you. I don't like strategic / role playing games, you may love them so my suggestions would be pretty pointless for the most part.

 

Not trying to be a grouch, I just know that what you like needs to be judged by you..

Alright. Spill the beans, Mclane.

We know you're hiding some quality hidden gems.

You might think they belong to your inner self identity or something...

But we both know that they actually belong to the YouTube algorithm.   /s

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5 hours ago, Guy1 said:

Alright. Spill the beans, Mclane.

We know you're hiding some quality hidden gems.

You might think they belong to your inner self identity or something...

But we both know that they actually belong to the YouTube algorithm.   /s

Lol...As long as its not the Tik Tok algorithm....

 

I have to confess my memory is a little rusty these days, I see a game I like and I forget what it was, got in to the habit lately of setting them as favourites in the gamebase..

 

I don't think I can name any hidden gems, I do have a set of games I return to constantly like Survivor, there's also games like Jumpman, Brice Lee, Spelunker, Bandits and threshold that I just love to play. Spelunker on the NES is superb but I love the Atari version too.

 

I'll have a look at my favourites and if there's any unknowns I'll pop them in a list but like I said, others may hate them..

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On 10/3/2020 at 10:07 PM, Gunstar said:

Pondering About Max's is the most overlooked I think, as it was only available in '89/90, only via Antic Magazine mail-in ad, so it is ultra rare, but available for download. Really three games in one, the first two are like an original and sequel together and are puzzle platformers where you have to accomplish stuff on one screen to get to the next, a bit like The Goonies game, only you don't have to worry about controlling more than one character. The third is a completely different game, really a fighting game, a combination of boxing and WWF with weapons, like bottles and chairs, etc., fought in a bar-room "fighting ring". All three are top-notch, in all three you play the same "frat boy" character. The only thing I feel is missing graphically is the use of DLI's or other tricks for more color on-screen. Great games in every other way.

Wow. This game is great. I love puzzle-platformers (and puzzle games in general). 

Currently on the fifth screen of The Dream... haven't even tried the other games in the collection.

 

Do you happen to know any good puzzle games from around 1979-1985?

I've already played The Goonies, Zorro, Zenji, Journey to the Planets, and Castle Hassle.

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On 10/4/2020 at 1:18 AM, erichenneke said:

Ixion(US Gold) - very addictive 

Zombies(Bram)/Realm of Impossibility(EA) - especially fun as a two-player team effort game

Gladiator(Richwood) - cheesy looking, but fun and challenging

 

More recent games that I find super addictive include Assembloids XE and Animal Party.   Once I start either of those I know it's going to be a late night. 

I'd forgotten about Gladiator. I agree with your assessment 100%.

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2 hours ago, Guy1 said:

Wow. This game is great. I love puzzle-platformers (and puzzle games in general). 

Currently on the fifth screen of The Dream... haven't even tried the other games in the collection.

 

Do you happen to know any good puzzle games from around 1979-1985?

I've already played The Goonies, Zorro, Zenji, Journey to the Planets, and Castle Hassle.

I've thought about it for a few minutes, and the only other game off the top of my head atm would be Techno Ninja. A 25th anniversary edition was released a few years back. It's a German Turbo Basic XL commercial game, but probably one of the best examples of a BASIC game that exists. It hard and can be frustrating to pull off some of the moves you need to make to get to hard-to-reach areas, but it's such a fun game I played it all the time when it first came out back in the early 90's and got good enough at it that I actually finished it! It's quite a large game too. The animation and movement is a bit jerky, again, probably because it's a BASIC game and movement is from spot-to-spot and not pixel smooth. Still, I highly recommend it too.

 

http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-tecno-ninja_5304.html

 

 

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On 10/3/2020 at 2:07 PM, Gunstar said:

Pondering About Max's is the most overlooked I think, as it was only available in '89/90, only via Antic Magazine mail-in ad, so it is ultra rare, but available for download.

PAM was reviewed in British Magazine Page 6/New Atari User issue 56. The review included instructions how to order the game from Europe. That was the way I obtained my copy.

 

https://archive.org/details/New_Atari_User_Issue_056_1992-06_Page_6_Publishing/page/n33/mode/2up

 

Edited by Fred_M
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1 hour ago, Fred_M said:

PAM was reviewed in British Magazine Page 6/New Atari User issue 56. The review included instructions how to order the game from Europe. That was the way I obtained my copy.

 

https://archive.org/details/New_Atari_User_Issue_056_1992-06_Page_6_Publishing/page/n33/mode/2up

 

Ooh, 12 Bellavista Place appears to be a residence. I should write the occupants and ask them if they have any copies for sale!

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