2 deceptive & misleading titles for Atari 8-bit.

[BIGHMW]

Mouse Trap

 

and 

 

Astro Blaster

 

I thought at first when I downloaded my Homesoft Collection, that these were the original arcade versions, but they are not..... not even close.

 

Mouse Trap is not the OG 1982 Exidy version and Astro Blaster is not the OG 1981 Sega/Gremlin version. Can't someone legally do something about it??? I think they should.

[Panther]

You do know it's now 2021, right?

 

[+Stephen]

Make sure when you code this, that you make it work for both the 5200 and the computers, else we'll have more threads asking for stuff!

[+MrFish]

2 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

Mouse Trap is not the OG 1982 Exidy version and Astro Blaster is not the OG 1981 Sega/Gremlin version. Can't someone legally do something about it???

 

Thanks for the information. As a result, both publishing parties have been contacted by AtariAge's lawyers. The goal is to have the Mouse's cheese taken away, and for Astro Blaster (a pinball game) to have its balls taken away. They'll then combine the two resources and produce and sell a game in the AtariAge store called "Cheese Balls", which will financially compensate all those who've suffered any mental anxiety as a result of the deception. All funds will afterwards be distributed over a 50 year period in increments of 25 cents per year, to be paid via Chuck E. Cheese arcade tokens; or those affected will optionally be able to receive one bag of cheese ball snacks per year for the remainder of their existence.
 

Edited June 4, 2021 by MrFish

[Mazzspeed]

58 minutes ago, MrFish said:

The goal is to have the Mouse's cheese taken away, and for Astro Blaster (a pinball game) to have its balls taken away.

Oh dear Gawd! You heartless heathen you.

[Cebus Capucinis]

1 hour ago, MrFish said:

 

Thanks for the information. As a result, both publishing parties have been contacted by AtariAge's lawyers. The goal is to have the Mouse's cheese taken away, and for Astro Blaster (a pinball game) to have its balls taken away. They'll then combine the two resources and produce and sell a game in the AtariAge store called "Cheese Balls", which will financially compensate all those who've suffered any mental anxiety as a result of the deception. All funds will afterwards be distributed over a 50 year period in increments of 25 cents per year, to be paid via Chuck E. Cheese arcade tokens; or those affected will optionally be able to receive one bag of cheese ball snacks per year for the remainder of their existence.
 

Am lawyer.

 

Can confirm.

[StickJock]

4 minutes ago, Cebus Capucinis said:

Am lawyer.

 

Can confirm.

So you're not a cat?

 

 

[Cebus Capucinis]

Just now, StickJock said:

So you're not a cat?

 

 

[atarialoha]

4 hours ago, MrFish said:

 

Thanks for the information. As a result, both publishing parties have been contacted by AtariAge's lawyers. The goal is to have the Mouse's cheese taken away, and for Astro Blaster (a pinball game) to have its balls taken away. They'll then combine the two resources and produce and sell a game in the AtariAge store called "Cheese Balls", which will financially compensate all those who've suffered any mental anxiety as a result of the deception. All funds will afterwards be distributed over a 50 year period in increments of 25 cents per year, to be paid via Chuck E. Cheese arcade tokens; or those affected will optionally be able to receive one bag of cheese ball snacks per year for the remainder of their existence.
 

I think punishment should be to eat only Chuck E. Cheese pizzas for a year.

[+MrFish]

27 minutes ago, atarialoha said:

I think punishment should be to eat only Chuck E. Cheese pizzas for a year.

 

...or optionally pieces of cardboard with melted plastic on top.

 

[Mclaneinc]

What a wonderful 'wake up to thread'...Made me laugh so much...

 

But I agree with the OP, the expectation back then and what you got on those titles was a letdown..To a point...

 

As for neutering a game...How mean is that

 

As for changing the names, I think they may have passed their 'best before' date

Edited June 4, 2021 by Mclaneinc

[Kr0tki]

8 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

I thought at first when I downloaded my Homesoft Collection, that these were the original arcade versions, but they are not..... not even close.

There's more! Methinks, the same can be said of the likes of Green Beret, Congo Bongo, Rockford and Gauntlet. NOT EVEN CLOSE.

[miker]

Also Kung-Fu Master: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-kung-fu-master_16260.html

 

Paper Boy: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-paper-boy_19697.html

 

Boulder Dash: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-boulder-dash_744.html

 

I think this mission will last  rather looong.  ?

[Atari Nut]

3 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

But I agree with the OP, the expectation back then and what you got on those titles was a letdown..To a point...

 

But back then, most purchases were done with the box in hand... or a catalog showing a screen shot and a small description.  You pretty much knew what you were getting.

[+Allan]

4 hours ago, miker said:

Paper Boy: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-paper-boy_19697.html

 

 

The Dynacomp Paper Boy came out before the arcade game. When I say the arcade game I was pissed that it wasn't anything like the Dynacomp version. I demanded my quarter back.

[+MrFish]

5 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

But I agree with the OP, the expectation back then and what you got on those titles was a letdown..To a point...

 

1 hour ago, Atari Nut said:

But back then, most purchases were done with the box in hand... or a catalog showing a screen shot and a small description.  You pretty much knew what you were getting.

 

Yeah, I don't think there was any deliberate intent to deceive. Astro Blaster is actually just a PCS machine made by some user; so it isn't even a commercial title. The creator was just using some "theme" for his pinball machine. With Mouse Trap, they may have been trying to capitalize on the name of a known arcade game, but in 1987 it'd hardly have been during the original game's prime time (released 1981); and it's so different -- being a platformer -- that there isn't much chance of it being mistaken for the original.

 

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hmmmmmm,

 

1) A8 games similar to Mouse Trap / Lady Bug (Pacman-like, shifting doors/gates):

 

- Bilbo (AMC, Pacman-like, shifting doors)

- 1040 Terminator (Antic, shifting doors)

- Preppie II (Adv.Int., shifting doors)

- Drelbs (Synapse, shifting doors)

- Roll'em (Preppie II clone, shifting doors)

and others

 

2) A8 games similar to Astro Blaster:

 

- Hyperblast (ESC)

- Megamania! (Activision)

- AE (Broderbund)

- Alien Ambush (Dana)

- Attack of the mutant pidgeons (J.Croudy)

- Demon Attack (Imagic)

- Falcon (W.Mueller)

- Sector Wars (V.Thorn)

- Space Eggs (Sirius Software)

- Space Hawks of Avabanana 4 (hack of Falcon)

- Space Wars (Byte Back)

- Threshold (Sierra-Online)

and several others

 

Afair, the original version of Pinball Construction Set already contained several pinball examples that could be played and one of them was "Astro Blaster"...?!? (Maybe a pinball inspired by the shoot-em-up game?)

 

 

[Mclaneinc]

Yep I agree except where cassettes where the purchase, I used to buy a lot of C64 cassettes 'on faith', thankfully I had a very understanding shop that would take them back if they were awful..

48 minutes ago, MrFish said:

 

 

Yeah, I don't think there was any deliberate intent to deceive. Astro Blaster is actually just a PCS machine made by some user; so it isn't even a commercial title. The creator was just using some "theme" for his pinball machine. With Mouse Trap, they may have been trying to capitalize on the name of a known arcade game, but in 1987 it'd hardly have been during the original game's prime time (released 1981); and it's so different -- being a platformer -- that there isn't much chance of it being mistaken for the original.

 

When I read this I thought I must check out those games again and god knows what games I was thinking of but it wasn't the ones I thought it was..

 

Must be getting my 2nd jab affecting me

[+MrFish]

6 hours ago, Mclaneinc said:

But I agree with the OP, the expectation back then and what you got on those titles was a letdown..To a point...

 

Well, letdown was a household word back then when it came to home-computer games.

 

[+MrFish]

11 hours ago, Mazzspeed said:

Oh dear Gawd! You heartless heathen you.

 

It becomes necessary to take unambiguous and determinate actions towards those who violate the sanctity of revered arcade-game names, in order to thwart efforts of any duplicitous developers who might have the audacity to go about entertaining notions that such treacherous acts against the sacred, golden halls of classic arcade glory can be carried out with impunity... or something like that.

 

[youxia]

 

There's a number at the bottom, these guys should know what to do. Better yet, send them a telex, so there is a paper trail.

[+x=usr(1536)]

16 hours ago, BIGHMW said:

Mouse Trap

 

and 

 

Astro Blaster

 

I thought at first when I downloaded my Homesoft Collection, that these were the original arcade versions, but they are not..... not even close.

 

Mouse Trap is not the OG 1982 Exidy version and Astro Blaster is not the OG 1981 Sega/Gremlin version. Can't someone legally do something about it??? I think they should.

You should demand a refund, in full, for however much you paid for the software.

Edited June 4, 2021 by x=usr(1536)

[zzip]

13 hours ago, MrFish said:

 

Thanks for the information. As a result, both publishing parties have been contacted by AtariAge's lawyers. The goal is to have the Mouse's cheese taken away, and for Astro Blaster (a pinball game) to have its balls taken away. They'll then combine the two resources and produce and sell a game in the AtariAge store called "Cheese Balls", which will financially compensate all those who've suffered any mental anxiety as a result of the deception. All funds will afterwards be distributed over a 50 year period in increments of 25 cents per year, to be paid via Chuck E. Cheese arcade tokens; or those affected will optionally be able to receive one bag of cheese ball snacks per year for the remainder of their existence.
 

I downloaded a game called "Gauntlet" for my 8-bit back in the day, and to my shock and horror,  it was public domain 2D space shoot-em-up,  nothing like the arcade Gauntlet game.   What remedy can the AtariAge lawyers get me?

[Kr0tki]

3 hours ago, MrFish said:

With Mouse Trap, they may have been trying to capitalize on the name of a known arcade game, but in 1987 it'd hardly have been during the original game's prime time (released 1981); and it's so different -- being a platformer -- that there isn't much chance of it being mistaken for the original.

Note that Mouse Trap originated on BBC Micro a year earlier. I doubt the developers even heard of the arcade game, with Exidy never having much of a presence in the Old World.

Edited June 4, 2021 by Kr0tki

[+Cafeman]

There is the board game Mouse Trap. More popular than that arcade / CV game .