Synapse Games

[SpendTooMuchOnAtari]

Just wondering how many games for the Atari computers are made by the Synapse company? I have:

 

Claim Jumper

Chicken

Slime

 

Any more?

[Bryan]

Just wondering how many games for the Atari computers are made by the Synapse company?  I have:

 

Claim Jumper

Chicken

Slime

 

Any more?

 

How about:

 

Zeppelin

Shadow World

Dimension X

Shamus/Case II

Electrician

Necromancer

Protector/2

Encounter!

Rainbow Walker

Quasimodo

Alley Cat

Blue Max/2001

Drelbs

Picnic Paranoia

Nautilus

Ft. Apocalypse

 

 

-Bry

[Avram]

I've just recommended this site in another post and refer to it again: http://atari.games.free.fr/atarixl/index.html

 

At the top of the screen click on the small figure dressed in black and you'll find games categorised by publisher.

[SpendTooMuchOnAtari]

 

How about:

 

Zeppelin

Shadow World

Dimension X

Shamus/Case II

Electrician

Necromancer

Protector/2

Encounter!

Rainbow Walker

Quasimodo

Alley Cat

Blue Max/2001

Drelbs

Picnic Paranoia

Nautilus

Ft. Apocalypse

 

 

   -Bry

 

 

I should have mentioned this before in my original post but I am only wondering about cartridge based games. Are these all cartridge based?

 

Also, thanks a lot for the list and thanks to Avram for that link, the site is great!

[Randy California]

Here you go:

(1981) Dodge Racer

(1981) Protector

(1982) Chicken

(1982) Nautilus

(1982) Shadow World

(1982) Protector II

(1982) Picnic Paranoia

(1982) Slime

(1982) Claim Jumper

(1982) Shamus

(1982) Survivor

(1982) Necromancer

(1982) Fort Apocalypse

(1983) Quasimodo

(1983) Shamus - Case II

(1983) Pharaoh's Curse

(1983) Zeppelin

(1983) Blue Max

(1983) Drelbs

(1983) Encounter!

(1983) Rainbow Walker

(1983) Alley Cat

(1984) Dimension X

(1984) Blue Max 2001

(1984) Electrician

(1984) New York City

(1984) Air Support

(1984) Countdown

(1984) Relax

(1984) Mindwheel

(1985) Brimstone

(1985) Essex

(1985) Lode Runner's Rescue

 

++

RC

++

[SpendTooMuchOnAtari]

Here you go:

(1981) Dodge Racer          

(1981) Protector            

(1982) Chicken              

(1982) Nautilus              

(1982) Shadow World                

(1982) Protector II        

(1982) Picnic Paranoia      

(1982) Slime              

(1982) Claim Jumper      

(1982) Shamus              

(1982) Survivor            

(1982) Necromancer          

(1982) Fort Apocalypse    

(1983) Quasimodo            

(1983) Shamus - Case II      

(1983) Pharaoh's Curse      

(1983) Zeppelin              

(1983) Blue Max              

(1983) Drelbs                

(1983) Encounter!            

(1983) Rainbow Walker        

(1983) Alley Cat            

(1984) Dimension X            

(1984) Blue Max 2001          

(1984) Electrician            

(1984) New York City        

(1984) Air Support          

(1984) Countdown            

(1984) Relax                

(1984) Mindwheel

(1985) Brimstone

(1985) Essex

(1985) Lode Runner's Rescue

 

++

RC

++

 

 

 

 

All cartridge based?

[+davidcalgary29]

Only about a third of the listed titles were issued on cartridge by Synapse, and I'm not sure if any titles were released exclusively in that format.

 

Synapase cartridges are, in general, quite rare, though you'll see two or three commons ("Chicken", "Slime", "Protector") on eBay quite often. Some of the released cartridges are very rare, and are almost impossible to find. In general, very few games were released by Synapse in cartridge format after 1983. Callipygous has an excellent rarity list on his site.

 

"Necromancer" and "Blue Max" were re-released by Atari on cartridge for the XEGS.

 

"Relax" comes with its own biofeedback hardware, and is very difficult to find. It's not a game, though.

 

The only way you'll likely be able to collect most of the Synapse games on cartridge is to purchase Sunmark's "Synapse multi-cart". It has many of Synapse's most memorable titles on it.

[Randy California]

All cartridge based?

Sorry, missed your other post. Here are the titles available on ROM:

(1982) Chicken

(1982) Protector II

(1982) Picnic Paranoia

(1982) Slime

(1982) Claim Jumper

(1982) Shamus

(1982) Fort Apocalypse

 

Many other programs were announced on cartridge but never officially released (Necromancer, Drelbs...).

 

++

RC

++

[Atarimania]

I am making with AtariFrog a big Database of Atari games, you can find a list of Synapse games here

Synapse games

[Callipygous]

Most of the carts work only on the 800. IIRC, Claim Jumper and Fort Apocalypse are okay on the XL/XE.

[Goochman]

The Synapse games are some of the best for the 8bit - I loved almsot every one of them and got the Sunmark cart

[Andre]

Nobody mentions 'Protector' (not the sequel PII)? This game was definitively released (I was outbid on that some time ago ) and it came in an early flat cardboard 'box'.

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Randy California]

Nobody mentions 'Protector' (not the sequel PII)? This game was definitively released (I was outbid on that some time ago ) and it came in an early flat cardboard 'box'.

Check the list again

 

Protector was actually written by Mike Potter when he was at Crystalware. He brought the game along when he was hired by Synapse Software.

 

++

RC

++

[Callipygous]

Protector(1981) is on Randy's list. In my software list, I have two games not mentioned:

 

Slamball

Reptilian

 

Are these vaporware? Any info?

[Randy California]

IIRC, Reptilian was never finished because the programmer was fired and nobody took over the project. Slamball was started on the Atari but the game was only released on the C64. Again, I believe there was a problem with the programmer.

 

++

RC

++

[Andre]

Check the list again  

 

Ooops! I must have overseen that... sorry for the confusion!

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[robcatron]

Andre,

 

You are correct -- maybe I was the one that outbid you ;o)

 

What I think was unique about the packaging is that it was definately originally a CrystalWare release (the one page insert had instructions on one side that said, "Crystal Ware" at the top, and on the other side had a very bad, non-sysnapse art work). Also, the disk label says Crystal Ware on it.

 

However, Synapse did put their cool (typical) graphics sheets on top of the Crystal Ware sheet (and the disk and warranty card) - so on the outside, it looked like a Synapse release.

 

Now, my question is -- what about Protector III -- now, I know it never existed in published form, but I have a copy of it on my bootleg disks. In my opinion, it is Protector 1.5

 

Basically, the graphics are 95% just like Protector, BUT, the playability is like Protector II. What I mean about playability is that you can fly through the buildings (which you could NOT on Protector - which made it much harder), and the faster scrolling due to your thrust started immediately, just like in Protector II.

 

I would imagine that perhaps it was changed in later released of Protector, as many people probably through Protector was too hard. Perhaps it was shelved in favor of a complete graphical rewrite and it became Protector II

 

Rob Catron

Frankfort, KY

[Atari8bitCarts]

Only about a third of the listed titles were issued on cartridge by Synapse, and I'm not sure if any titles were released exclusively in that format.

 

Synapase cartridges are, in general, quite rare, though you'll see two or three commons ("Chicken", "Slime", "Protector") on eBay quite often. Some of the released cartridges are very rare, and are almost impossible to find. In general, very few games were released by Synapse in cartridge format after 1983. Callipygous has an excellent rarity list on his site.

 

"Necromancer" and "Blue Max" were re-released by Atari on cartridge for the XEGS.

 

"Relax" comes with its own biofeedback hardware, and is very difficult to find. It's not a game, though.

 

The only way you'll likely be able to collect most of the Synapse games on cartridge is to purchase Sunmark's "Synapse multi-cart". It has many of Synapse's most memorable titles on it.

 

Did Sunmark purchase the rights to these games? How did they come about producing the multicart?????

[Wrathchild]

Hi,

 

A few useful links:

Atarimax 8Mb cart compatible compilation of Synapse titles

Original announcement of Sunmark cart

A thread that discussed some of the 'rights' aspect

 

For me the Sunmark cart should have also either made the effort to fix the XL incompatability of some titles (or take advantage of existing patched versions). As the boards are no longer available then an Atarimax alternative is a good option.

 

Mark

[Heaven/TQA]

Synapse were definitly a AAA-Studio (to speak in modern terms). Many different type of games and many outstanding.

[Atari8bitCarts]

But it looks to me like someone who just put rom's on a cart and sold them. There is another thread about KjMann doing the same thing yet users are upset? I don't get it. Sunmark didn't buy rights to Synapse games to distribute, isn't that the same thing. Why don't users get made about that??? Why was Sunmark different?

Edited August 30, 2011 by chrislynn5

[qix_maniac]

But it looks to me like someone who just put rom's on a cart and sold them. There is another thread about KjMann doing the same thing yet users are upset? I don't get it. Sunmark didn't buy rights to Synapse games to distribute, isn't that the same thing. Why don't users get made about that??? Why was Sunmark different?

 

please let's not start another KjMann thread, it's only been a few weeks.

Synapse multi cart only 50 where made and it's a wonderful cartridge I enjoy very much.

I'm just surprised back in 2003 there was not as much excitement about it and only 50 where made! what a difference 8 years make

[+orpheuswaking]

Necrooooooo BIZZUMP!!!!!

[SpaceDice2010]

Nobody mentions 'Protector' (not the sequel PII)? This game was definitively released (I was outbid on that some time ago ) and it came in an early flat cardboard 'box'.

Check the list again

 

Protector was actually written by Mike Potter when he was at Crystalware. He brought the game along when he was hired by Synapse Software.

 

++

RC

++

 

I actually have the CrystalWare version on disk. Great game.

[Bryan]

It's too bad Synapse was bankrupted when Jack refused to pay for software Warner had commissioned. Otherwise, I bet they would have been around a long time. We could all be playing the Synapse MMORPG right now: World of Shamus!