Star Raiders question

[Famicoman]

In Star Raiders, when are you supposed to use the special Touch pad?

[Nukey Shay]

During the game of course

 

Star Raiders was originally an 8-bit computer game, and it used keyboard keys to do things like call up the galactic chart, turn ship functions on and off, etc. So the keypad on the 2600 does this instead.

[bjk7382]

I have it for 8 bit. And I only have a 400 with 16k ram. So when I play star raiders and enemies are firing, it slows WAY down. And it isn't too fun to play like that. (I have been looking for an 800XL for a while now)

[Nukey Shay]

It won't play any different on a computer with more ram. The slowdown is due to how the sprites are handled by the program. And the game program only uses 8k of Ram (the cartridge program itself is Rom).

[bjk7382]

WOW, that game really sucks then. Because once the enemies start shooing it is SO slow it is almost unplayable.

 

My Joust on 400 also slows down a little bit when there are a bunch of birds on the screen.

[Adrian M]

I have Star Raiders, but I'm missing the mylar overlay for the touchpad...from what I recall, the actual game only utilized about half of the buttons on the touchpad. The rest were unused.

 

Can someone confirm this?

[bjk7382]

Here

[Adrian M]

Here

 

Ah! I knew it! Perhaps all those extra unused keys were included for a sequel or future games. Still a cool accessory back in those days.

[Nukey Shay]

WOW, that game really sucks then. Because once the enemies start shooing it is SO slow it is almost unplayable.

 

 

(double-take)

 

 

That's a -bit- harsh. The game was hailed as the first realistic real-time space sim. And it packed quite a lot of features in for being only a little 8k game...so much so that programmers at the time were baffled on how it was pulled off (granted, before P/M's became common knowledge).

[Nukey Shay]

Here

 

Ah! I knew it! Perhaps all those extra unused keys were included for a sequel or future games. Still a cool accessory back in those days.

 

Nah...just an updated version of the keyboard controller. Do these use the same circuitboard and cable that the keyboard controllers use? I suppose that would make this a bit cheaper to produce...seeing how Basic Programming and other keboard games aren't exactly smash hit sellers.

[bjk7382]

WOW, that game really sucks then. Because once the enemies start shooing it is SO slow it is almost unplayable.

 

 

(double-take)

 

 

That's a -bit- harsh. The game was hailed as the first realistic real-time space sim. And it packed quite a lot of features in for being only a little 8k game...so much so that programmers at the time were baffled on how it was pulled off (granted, before P/M's became common knowledge).

 

Well then maybe there is something wrong with my cartrige, because it is unbelievably slow. I thought it just had to do with my limited ram, but I have tried playing it on several occasions, and I hate it when it looks like it is in slow motion (with action on the screen)

 

I hated when my NES would slow down during heavy gameplay too.

[Nukey Shay]

If the slowdowns only occur during collisions and missile hits, then there is nothing wrong with your cart.

[bjk7382]

I just played it again, and there arent simple hits. I don't think it would slow down at all if they didn't have the hundreds of flying particles off of dead ships. Also when you ship gets hit by an enemy fire, there are hundreds of tiny particles coming off the explosions.

 

Why not just have a simple hit with no debris and no slow down?

[Nukey Shay]

Aha...hack idea - remove the routine that handles explosions

[bjk7382]

Aha...hack idea - remove the routine that handles explosions

 

Good idea, because other than the slowing down it is a pretty solid game for 1979. (I didn't know it was that old when I was bashing it)

 

It still isn't in my regular rotation of Joust, Defender, Centipede, Demon Attack, Moon Patrol, Choplifter, Missile Command and many more other than Star Raiders. Sorry to the die hard fans out there (there are some for every game, even the bad ones) (not that star raiders is that bad)

[Rob Mitchell]

WOW, that game really sucks then. Because once the enemies start shooing it is SO slow it is almost unplayable.

 

Dang! I worshiped SR when I got it in 1980! What a great game .. compared to Starship!

 

Rob Mitchell, Atlanta, GA

[+Cobra Kai]

Thats crazy talk, speaking about removing the particle explosions, and wishing they weren't present. Thats one of the games best features! You would have to take out the sound f/x too, because it wouldn't match. Think how stupid Star Raiders would be if you shot the enemy and he just disappeared with no effects and no sounds....

 

If you want to see Star Raiders in its full glory, get the 5200 version. There is still some slowdown in this version as well, but I always thought that the slowdown in this game was 'on purpose' because it adds drama, the same way directors will strategically put slow motion in films for effect.

[Nukey Shay]

I agree on the point that it makes the game less flashy...but you are kinda reaching with that "on purpose" thing If it could have been done, it would have. Anyway, the way I see it is that if a simple hack makes the game more enjoyable for anyone...then it is justified.

 

You have to admit...it would make the game even more challenging.

[Mendon]

Star Raiders was what enticed me to buy a Atari 800 in the first place. I walked into a store one day and saw a group of people watching someone play the game. I stood there for maybe a half hour or so watching, entranced by this incredible game. I finally found clerk and asked what the game was and walked out of the store that day with my first Atari computer and Star Raiders.

 

I've never played the 2600 version because I thought it couldn't do justice to the 8bit version. Anyone care to comment on how the 2600 version holds up to the 8bit version, as far as gameplay and depth?

 

And I also thought that Space Spartans for the Intellivision was a pretty darn good Star Raiders clone.

 

Mendon

[Room 34]

I guess I have never appreciated the magic of this game. I got it for Christmas in 1982 (when I was 8 ) along with Berzerk and Pitfall! Guess which game saw almost NO action...

 

 

In 1987 I got Solaris and I LOVED it... I immediately felt, this is what Star Raiders SHOULD have been, and I played the hell out of it while all of my friends wasted their time on Super Mario Bros.

 

 

This year I got a 5200 and Star Raiders. I have only really tried it once... I was impressed with what I saw, but not remembering the details of the game, and not having the overlays or manual, I didn't take the time to really "learn" it.

 

So... to someone like me who has had a bad relationship with this game from the very beginning; do you think it is worth it for me to learn how to play it on the 5200, or, since I do not feel the nostalgia for it that some of you do, am I just better off playing more modern and "advanced" space shooter games?

[Inky]

Here

 

Ah! I knew it! Perhaps all those extra unused keys were included for a sequel or future games. Still a cool accessory back in those days.

 

I still say they should have utilized it for Stargate / Defender II.

[Room 34]

Or better yet, just make a modified CX-40 with a couple more buttons on it!

 

 

Just think how much we could've had on the 2600 if the CX-40 had had a few more buttons. (And no, do not even mention the 7800's ProLine joystick! That thing's a JOKE!)

[bjk7382]

I guess I have never appreciated the magic of this game. I got it for Christmas in 1982 (when I was 8 ) along with Berzerk and Pitfall! Guess which game saw almost NO action...

 

 

In 1987 I got Solaris and I LOVED it... I immediately felt, this is what Star Raiders SHOULD have been, and I played the hell out of it while all of my friends wasted their time on Super Mario Bros.

 

 

This year I got a 5200 and Star Raiders. I have only really tried it once... I was impressed with what I saw, but not remembering the details of the game, and not having the overlays or manual, I didn't take the time to really "learn" it.

 

So... to someone like me who has had a bad relationship with this game from the very beginning; do you think it is worth it for me to learn how to play it on the 5200, or, since I do not feel the nostalgia for it that some of you do, am I just better off playing more modern and "advanced" space shooter games?

 

I agree with you 100%. I would MUCH rather play a game of Solaris than Star Raiders.

 

@Gunstarhero - There are also no little particles flying off the dead ships in solaris, that, and it doesn't slow down at all. I guess those two reasons were why I don't like star raiders.

 

But if you do look at the time gap inbetween Star Raid. and Solaris. That is probly why solaris is so much better.

 

BTW - Has anyone ever beat solaris? Without using the cheat game that is out there? I can get 5 or 6 screens into it and die every time.