Arcade port vs. Original games

[curtishart]

Okay, overall which do you think Atari did a better job at?

 

Both sides have their plus and negatives imo, but overall I would have to go with the opriginal games. Most of the arcade ports just didn't translate well I think. There are some exceptions...but they're mostly earlier arcade games such as Circus Atari, Warlods and Breakout. I just think many of the later ports they should have taken the basic gameplay and make it their own.

 

Thoughts?

[Goochman]

Out of curosity what 'orignal' games did Atari make?

 

Mini Golf

Combat

Slot Racers

Star Raiders

ET - doh!

Haunted House

Adventure

 

Alot of what Atari actually did were ports from Arcade games

[curtishart]

Okay, fair enough since Combat is Tank; Outlaw is Gunfight/Boot Hill, etc.

 

I guess I'm thinking more along the lines of obvious arcade ports such as Kangaroo, Moon Patrol, etc where they buy the rights to port the game. Just some of the ports seems too focused on trying to get the game as close to the arcade counterpart so much it looses some of the playability rather than taking the arcade's concept (gameplay) and make a fun game.

 

Granted the two titles that got me thinking about this is Gravitar and Kangaroo (Don't care for either on the 2600)

[Stingray]

Clearly all of the arcade translations were inferior to the genuine arcade versions. The 2600 was just too limited to compete. I'm not saying that the games weren't fun and very playable, because many of them were. I think I must have put about a million miles on Ms. Pac Man. Mario Brothers is another one that I played to death. The original Atari games were always much better than the translated arcade games. Adventure, Superman, Yar's Revenge, etc etc etc.

 

-S

[ZylonBane]

The original Atari games were always much better than the translated arcade games. Adventure, Superman, Yar's Revenge, etc etc etc.

Demons to Diamonds, Taz, E.T., etc. You were saying?

 

I'd say if you split Atari's 2600 carts up into arcade ports and originals, you'd find a lot more fun over on the arcade ports side. Unless you're really into sports or board games... which you don't need a game console for anyway.

[Stingray]

Oh sure, you gotta mention ET!

 

-S

[+kisrael]

Clearly all of the arcade translations were inferior to the genuine arcade versions. The 2600 was just too limited to compete.

 

I think they actually improved BattleZone significantly, despite not having random shapes all over the field. Having 2 enemies around at once makes a world of difference.

[Stingray]

Being a huge fan of Vector arcade games I have to disagree with that (not that my opinion is any more valid than yours! ). Plus IMO battlezone really should be played with two joysticks. I was pleased to find the hack that allows you to do this.

 

-S

[ZylonBane]

I think they actually improved BattleZone significantly, despite not having random shapes all over the field. Having 2 enemies around at once makes a world of difference.

The arcade version had two enemies at once.