What are the good games, both graphically and fun?

[Gunstar]

I've just been reading a lot of 5200 reviews lately, trying to decide what games to get first(besides Star Trek and Buck Rogers, I loved those games on the computer and 2600!).

So far I've read about 40 or 50 reviews and there is one reoccuring theme in just about every review; the authors of the reviews always seem to say: "as far as the graphics go, this one isn't as good as other 5200 games." Since just about every review seems to say somthing to this effect, I'm just wondering; what ARE the 5200 games that have graphics up to system par?

[MrRetroGamer]

Hello,

 

Enjoy your (new) 5200. If you are into just playing and not collecting, you should really get the Multicart from Sean Kelly. It's worth the $$$, and has every released 5200 game (except Bounty Bob) and some protos too. Very nicely done.

 

BTW, his Vectrex multi is a fine piece of work too.

[Gunstar]

I'm both a collector and avid player, and I probably will get the multi cart eventually, but I don't have the money to shell out right now. So I'm getting a few the old fashioned way. By the way, do you have an earlier verion of the multi cart? Because I've read recently that the multi cart has EVERY game, even the protos, on it!

[MrRetroGamer]

Sean's Multicart cannot contain Bounty Bob because of a bank switching routine that this particular cart employs. It is the only 5200 games that uses this technique.

 

The version of his cart that I have is the latest, recently acquired directly from him.

[+Cafeman]

I REALLY want that multi-cart. I really do.

 

My problem is that I impulse-buy so many games that I never seem to have the $100+ dollars to make the purchase. I'm a terrible saver I suppose.

 

Besides, for that kind of money, I'm always afraid my young kids will break the dip switches. If they did, I'd have to break their little necks...

[Yokogawa]

quote:

---

Originally posted by MrRetroGamer:

Sean's Multicart cannot contain Bounty Bob because of a bank switching routine that this particular cart employs. It is the only 5200 games that uses this technique.

---

 

When I read about the multi-cart on Sean's page and his spiel about Bounty Bob and bank switching, "...this requires additional circuitry and for one game in the case of the 5200, it simply isn't worth it." I thought, it was more than worth it for Bounty Bob. The game is just seriously addicting. Plus, getting Bounty Bob puts a serious dent in the wallet! Having it on the multi-cart is certainly worth it to this 5200 fan.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for Sean's work and the multi-cart, I myself own the multi-cart, and thought it was worth every penny. Having most of the 5200 games at your fingertips in such a compact form is just awesome. It's just that having Bounty Bob on there would be like 5200 heaven. (well sticks aside that is)

[Tempest]

Your best bet is to get it for the Atari 400/800, I've seen two or three over the last month (after not seeing any for 3 years). Not only is it cheaper but the controlls are much better.

 

Tempest

[MrRetroGamer]

Or, just get the sealed Bounty Bob for the 5200 on EBAY now that is about $200.

[+Cafeman]

I think that Star Trek has pretty bad graphics. The gameplay is okay, but I easily tire of it, it's just not as much fun as the sit-down arcade version by far. IN fact, you can't even really use the main view-screen which takes up most of the screen, you really have to just watch the radar all the time.

 

I never played Buck Rogers, but considering the superior Sega hardware of the coin-op, I wouldn't be surprised at a lackluster conversion. Congo Bongo is pretty crappy too, come to think of it.

 

Many of the Atari games had great gameplay and visuals, such as:

 

Defender -- It's very close to the arcade version. great action game! Tons of explosions, particles, and ships everywhere. I think Steve Baker did a great job on this and Stargate.

 

Joust -- Also nearly identical to the arcade version, given the hardware differences.

 

Zaxxon -- graphically awesome for the day, but the gameplay is watered down from the arcade version because there are NO land-to-air missiles in the fortress. Still a great game, I'd have freaked out to own it back in 1984! (I just bought it in the spring of 2001).

 

Pac Man -- it's a bit stretched across the screen, but it's got solid no-flicker visuals and the intermissions! Great game.

 

Ms Pac Man -- another awesome port, but its got some flickering ghosts that you will need to get used to. Still nothing as bad as the 2600 flickering.

 

Jungle Hunt -- good amount of detail in the bgs. Plus you get the points on-screen for kills/jumps, which were always omitted in 2600/Intellivision games it seemed.

 

Galaxians -- very good visuals, but the gameplay is boring IMO.

 

Centipede -- The fatter graphics of the 5200 version are great, as is the excellent animation of the points, spider, fleas, and centipede itself. Frank Hauseman did this one, I think.

 

Berzerk -- minimalist graphics just like the coin-op, but AWESOME title.

 

Qix -- the best version of the day! I've heard that this game is in a different graphics mode than the Atari 8bit version, and that this is why the game is so much faster than that version. Minimalist graphics, but then again, just like the coin-op. The worst thing is the 2-Qix flickering.

 

Kangaroo -- good visuals, but the gameplay is frustrating (jumps!) and a bit poor in its design, IMO.

 

Activisions games were simple updates from the 2600 games, with more detail in the objects/bgs. For example, Megamania looks much better on 5200 than on 2600. River Raid's main difference (visually) is the 2-layer jagged riverbed. River Raid is difficult to play on 5200 due to the controller. Pitfall2 looks very similar to the 2600 version. HERO has more detail.

 

Other than those, Miner 2049er is a great game, and you'll need to play it to really admire the game. Lots of variety, good visuals, many different color schemes.

 

Okay, I'm done. I have other games but I can't recall them very well. To be honest, there are few games that I find down-right bad or ugly on the 5200. Kangaroo is pretty frustrating and not fun to me (bad music and sounds), and Realsports Soccer is dull to me (though I used to love it). Forget RS Football unless you have a 2nd player, as there is NO 1-player mode at all. Baseball is quite good though, and it talks.

[Gunstar]

Well, what can I say guys? Where do I start? I appreciate all your help. Most of the above games mentioned, I used to have on my 8-bit, so I know what they are like for the most part, including Miner 2049er and Bount bob strikes back. I always loved Startrek on my 8-bit, even if it wasn't as good as the arcade (what games were back then?), same with Buck Rogers, actually, this one I used to have on the 2600, so I'm sure I'll like the 5200 version. Pac-man, Q-bert, Berzerk!, StarRaiders, SpaceDungeon and super breakout came with the system. I also got Soccer and Football, but I don't know if they are the realsports editions or not. Did they actually say "realsports" on the cartridge like the 2600 counterparts? Or do I have earlier versions that are pre-realsports? My versions don't say "realsports" on them.

 

While I do like most of the games mentioned above, I guess I'm just looking for 5200 games with a bit more graphic "bite" to them like Rescue on Fractalus or Ballblazer, those game really pushed the system and I wanted to get others that did so too(I know Startrek and Buck Rogers aren't them, but I love those anyway). Maybe I'm just expecting to much from the 5200, but I know my 8-bit computer has games with great graphics like the 7800 and even better in some instances, so I just thought since the 5200 is basically an 8-bit at heart that it could do very well too. I wasn't expecting another 7800 necessarily, but maybe some games that are close, of course games like Joust do come pretty darn close to the 7800 version, except for the solid colored birds and riders. I know not to expect a game like Ikari Warriors or Commando, though it would be nice.

 

I'm still not clear about the multi cart (yeah I know I could go look for myself ), Are you guys saying that it has every game on it, including all the prototypes except for Bounty Bob?

[Albert]

I need to add my voice to the chorus singing praises about Bounty Bob Strikes Back. This is one of my favorite Atari 8-bit games, behind the (short-lived) Alternate Reality series. Bounty Bob is incredibly addicting and I found myself playing it in every spare moment I had, back when it came out. I recently purchased this on eBay for the 8-bit and it was worth every penny.

 

I'm still missing the 5200 cart, and it's one of three carts missing from my 5200 collection (the others being Frogger II and the Diagnostic Cart). I should have grabbed the "Buy it now!" cart that appeared for $200, but after spending nearly $100 for the 8-bit cart I figured I'd hold off on the 5200 version for a bit. I've never even played the 5200 version, but I assume it's identical to the 8-bit, except for the controls of course. I don't think I'd want to play Bounty Bob with those hideous 5200 sticks!

 

I haven't purchased any of Sean's multi-carts yet, but it'll happen eventually. If Bounty Bob was on his 5200 cart, I would have had it a long time ago.

 

..Al

[tillenterprises]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cafeman:

Pitfall2 looks very similar to the 2600 version.

---

 

Actually, when I first played Pitfall II for the 5200, I thought it was just a port of the 2600 version, with the solution to the game being the same. However, when I finally played it all the way through, I was shocked to find that after you complete the original part, a door opens and there is another level waiting for you! WOW! I never completed the 2nd part, so I don't know if there is more beyond that, or not- but check it out!

[Tempest]

BBSB isn't on the multi-cart because it uses some weird bankswitching that Sean didn't figure out until long after the carts went out. I don't know whats stopping him from putting it on there now, but he must have a good reason.

 

I like BBSB, but the jumping is too damn hard. In Miner you just jumped but in BBSB you can control your jumps which makes some of the levels very hard. Also those weird 3D looking levels make it hard to tell where the edges are (I fall off all the time). I actually like Miner better even though BBSB is the superior game.

 

Now if only they would find Scraper Caper...

 

Tempest

[+Cafeman]

tillenterprises,

 

Yes, thanks for pointing that out -- 5200 Pitfall 2 has mildly improved visuals, but it also has twice the game!

 

Has anybody ever beaten that *extremely difficult* 2nd level? With the wild bats and manic jumps and scampering bugs/rats? I sure didn't, but typing this makes me feel sad because it reminds me that I ran over a defenseless racoon tonight.

[Tempest]

Yep. It's hard but once you know where to go (or the general areas) it's not too bad. Actually the Golden Rope is the only really hard part (all that jumping). You need to get the Golden Rope, Flute, Flute Player, and Pot (no, not weed) and take them to a certain spot (where the scrolling message is) and you "leave" the caverns.

 

The story on how this special version came about is really interesting. Apperently they had two programmers, one working on teh Atari 5200 version and one working on the C-64 version. The guy who did the 5200 version took the original code (2600 version) and modified it for the 5200, while the C-64 guy decided to program it from scratch. They finished about the same time but the 5200 version had onlymild bugs that were easily fixed, while the C-64 version had major bugs because it was done from scratch. So during the time the C-64 guy was debugging the game the 5200 guy made the extra level. It was an interesting experiment on which approach to programming was better.

 

Tempest

[+Cafeman]

Actually Tempest, I just read that recently. Did you just read that recently too? where?

[Inky]

One 5200 game I was extremely addicted to was Activision's the Dreadnaught Factor. It was very Xevious-esque. Visuals were workable, but the gameplay is where this baby shined!

[mos6507]

>>

Berzerk -- minimalist graphics just like the coin-op, but AWESOME title.

<<

 

5200 games were often tweaked 8-bit titles. Berzerk has the advantage of software voice synthesis, probably by virtue of the game coming out later than the 8-bit version and with more memory available for the samples.

 

River Raid adds balloons and tanks, which make the game more challenging, IMHO.

 

 

The only 5200 titles I've played were the ones ported by Glenn the 5200 man to run on the 8-bit, but I think the most original 5200 title was Space Dungeon...

 

I'd love to see ALL the 5200-original titles ported back to the 8-bit. Then there would be no real reason to play the 5200 anymore and you'd be able to minimize your gear...

[Albert]

quote:

---

Originally posted by

:

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for Sean's work and the multi-cart, I myself own the multi-cart, and thought it was worth every penny. Having most of the 5200 games at your fingertips in such a compact form is just awesome. It's just that having Bounty Bob on there would be like 5200 heaven. (well sticks aside that is)

---

 

I just recently picked up Sean's mult-carts and I also wish that Bounty Bob was on his 5200 cart. It's now the only game I don't own for the 5200 and it's the one I most want to play on the 5200 (figures). However, I did buy an Atari 8-bit Bounty Bob cart on eBay recently, and that's how I owned it way back when BB came out. And it's probably much easier to play on the Atari 8-bit using a normal 2600 controller. It tops the list of my favorite cartridge-based games for the Atari 8-bit (Alternate Reality gets the nod for disk-based titles).

 

..Al

 

[ 08-21-2001: Message edited by: Albert ]