blaster

[+RangerG]

I have a blaster auto-fire attachment by Questar. There are other similar items for the 2600 joysticks. Does anyone use them? What games do they work on? I know the box says Zaxxon, Defender, and others. What are the others? Thanks --

[Ze_ro]

An autofire attachment should work in pretty much any game that you need to press the button fast in. I'd think that in a lot of games though, this wouldn't be very useful (and might actually be bad). For example, in Space Invaders, you can't shoot until your previous shot has left the screen... rapid-fire is pretty much useless. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, if you keep pressing the button, you'll immediately use up all your items. This is quite obviously bad. In Pac-man, the button does nothing, so the auto-fire attachment will not be of any help.

 

Of course, for games like Star Raiders, or Star Trek, or most other space games, this thing will probably be quite good. Sounds like a neat gizmo, but it seems like cheating to me.

 

--Zero

[NE146]

Gizmos to give you rapid fire in 2600 games were available back in the day, although I'm not sure of their names (although I could look it up).

 

However, I remember in a couple of magazines.. probably ads, that they would write up as a "trick" that the rapid fire devices would give you invunerability in Defender. This was of course since in the game, each time you fire, you'd turn invisible so if you fire'd rapidly enough, you'd never be on the screen.

 

Just thought I'd mention that because it was kinda goofy to be mentioned as a "feature", even back then.

[Lemmi]

when i had my 4 switch console with the game space invaders i could shoot up to 3 or 4 bullets at a time

 

I would flip the power switch back and forth quickly (when the power switch was near the middle position just keep flipping) theres a term for it but i forgot (frying maybe?)

 

so ya dont need the rapid fire controller

[moycon]

I know when playing space invaders if you turn on your Atari while holding the reset down you will fire double shot... I dont remember ever getting more than that. When I'd fry that game I'd wind up with Aliens or a gun that looked like they were already blown up.

[Lemmi]

yup i got that a few times to but i just kept doing it till everything looked normal

 

but i havent done that Frying since i was a kid and was prob. why my 4 switcher died so fast, who knows, but i dont like doing that now adays cause i respect my atari more now then i did back then

 

[ 10-27-2001: Message edited by: Lemmi ]