2600 port vs. modern emulation

[Nostalgic]

I've noticed something odd about myself recently...

 

I have the 2600 Ms. Pac-Man. I also have Namco Museum 3 for the PlayStation, which includes an emulated version of Ms. Pac-Man.

 

When I want to play, I normally choose the 2600 version first.

 

Has anyone else experienced a preference for the 2600 interpretation over an emulated version of an arcade game? Nothing replaces the real thing, but I find it odd that the 2600 game is what draws me in at home.

[Ze_ro]

Are you saying you choose the 2600 version over an arcade-emulated version?

 

Either way, I'd agree... emulation never captures the entire feel of the game. The only real way to play Pac-man (or Ms, or Jr) is on either a REAL arcade machine, or on the 2600. Anything else just isn't the same (Even if it looks and acts the same)

 

--Zero

[CosmicJoke]

Ze_ro:

quote

The only real way to play Pac-man (or Ms, or Jr) is on either a REAL arcade machine, or on the 2600. Anything else just isn't the same (Even if it looks and acts the same)

Please don't take this as an insult, but, Ms. Pac-Man was an arcade game, so, playing on any system other then the original hardware configuration isn't "REAL". So, playing the 2600 version isn't any more real then playing an emulated version on PlayStation or MAME or the Microsoft version to name a few. This really just boils down to which you prefer.

The 2600 version of Ms. Pac-Man is fun and playing it on a real 2600 brings back more "nostalgic" feelings then playing on a much newer system(PlayStation) This could be a reason why you like it better. Also another reason may be that the Atari joysticks are truer to the arcade control then a PlayStation joypad.

[Atari-Jess]

(this is about the 2600 ms pacman)

but you gotta think that, number 1 you are not playing an arcade PORT you are playing a game that was remade for another machine. number 2, A psx is still gonna feel like a psx unless you are using arcade controls. number 3, therefore, playing the ms pac man cart on the atari 2600 is gonna feel more real than an emulated version of the actual arcade on a psx ever will.

[Nostalgic]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atari-Jess:

playing the ms pac man cart on the atari 2600 is gonna feel more real than an emulated version of the actual arcade on a psx ever will.

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I think this has a lot to do with it. The original PS controller isn't very good for switching directions quickly. (Buttons for direction control is quite hard to work with.) I bought a joypad and it helped somewhat. However, it seems a true joystick is best for arcade-style games, as Cosmic Joke suggested. (Playing Gaplus with a joypad is awful!)

 

I also think that the Namco Museum emulation isn't great. It's good, but not great. The squashed screen technique used for the Pac-Man family of games makes the game seem smaller, and the alternative for vertical games is to scroll (Dig Dug), which changes the game a bit, or to cut the top and bottom off the screen (Xevious, Gaplus). I was much more impressed by the DOS-based emulation in Williams Arcade Classics. Those were fast and dead-on and even playing with a joypad worked well in some games.

 

Maybe the difference is that the 2600 version feels like an arcade-style game and the Namco Museum emulation feels like a photocopy of a photocopy, faded and gray.

[Ze_ro]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atari-Jess:

A psx is still gonna feel like a psx unless you are using arcade controls.

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I think it would take more than that to make it feel like an arcade game... Without the whole stand-up machine, and the smoky, seedy environment... it just doesn't feel like an arcade to me

 

--Zero

[King Atari]

For me, although I love original arcade versions, just saying that you own the "home version" gives a sort of pride. Back then, they really were home versions. Today, if there's something in the arcades (although I haven't been very impressed with modern arcades), they can port it over no problem, it will be the exact same thing. When Atari was top, getting an arcade port was a big deal. It was the same game, but it wasn't. I know I'm not making much sense here, but try and understand. Getting a home version makes you feel like you now own a hot game, which you do, you have enriched your video collection by purchasing that title, and now you can practice at home, then go to the arcade and destroy your friends!

 

[ 11-25-2001: Message edited by: King Atari ]

[NE146]

I got really good at the arcade Q-Bert by practicing the atari 2600 version at home.

 

I also initially bought the 2600 solely to play SPACE INVADERS but I was far less successful with that (it being such a far cry from the actual arcade version). No, I had to drop a good number of quarters away from home to get good at that one

[MrHappy]

I just noticed yesterday while playing frogger on my VCS that I dont even remember what the original looks like. When I think of frogger, I think of VCS. I cant even picture the arcade graphics for frogger. Can anyone help me out here? Is there a version of the original in either frogger 1 or frogger 2 for the dreamcast or psx? Hmmmm.

[Albert]

quote:

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Originally posted by MrHappy:

I just noticed yesterday while playing frogger on my VCS that I dont even remember what the original looks like. When I think of frogger, I think of VCS. I cant even picture the arcade graphics for frogger. Can anyone help me out here?

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Take a look at this link, which is KLOV's entry for Frogger. There are two screenshots, one of which shows the playfield.

 

..Al