SteveW Posted July 27, 2006 Share Posted July 27, 2006 I know this is a tough one, considering the platform, but does anyone have some suggestions for halfway decent Channel F games? A co-worker has one in his attic, still with it's original box and a dozen games, and he's going to give it to me soon. I don't know all that much about Fairchild/Zircon games, so if anyone has some experience with good games for it, i'd like to know. Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRetroGamer Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 I know this is a tough one, considering the platform, but does anyone have some suggestions for halfway decent Channel F games? A co-worker has one in his attic, still with it's original box and a dozen games, and he's going to give it to me soon. I don't know all that much about Fairchild/Zircon games, so if anyone has some experience with good games for it, i'd like to know. Anyone? Depends on what your definition of "good" is? Being the first programmable system with a very limited release of a total of 26 carts and very limited graphics ability, it's hard to say that most of them would qualify as more than OK at best. I owned this system since new and have played every game that was available. Personally, the ones that I find entertaining were Maze, Torpedo Alley, Sonar Search, Dodge-it and Wizball. Unfortunately, due to the simplicity of the games, you'll still find yourself easily bored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Desert Fox Spitfire Space War Maze Video Pinball Dodge-It Video Whizball I think you'll find Desert Fox and Video Pinball to be, in some ways, more advanced than their Atari counterparts (Combat and Breakout). For instance, in Desert Fox you can aim your gun in different direction than you are moving in -sorta like Robotron. Video Pinball allows you to adjust your paddle size before the game starts, which surprised me when I first played it, I didn't think Channel F games could have features like that. It's really cool that a co-worker even HAS a Fairchild, let alone the willingness to give it to you! I hope it works! (BTW, there were discussions a while back about homebrewing for the Channel F. I presume nothing ever became of that?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezrabad Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 #16 Dodge-It You control a square. The game releases another square that you have to dodge. It releases another and another and another. You score points based on how long you can dodge the squares. Size of playfield, speed of squares is random. http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...p;showentry=895 #20 Video Whizball This is fun and pretty original. http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...p;showentry=914 #8 Mindreader / Nim Well, I had fun with it, but I'm wierd. http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...p;showentry=648 #20 Schach (Chess, Saba only) It's Chess on the Fairchild and it doesn't suck. Foreign cart, though. http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...;showentry=1417 #14 Sonar Search It's like a videogame version of Battleship! Yes, it is as fun as it sounds. http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...p;showentry=676 I hear #25 (Casino) and #26 (Space Invader clone) are good, but I haven't played them, yet. Umm, Bowling might be a little fun. Drag Rce has been compared unfavorably to losing a toe in an industrial accident, but I didn't dislike it quite that much. Good luck, though chances are your neighbor will only have carts 1, 2 and 3 and maybe 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 This question is like asking 'My friend is giving me a toilet. Can you suggest some good turds?' Seriously, the thing make a nice conversation piece, and that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirin jensen Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 This question is like asking 'My friend is giving me a toilet. Can you suggest some good turds?' Seriously, the thing make a nice conversation piece, and that's about it. Is that based on actual ownership or is it just looking down your nose at an also-ran from the period because it'll make you look cool in front of the big kids? There's a hopmebrew of Tetris at least, but it's not cuirrently available on cart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 I want to try the Channel F out. I've always been interested in it, ever since finding one on a storage shelf at the school my mom taught at around 1980 or 1981. I liked the look of the machine, and the 8-track looking cartridges. So i'd like to get a Fairchild, just out of curiosity's sake. I've listened to interviews with Jerry Lawson, the creator of the Channel F, which gives me a good appreciation for the machine. Even if I play it about as much as I do the Odyssey2 (virtually never), it'll still be a nice addition to my collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Is that based on actual ownership or is it just looking down your nose at an also-ran from the period because it'll make you look cool in front of the big kids? Listen, pal. If you want to be rude, do it somewhere else. The only 'kid' in this post seems to be you, judging from your poor manners. The Channel F is about as primitive and unplayable as it gets, right up there with the RCA Studio II. I happen to own a couple of the units, with a stack of games, and none of them even approach playable. Since the unit was based off of a very early non-6502 chip that really restricted what you could do with it. Very slow and clunky. I happen to like most of the other 'also ran' systems like the Odyssey 2, Astrocade and Arcadia, but the channel F is not even remotely fun to play. You don't have to agree with my post, or my sense of humor, but let's leave leave the name calling and poor manners out of this, hmm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrizzLee Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I always thought the best game was the Pong style game (can't recall its exact name). Great game where your could move you paddle anywhere on your side of the screen and twist the controller to adjust the angle of attack. It is my favorite version of the pong games. Other than that, Alien Invasion wasn't too bad. I wish someone would hack the colors and put in a black background for many of these games. I hated the white. I also liked the doodle game as well. -Lee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 The Channel F is about as primitive and unplayable as it gets, right up there with the RCA Studio II. Oh come on, nothing is as bad as the Studio II. At least the Channel F sucks in color! Tempest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusk2600 Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 i agree with tempest, fairchild is an xbox 360 in comparison to the studio 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezrabad Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Is that based on actual ownership or is it just looking down your nose at an also-ran from the period because it'll make you look cool in front of the big kids? Listen, pal. If you want to be rude, do it somewhere else. The only 'kid' in this post seems to be you, judging from your poor manners. The Channel F is about as primitive and unplayable as it gets, right up there with the RCA Studio II. I happen to own a couple of the units, with a stack of games, and none of them even approach playable. Since the unit was based off of a very early non-6502 chip that really restricted what you could do with it. Very slow and clunky. I happen to like most of the other 'also ran' systems like the Odyssey 2, Astrocade and Arcadia, but the channel F is not even remotely fun to play. You don't have to agree with my post, or my sense of humor, but let's leave leave the name calling and poor manners out of this, hmm? Hey, Lord Scatalogical-boy, you said "turd" first. You're the ill-mannered, potty-mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Dodge-It is as good as it gets on the Fairchild. It inspired my 2600 game Solar Plexus, but it's more intense because as you progress, more and more enemies start bouncing around the screen. It's good stuff... on a not-so-good system. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Oh come on, nothing is as bad as the Studio II. At least the Channel F sucks in color! i agree with tempest, fairchild is an xbox 360 in comparison to the studio 2 Ok, I'll have to conceed that point. The Channel F has controllers too. Hey, Lord Scatalogical-boy, you said "turd" first. You're the ill-mannered, potty-mouth. The fact that I called a system I don't like a turd is grounds for personal insults today? My daddy can beat up your daddy! Must be something in the water today... Childish comments aside, the Channel F really isn't very playable (that's an opinion folks, we all have 'em). The Odyssey 2, which is primitive by even 2600 standards is far more playable in comparison. Who knows, some talented homebrewer might be able to drag a decent game out of the hardware, but the existing titles are pretty bad. That being said, the history of the system is really funny. Most of the games were programmed by this really talented but not-quite-stable guy who lived in the office and doubled as the janitor. He would freak out and punch holes in the wall occasionally, but he did some brilliant things with the very limited hardware. Pretty interesting. There was a seminar at one of the Classic Gaming Expos about it. A buddy of mine had a recording of it, I think. I should see if I can get a copy of it to link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 That being said, the history of the system is really funny. Most of the games were programmed by this really talented but not-quite-stable guy who lived in the office and doubled as the janitor. He would freak out and punch holes in the wall occasionally, but he did some brilliant things with the very limited hardware. Pretty interesting. There was a seminar at one of the Classic Gaming Expos about it. A buddy of mine had a recording of it, I think. I should see if I can get a copy of it to link. I never knew that! That is kind of funny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemmi Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 my 5th grade teacher had one in our classroom and when it rained outside we got to play it during recess no love for Tic-Tac-Toe? thats my vote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 no love for Tic-Tac-Toe? "YOU LOSE TURKEY" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 That had to be a real bummer on Thanksgiving. JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW Posted July 29, 2006 Author Share Posted July 29, 2006 That being said, the history of the system is really funny. Most of the games were programmed by this really talented but not-quite-stable guy who lived in the office and doubled as the janitor. He would freak out and punch holes in the wall occasionally, but he did some brilliant things with the very limited hardware. Pretty interesting. There was a seminar at one of the Classic Gaming Expos about it. A buddy of mine had a recording of it, I think. I should see if I can get a copy of it to link. I never knew that! That is kind of funny. Yup, that was in the interview with Jerry Lawson from CGE 2004. But the guy wasn't a janitor, he was a programmer with a really violent temper. He'd punch a hole in the wall in frustration, then he'd promise to repair it later. You can download the interviews from that show here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mezrabad Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 That being said, the history of the system is really funny. Most of the games were programmed by this really talented but not-quite-stable guy who lived in the office and doubled as the janitor. He would freak out and punch holes in the wall occasionally, but he did some brilliant things with the very limited hardware. Pretty interesting. There was a seminar at one of the Classic Gaming Expos about it. A buddy of mine had a recording of it, I think. I should see if I can get a copy of it to link. I never knew that! That is kind of funny. Yup, that was in the interview with Jerry Lawson from CGE 2004. But the guy wasn't a janitor, he was a programmer with a really violent temper. He'd punch a hole in the wall in frustration, then he'd promise to repair it later. You can download the interviews from that show here. Yeah, one story Jerry tells in that session is about how that programmer did something with the controller ports and used them to squeeze a little more memory out of it. If I remember correctly he found he could 'set' the controller port to be a certain value and then read the port like a variable without affecting gameplay. Boom. Extra memory. Something that has always confused me: When did Zircon take over the Channel F? It's my understanding that the Zircon released games (22,23,24,25,26?) were written in 1979 but weren't released until Zircon resurrected the machine. I don't know if that happened in 1982 (which is what some sources say) or in 1979 (which is still the dates on the carts I have.) Not that it was used to its best advantage, but I find the controller to be quite comfortable. I wonder if it's worth hunting down the controller Zircon made for the Atari VCS. I could see the way the stick "fires" becoming awkward in a rapid fire situation. Hmm, don't get many of those in a Channel F game. I forgot to mention Shooting Gallery (on two different carts for some reason.) is fun in a Zen sorta way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I wonder if it's worth hunting down the controller Zircon made for the Atari VCS. I wouldn't mind a set myself! They seem kinda tough to come by though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRetroGamer Posted July 30, 2006 Share Posted July 30, 2006 I wonder if it's worth hunting down the controller Zircon made for the Atari VCS. I could see the way the stick "fires" becoming awkward in a rapid fire situation. Hmm, don't get many of those in a Channel F game. I have a set, and these include a real button instead of using the plunger to activate fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassGuitari Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 I wonder if it's worth hunting down the controller Zircon made for the Atari VCS. I could see the way the stick "fires" becoming awkward in a rapid fire situation. Hmm, don't get many of those in a Channel F game. I have a set, and these include a real button instead of using the plunger to activate fire. Those are pretty gnarly! The only ones I've seen looked the same as Channel F controllers, but had that same "Video Command" logo on the side. The button's gotta be nice, games like Asteroids would be pretty tough to play with the plunger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Thag Posted July 31, 2006 Share Posted July 31, 2006 Never seen those! I'll have to track down a pair. Colecting weird early controllers is a hobby unto itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e5frog Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I know this is a tough one, considering the platform, but does anyone have some suggestions for halfway decent Channel F games? A co-worker has one in his attic, still with it's original box and a dozen games, and he's going to give it to me soon. I don't know all that much about Fairchild/Zircon games, so if anyone has some experience with good games for it, i'd like to know. Anyone? I like #14 Sonar Search. It's ofcourse more fun if you're two players, then #9 Maze can be fun as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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