Caverns of Mars

[sandmountainslim]

Tell me a bit about the 8 bit game Caverns of Mars.

I read that Conquest of Mars is a port of it to the VCS but is Caverns of Mars itself a port?

Was it released only for the 8 bits or was their a 5200 version also?

Thanks.

[Vic George 2K3]

Caverns Of Mars was originally released solely for the Atari 8-bit computer systems. It's only very recently that it was also released for the 5200 (as a direct port) and for the 2600 (the crappy version made for the Flashback 2 as well as Champ Games' Conquest Of Mars).

[sandmountainslim]

Caverns Of Mars was originally released solely for the Atari 8-bit computer systems. It's only very recently that it was also released for the 5200 (as a direct port) and for the 2600 (the crappy version made for the Flashback 2 as well as Champ Games' Conquest Of Mars).

I take it that Conquest of Mars is much better than the version used on FB2? (I have never played a FB2)

[Inky]

I never played the FB2 Caverns of Mars, but Conquest is pretty dern close to the 8-bit (I simply LOVe the 8-bit version. It was the whole reason I wanted an 8-Bit in the first place!)

[Lord Helmet]

Caverns Of Mars was originally released solely for the Atari 8-bit computer systems. It's only very recently that it was also released for the 5200 (as a direct port) and for the 2600 (the crappy version made for the Flashback 2 as well as Champ Games' Conquest Of Mars).

I take it that Conquest of Mars is much better than the version used on FB2? (I have never played a FB2)

 

That would be an affirmative.

 

Although it is cool to see two different programmers attempts at the same game (for example, the two versions of 2600 Millipede).

Edited July 28, 2006 by Lord Helmet

[ZylonBane]

Unfortunately, the firing rate on the Conquest of Mars is way too low. In the original Caverns of Mars, you can fire again immediately after your last shot hits something. But Conquest forces a slight delay. This makes the "missile" wave significantly harder than it should be... pretty much to the point that a even a hardcore Caverns fan such as myself was sorely tempted to just give up.

[Video]

Conquest of Mars is AWESOME for the 2600. I wasn't aware it was on another system, though it seems familiar.

 

Great game though....

[sandmountainslim]

Conquest of Mars is AWESOME for the 2600. I wasn't aware it was on another system, though it seems familiar.

 

Great game though....

 

I agree

I bought it from the AA Store last week and will have to say that it is probably in the 10 best Atari games I have ever played! Hats off to the programmer, isn't he the same feller who is currently working on Ladybug?

WP

[Lord Thag]

It looked cool in the store. This will probably be my next homebrew purchase. I must be one of the few 800 owners from back in the day who never played (or heard of) this game until recently. What makes it so great?

[+johnnywc]

Conquest of Mars is AWESOME for the 2600. I wasn't aware it was on another system, though it seems familiar.

 

Great game though....

 

I agree

I bought it from the AA Store last week and will have to say that it is probably in the 10 best Atari games I have ever played! Hats off to the programmer, isn't he the same feller who is currently working on Ladybug?

 

Thanks - that's very nice of you to say! I'm glad you're enjoying the game so much. CoM was always a favorite of mine back in the day - it always reminded me of Scramble which at the time was my favorite arcade game.

 

And yes - my next game is Lady Bug, which is in the final phases of testing and will be released on cart sometime next month.

 

Thanks again for the kind words! Any high scores to report????

Edited July 29, 2006 by johnnywc

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I take it that Conquest of Mars is much better than the version used on FB2? (I have never played a FB2)

FB2's Caverns of Mars sucks!

 

Conquest of Mars is ten times better!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

I agree

I bought it from the AA Store last week and will have to say that it is probably in the 10 best Atari games I have ever played! Hats off to the programmer

Maybe you want to write a review for the AA store?

[sandmountainslim]

 

Maybe you want to write a review for the AA store?

Done!

Just waitin for Alberto to OK the review.

[sandmountainslim]

 

 

And yes - my next game is Lady Bug, which is in the final phases of testing and will be released on cart sometime next month.

 

Thanks again for the kind words! Any high scores to report????

No high score for me!

I am playing on the hardest difficulty and have yet to conquer the first cavern.

Ladybug next month??

My birthday is in September, that is definately going at the top of my "want list" .

I have actually been looking forward to the release of Ladybug moreso than any game to be released for any system in recent memory. I loved the arcade when I was a youngster so chalk me up for a copy!

WP