This is such a hard review for me to do. I will explain at the end. So I loved Circus Atari. This is another great update for the 7800. PacManPlus (or Bob) has done an awesome job. This is Circus Atari with the bells and whistles.
This is a great update on a classic. I love the new and fresher looking sprites and like the %u2018boss%u2019 battle when you clear a screen. I love the cameos that you may see while playing. I also like how if you want to feel the nostalgia of the original you can change the graphics to make it resemble Circus Atari. The powerups can be extremely frustrating. I almost have to recommend avoiding going for them as they are often out of your way. It is still a neat addition and from time to time you are able to grab one that you need.
This is a great party game. It is fun to play either two player alternating or simultaneous if you are feeling more chaotic. Fun will be had, clowns will fall on their face. It has good sprites, gameplay, and music%u2026. Which brings me to the hard part of this review. The music%u2026
This game features Pokey music. Now don%u2019t get me wrong, the music is fitting for the game, and it is good. However, I%u2019m not sure this game warrants the additional price of adding a pokey. I think this game could stand on its own without that addition which also adds an additional cost. I do not think this game utilizes the Pokey near as well as the game Bently Bear%u2019s Crystal Quest (if you don%u2019t own it track down a pokey and buy that game!)
So.If you loved Circus Atari or want a fun pick up and compete game this is a 4-5 star game easily. However, I don%u2019t think the Pokey is needed knocking down the stars. I will be honest, I%u2019m torn on this rating. I will finish by saying while I paid more for the Pokey, I am not upset with the purchase. It really is a great game.
IMPORTANT!
This version of Super Circus AtariAge requires that you send us a POKEY chip or Ballblazer cartridge before we ship your order!
Please read all the details below.
This version of Super Circus AtariAge requires that you send us a POKEY chip or Ballblazer cartridge before we ship your order!
Please read all the details below.
Big Doings Under The Big Top!
How good are your reflexes? As the clown bounces around in the different directions, you try to catch him on the teeter-totter. Send him up to the top of the big top to pop red, yellow, and blue balloons worth different points. The harder the "pop", the more you score!
Gameplay
Score as many points as possible by breaking all of the balloons, catching all of the power-up balloons that occasionally drop from a popped balloon, beating the 'boss balloon', and catching one of the bonus items that periodically float across the screen.
Catch your clown on the high end of your teeter-totter (located at the bottom of the screen), so that the clown on the opposite end gets flung into the air! Catching your clown on the outmost edge of the teeter-totter causes him to fly higher.
You have three rows of balloons at the top of the screen; each a different color and each moving at a different velocity. There are also two sets of bumpers that will bounce your clown in different directions when hit. You start the game with three reserve clowns. Each time you miss catching a clown with your teeter-totter (or land a clown on top of the other), you lose a reserve clown. If you lose all of your reserve clowns, your game is over.
Features
- 2 Game Modes
- 1 or 2 Players, alternating or simultaneous
- 3 Difficulty Settings
- Joystick and Paddles supported
- 8 different Power-Ups
Super Circus AtariAge uses an on-board Atari POKEY chip for sound effects and music. Unfortunately, the POKEY is a custom chip produced by Atari. This means that the only POKEY chips in existence are those that were manufactured for Atari 8-bit computers (400/800, 800XL, 130XE, etc.), the Atari 5200, certain Atari arcade games, and the two Atari 7800 games Ballblazer and Commando. There are very few sources of new, unused POKEY chips. Many are removed from Ballblazer carts, as they are relatively common. These chips have not been produced in 30 years!
This means that we do not have many POKEY chips. If you want a copy of Super Circus AtariAge, you'll need to either send us a POKEY chip or send us a Ballblazer cartridge and we will remove the POKEY chip. The price of the game is discounted to reflect that you'll be sending us a POKEY.
You may be thinking, "But the price is still $55!" Copies of the game with a POKEY chip (when we have them) are $70. The boards for Super Circus AtariAge (and Bentley Bear's Crystal Quest) are larger and more complex than those typically used for 7800 games. They require more parts and they take longer to solder. If you send us a Ballblazer cartridge, we have to desolder the POKEY chip, and there's always the possibility that the POKEY will not work after it's been removed (although we try to be very careful when removing it!). With Ballblazer carts, we can reuse Atari's circuit board, but that still requires desoldering parts and soldering on new parts. Overall it's a more involved, expensive, and time consuming process than it is for non-POKEY games.
If you have a source of POKEY chips or Ballblazer carts, please contact us if you'd like to sell or trade them to us.
How to Get Your Copy of Super Circus AtariAge
To get your copy of Super Circus AtariAge, do the following:
- Add the game to your shopping cart (along with anything else you want to purchase) and checkout normally.
- We'll send you an email with instructions on how to send us a POKEY or Ballblazer cartridge.
- Once we receive the chip or cartridge, we'll test it to make sure it's working.
- We'll then make your Super Circus AtariAge game and ship it to you!
- If we do NOT receive your POKEY chip or Ballblazer cartridge within 30 days, we will cancel your order and refund your payment.
- If you order other items with Super Circus AtariAge, everything will ship together!
If you have any questions about the above process, please contact us.
Additional Information
Super Circus AtariAge includes a box, game cartridge, and a full-color, 4-page manual. Super Circus AtariAge is available in NTSC and PAL television formats. Please choose above (if you don't make a selection, you will receive the NTSC version by default).
| Number of Players | 1 - 2 |
| Controller | Joysticks or Paddle Controllers |
| Cartridge Size | 32K |
| Code and Design | Bob DeCrescenzo |
One of my favorite games when I was a kid is Circus Atari. This game blows it away in every possible way.
The music is pleasant, the sound effects great. Clown animations and graphics are well done.
There are a ton of game options including 2-player alternating or simultaneously (which gets pretty hectic).
All standard controller options present, Joystick, Paddle, Driving. I prefer the Paddle.
Lots of powerups that affect gameplay (think Arkanoid) or give extra lives. I even saw a cameo on-screen!
This game is a must have for the Atari 7800.
The music is pleasant, the sound effects great. Clown animations and graphics are well done.
There are a ton of game options including 2-player alternating or simultaneously (which gets pretty hectic).
All standard controller options present, Joystick, Paddle, Driving. I prefer the Paddle.
Lots of powerups that affect gameplay (think Arkanoid) or give extra lives. I even saw a cameo on-screen!
This game is a must have for the Atari 7800.
Back in 1977 Exidy produced an Arcade game called Circus. It featured an Analog rotary dial and black and white graphics. Atari would take that game and produce on the VCS Circus Atari. For those with only black and white televisions and familiar with the Arcade original would feel like the arcade experience was right at home complete with the 2600 paddle controllers. Any with color displays, simply could flip the consoles setting to B&W to also enjoy the arcade similarities.
Many though with color televisions enjoyed the default color upgrade presented by the VCS port of Circus better known as Circus Atari to those well acquainted with the 2600 console.
It's not 10, 20 or 30, but the 40th Anniversary of the original Arcade release. It is indeed something to celebrate as the port delivered to the 7800 provides everything a fan of the Arcade or 2600 version could want and more. Newcomers to the game (concept) will also thoroughly enjoy this fantastic upgrade to its forerunners.
Off the bat, 2600 fans rejoice, the option to play with the original box balloon and stick figure clown graphics, and simple launching platforms as well as seesaw is available. It is truly a very nice option and treat for those holding fond memories.
Where this game truly shines though is the upgrades. Several power-ups are available that will clear balloons, adjust balloon movement speed, physics of the balloon and clown interaction, extra life, and even a safety net.
A plethora of options include 2-players alternating or simultaneously playing. In an alternating game it can even be decided whether both players will share the same set or have a different set of balloons. It can be decided if balloon replenishment is on a row or an entire board cleared basis.
The entire screen/all balloons replacement holds an added bonus. As if the game is not exciting enough keeping a player constantly on their toes respecting the movement of the seesaw, clown placement, and power-up item from the sky, there is also a boss with its own little entourage - we'll keep the exacting meaning under wraps; just watch for cameos.
Also quite excellently, Super Circus Atari supports a few different control schemes. Of course there is the paddles and joystick; also a driving controller can be utilized as well. The amount of thought and options evident is tremendous.
A delightful background melody plays in the background driven by a POKEY chip. The graphics, particularly the clowns are very well done. Love their playful animation. The truly important part, and passing with flying, spectacular colors are the controls and physics. This was really tweaked exceptionally well. So well in fact, even those without the definitely preferred paddles or driving controllers, still have a blast with a joystick. I found gameplay to be still quite fun and managed very well with a 7800 Proline joystick in hand. Make no mistake about it though; while the game is great with a joystick, a paddle controller makes it excellent.
So whether it is a great or excellent gaming experience desired Super Circus Atari Age is one to play and one to own on the system.
Many though with color televisions enjoyed the default color upgrade presented by the VCS port of Circus better known as Circus Atari to those well acquainted with the 2600 console.
It's not 10, 20 or 30, but the 40th Anniversary of the original Arcade release. It is indeed something to celebrate as the port delivered to the 7800 provides everything a fan of the Arcade or 2600 version could want and more. Newcomers to the game (concept) will also thoroughly enjoy this fantastic upgrade to its forerunners.
Off the bat, 2600 fans rejoice, the option to play with the original box balloon and stick figure clown graphics, and simple launching platforms as well as seesaw is available. It is truly a very nice option and treat for those holding fond memories.
Where this game truly shines though is the upgrades. Several power-ups are available that will clear balloons, adjust balloon movement speed, physics of the balloon and clown interaction, extra life, and even a safety net.
A plethora of options include 2-players alternating or simultaneously playing. In an alternating game it can even be decided whether both players will share the same set or have a different set of balloons. It can be decided if balloon replenishment is on a row or an entire board cleared basis.
The entire screen/all balloons replacement holds an added bonus. As if the game is not exciting enough keeping a player constantly on their toes respecting the movement of the seesaw, clown placement, and power-up item from the sky, there is also a boss with its own little entourage - we'll keep the exacting meaning under wraps; just watch for cameos.
Also quite excellently, Super Circus Atari supports a few different control schemes. Of course there is the paddles and joystick; also a driving controller can be utilized as well. The amount of thought and options evident is tremendous.
A delightful background melody plays in the background driven by a POKEY chip. The graphics, particularly the clowns are very well done. Love their playful animation. The truly important part, and passing with flying, spectacular colors are the controls and physics. This was really tweaked exceptionally well. So well in fact, even those without the definitely preferred paddles or driving controllers, still have a blast with a joystick. I found gameplay to be still quite fun and managed very well with a 7800 Proline joystick in hand. Make no mistake about it though; while the game is great with a joystick, a paddle controller makes it excellent.
So whether it is a great or excellent gaming experience desired Super Circus Atari Age is one to play and one to own on the system.
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