paul, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel

I had to plant a vegetable garden, tend to it and then sell the vegetables to be able to get my first Atari system and a few games.

Corn, green beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Still have it boxed up in the garage. Need to break it out.

#BackInMyDay
#HashTagGames

(👆 I was just getting ready to post this when yours popped up)

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@paul are we talking about a 2600? 5200? 800?

I had the 2600 then an 800.

There were some terrible games on the 2600. Frogs & Flies comes to min.

There were great games on that 800. Bruce Lee and Ralley Speedway come to mind.

paul, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@paul what were some of your favorites?

Dig Dug perhaps

paul, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel

I played Dig Dug

Others:
Pac-Man ( +Jr + Ms)
Centipede
Submarine Commander
Football (Super, too)
Home Run
Mario Bros
Pole Position
Donkey Kong

There's more. I have like 100 games.

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@paul oh yeah donkey kong was pretty legit

donkey kong Jr too
Pitfall
the best game was actually Pitfall II - final answer

Pit Stop was good, but I think that was on the 800.

qurlyjoe, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel @paul
My faves were Frogger and Missile Command for my 2600. And something with teeny little ostriches flying around. Can’t think of the name. Then I got a BASIC cart and programmed the accounts for the condo I was the treasurer for.

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@qurlyjoe @paul Joust.

Joust is the winner. 🔥

qurlyjoe, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel
JOUST! Yes, thank you.

@paul

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@qurlyjoe @paul I like the part about the basic cartridge too.

I still have mine ..

zachnfine, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel @qurlyjoe @paul Atari 2600 games I remember especially enjoying:

Yar’s Revenge
Pele’s Soccer
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

Yes E.T. was a fun game despite what everyone says, because it was difficult and inscrutable and sinister.

I can still hear all the sounds from the flickery 2600 version of Pac Man as I write this.

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@zachnfine @qurlyjoe @paul I do vaguely remember Yar's revenge but I'll have to look these all up

zachnfine, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel @qurlyjoe @paul Yar's revenge includes some really cool programming tricks to add complexity. It draws some items on the screen that couldn't fit in memory together on alternate frames, and it also uses the actual program code as a visual texture.

Some more info here:
https://retrovolve.com/the-visual-trick-that-makes-yars-revenge-work/

and in a more detailed interview that also covers E.T. here:
http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_howard_scott_warshaw.html

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@zachnfine @qurlyjoe @paul I've never actually encountered anyone who admitted to playing ET let alone enjoying it 🤣

The only thing I know about it is they buried them in the desert and I never even saw it..

paul, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel @zachnfine @qurlyjoe

I left it off my list intentionally 🤣

sezduck, 9 months ago

@paul @dannotdaniel

My favorites on the Atari 2600 were: Pac-Man, River Raid, Combat

I had an Atar 5200 which had good games & improved graphics, but the controls were garbage & the console quickly became obsolete. But I did love: Pac-Man, Mario Bros, Joust, Pitfall 2

#RetroGaming

dannotdaniel, 9 months ago

@sezduck @paul

All good selections.

Combat was the first game I had right with Pac-Man.
River raid was pretty good but I had that on the Atari 800 I think.

Pitfall 2 is amazing with the balloon rides and whatnot. Here is the entire map for nostalgia purposes (okay I don't have it but I will edit this shortly)

Deadcert, 9 months ago

@dannotdaniel we knew how to game hard in the late 70's