Archive for the ‘Atari Inc.’ Category
Atari 2600: Seaquest
June 28th, 2009 by Sean R.
Yet another expertly-programmed Activision game, Seaquest is a sight to behold. The bright blue water, red sunset, and crisp graphics are incredibly inviting.
The game offers some engaging, yet repetitive, rapid-fire submarine action. Manning a yellow sub, you must rescue lost divers being chased by sharks.
The blue divers look funny as they kick frantically with jaw-snapping sharks on their heels. You’ll also have to contend with gray submarines that fire torpedoes.
Your sub can carry up five divers at a time, and considering they are nearly as large as your sub, you wonder how they can all fit in the thing! It’s like the clown car of the ocean!
Your oxygen is limited, but that’s rarely a factor. What is a factor is the small, unassuming ship patrolling above. He looks friendly enough, but that son of a [expletive] will try to ram your ass when you surface! Bastard!!
I love Seaquest’s bright visuals and crisp controls, but its gameplay gets old in a hurry, and not necessarily due to the difficulty level. Basically it’s the extra ships you get at every 10K that water down the challenge and drag things out.
Still, Seaquest by Activision is an appealing title that gets by mainly on the strength of its good looks.
Posted in 2600, Activision, Atari Inc., Console Games
Atari 2600 Cartridge Remade Into Wallet
June 14th, 2009 by Sean R.
It is $55.00 USD, however, the maker of this fine conversation piece says all of an Atari 2600 cartridge’s parts, except for one screw, are re-purposed to help make it into a wallet.
The maker, Nilesz, is running a win-a-wallet contest over on his site, which of course gives you the info on how to order one.
From his blog, it sounds like he does take mail-in requests, but you need to make sure you’re sending him something usable first.
It’d be geektastic if he could do the old Imagic cases, but the 14 he does offer – including Haunted House, Circus Atari and everyone’s favorite, E.T. – are slick enough.
Source: Nilesz – Project Atari 2600 Wallet
Posted in 2600, Atari Inc., Homebrew, Videos
Atari 2600: Pressure Cooker
May 31st, 2009 by Sean R.
If this Atari 2600 game is any indication, working in a fast food restaurant is an absolute blast!
Pressure Cooker lets you play the role of a short-order cook, a concept we didn’t see again until Cooking Momma took the Nintendo Wii by storm in 2007.
Pressure Cooker lets you assemble burgers by piling tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and onions onto beef paddies moving down a conveyor belt.
The bottom of the screen shows a “checklist” of ingredients required to create the next three orders. Read the rest of this entry…
Posted in 2600, Activision, Atari Inc., Console Games
Racing the Beam: Atari 2600 Hardware
March 18th, 2009 by Sean R.
The Atari 2600 Video Computer System was, in fascinating ways, unlike any other videogame console.
As the first wildly successful home gaming console, the Atari 2600 was in millions of homes for well over a decade after its 1977 release.
Even after Atari fell out of favor and Nintendo took over the 8-bit game business, Atari continued to produce Atari games and hardware until 1992.
Do you think Nintendo will still be manufacturing Wii consoles in 2021?
As most of my friends know, I’m a huge Nintendo fan and still own all my classic consoles, but I’m going to say probably not. Sorry Nintendo. I still love you.
The VCS’ unrivaled longevity is all the more astounding when one considers that the hardware itself was nearly obsolete even when it was first released.
The VCS’ unique hardware limitations forced game designers to jump through all sorts of hoops to squeeze more complex game designs out of the VCS.
In a new book from MIT Press titled Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System, media studies professors Nick Montfort and Ian Bogost present an engaging, fascinating look at the VCS platform and how it changed the nature of game design.
The Atari 2600’s crazy hardware changed game design forever. If you’re into classic gaming consoles or just old hardware and technology in general, check out this book. It’s worth the $22.95 USD.
Posted in 2600, Atari Inc., Culture
Atari 2600: Frogger
March 17th, 2009 by Sean R.
This is easily one of the greatest and most popular classic Atari 2600 game cartridges of all time.
Frogger features bright, colorful graphics that appeal to both men and women of all ages.
Your little frog must first cross a busy street filled with all sorts of speeding cars and trucks. He must then navigate a river full of logs, snakes, alligators, attractive lady frogs, and juicy flies.
Not only does this version have all the elements of the original arcade hit, there are also a few extras thrown in like a “speedy Frogger” mode and the ability to drift off one side of the screen and reappear on the other.
Harmonized music only plays before and after each game, but it sure sounds great, especially for an old classic game from the early 1980’s.
The bottom line, 26+ years later, I personally think Frogger for the Atari 2600 is a “must have” retro game for any classic game collector.
For added retro gaming goodness, you can play Frogger in our free online classic game room anytime you want.
Posted in 2600, Atari Inc., Console Games
Atari 2600: River Raid
March 15th, 2009 by Sean R.
River Raid designed by Carol Shaw for Activision has got to rank as one of the top five Atari 2600 games of all time.
This excellent vertical shooter requires precision flying and accurate shooting as you guide a jet through a river valley while blasting ships, helicopters, planes, and bridges.
Flying over fuel barges restores your ever-dwindling fuel supply, and savvy gamers will destroy these just after refueling (for extra points). When your fuel gets low, it’s a good idea to hold you fire so you don’t accidentally blast an upcoming barge. Read the rest of this entry…
Posted in 2600, Atari Inc., Console Games
Atari 2600: Frostbite
February 20th, 2009 by Sean R.
At first glance you’d be tempted to write off Frostbite as “Frogger in the snow”, but closer inspection reveals some interesting twists on the old formula.
There’s a river on the bottom half of the screen with four rows of “ice floes” moving across it. Controlling an Eskimo, you must leap across the floes while avoiding birds and crabs.
Pressing the fire button reverses the direction of the ice floe you’re standing on. Each time you jump on white ice, it turns blue and an igloo block is created on the top of the screen.
Once the igloo is fully constructed, you can enter it to proceed to the next stage. Later stages introduce a polar bear that patrols near the igloo.
Frostbite requires strategy and quick thinking. Like most Activision titles, the graphics, sound, and control are first-rate.
Two skill levels and a two-player mode are included. Give Frostbite a try and you’ll be hooked for sure.
Posted in 2600, Activision, Atari Inc., Games
Atari 2600: Fishing Derby
February 7th, 2009 by Sean R.
This ingenious game was created by David Crane, the man who later programmed the legendary Pitfall (Activision, 1982).
Nowadays we take our fishing games for granted, but back in 1980 Fishing Derby was quite the novel concept.
Two fishermen sit on docks on opposite sides of the screen, and by adjusting your line with the joystick, you attempt to hook one of the many fishes swimming below.
Deeper fish are worth more points but require more effort to reel in. The fire button lets you reel in your fish quickly, and timing is key to avoiding the shark prowling along the surface, ready to snatch up anything in his vicinity.
Fishing Derby’s graphics are very good. The fish look like fish, the shark looks like a shark, and the rednecks look like rednecks.
Overall Fishing Derby doesn’t offer much replay value for the solo player, but it does provide some terrific and sometimes hilarious head-to-head action.
Posted in 2600, Activision, Atari Inc., Games
