Airlock: A Game That Takes "Worse Than E.T.?" To A Whole New Level.

#3 in our "Worse Than E.T.?" series.
See an update here: • Finding Success with A...
Airlock A game that takes "worse Than E.T." to a whole new level.
Did Data Age make games worse than the supposed worst game ever, E.T. for the Atari VCS? Were they also one of the culprits responsible for the North American Video Game Crash? Have we found the worst Atari VCS game ever made?
Watch and find out.
#atari #worst #2600 #vcs #dataage
Correction: The Article from Arcade Express about Data Age filing chapter 11 was from May 8, 1983, not May 8, 1984, which makes a lot more sense in context.
#atari #retrogames
They Create Worlds: Atari's Distribution Nightmare:
podcast.theycreateworlds.com/e...
10 Worst Products For Classic Gamers:
• Top-10 Worst Products ... night fuel support appreciated but not demanded : www.buymeacoffee.com/intothev...
All music, audio / video production. writing and game play by #JeffFulton and or #SteveFulton unless otherwise noted. (c)8bitrocket Studios
#Atari #IntoTheVerticalBlank #GenerationAtari
Into The Vertical Theme by Brian Travis
Title: Into The Vertical Blank theme Words & music by Brian Travis (c)(p)2021 Taste This Moment Music ASCAP
www.briantravisband.com/
Out of the Vertical Blank Theme By Tony Longworth
Find the full song on band camp
t.co/qxbudlAFCK
Research: Atarimania.com Atariage.com Atarilegend.com AtariCrypt MobyGames.com LemonAmiga.com
Find us here:
intotheverticalblank.com
Into the Vertical Blank: Generation Atari | Facebook
/ intotheverticalblank
Into The Vertical Blank Pod Cast - Twitter
/ atari_vb_pod
Jeff on Threads @jeffdfulton
Jeff on Twitter @8bitrocket
Steve on Threads @steveafulton
Steve on Twitter @fultonbot

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Correction: The Article from Arcade Express about Data Age filing chapter 11 was from May 8, 1983, not May 8, 1984, which makes a lot more sense in context.

[@originalfred66]

I bought this game when I was a kid because it was in the bargain bin. Yes, it was pretty bad, but it was actually fun for a while as I was figuring out how to beat it. Your game play was absolutely horrible. You cannot get hit by an enemy and expect to make it in time. You have to learn how to jump over the enemies. The real problem with this game is not that it is too hard. Learning how to jump the enemies and barriers is what makes it interesting for a while. The problem is that once you beat it, there is really no reason to play it anymore. While I admit this game is bad, it is similar to the fireball level on Donkey Kong, and I think it is a lot better.

[@SatoshiMatrix1]

Airlock's problem isnt that it's a bad game. It's problem is that it's _unfun_. There are many VCS games that have bad visuals or bad sound. What keeps Airlock from being in my rotation of games I play is that it lacks any sense of replay value because it's not enjoyable to play. As mentioned, it requires precision and its fiddlgy, with your character moving very oddly if you collide with walls. The worst part of Airlock is that it is also seemingly one of the more expensive VCS games. I've seen it for sale for $20 cart only.

[@jsrodman]

I'm pretty sure being unfun makes s game bad.

[@kins749]

I agree, this is one of the worst on the VCS, utter garbage

[@SyntheToonz]

Just don't jump on those boxes. 😊

[@steveafulton]

Very good idea!

[@DidYouReadEULA]

The concept of Airlock would be a great modern game.

[@steveafulton]

Actually, yeah, it would.

[@socrates0603]

I’ve been loving the “Worse Than E.T.?” series. You really give a serious in-depth consideration to the game. There’s intelligence and reasoning to the evaluation and you don’t simply trash or ridicule a game for the sake of denigrating it. As far as Data Age is concerned, when I started collecting 2600 games about eight years ago, I didn’t know anything about the Data Age games, but I was impressed with the box art and design. For that reason alone, I added them to my collection. It looks like that the box design is the only redeeming quality of most Data Age games 😂 I still haven’t played of the games, and after this video, it will probably remain that way for a long time.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Great comment! It will make Steve happy after some dude umsubscribed because of this video.

[@socrates0603]

@@IntoTheVerticalBlank that's just silly to unsubscribe because of this video. I mean this isn't the only kind of video you guys make, and no one else is making quality Atari content like you guys do and also with your unique perspective. His loss

[@kimslawson]

I had tears in my eyes listening to your tirade. Well played.

[@feralstorm]

Airlock is playable enough once you learn the pattern of it, but the comparison to a puzzle is apt. It's one of the few games that actually get easier as you go. You get ten seconds per floor/deck, which allows no margin for error on the first floor, but whatever time you have left carries over, adding up as you go, giving you more time to allow for potential mistakes.

[@adroharv5140]

the thing is E.T the game definitely isn't shit

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

That's the point of this series.

[@adroharv5140]

@@IntoTheVerticalBlank yes I should have worded that differently. Glad to see not all channels shitting on ET. Best of luck with channel

[@jasonbrown6113]

Anybody who calls ET the worst game ever is just repeating something they heard somebody else say. It might have had higher expectations for it than some of the other games but I'm not sure why as it's not really a great movie to adapt into a game.

[@steveafulton]

Totally agree. It was not the right movie to become a game, at least back then and in 5 weeks. I'm pretty sure E.T. licensed products did not sell well that Christmas.

[@jasonbrown6113]

@@steveafulton Yeah considering the rush it's probably better than it should be. You may have read it but if not Howard Scott Warshaw's book Once Upon Atari is great and gives a good idea what he was working against.

[@steveafulton]

@@jasonbrown6113 I love his book! After I read it the 2nd time, and did a review of it on this channel, I figured I'd try to find games that were "worse" to prove it was not the "worst game ever".

[@gravitywaves2796]

Or they had an experience like mine with the game. I got it with a box of used game carts with no boxes or manuals. In the days before the internet trying to figure out what to do was nearly an impossible task. While it's not the worst game ever it was all but worthless to me back in the day.

[@jasonbrown6113]

@@gravitywaves2796 I don't think I ever read an Atari instruction manual. But if the criteria is needing an instruction manual to know how to play it I'd say another HSW game, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, would be worse. I got it the way you described, with a bunch of other loose cartridges at a garage sale. Until the days of the internet I thought the game was just broken and was stuck on the first screen, turned out you needed to use both controllers just to get the game started.

[@Jolt7800]

I love this series. I am glad I steered clear of Air Lock.

[@TheHandOfFear]

9:31 Isn’t it called “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” not “Star Trek: The Movie?” I think maybe this had the same proof-reader as Airlock’s manual.

[@RetroCave-wr9tl]

This game was infuriating in couple ways. Besdies the gameplay and the pixel perfect jump requirements, the cartridge itself doesn't fit well into the slot of later console models.

[@lorensims4846]

I was already out of high school by the time the original Atari VCS was released. I avoided it because I considered its graphics capabilities to be inadequate based on the games I saw. I was all about the arcade games. I was interested in computer graphics and animation so I was looking for a computer. Only the Atari 400/800 Home Computers fit my needs. The CX40 joystick has always been my very favorite game controller, though those CX30 paddle controllers are pretty good too. I read about how the E.T. game was rushed out after only two weeks of development and that's what prompted the great burial and the video game crash. But those Data Age games are special. No, the graphics aren't the problem. The instructions are over complicated and the playability is abysmal. I'm guessing these games didn't get the kind of development time they needed either. AND their ideas just weren't up to the state of the art in home computer graphics of the time. Heck of a marketing team, though.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Marketed really well yeah. I think three of them (at least) were really just tech demos that they decided to release to build out their catalog. It might have worked in 1980, but not in 1982/1983 You can see their game chops start to emerge with Encounter at L5, but by then it was too late.

[@OptimusNiaa]

Though E.T. was part of it, the crash was prompted by more than that. People debate about how many factors there were, and their relative weight. I'd recommend starting with some videos where David Crane gives his take on what happened, if you're interested in digging deeper. And certainly look up the "They Create Worlds" podcast mentioned at the end of this video. I think doing so will illuminate some of what's said in this video regarding Data Age.

[@thegamesninja3119]

The combination of those sounds plus throwing in some cussing looks like a prime candidate for a Venjent KZbin music remix.

[@toaks2804]

I actually always enjoyed Airlock. ET however is a whole other story.

[@DavidB-rx3km]

Can you upload the songs from the record? Love bleeps in the play through!! 😂

[@Anthony-qt8wv]

I though Airlock was pretty good I had fun with it but E.T. was way better.

[@kins749]

Airlock is one of the worst VCS games ever

[@_wija]

i’d rather you keep the swears in, the bleeps are loud!

[@jonah1976]

Agreed. Though I wouldn't mind beeps that are 500 Hz at half volume. These defaults are endemic on KZbin.

[@inranglhood60]

E.T. isn't bad at all. We just have gamers that didn't read the manual. Airlock has no excuse...

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Your are 100% correct

[@robanderson5673]

E.T. was a solid game 7/10. Considering the 2600 has 128 bytes of Ram this game pushed the envelope on a few fronts. It had a title screen for example. Also the programmer was given 35 days from start to finish. Imagine what this game would have been if Warshaw had been given 5 months instead of 5 weeks.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

It would have been at least as good as Raiders (which I really like). Yeah this series is not about giving E.T. more grief (I even mention the E.T. title screen in every episode), this about showing that there were far far far worse games

[@andyauthor2007]

E.T. was not a bad game. If you had the owner's manual and understood how to play it, the game isn't an absolute train-wreck. Now, it's nowhere near the greatest Atari 2600 game of all time, but it doesn't deserve its bad reputation.

[@RichardTroupe]

I must admit I laughed at your frustration and swearing. 😂

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

That's what it was there for!

[@b.o.4492]

You are games journalist level of good at this game!

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Yeah, but it's still bad.

[@b.o.4492]

@@IntoTheVerticalBlank I had it a long time ago but I can’t say as remember playing it. Doesn’t look like I missed out.

[@SoulforSale]

I absolutely adore Airlock. It's quality is on the same level as Mountain King, Lost Luggage, Taz and Mario Bros. It is a short game (100 seconds) but it's a fun challenge to play through and move on. Brought this home along with Warplock, Bugs and Encounter at L5 for $5 each in 1983.

[@steveafulton]

I agree that Encounter at L5 is decent but the rest…oh boy. Good that you got your money’s worth though and have good memories

[@SoulforSale]

​@@steveafultonthere is a second level to Airlock that seldom gets shown

[@steveafulton]

@@SoulforSale Now you have challenged me to see it!

[@SoulforSale]

@@steveafulton hit the select button twice. wait until the first torpedo passes you and press the jump button just as it starts to come back. this will set up the perfect timing to jump every torpedo and barrier to advance through each level. the second level is basically the same with double barriers but if you make your first jump just as that first torpedo starts rolling back everything is set up to be timed perfectly. I've always wondered if submarines really have ten floors...

[@steveafulton]

@@SoulforSale I figure I need to play this again and really try to complete it. Hitting [select] gets you to an easier variation? Is that the one that gives you 15 seconds?

[@TheOneFreakservo]

Except ET was never really bad but OK

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Yes, that's the point of the series. People say it's "the worst game ever" but it's not. So we are proving it. There is, literally, a segment in every episode where we talk about E.T. being a fine game for what it was.

[@NullUndefined1337]

nice intro ... but one iteration is enough...good audio level ^^ the mic.... (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Noted!

[@curtisbloes7001]

I loved airlock!

[@dazbry7612]

Wow this game is bad😂

[@10072018]

I had a 2600 and a pile of games. Fact: The vast majority of 2600 games suck. E.T. sucks but it sucks in the same way that all the other games suck, in fact, it sucked less than a lot of them sucked. It's just one of those internet bandwagon things. Far far far far from the worst game ever made.

[@Mrshoujo]

Jeez, remove all those stickers & restick that lifted label. Curate your collection. Also Airlock is a finely tuned game. Once you get the timing right, it's fairly easy to beat. Ennui is pronounced "On Wee." It's French & means 'a feeling of listlessness & dissatisfaction arising from a lack of excitement.'

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Well, I have to say, the French much have seen Airlock coming.

[@datacipher]

Uh… yeah… purposely screwing up and then pretending to be frustrated is… well it’s AVGN territory but he’s much funnier about it at least. Really expect better of this channel. If this is your new direction, it’s poor.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

I pretty sure Steve is THAT bad at this terrible game the controls are awful

[@datacipher]

@@IntoTheVerticalBlank lol. Who’s Steve? Actually the game is REALLY easy and can be FINISHED IN MINUTES! Glad this wasn’t you Vertical Blank. I’ve enjoyed some of your good and interesting work - but unsubscribed just now since I’m not interested in really unclear AVGN wannabee - which is LONG since played out anyways. If you’re going to even attempt it, better be really clever and witty! In any case thanks for the old videos. Cheers.

[@steveafulton]

Actually, not true at all. That was my first play through on real the 2600+ captured in real time. After a rewatched the footage I realized it felt like sub-par AVGN which I even point out in the video. It's not a "new direction" it's just a one-off.