Atari 8bit / 5200 vs Colecovision: Atarisoft Proving Grounds

Atari 8bit / 5200 vs Colecovision: Atarisoft Proving Grounds
There were 4 games by #Atarisoft ported to the #Atari #5200 and #Atari8bit computers as well as the #Colecovision. These are: #Centipede, #Defender, #Galaxian and #JungleHunt.
Today we start a new series on the channel where we compare the Atari Soft classic ports from one machine against the other. We are not really comparing the merits of the machines against one another, because we have all seen that most of these 8bit machines can be pushed to do much more than they were used for in the early 80s.
Opening 0:00
Centipede 1:26
Defender 5:14
Galaxian 8:35
Jungle hunt 12:18
Closing 19:08
www.colecovisionzone.com/page/...
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All music, audio / video production. writing and game play by #JeffFulton and or #SteveFulton unless otherwise noted. (c)8bitrocket Studios
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[@ridiculous_gaming]

I remember watching Defender running on an Atari 800 at Simpson Sears, back in the day. The thought of owning one was simply a dream.

[@MotownBatman]

My Older Cousins had the ColecooVision, I (Still) had the 7800. I don't know why, but I loved playing the Coleco over my 7800 hands down

[@opcodegames]

Having recently interviewed one of the Atarisoft ColecoVision team members, I can tell you why the ColecoVision versions were usually technically superior and smoother, and were probably only getting better from there (with at least 4 more games cancelled but available as prototypes, Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, Joust, and Moon Patrol). The whole team was made of coin-op designer veterans, so they have more gaming experience than probably whoever was doing the 5200 versions.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Nice. My best friend (RIP Brandon) in Jr. High had a Coleco and we loved playing it all the time. I like exploring these other machines to see the good (or bad, but i like the good) work that went into the best ports.

[@eebuckeye]

Great video! Loved Atarisoft games back in the day for my TI-99.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Ti-99 is coming up in multiple parts as I only want to to about 4 games per video and there are enough for about 3 or 4 videos

[@diehlr]

The Atari 5200 version of Centipede is brilliant

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Love it!

[@feenix219]

Colecovision with the Super Game Module is producing games that blow the 5200 out of the water.

[@christo930]

I think the 7800 version of Galaxian (modern homebrew) is better than the Colecovision or 5200 version. But they all suffer from a problem that is difficult to overcome, the vertical resolution of the machines and the impossible to replicate portrait monitor the arcade original uses. Despite the NES having a height of 240 as opposed to the 192 of the 8bit line and Colecovision, even it looks too short. Maybe it is just the landscape monitor. But none of the full height vertical shooters look all that great.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

I my Galaxian Proving Grounds For just Atari Machines Video I pick the 7800 too, but of the original ports, I like the Coleco the best. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXOZdWuHormImck

[@runpcjon]

I'm not sure if you were playing on original hardware but I don't get any of those sound issues in jungle hunt my original 5200 or on the Atari 800. I think jungle hunt plays and looks much better on the Atari than the Coleco. The same can be said for frogger and frogger 2. I also like the explosions better in defender on the Atari 8-bit. Galaxian is much better on the clecovision. However it was also released two years later then on the Atari 8-bit.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

You are right. I just tried Jungle hunt on my 400 and it sounds better. Still it needs the music. It's a fun game though.

[@janwilt6974]

I think the ColecoVision jungle hunt looked terrible. No where near the Atari 8 bit and 5200 versions. But since the ColecoVision was ported by Atari I was thinking they just did a poor job, but I look at Frogger and the ColecoVision had pink logs.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

That Colcco frogger port is a embarrassment. The 2600 Supercharger version runs circled around it.

[@christo930]

12:22 It's not tay toe, it's Tie toe.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Yep. I did a whole tie-toe video for the ST ports and said it properly there, then f@cked it up in this video.

[@christo930]

23:03 No sound and monochrome sprites. There is absolutely no reason for the monochrome sprites and lack of sound. Using 2 sprites per Crocodile would have been simple. They are using 3 for the hero. Using 2 for the Crocodile would bring it to 5 total (2 for the hero and 1 Crocodile) on the same scan line. Putting 2 Crocodiles on the same scan line would raise it to only 7. If you need additional extra ones, again on the same scan line, there is always flickering. Flickering 2 of the Crocodiles would not be a big deal. The pokey is more than good enough to add in the sound.

[@feenix219]

How do you think the 7800 version of Centipede compares?

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

7800 Centipede is AWESOME. Better than both these for sure.

[@feenix219]

@@IntoTheVerticalBlank that was the one I had as a kid and it was pretty good. Now I'm wondering if the 7800 could use the 5200 track ball. Hrmm. I had a ColecoVision with a 2600 module from a garage sale, my first real system was the 7800. I'm still pretty unfamiliar with the Atari 8-bit stuff.