Atari 8-Bit Games I Just Think Are Neat (And Don't Rely on Key Controls) - Beyond The Scanlines

[@JH-pe3ro]

Fort Apocalypse is a classic(although it was one of those games that felt obviously abridged...only two levels). I'd love to see one that goes deeper on Synapse since they were a big part of the Atari's early game library - Pharoah's Curse, Claim Jumper, Alley Cat, Dimension X, Air Support...all really interesting games, though sometimes relying too much on RNG or a confusing ruleset.

[@ThisIsPete]

Can't argue with any of these -- all of these are titles I've always loved! My personal favourite of the bunch is probably Zone Ranger, which I believe deserves way more love and appreciation than it gets, but GACCRR is also one I really enjoy coming back to time and time again. Koronis Rift is one I really need to sit down and spend some time with... probably with the manual by my side to remind myself what all the symbols mean! As a kid, I absolutely loved the presentation of it, but had absolutely no idea whatsoever what I was supposed to be doing. I suspect I'd have a whole new appreciation of it now.

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

I'll admit, I still struggle with knowing the symbols on Koronis, which is probably why I've never really pushed far in it. But the overall exploration is rather special, and why I know I love it, and need to spend more time with it as well! Totally agree about Zone Ranger - I first came across the C64 port in Activision's early Win95 collection of C64 games, and it was just as unique there. Though I think the budget reissue through Firebird meant it might have had more traction there. But it's certainly one I'd love to see get more love in general.

[@WhatHoSnorkers]

And those really are neat. I know very little of the Atari 8-bit computers but they do look awesome!

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

They're great machines. There's a lot of great games which started there that I couldn't feature here (Mercenary, Star Raiders, Rescue on Fractalus and The Eidolon amongst others), and a lot of great arcade ports and conversions from elsewhere. They are machines I think 8-bit enthusiasts should mess around with - whether through real kit or the likes of emulating with Altirra or some port of Atari800.

[@MattLacey]

There was a moment there in your coverage of Survivor where it looked like you were pulling out the Death Blossom (I did have to look up the name) from The Last Starfighter... which is another game I loved on the system purely because I could pretend I was training to go into space. Remember talking to you in the past about TGACCRR... it's an excellent driving game and really does hold up today. Remember trying Koronis Rift as a kid and not having a clue about what I was doing, I've not looked at it in years and was genuinely surprised by how good and colourful the HUD etc. was! Last but not last, Rally Speedway... had some excellent times playing that with my brother when we were young. Turning off collisions and going absolutely flat out was always hilarious to us!

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

That's one of the real strengths with Survivor - in solo, it acts like Bosconian when firing, but in 2/3 player mode, P2 & 3 can aim in any of the directions - so it's easy to get a faux-Death Blossom there. (It want a real 800, just to get some folks together to try it - the downside of only having an XL and XE here). I struggle a bit with the icons in Koronis, but I love the whole idea of exploration and slowly building up. It needs a lot more time from me to master it, but it still feels oh so unique, which is a big, big bonus! As for TGACCRR, I remember those chats - it's honestly become a game that I've really appreciated much more as an adult. Sure it took a while to click BITD, but since then I've always appreciated it. Just now, picking up on the extra layers, and I'm just so impressed about it. The subtle things are really where things can surprise, and its a testament to the overall design that it holds up so well!

[@PG-gs5vb]

@@BeyondTheScanlinesThere's a patched version of Survivor that supports the Multijoy interface which you can connect to any 8-bit Atari and enjoy games for 4-16 players.

[@PG-gs5vb]

Glad to see another dive into the Atari 8-bit library! Good choices there, though I did not play some of these. For the next round, I'd love to see some platformers included. I can give you some tips if you want.

[@ultrasteveg]

With the 800XL being 'my' first computer as a kid (The Beeb we had first was really my older brother's), this kind of video really gels with me. I like the 'no keys' approach you've gone for with this one, and is relevant in this age where many people emulate, or even just couch-game. As for the picks, solid! We align on a good few. My Ballblazer appreciation is off the scale. Loading that for the first time as a kid I was blown away. The graphics felt out of this world (and not just in content), they moved at a blistering pace, and the gameplay was just as fast and frantic. Throw in the procedurally-generated music with its crunchy basslines and I was living in the future! Lucasfilm were also responsible for two of my all time favourite games in Rescue on Fractalus and The Eidolon, too, though to my shame I've never played Koronis Rift. I think as with many other people, not really understanding it when I was young means I should pick it up and play it again now, hopefully getting it more! Blue Max was an often-played for me, too, and I love the mechanics of it. It felt so much more detailed than a lot of its peers, and was always worth 'one-more-go'. I love Rally Speedway, but only came to know it a few years back when I took part in an AtariAge Forum High Score Challenge for it. It's fast, and a lot of fun, though I've never had the two-player experience you mention. GACCRR is something I only played after you introduced it to me in your C64 racer videos, even though I'd obviously heard of it and seen the cover a million times when I was younger! I'm glad though, as it's excellent fun, and another that had a depth not seen in too many games of the time. As ever, a few here I've not played before, so you've done good work again and I look forward to trying them out. And I really appreciate the 'just because you dig them' videos - it 100% opens the doors to stuff that many wouldn't know about from the usual ones. It's also good for getting me to think about some of the titles I'd be suggesting if I were asked to produce a similar list!

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

As much as I love more complex games, I had to acknowledge the times so to speak - which is why I sort of thought about the little theme. Without it, Fractalus would certainly have made it - was one of the first carts I grabbed when I got my 800XL, alongside Star Raiders of course! I've not spent anywhere near the time Eidolon deserves - it's something I have to try properly at some point. Perhaps once I feel like I've mastered Koronis Rift enough to beat that. One day. I wish I could actually say I've spent time in 2P mode with Rally Speedway - it's one of those where I feel like I had to mention it or I'd get blasted at (as has happened with other games in the past). I would love to actually try it sometime, but distance and lack of nearby friends is always an issue (or those who do like retro stuff don't really go for the computers). I guess for me, this is what being able to share these games is all about - talking about the ones which strike one's fancy, and have more value than just what we enjoyed in the past, or as "hidden gems" and completely discounting the joy of playing stuff! Even if you're crap at it (like I am with Fort Apocalypse) :)

[@ultrasteveg]

I do think one of the downsides of our interest as 'grown-ups' is that the 2-player couch-gaming thing is a lot harder to achieve. It's a more solitary hobby (which I'm usually totally fine with!) than when we were kids, particularly as you rightly point out with the computers vs consoles. Though there's also a lot of pleasure in being able to pick up some of these games as an adult and have them make more sense, and the time and space to enjoy them without your mate going, "this is boring, put IK+ on!". As for playing games that we're crap at, that definitely doesn't have to be a negative - there are quite a few games I enjoy playing even though I'm not much good at them. I think that's a really important point, and why 'easy' modes or cheats shouldn't *always* be sniffed at, as that's a way of seeing a game beyond our skill level. @@BeyondTheScanlines

[@woodsmal]

So many games for me to try out on my THE400 ! I learn so much from your videos - I didn't realise that Adventure International created anything other than adventures. I'm also curious about Survivor with four players working cooperatively. Thanks Rob.

[@adameberbach]

Nice one Rob - I just got some 8-bit systems so I am happy to find some games to try out.

[@merman1974]

Would love to see a follow-up on homebrew titles - while I know a few (and particularly enjoy Yoomp, which is included on the Atari 400 Mini), it would be interesting to get a curated list of what I should try. And I feel this list nicely compliments the games included on the Mini. I knew a few of these from their C64 incarnation, so it will be interesting to compare. I'm a huge fan of Pastfinder and its random background generation system - I got the C64 version at budget price, and that was a bargain for the amount of time I put into it. My usual Dropzone tactic is to hang on to the last scientist - this means the computer won't launch invaders into the base. It's risky but it can make some levels a lot easier. I also tend to use the cloak more on spore waves.

[@mmille10]

Half of these were on my favorites list when I was a heavy Atari 8-bit user. I loved the look of Dropzone, but I found it super frustrating to play. I'd get blown up so fast. I was a bit dazzled by the gameplay for it displayed here. The guy actually lasted more than a few seconds, lol. Some others I'd suggest are International Karate, Rescue on Fractalus, Encounter, and Stealth/Landscape.

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

Encounter's a good choice, but wasn't part of this because it was included in a certain mini console, which is why the goal was to showcase games which didn't rely on the keyboard. Something that rules Fractalus out, which like OG Star Raiders is an essential on the A8s. But when you don't have access to a keyboard, it kind of makes them unplayable. Also, please don't dehumanise me by saying "the guy". Just because I don't show my face on camera, or on the thumbnail (looking like a fool), I'm as much a person as anyway, and by leaving a comment, it shows you want to have a conversation with the guy behind all this stuff. So calling me "the guy" doesn't particularly make me feel great.

[@mmille10]

@@BeyondTheScanlines - What I was referring to with "the guy" was the suited character in the game, not you, who I now know was the person playing it. I encourage you to take it as a compliment of your skills. I was just commenting on what I saw on screen, nothing else. :)

[@OtterlyInsane]

Nerdy correction - the Blue Max is a German medal (Oddly with a French name) Pour la Mérite. For a computer range that started in 1977, there are some fairly impressive looking games for the Atari 8 bit range. I don't know much about them, are a lot of the later games playable on the original 400 and 800 if they have enough memory?

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

A range which was originally released in 1979. Memory-wise, I know the 800 can be brought up to have enough for modern games, but not so sure on whether the 400 can be expanded beyond 48k. But that's only what I've read - I've only got an 800XL and a 130XE here, and I've not really needed to expand RAM beyond the 128k of the latter.

[@JohnSmith-zw8vp]

I feel bad for whoever had to settle for the 400 model. Granted it was better than nothing and still basically the same computer(?) but you'll never learn proper typing that way!

[@MattLacey]

True, but it's still one of the best looking machines ever made :)

[@jinchoung]

lol. perfect simpsons reference.