My Top 10 Atari 8-bit Arcade Games

[@TheTechDungeon]

See my top 10 overall choices for Atari 8-bit games at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5LcaGCEntCVrMU I also have a new series with the wife and son where we compare popular Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 8-bit titles to see which one is better. The first episode of that is at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmXLaWSqo8-Lm8U

[@IAmCargo]

hopefully you get this. the past few years, everytime i thought of minecraft, i always had this faint memory of this group of people, the main person having a monotone voice and the name liz, and a mario skin. i spent like 30 min trying you and i looked back on an old account of mine. i was subbed to you and watched your channel back in 2011 when i was 8/9 and i believe you were one of the influences that got me to play minecraft and start a channel! thank you for the memories

[@TheTechDungeon]

You're welcome

[@IAmCargo]

@@TheTechDungeon =) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@lorensims4846]

I was a kid of the sixties and the seventies so when I went into the arcades in the very early '80s, it was my own money I was spending for the rolls of quarters I needed. Walter Cronkite showed me SpaceWar at the MIT lab on his show The 21st Century. We actually got to play the first commercial video game Computer Space at the Ohio State Fair. In those days it was still the closest we could get to actually using a computer. I went to tech school to learn computers in 1980 and got an Atari 800 because (being originally designed as the successor to the 2600) it had the very best graphics of any home system. I didn't have any of those games you listed, though Pac Man, Joust, Defender and Donkey Kong seem to be the very best conversions, within the limitations of the Atari 800. I got my Atari 800 to program it. It was a fascinating machine to program with its separate video processor with its own instruction code. I only bought games as graphics demos so I could figure out how they did what they did. I got a complete Computer Science education with that machine. I have since been looking at some of the FlashBack game systems, but none of them can compare with the graphics of the Atari 800. The graphics on the 2600 were completely unacceptable to me. I also miss those old Atari game titles. It's very hard to find useable versions of Missile Command, Tempus, Asteroids, Breakout and Super Breakout.

[@TheTechDungeon]

Thanks for your story. It is always awesome to hear from other people who had these systems back in the day.

[@1960ARC]

I agree about the flashback, why not an 800XL flashback. I have a shield , great for emulation.

[@originalfred66]

Atari computers had some great arcade conversions. I absolutely loved Defender, Joust, and Donkey Kong. The Dig Dug conversion did not look quite as good as the arcade version, but it played great, and it was also one of my favorites. Great list!

[@TheTechDungeon]

Thanks! Glad you liked the list.

[@IntoTheVerticalBlank]

Great Selections. Also, awesome Who reference in you Channel title!

[@TheTechDungeon]

Glad you liked them!

[@riversarcadereview385]

Arcade Gyruss used a joystick

[@Corsa15DT]

Its good that you have names on the right ribbon and on the timeline

[@wallacelang1374]

My favorite Arcade Game conversions for the Atari 8-Bit Computer are #1 Deluxe Invaders (a superior port of Space Invaders) by Roklan Corporation, #2 Pac-Man by Atari, #3 Asteroids by Atari, #4 Defender by Atari, #5 Donkey Kong by Atari, #6 Frogger by Parker Brothers, #7 Missile Command by Atari, #8 Q*bert by Parker Brothers, #9 Pengo by Atari & #10 Dig-Dug by Atari. I have others that could expand the list up to 25 arcade video games but I believe that that would be too much for now.

[@TheTechDungeon]

Great choices

[@lurkerrekrul]

I used to love Gyruss on my C64. I had all the patterns memorized and could usually play it until my hand cramped up. I rolled the score 2-3 times in a single game once.

[@TheTechDungeon]

Didn't realize there were patterns to it. Wonder if the C64 was the only version or if the Atari version also had patterns. I assumed it was random

[@lurkerrekrul]

@@TheTechDungeon No, they all had the same patterns as the arcade. There are four waves of enemies on each stage, although if you destroy all or almost all of them, you will usually get a fifth wave coming in from the edge of the screen. On the first two stages (Neptune), two lines of enemies will come out from the center for each wave, they will meet at the opposite side from where they emerged, then turn around and go back. The first wave comes out at (compass points) NW, NE and they meet at S. The second wave comes out at N, W and meets at SE, then N, E and meets at SW, then the last wave comes out at SW, SE and meets at N. If you position your ship at one of the exit points, you can wipe out half the wave as it emerges from the center, then catch the other half at the meeting point, although you have to be careful you don't get shot in the process. However on the first wave, you shouldn't kill all the enemies. The reason for this is that you need some left in the center for the three satellites to appear. Shooting the center satellite gives you double shots, which is essential for being able to easily wipe out the enemies. The first bonus round after reaching Neptune, the targets enter from each side at the top and form a ring in the center, then a bunch enter from the lower left, loop around and leave to the left. then two lines enter from the lower left and right, forming a ring in the center, mirroring the first set, and the last wave enters from the lower right and mirrors the second wave. Actually a lot of waves are mirrored versions of previous waves. If a wave enters the screen from the upper left, it's a good bet that one of the following waves will be from the upper right. Once you memorize where each wave enters the screen, you can position your ship to take them out as they enter. I actually like the C64 version a little better than the arcade. The arcade version has sound effects for the shots and hitting the enemies, which kind of drowns out the music. The C64 only has sound effects for wiping out an entire wave, shooting the satellites, getting the double shots, shooting the targets on the bonus rounds and when those two things with the forcefield between them come out. The colors on the enemies aren't as pronounced though, but it does have a sort of "music" on the bonus stages, even if it's not arcade accurate. Of course the home versions are a little easier than the arcade version.

[@pfcrow]

An additional one worth considering is Gorf. I had the disk version, which saved the high score, but I rather wish I had bought the cartridge version, though I don't know if that dropped anything else. It felt very close to the arcade version.

[@niceColdWuhta]

My childhood channel. Among Us i guess?

[@ulisesgomezd.3405]

Hey man, nice top. But, where do you left Moon Patrol, Ms. PacMan, Pole Position, or Robotron 2084? Well, this is your top, but those are my suggestions, and surely, other gamers have many other arcade games in mind. By the way, how aware are you about the recent homebrews and add ons for the ATARI 8Bit lineup?

[@TheTechDungeon]

All good games you mentioned. But as you state it was my top 10. Everyone is going to be different on what they like. As for homebrew stuff, I try to follow the retro scene as much as I can

[@ulisesgomezd.3405]

@@TheTechDungeon Following the homebrews scene is a hard work, and at the same time, a big pleasure. I downloaded a Homebrew called NIBBLY, if i remember well, at the 2018; during years, i didn't pay any attention tho that game, but, some night of this year, i was hooked by the game, and i was playing up to the 2:00AM. Another big pleasure of playing homebrews, is playing all those games on myoriginal ATARI XE, with a custom made SIO"PC interface, and usimg the freeware RespeQT simulating ATARI Disk Drives. Well, you own a beautiful machine, i met the ATARI 8 bit lineup on the late 80's, when it was almost dead, buteven so, all these machines were wonderfull, i can'i imagine how wonderful could it be working with those revolutionary machines when the 400/800 models were launched.

[@scringe1]

I loved the Bruce Lee game.

[@riversarcadereview385]

surprised you left out Donkey Kong JR.

[@TheTechDungeon]

It is very good also. But the original is a fave of mine

[@riversarcadereview385]

@@TheTechDungeon - the first Donkey Kong to have all 4 boards in proper US order

[@scotthayka]

You should do a review of the blitz cable, lol. Blast from the past. How's it going Mike? Remember me?

[@michaeljaeger2928]

dang my child hood channel when y’all started the crew i miss of y’all , do u still play / talk to them

[@TheTechDungeon]

We still have some of the Crew on my discord and we still do some stuff together, stream some content on my twitch. Some of the Crew also stream, do their own videos, etc.

[@MultiScooter68]

I agree with this list but have to say that Satan's Hollow was near arcade perfect on the Commodore 64. Here on the Atari 8 bit it looks more like a 2600 game. All the other games are good arcade ports comparable to the C 64 as well as the original arcade versions.