Your comment on Defender was 100% spot on in regards to its sound effects cutting through all the other games in an arcade. That's one of my best memories of going to arcades in the early 80's, was the sensory overload you would get walking in the door, hundreds of loud games all crashing your eardrums at once(it was glorious). But for all the noises, music and sound-effects I ever heard, Defender was the one I always heard above the rest and knew there was a machine somewhere in that arcade.
Thanks for featuring so many arcade classics. I missed some of the later ones because by late '82 I was entirely preoccupied with my new Atari 800. We never had the Atari VCS because we didn't see the need for a dedicated game machine with sub-par graphics. But I was looking for a home computer with hi-res color graphics and great sound. That limited me to the Atari. Missile Command is still my very favorite game on the Atari Home Computer Systems. It's surprisingly faithful to the original, except it only has one missile base to launch from instead of three, but it's the reason I bought the trackball controller. Yes, Pac-Man, Centipede, Donkey Kong, and Battlezone are some of the very best ports. When Defender came out in the arcades it was groundbreaking. This Atari 400/800 port is amazing. Joust is also very good, considering the somewhat limited color palette of the Atari computers. DigDug looks just like I remember from the machine I played at the local tech school. The very first game I got for my Atari before I even got it, was a knock-off of Galaxian. I only saw Q-bert and Qix at the grocery store where I didn't actually play them much. Q-bert kinda looks like the arcade version. Space Invaders is a nice hi-res version of the 2600 game. It can be difficult to recreate some of these older games. I'm still looking for a port of the very first video arcade game I ever played, Atari's Computer Space.
There is one significant difference with the Atari 8-bit port of Joust: flap is significantly stronger and gives you more lift. But you can't spam the CX40's button anywhere near as fast as you can the one on the arcade machine, so that was kind of necessary.
Great video Jon! Still blows my mind that Satan’s Hollow was just a prototype. I never knew that until Patmanqc did a video on it a few years ago. I can remember playing it on our 130xe as a kid back in the mid-80s. Great port! Still love playing it on MAME. I knew our copy was the most legal version 😂
I'm really looking forward to getting mine ! Had most of the games featured on this video... and to those who say playing on a free PC emulator is the same, no, not for many of us. Most of the fun of these was sitting in fron of your TV, with the family, beating each others' high scores. Or just sitting on the floor having a go at some games. You can't get that with a PC emulator .... or, most can't. And I for won't won't ever convince my mom to do a hot seat switch at my computer desk, or try to explain the XBox controller to her. The mini takes us back to simple fun, and that's what emulators can only..... emulate.
@@phroobar Kangaroo never made it on the Atari 8 bit. There was an excellent 2600 version and an almost arcade perfect 5200 version as far as graphics and sound go. Unfortunately the 5200 controls are horrible for this game. The 400 mini is going to be very 5200 friendly as far as ROMS go. Hopefully we can play 5200 Kangaroo with functional control.
Excellent video as always. One minor point, the 5200 version of Space Invaders was based off of the 8-bit computer code, but things were changed. The invaders were altered, the rocket ship was removed, and the bunkers were added back in among some other minor things.
Right you are. I just played SI on my 5200, too, and I would've sworn the rocket was there, but it's not! I have way more exposure the the A8B over the 5200, so I must've conflated the two. Thanks for the clarification. 😀
@GenXGrownUp Actually, technically the rocket is still there, it is just not visible. After the initial alien entrance, the aliens act like the rocket is still there, and the rocket still makes noises in the game.
If you miss more music in Frogger, you should try the older of the two disk versions by Sierra (yes, there were three official versions of Frogger on the 400/800!) by John Harris - the Parker version feels like a stripped down version in comparison.
I'm in the camp that aren't likely to buy this mini because I never owned the real one when I was kid. But it's nice to see the games. Glad to see your channel lifting off a little bit.
Something to note about Pac-Man, there was a later re-release by DataSoft on a flippy disk (basically a double-sided 5.25" floppy that had a version for one platform on one side, and a different platform on the other) that was improved slightly. It brought back the intermissions the 5200 port had, and had a more faithful-sounding dot eating sound that just made it feel that much nicer to play over Atari's cartridge release.
Cart size limitations resulted in a variety of cart/disk release variations. My understanding is that rather than pare down Jumpman for a cart, Epyx re-worked it into the popular Jumpman Junior (which is why fewer levels on that one).
Awesome video... During my teenage years in the late 80's, the XE was my first "Retro" gaming system during the NES years. Yes it played 'old' arcade ports, but those were the games I still loved to play even if they weren't considered "cool" back then.
Nabbing an XEGS is still on my bucket list. I was just graduating from high school when it came out and I didn't even know of its existence until much later.
The Atari 800XL was my main game machine through most of the 80s, so I’m ESPECIALLY excited for the Mini’s release! I can’t wait to load it up with all my old favorites! Jumpman was the best of the best for me!
I was excited Christmas morning when I unwrapped an Atari 800XL. I’d seen the Atari displays in Sears and really wanted one. And I’d heard about the magazine and APX where people like me could sell software they write. Of course I didn’t know that the magazine and APX were gone by then and I’d only been aware of the VIC-20 and not the C64 that everyone else was getting on that day, nor had I heard of Jack Tramiel. And what everybody needed was a floppy disk drive. Due to circumstances it wouldn’t be until 1986 that I got an Atari 1050 with that DOS 2.5 sticker on the box (not that I had any idea of the history or implications etc). But I did have Jumpman Jr on cartridge. Games on carts would have to do. Not being able to save BASIC programs would have to do. Until 1986 and the upgrades our family experienced 😊. But yea Jumpman Jr was (is!) a great game and many nights I made that my choice. Hard to believe I have never gotten around to getting the original full version that sold on floppy disk! Gotta go something about it.
@@nickpalance3622 Nice! We never got the floppy drive, but I have vivid memories of waiting for 30-60 minutes for games to load via cassette-deck... In spite of what was going on in the industry at the time (and how poorly Atari was run!), the 8-bit computers with cartridge slots were an AWESOME bridge between those early-gen home consoles and the NES! The arcade ports were better than anything available on console for several years too. I also think the 800XL in particular had industrial design that was way ahead of its time compared to the C64 and other PCs at the time! It's STILL a nice-looking unit 40ish years later!!
Surprisingly I have a lot of the cartridges for the games you listed here, just missing a handful such as Gyrus, Gorf, Lost Tomb, Blue Print, and the Mr. Do games. Interesting thing though is I own two copies of Donkey Kong Jr., one is a classic brown cartridge with the metal backing and the other is a white cartridge similar to an XEGS release - however they both have the grey with white lines label.
Great vid, thanks! I was never a fan of Pac Man or Ms. Pac Man in the arcade, but the 8-bit Atari versions sure managed to suck up hours and hours of time for my friends and me. Great ports, despite the horizontal orientation.
Some honorable mentions: Star Trek, Tapper, Track 'N Field. Does Space Dungeon count? That was a 5200 title, but as all Atarians know, the entire 5200 library found their way (ahem) to the 8-bit floppy discs, which was better for us as we didn't have to use those terrible analog joysticks. Personally, I can't wait for the Atari 400 Mini. Just the fact that it will allow for 4-player MULE makes it worth the effort, and the ability to play all the games stored on my computer is just icing on the cake.
Can't wait to get mine preordered the day it was announced adding to my other minis c64 and Amiga, Would have liked to get the x6800 one too but was to expensive,
Although you said you're only covering licensed versions, a much more faithful rendition of Space Invaders is Roklan's Deluxe Invaders. Supposedly, the changes Atari made were entirely a whim of the programmer, who thought he could improve on the original.
I'm looking forward to making the 400 Mini into the ultimate Atari machine for HD displays. I assume that quicklty after release, Arcade, Atari 2600 and 7800 emulation will be added, possibly with Lynx and even Jaguar to follow. I'm willing to give the joystick it comes with a try, but I suspect that it will be replaced by the A500 Mini's controller for my set up in short order.
I can dig why it pro’lly got bumped-‘cause three games of the same “series,” among 25 total games-but even though DK and DK Jr. definitely belong here, as do the others, the OG _Mario Bros._ by Atarisoft, might _remain_ *the best home port of the game* - although Atarisoft’s C64 version was great, too. Not the graphics, but the movement-especially the Bros. cartoon “skid,” before changing directions, as well as the jumps, make the 8-bit, Atarisoft port of Mario Bros. - even better than the 7800 and the NES, itself. At the same time, while the Atarisoft versions of DK and DK Jr. were excellent-especially so early on-I actually think the US Gold version of DK (on disk, from the _late_ ‘80s) is actually better than Atarisoft’s, which I hate to have to admit. I’m not so all about the first screen ending on the “correct” (left) side-something the Atarisoft version didn’t but US Gold did-but the graphics, gameplay, and intermissions, I think, made the US Gold versions worth making. Also, having all four boards, again, Atari 8-bits have done what Nintendstillhasn’t (at least not at home) - twice. Great video! I learned about a couple new games, somehow, myself... PS - The reason for Coleco’s garbage 2600 ports of DK and Jr. is that they got the rights for the console versions-which they botched, many have said “on purpose”-and, given that DK would become the ColecoVision pack-in, they used that advantage to try to make the ports look and play like crap for their competitors, Atari 2600 and Intellivision, the latter of which woulda been hard _not_ to do. On the other hand, Atarisoft got the rights for the home computer ports, and like Atari’s Pac-Man for the 2600, AtariSOFT’s version for the 800/5200 is a much better game, because it was made by a “totally different” developer - which also did a great job with ports to other home computers, unlike what Coleco had done...
To your point on why the Atari 400 mini's existence is important, for example, I didn't know Atari made a home computer and now I am interested in checking those games out.
This platform was actually very long lived. It was sold esp. in Europe until the early 1990s (today, there still is a notable fan base in the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, and Poland).
I grew up with an Apple II and wish there were more videos giving it its due. I don't think many people realize that so many great important games started on Apple II Like Castle Wolfenstein, Choplifter, Lode Runner, Prince of Persia, Ultima series just to name a few. I hate that it gets ignored so much...
Haha. Thanks. Yeah, I actually didn't finish editing until about 6pm, which was podcast recording time. So I got it rendered and released to Members in early evening, and then public this morning.
Jon I just saw an 8 bit game you would love!! Stellar Shuttle you will want to review it when you get to film the 400 mini it's like choplifter mixed with asteroids.
That's a new one on me. Of course, as soon as I read your comment I went straight to my 400 Mini to try it out! A sprinkle of Lunar Lander in the mix, too. How did I miss a Broderbund game? Thanks for the tip!
So with the 400 Mini a few weeks off lemme see if I got this all right in my head, it's stated to be able to emulate Atari 400, 800, XL (?) and 5200.. so the potential library of titles is in the thousands? it'll be a new experience for me due to me only getting a 2600 back in the day, then I went straight over to SEGA and the Master System then Mega Drive, so the Amiga and Atari and Commodore range of computers/consoles went by me. I do remember this one dude who lived at the corner house of my street who had a C64 though, those cassette games were fun 🙂
You've nailed it. I know the Atari computers went right by the vast majority of people, which is why I'm so excited to see it getting a new spotlight in 2024.
One story about frogger: they.sold a ton of these at Applefest. Turns out they hadden an Atari 800 under the table. Obviously they must have had thesound off (even less believable than the great graphics) and no clue how they disguised the joystick (maybe nobody could play it). I heard about this from Softline magazine (Apple biased) when they declared the Apple port the "dog of the year"
No idea. But I'm pretty sure the magazine published it. I didn't follow Apple much except for reading the rest of multi system magazines after finishing with Atari. Unfortunately, I've run into too many cases were my memory of 40 year old events aren't quite accurate. Where would you put Choplifter? Apple game (the Atari port added helicopter sounds but kept the gun and explosive Apple "boink" sounds) that was later ported to the arcades. Pretty sure it was the first, and the only other I can think of is Tetris (I didn't follow arcades much after the 80s).
Isn't that odd. If you think about it, Atari tinkered with Space Invaders on the 2600 and came up with a winner that many players consider much better than the arcade version, but the decisons here? Just weird.
If any one of the following was there I would have bought this. !) A cartridge slot for those who had Atari computer games. 2) An Atari 800 version with Keyboard 3) The Original Star Raiders (Not Star Raiders II). Maybe they will make an 800 version and I will be happy to buy it then.
No no you want the 1200XL keyboard 😊 At least the 400 mini’s keyboard is spill-proof like the 1979 version ! Seriously, what I thought I heard amongst the many videos on the 400 mini is that you can (and are expected to) plug in a modern USB keyboard into a USB port in the back. True? I’d love go get a modern Model F or Model M .. hadn’t paid too much attention but I thought such things exist. Well, I have a 5150/5160 model F keyboard here and a 5170 model F and a model M (I think with PS/2 port but I’d love to get the AT 5-pin DIN cable). Didn’t big blue make a model M for the 5170? I need that to complete my collection😊
Links to purchase in the video description - I think it's launching around $130? And yes, the launch video even highlighted the ability to add your own 8-bit & 5200 games.
If you haven't seen the 1983 Joe Don Baker classic, "Joysticks" in awhile, well, it features Satan's Hollow pretty prominently. I mean, it mostly features boobs. But also Satan's Hollow.
LOVED both DK games as well Q*Bert. liked Popeye and Centipede and Qix although I'm glad I didn't invest in Space Invaders...the format isn't to my liking
The inclusion of Lost Tomb was apropos. Did you put a link to the arcade port document in the description? I did not see it, but maybe I am blind. Edit: never mind, I found it.
Sorry, I may have required two steps. One to AtariAge, which then links to the doc. I wanted to ensure viewers had to go through AtariAge and hopefully give Todd a heart on his post. 😉
My guess is because the screen aspect ratio is 4 by 3 instead of 3 by 4 and so removing one of the beams kept the overall look&feel. Landon Dyer did AFAIK not specify his reason for this change in his blog, though.
Definitely true that the arcade had the monitor oriented vertically and people were not expected to turn their TVs 90 degrees😅 That being said, maybe the lack of resolution (while maintaining enough colors and sprites) was an issue. I’m looking at a video on RUclips right now that I’d seen before comparing different home computer ports if DK. And… The Amstrad CPC version has it right! And it looks good! There is a C64 version by Atarisoft that squeezes it all in but the colors are blah yet the C64 version by Ocean looks nicer (sounds worse however). Even the TI-4/A has level one vertically complete- although Jumpman (Mario) looks horrible and it sounds worse than the Ocean C64 version. The ZX Spectrum technically has it but it’s almost flat and the ladders and barrels and JM(Mario) are all white as snow - all in silence except when jumping over or smashing a barrel (and some noises when you climb up to Pauline). If you are unhappy with this port of DK, look at the DOS version and MSX version (since I’m sure we all know how bad the 2600/VCS version is) and you will appreciate the Atari 8bit version. 😊
That version of Pengo seems to be identical to the Atari 5200 version. There is, basically, no good version of the game today: Sega seems to have had the wind taken out of their sails when they lost the right to use the original music. Either that, or they just got sick of playing it themselves. Often enough, the creative teams simply do get bored of developing a given concept again and again, even if fans would be interested in seeing it taken further.
Speaking of defender, i will never understand why the arcade version never really had a joystick just buttons... playing with a joystick makes the game a little more fun. To bad they never had galaga... Im suprised mario bros was not covered. Pretty sure it was official.
Defender does have a joystick, but it only navigates up & down. I agree that it's just more intuitive to integrate the reverse & thrust and just navigate with the four-way stick, though.
Oh you beat me to it by 37 seconds! Yeah that up and down only joystick. Took me some getting used to. No, wait, I never got used to it. I sucked at arcade Defender. Why did I keep feeding it quarters?
No, but they may at some point in the future be playable on the Gamestation Pro (after all, the 5200 SuperSystem is basically the same hardware as the 400).
i am wondering if I am the only old fart that missed on the more modern controllers and game. I just had a blast with Miner 2049 over xbox forza horizon 5 ... i skipped the modern system *(worked in my 20s and 30s) and find the sony and xbox difficult .. because of the game complexity. So is it just me or is that feeling common? Quake 3/open arena is about the only modern game i like, play it with a mouse and keyboard ... some phone games ok angry bird/ monkey city
I agree with you. And honestly I only enjoyed the version of Castle Wolfenstein that came with my friends sound card + joystick adapter back in the mid 90s. Quake and Doom seemed like “more of the same just better” and all of these 1st person shooters never took hold with me. Just like all the Mortal Street Fighter games with half a dozen buttons and you had to know secret combos. Snooze 😴 💤 fest for me. I like platforms and outer space and driving. I’m a product of the 70s&80s.
My parents wouldn’t get me the Atari computer due to the name so we got the Apple II instead. Some games were good but nothing like these Atari games. In hindsight they were right. I would have never learned programming if I had these games to play 🤣
Should’ve said what I said (and got me an 800XL) : the Atari has the technology to not only play great games but MAKE (ie program) great games and that’s where the $ is (or was, at the time). If you knew about APX you could point to ordinary people getting their titles sold through the catalog. It was the 80s! Reagan! Wall Street! Coke lines! Exotic cars! 😂
"The flapping flying physics work just like you remember," is thr biggest lie i have ever heard. You must not play the Arcade version regularly. The flapping vertical force is more muted in the arcade, barely rasing your altitude with each flap witbout jamming on the button.
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Your comment on Defender was 100% spot on in regards to its sound effects cutting through all the other games in an arcade. That's one of my best memories of going to arcades in the early 80's, was the sensory overload you would get walking in the door, hundreds of loud games all crashing your eardrums at once(it was glorious). But for all the noises, music and sound-effects I ever heard, Defender was the one I always heard above the rest and knew there was a machine somewhere in that arcade.
Warning: more keyboards were broken playing d fender than anything thing else. This should be. much less thanks to separate keyboards.
Thanks for featuring so many arcade classics. I missed some of the later ones because by late '82 I was entirely preoccupied with my new Atari 800.
We never had the Atari VCS because we didn't see the need for a dedicated game machine with sub-par graphics.
But I was looking for a home computer with hi-res color graphics and great sound. That limited me to the Atari.
Missile Command is still my very favorite game on the Atari Home Computer Systems. It's surprisingly faithful to the original, except it only has one missile base to launch from instead of three, but it's the reason I bought the trackball controller.
Yes, Pac-Man, Centipede, Donkey Kong, and Battlezone are some of the very best ports.
When Defender came out in the arcades it was groundbreaking. This Atari 400/800 port is amazing.
Joust is also very good, considering the somewhat limited color palette of the Atari computers.
DigDug looks just like I remember from the machine I played at the local tech school.
The very first game I got for my Atari before I even got it, was a knock-off of Galaxian.
I only saw Q-bert and Qix at the grocery store where I didn't actually play them much. Q-bert kinda looks like the arcade version.
Space Invaders is a nice hi-res version of the 2600 game. It can be difficult to recreate some of these older games.
I'm still looking for a port of the very first video arcade game I ever played, Atari's Computer Space.
There is one significant difference with the Atari 8-bit port of Joust: flap is significantly stronger and gives you more lift. But you can't spam the CX40's button anywhere near as fast as you can the one on the arcade machine, so that was kind of necessary.
Great video Jon! Still blows my mind that Satan’s Hollow was just a prototype. I never knew that until Patmanqc did a video on it a few years ago. I can remember playing it on our 130xe as a kid back in the mid-80s. Great port! Still love playing it on MAME. I knew our copy was the most legal version 😂
Oh, so was my copy! 😁🏴☠️
I'm really looking forward to getting mine ! Had most of the games featured on this video... and to those who say playing on a free PC emulator is the same, no, not for many of us. Most of the fun of these was sitting in fron of your TV, with the family, beating each others' high scores. Or just sitting on the floor having a go at some games. You can't get that with a PC emulator .... or, most can't. And I for won't won't ever convince my mom to do a hot seat switch at my computer desk, or try to explain the XBox controller to her.
The mini takes us back to simple fun, and that's what emulators can only..... emulate.
Just ordered one. Can't wait. I didn't have an Atari 400 when I was a kid, but this thing looks like a lot of fun.
Great job covering the best classic ports, Jon!
Glad you like them!
Thanks for another awesome video!
. 3 additional honorable 8 bit arcade mentions of mine are Pole Position, Star Trek and Track and Field.
And don't forget Kangaroo.
@@phroobar Kangaroo never made it on the Atari 8 bit. There was an excellent 2600 version and an almost arcade perfect 5200 version as far as graphics and sound go. Unfortunately the 5200 controls are horrible for this game. The 400 mini is going to be very 5200 friendly as far as ROMS go. Hopefully we can play 5200 Kangaroo with functional control.
Excellent video as always. One minor point, the 5200 version of Space Invaders was based off of the 8-bit computer code, but things were changed. The invaders were altered, the rocket ship was removed, and the bunkers were added back in among some other minor things.
Right you are. I just played SI on my 5200, too, and I would've sworn the rocket was there, but it's not! I have way more exposure the the A8B over the 5200, so I must've conflated the two. Thanks for the clarification. 😀
@GenXGrownUp Actually, technically the rocket is still there, it is just not visible. After the initial alien entrance, the aliens act like the rocket is still there, and the rocket still makes noises in the game.
@@jeremiahthomas8140 I won't tell if you don't. 😉
If you miss more music in Frogger, you should try the older of the two disk versions by Sierra (yes, there were three official versions of Frogger on the 400/800!) by John Harris - the Parker version feels like a stripped down version in comparison.
I'm in the camp that aren't likely to buy this mini because I never owned the real one when I was kid. But it's nice to see the games. Glad to see your channel lifting off a little bit.
Thanks for watching! 😀
Something to note about Pac-Man, there was a later re-release by DataSoft on a flippy disk (basically a double-sided 5.25" floppy that had a version for one platform on one side, and a different platform on the other) that was improved slightly. It brought back the intermissions the 5200 port had, and had a more faithful-sounding dot eating sound that just made it feel that much nicer to play over Atari's cartridge release.
Cart size limitations resulted in a variety of cart/disk release variations. My understanding is that rather than pare down Jumpman for a cart, Epyx re-worked it into the popular Jumpman Junior (which is why fewer levels on that one).
All the classic games I remember growing up with, golden!
The Atari 8-bits are just so flipping amazing!
I know, right?!
Awesome video... During my teenage years in the late 80's, the XE was my first "Retro" gaming system during the NES years. Yes it played 'old' arcade ports, but those were the games I still loved to play even if they weren't considered "cool" back then.
Nabbing an XEGS is still on my bucket list. I was just graduating from high school when it came out and I didn't even know of its existence until much later.
I had never heard of Lost Tomb. In 40+ years continuously using my Atari 8-bit, how did I miss that!? 😮
The Atari 800XL was my main game machine through most of the 80s, so I’m ESPECIALLY excited for the Mini’s release! I can’t wait to load it up with all my old favorites! Jumpman was the best of the best for me!
For sure! I featured Jumpman in my first 8-bit highlight video -- see how many more of our favorites align! 😁 ruclips.net/video/ljwaLDDPAeY/видео.html
I was excited Christmas morning when I unwrapped an Atari 800XL. I’d seen the Atari displays in Sears and really wanted one. And I’d heard about the magazine and APX where people like me could sell software they write. Of course I didn’t know that the magazine and APX were gone by then and I’d only been aware of the VIC-20 and not the C64 that everyone else was getting on that day, nor had I heard of Jack Tramiel. And what everybody needed was a floppy disk drive. Due to circumstances it wouldn’t be until 1986 that I got an Atari 1050 with that DOS 2.5 sticker on the box (not that I had any idea of the history or implications etc).
But I did have Jumpman Jr on cartridge. Games on carts would have to do. Not being able to save BASIC programs would have to do. Until 1986 and the upgrades our family experienced 😊. But yea Jumpman Jr was (is!) a great game and many nights I made that my choice. Hard to believe I have never gotten around to getting the original full version that sold on floppy disk! Gotta go something about it.
@@nickpalance3622 Nice! We never got the floppy drive, but I have vivid memories of waiting for 30-60 minutes for games to load via cassette-deck... In spite of what was going on in the industry at the time (and how poorly Atari was run!), the 8-bit computers with cartridge slots were an AWESOME bridge between those early-gen home consoles and the NES! The arcade ports were better than anything available on console for several years too. I also think the 800XL in particular had industrial design that was way ahead of its time compared to the C64 and other PCs at the time! It's STILL a nice-looking unit 40ish years later!!
Surprisingly I have a lot of the cartridges for the games you listed here, just missing a handful such as Gyrus, Gorf, Lost Tomb, Blue Print, and the Mr. Do games.
Interesting thing though is I own two copies of Donkey Kong Jr., one is a classic brown cartridge with the metal backing and the other is a white cartridge similar to an XEGS release - however they both have the grey with white lines label.
The ports look great, except for Dig Dug, which imo looks closer to the 2600 version than the arcade or 7800.
Great vid, thanks! I was never a fan of Pac Man or Ms. Pac Man in the arcade, but the 8-bit Atari versions sure managed to suck up hours and hours of time for my friends and me. Great ports, despite the horizontal orientation.
Thank you for watching. 😁
Some honorable mentions: Star Trek, Tapper, Track 'N Field. Does Space Dungeon count? That was a 5200 title, but as all Atarians know, the entire 5200 library found their way (ahem) to the 8-bit floppy discs, which was better for us as we didn't have to use those terrible analog joysticks.
Personally, I can't wait for the Atari 400 Mini. Just the fact that it will allow for 4-player MULE makes it worth the effort, and the ability to play all the games stored on my computer is just icing on the cake.
Can't wait to get mine preordered the day it was announced adding to my other minis c64 and Amiga, Would have liked to get the x6800 one too but was to expensive,
I played so many of those games on my Atari 400. I'm excited to get my 400 Mini in a couple of weeks so I can experience of playing those games again.
I love the old box art on these games.
Although you said you're only covering licensed versions, a much more faithful rendition of Space Invaders is Roklan's Deluxe Invaders. Supposedly, the changes Atari made were entirely a whim of the programmer, who thought he could improve on the original.
Loved the 400-800 & 130XE
I'm looking forward to making the 400 Mini into the ultimate Atari machine for HD displays. I assume that quicklty after release, Arcade, Atari 2600 and 7800 emulation will be added, possibly with Lynx and even Jaguar to follow. I'm willing to give the joystick it comes with a try, but I suspect that it will be replaced by the A500 Mini's controller for my set up in short order.
I've only played some of these through emulation(Altirra64) but they're really good especially Defender, Satan's Hollow, and Joust.
I can dig why it pro’lly got bumped-‘cause three games of the same “series,” among 25 total games-but even though DK and DK Jr. definitely belong here, as do the others, the OG _Mario Bros._ by Atarisoft, might _remain_ *the best home port of the game* - although Atarisoft’s C64 version was great, too. Not the graphics, but the movement-especially the Bros. cartoon “skid,” before changing directions, as well as the jumps, make the 8-bit, Atarisoft port of Mario Bros. - even better than the 7800 and the NES, itself. At the same time, while the Atarisoft versions of DK and DK Jr. were excellent-especially so early on-I actually think the US Gold version of DK (on disk, from the _late_ ‘80s) is actually better than Atarisoft’s, which I hate to have to admit. I’m not so all about the first screen ending on the “correct” (left) side-something the Atarisoft version didn’t but US Gold did-but the graphics, gameplay, and intermissions, I think, made the US Gold versions worth making. Also, having all four boards, again, Atari 8-bits have done what Nintendstillhasn’t (at least not at home) - twice. Great video! I learned about a couple new games, somehow, myself...
PS - The reason for Coleco’s garbage 2600 ports of DK and Jr. is that they got the rights for the console versions-which they botched, many have said “on purpose”-and, given that DK would become the ColecoVision pack-in, they used that advantage to try to make the ports look and play like crap for their competitors, Atari 2600 and Intellivision, the latter of which woulda been hard _not_ to do. On the other hand, Atarisoft got the rights for the home computer ports, and like Atari’s Pac-Man for the 2600, AtariSOFT’s version for the 800/5200 is a much better game, because it was made by a “totally different” developer - which also did a great job with ports to other home computers, unlike what Coleco had done...
Great video as always Jon! Really looking forward to the 400 Mini :-) Keep up the awesome work!
To your point on why the Atari 400 mini's existence is important, for example, I didn't know Atari made a home computer and now I am interested in checking those games out.
This platform was actually very long lived. It was sold esp. in Europe until the early 1990s (today, there still is a notable fan base in the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, and Poland).
Love the box art on galaxian!
Lost Tomb? Wow. that is a find.
I grew up with an Apple II and wish there were more videos giving it its due. I don't think many people realize that so many great important games started on Apple II Like Castle Wolfenstein, Choplifter, Lode Runner, Prince of Persia, Ultima series just to name a few. I hate that it gets ignored so much...
as always, very well done video! see ya at the arcade! LOL
You know it!
Awesome Jon, thanks !
My pleasure!
Satans Hallow was superb
Great review!
The Defender and Star Wars are astoundingly good
Thanks
Glad you like them!
Great video jon thanks again 👍💯
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey, you got it done today!!! Awesome video as always!
Haha. Thanks. Yeah, I actually didn't finish editing until about 6pm, which was podcast recording time. So I got it rendered and released to Members in early evening, and then public this morning.
Jon I just saw an 8 bit game you would love!! Stellar Shuttle you will want to review it when you get to film the 400 mini it's like choplifter mixed with asteroids.
That's a new one on me. Of course, as soon as I read your comment I went straight to my 400 Mini to try it out! A sprinkle of Lunar Lander in the mix, too. How did I miss a Broderbund game? Thanks for the tip!
Defender may be the best port of all time.
It's startlingly good!
3 warps to Uranus 😆 @ 7:17
Great games, great video.
That port of Defender is my favorite video game ever
So good!
Great video!
Thanks!
At a glance all the games look like the 5200 games. Which I do love the 5200
The 5200 was designed with nearly identical internals to the Atari 8-bit. 😉
Wizard of Wor would be a better alternative to Space Invaders.
Pengo is so underrated!!
A childhood friend of mine had ms Pac man for his Atari 8-bit(don't remember the mode)
So with the 400 Mini a few weeks off lemme see if I got this all right in my head, it's stated to be able to emulate Atari 400, 800, XL (?) and 5200.. so the potential library of titles is in the thousands? it'll be a new experience for me due to me only getting a 2600 back in the day, then I went straight over to SEGA and the Master System then Mega Drive, so the Amiga and Atari and Commodore range of computers/consoles went by me.
I do remember this one dude who lived at the corner house of my street who had a C64 though, those cassette games were fun 🙂
You've nailed it. I know the Atari computers went right by the vast majority of people, which is why I'm so excited to see it getting a new spotlight in 2024.
One story about frogger: they.sold a ton of these at Applefest. Turns out they hadden an Atari 800 under the table. Obviously they must have had thesound off (even less believable than the great graphics) and no clue how they disguised the joystick (maybe nobody could play it). I heard about this from Softline magazine (Apple biased) when they declared the Apple port the "dog of the year"
Wow! Is that a true story?
No idea. But I'm pretty sure the magazine published it. I didn't follow Apple much except for reading the rest of multi system magazines after finishing with Atari. Unfortunately, I've run into too many cases were my memory of 40 year old events aren't quite accurate.
Where would you put Choplifter? Apple game (the Atari port added helicopter sounds but kept the gun and explosive Apple "boink" sounds) that was later ported to the arcades. Pretty sure it was the first, and the only other I can think of is Tetris (I didn't follow arcades much after the 80s).
Wizard of Wor was also a great port on Atari 8 bit
For sure!
i LOVE Blueprint
I hope if you get one you eventually do a teardown of the new CX40 that comes with it.
I hope to - I really don't wanna break it, though!
@@GenXGrownUp Oh, for sure, especially since there's only one.
Some great ports there, Popeye in particular is exceptional. Not so keen on Space Invaders, why mess with a classic?
Isn't that odd. If you think about it, Atari tinkered with Space Invaders on the 2600 and came up with a winner that many players consider much better than the arcade version, but the decisons here? Just weird.
Some great games
If any one of the following was there I would have bought this. !) A cartridge slot for those who had Atari computer games. 2) An Atari 800 version with Keyboard 3) The Original Star Raiders (Not Star Raiders II). Maybe they will make an 800 version and I will be happy to buy it then.
So how much would you pay for a full-size reproduction Atari 800 with working keyboard and cartridge slot?
No no you want the 1200XL keyboard 😊
At least the 400 mini’s keyboard is spill-proof like the 1979 version !
Seriously, what I thought I heard amongst the many videos on the 400 mini is that you can (and are expected to) plug in a modern USB keyboard into a USB port in the back. True?
I’d love go get a modern Model F or Model M .. hadn’t paid too much attention but I thought such things exist. Well, I have a 5150/5160 model F keyboard here and a 5170 model F and a model M (I think with PS/2 port but I’d love to get the AT 5-pin DIN cable). Didn’t big blue make a model M for the 5170? I need that to complete my collection😊
How much will the 400 Mini cost and will there be expandability like the Atari Gamestation Pro?
Links to purchase in the video description - I think it's launching around $130? And yes, the launch video even highlighted the ability to add your own 8-bit & 5200 games.
If you haven't seen the 1983 Joe Don Baker classic, "Joysticks" in awhile, well, it features Satan's Hollow pretty prominently. I mean, it mostly features boobs. But also Satan's Hollow.
I must've been distracted by something and missed the arcade game.
Star Wars made alot of money in the arcades
LOVED both DK games as well Q*Bert. liked Popeye and Centipede and Qix although I'm glad I didn't invest in Space Invaders...the format isn't to my liking
What do your viewers think of the VCS ... i debated it when it was on sale earlier this month ... i think i could do 240 but not 300 ...
The inclusion of Lost Tomb was apropos. Did you put a link to the arcade port document in the description? I did not see it, but maybe I am blind.
Edit: never mind, I found it.
Sorry, I may have required two steps. One to AtariAge, which then links to the doc. I wanted to ensure viewers had to go through AtariAge and hopefully give Todd a heart on his post. 😉
Does anyone know why the first level of Atari’s Donkey Kong was oriented backwards? I’ve always wondered about that!
My guess is because the screen aspect ratio is 4 by 3 instead of 3 by 4 and so removing one of the beams kept the overall look&feel. Landon Dyer did AFAIK not specify his reason for this change in his blog, though.
That was always my impression, too. It starts left-to-right, but just not enough vertical pixels for one more row to end the top row right-to-left.
@@thorstenguenther Makes sense! I never thought of it, but I bet you're right!
Definitely true that the arcade had the monitor oriented vertically and people were not expected to turn their TVs 90 degrees😅
That being said, maybe the lack of resolution (while maintaining enough colors and sprites) was an issue. I’m looking at a video on RUclips right now that I’d seen before comparing different home computer ports if DK. And…
The Amstrad CPC version has it right! And it looks good! There is a C64 version by Atarisoft that squeezes it all in but the colors are blah yet the C64 version by Ocean looks nicer (sounds worse however). Even the TI-4/A has level one vertically complete- although Jumpman (Mario) looks horrible and it sounds worse than the Ocean C64 version. The ZX Spectrum technically has it but it’s almost flat and the ladders and barrels and JM(Mario) are all white as snow - all in silence except when jumping over or smashing a barrel (and some noises when you climb up to Pauline).
If you are unhappy with this port of DK, look at the DOS version and MSX version (since I’m sure we all know how bad the 2600/VCS version is) and you will appreciate the Atari 8bit version. 😊
That version of Pengo seems to be identical to the Atari 5200 version. There is, basically, no good version of the game today: Sega seems to have had the wind taken out of their sails when they lost the right to use the original music. Either that, or they just got sick of playing it themselves. Often enough, the creative teams simply do get bored of developing a given concept again and again, even if fans would be interested in seeing it taken further.
(Yeah, BTW, conflict of interest disclosure: I did make my own video on Pengo, and tried more-or-less every version for it, etc.)
Speaking of defender, i will never understand why the arcade version never really had a joystick just buttons... playing with a joystick makes the game a little more fun. To bad they never had galaga... Im suprised mario bros was not covered. Pretty sure it was official.
Defender does have a joystick, but it only navigates up & down. I agree that it's just more intuitive to integrate the reverse & thrust and just navigate with the four-way stick, though.
Oh you beat me to it by 37 seconds! Yeah that up and down only joystick. Took me some getting used to. No, wait, I never got used to it. I sucked at arcade Defender. Why did I keep feeding it quarters?
I prefer space Invaders on 2600
If lost tomb is a one stick game, how do you use the whip
If you tap the firebutton when moving, you fire a bullet. If you're standing still, then it triggers the whip.
@@GenXGrownUp - thank you
Great video, thanks.Satan's hollow! Jesus, I have to try that game 😁
You should!
👾
Are these 8 bit playable on the 2600
No, but they may at some point in the future be playable on the Gamestation Pro (after all, the 5200 SuperSystem is basically the same hardware as the 400).
I hated the space invaders port. I was so disappointed when I got it.
QIX in arcade just sat and nobody played it
Not in my arcade. Maybe the kids your arcade didn't get it.
i am wondering if I am the only old fart that missed on the more modern controllers and game. I just had a blast with Miner 2049 over xbox forza horizon 5 ... i skipped the modern system *(worked in my 20s and 30s) and find the sony and xbox difficult .. because of the game complexity. So is it just me or is that feeling common? Quake 3/open arena is about the only modern game i like, play it with a mouse and keyboard ... some phone games ok angry bird/ monkey city
I agree with you. And honestly I only enjoyed the version of Castle Wolfenstein that came with my friends sound card + joystick adapter back in the mid 90s. Quake and Doom seemed like “more of the same just better” and all of these 1st person shooters never took hold with me. Just like all the Mortal Street Fighter games with half a dozen buttons and you had to know secret combos. Snooze 😴 💤 fest for me. I like platforms and outer space and driving. I’m a product of the 70s&80s.
My parents wouldn’t get me the Atari computer due to the name so we got the Apple II instead. Some games were good but nothing like these Atari games. In hindsight they were right. I would have never learned programming if I had these games to play 🤣
What was wrong with the name?
@@RetroJackThey saw it as Apple was a computer Atari was a game system
@@ctbinary42 Fair enough.
Should’ve said what I said (and got me an 800XL) : the Atari has the technology to not only play great games but MAKE (ie program) great games and that’s where the $ is (or was, at the time). If you knew about APX you could point to ordinary people getting their titles sold through the catalog. It was the 80s! Reagan! Wall Street! Coke lines! Exotic cars! 😂
"The flapping flying physics work just like you remember," is thr biggest lie i have ever heard. You must not play the Arcade version regularly. The flapping vertical force is more muted in the arcade, barely rasing your altitude with each flap witbout jamming on the button.
You need a new intro commercial.
May i suggest 'GenXGrownUp: The choice of a new generation.'
Over🎁 💝😋