26 replies to this topic

[AtariLeaf]

Ok. I've got a 5200 with joysticks that don't work (huge surprise right) and I recently picked up an 800xl. My question is, are 800 games and 5200 games virtually the same? Pac man definitely is. Since 5200 controllers are so hard to come by in working condition, should I concentrate on just picking up the 800 versions of the games and are there any 5200 games that don't have a similar 800 cousin?

[voiddweller]

The only 5200 exclusive game that I can remember is Space Dungeon, but I thought their may have been one or two others...

- VD

[Tempest]

Yes for the most part they are. There are some differences however:

Qix - 5200 version looks better

Dig Dug - There is an earlier version for the 40/800 that really looks bad. However the 5200 version was also made for the 400/800

Pac-Man - 5200 version has the intermissions between levels

Space Dungeon - 5200 exclusive

Countermeasure - 5200 exclusive

Rescue on Fractalus - 400/800 version has a brief intermission before the title screne

Choplifter - There's an updated version avaliable for the 400/800


And of course there are all those cool 5200 prototypes...

Tempest

[voiddweller]

Countermeasure! I forgot about that one. It's really easy to guess the codes

I didn't know about the Lucas Arts game and Pac-Man intermissions.

Good info!

- VD

[NE146]

Tempest said:

Pac-Man - 5200 version has the intermissions between levels
Tempest

Don't forget! There are also Atari 800 versions of Atari Pacman with the proper "waka waka" dot eating sound!

[Goochman]

Gremlins was a 5200 only as well I believe, though thanks to 'Glenn the 5200 man' there are no 5200 exclusives

[Tempest]

Gremlins... I had forgotten about that one. Also Kangaroo and Berzerk were 5200 exclusives (Kangaroo was released later through the APX though).

And if you want to get really picky, the 5200 version of BBSB has a Big Five Software splash screen the the 400/800 version didn't have.

Tempest

[jindroush]

Goochman said:

Gremlins was a 5200 only as well I believe, though thanks to 'Glenn the 5200 man' there are no 5200 exclusives

Not quite correct. You forgot Meteorites and RS Baseball (I almost converted that, but then I've seen the overlay...)

[Goochman]

jindroush said:

Goochman said:

Gremlins was a 5200 only as well I believe, though thanks to 'Glenn the 5200 man' there are no 5200 exclusives

Not quite correct. You forgot Meteorites and RS Baseball (I almost converted that, but then I've seen the overlay...)

Glenn?????

If so:

Thank you thank you thank you thank you

[Tempest]

Damn your right. I'm not thinking today. Also add RS Soccer to that list.

Tempest

[tyranthraxus]

Anyone know whether the 800 version of Pitfall II is the 'adverturer
edition' with extra level?

[Albert]

Overall there are many more cartridge-based games for the Atari 8-bit computers than there are for the 5200, even including 5200 prototypes. And as you mentioned, the controllersare a bit easier to deal wtih on the computer. And since you can hook an 8-bit up to your television, you don't lose that normal console advantage. Also, an 800XL or 130XE take up a lot less space.

I think a lot of people don't give the 8-bit computers much thought as a game machine, but I spent many years enjoying a wide variety of games on the Atari 8-bit (800XL, mostly). If you can hook a PC up to your 8-bit to quickly load disk-based games, then you can really have a ton of fun going through the large library of 8-bit titles that were releaesd over many years. Mmmmmm, just talking about this makes me want to fire up a game of Boulder Dash (which sadly, I do not yet own in cartridge form!)

..Al

[Goochman]

Agreed Albert - the 800XL makes the best 8bit game machine - Small footprint, disk drive and more memory than the 5200 gave it more options for creativity. I could list 100 games that are awesome on the 8bit that you could never play on the 5200 from something as simple as Salmons Run (gotta try that one) to Shamus to the Ultima Series and everything inbetween.

[AtariLeaf]

Albert said:

If you can hook a PC up to your 8-bit to quickly load disk-based games, then you can really have a ton of fun going through the large library of 8-bit titles that were releaesd over many years..Al

Is this possible? When I was heavily into the Tandy Coco scene, there was a program that would allow you to download rom images off the net and save them on a 5 1/4 floppy that could be read by the Coco. Is there a similar Windows program that will do the same for the Atari 8 Bit?

[jindroush]

Goochman said:

Glenn?????

No.

[somePUNK]

i always thought the 400 was better becuase it had the 4 controler ports and the 800 xl dosen't

[Goochman]

True, but the 400 was a bit bigger and only came with 16K. The 800XL gives the best overall compat with programs and a good footprint for your TV area

[tyranthraxus]

I have an 800 and 800XL. The old 800 is HUGE, has more memory than
the 400, has 4 joystick ports and has a seldom used 2nd cartridge port.
Yes it has two cartridge bays! However the 800xl is better all around. Its smaller and has cooler design and has updated OS. But it has only two joystick ports. MULE is the only 4 player game I can think of that I'd
want 4 joysticks for and I havn't had circle of 4 MULE playing
friends in about 15 years.

Another choice is the XE GS (game system) which was the 800 repackaged into console form with detachable keyboard. Missle command
is built in to it. And can play all the cartridge games and have a
disk drive & printer hooked up.

Look into the 8-bit computer line folks! There are dozens of cartidge
games for the those of you with disk drive phobias. And the computer
line has games on par with the 5200 but is generally less expensive to
collect.

John

[IceCold]

I have a 600xl coming in the mail to me very soon. It looks nice, being as small as it is, but I'm just hoping the 16k won't be too big of a problem for me. I don't think it will be.

[Tempest]

600XL? That's an odd choice. What made you pick that?

Tempest

[IceCold]

Tempest said:

600XL?  That's an odd choice.  What made you pick that?  

Tempest

It had a $15 Buy it now and it has all hookups and the instruction manual.

Was it a bad choice?

[GrizzLee]

There are only two games that make it worth owning a 5200 over an 8bit computer. SPACE DUNGEON and MILLIPEDE with the trackball. Otherwise, I prefer the 8bit over the 5200. There is a HUGE library of games available for the 8bit. Don't get me wrong. The 5200 is a pretty nice system if you can accept those #$!@! joysticks.

I wish Atari had repackaged the 800 as a game machine, no keyboard or disc drive. It would have made a nice followup to the Atari 2600.

Off topic, but, I always wondered why Atari didn't repackage the ST series of computers into a game machine. It would have rocked in its day.

-Lee

[A2600]

YEP but we are 20 years late soo what can we do?

I all waus discuss with my father the things that could have saved the Atari industry!!

When you think about it many things went wrong!!

[NE146]

As a 5200 owner back in the day, today I look (and play) Atari 800 games with the mindset of "just think, this is how it would have been on the 5200..."

I've been doing that recently playing Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and several other arcade translations that were on the 400/800.. but never made it to the 5200. It's pretty cool comparing the Coleco version of DK vs. the Atari version.. aaahh could you IMAGINE if they went at it head-on back in the day?

[tyranthraxus]

Lee Krueger said:

I wish Atari had repackaged the 800 as a game machine, no keyboard or disc drive. It would have made a nice followup to the Atari 2600.

Lee! Atari did repackage it as a game machine its called the Atari XE.
The keyboard detaches making it into a cartridge console. Check out
the pics at this auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/...&item=802945586