14 replies to this topic

[DEBRO]

Hi there,

I know you all remember waiting for the next monthly magazine that carried Atari type-in games. The ones I knew of were COMPUTE!, Antic, and A.N.A.L.O.G. Computing. I started reading A.N.A.L.O.G. in the late 80's...I really wish I would have known about them earlier.

I loved typing in game programs from these magazines and would always look forward for the next issue to see what would be published next.

What games did you want to see as type-ins but never surfaced? I know I wanted to see Crazy Climber. COMPUTE! published a type-in of this for the VIC-20 but they didn't have an Atari conversion that month.

When answering...remember the game typically would fit within 16K of RAM and would be written in AtariBASIC or assembler in the later years for COMPUTE! and Antic (maybe assembler in the early years for A.N.A.L.O.G.).

[Rybags]

None really.

Type-ins for the most part were pretty lame compared to commercial games and I can remember numerous times the disappointment at the end result of typing something in and running it.
Additional to that, it was a bit demeaning if the only equivalent of a given arcade game on your system was not a licenced or playalike commercial game but someone's effort in Basic.

Although that said, just browsing the listing before doing anything would often give an indicator as to whether the game would actually be worth it.

One of the few if any magazine games that I felt was worthwhile was Balloonacy, I think it was in one of the generic UK computer magazines.

[analmux]

In 1989 I really enjoyed the type-ins of Compute's 2nd book. Especially the David Plotkin games "Textplot makes a game" & "Fun with scrolling". At that time I was only dreaming about a type-in version of Super Mario Bros.. Of course nowadays I don't really bother.

[Goochman]

Venture

[MEtalGuy66]

I'd like to see Alternate Reality: The City as a Type-in...

Please post the complete program listing, including the program to generate all 4 disks worth of data..

Thank you..

[AtariGeezer]

How about Leisure Suit Larry (1st)

[potatohead]

I would love to have seen some better strategy type games. One game that I enjoyed, that could get some love today, was this maze game. Originally, done for the Apple and it's low-res graphics, it got a nice 4 color Atari port.

The game was a maze, where you had to navigate from one end to the other, reaching a goal, taking out targets along the way. A central enemy would fire a beam at you, from time to time, meaning you had to stay on the move, and get the targets in the time allotted. Was actually pretty damn fun for a BASIC game.

Anyone remember that thing?

So, yeah. More games like that. Abstract, and fun, but within the limits of printed program listings. Was a lot of fun typing them in, more fun changing them and trading ones that others had done. Cool beans.

[beamer320i]

Rybags, on Sun May 22, 2011 5:57 AM, said:

<snip!>

One of the few if any magazine games that I felt was worthwhile was Balloonacy, I think it was in one of the generic UK computer magazines.

Balloonacy was published in the UK in Computer and Video Games circa 83/34, I remember typing it in on my 16k 400 and thinking 'Wow, this is actually quite good!'

C&VG published some good Atari games, another was 'Dr.Who Adventure' from March '83...

Another UK mag was 'Home Computing Weekly' from the same era, catered for most early 80's mircos but one Atari game they published was called Zombie Island, great game but haven't found it yet anywhere...

[raskar42]

Typing Tutor

[Marius1976]

Back in my Atari days I only had 800XL with Tape Drive. I typed my fingers blue on all kind of type-in-programs. It was 'hell on earth' since my Atari had the Rev. B Basic, and what did I know about that? Nothing... the only thing I knew was that my Atari stopped working without any warning, and I could start over all the time.

That's probably where my Backup-behavior is started. When I typed for 10 minutes I saved again. So all my old tapes are filled with not-complete versions of programs (sigh).

Anyway. I never wished for a certain program. I remember having fun with a game called "Handel" from a Dutch listing magazine. It's a game like "Pirates of the Barbary Coast" but then text only. I still play that game sometimes.

Another type-in program I really liked was a fruit machine called "Las Vegas a Go Go" in a purple book written by Hal Renko and Sam Edwards. I don't know the English name of this book, but in Dutch it was called "Afmattende spelen voor uw Atari 600XL/800XL"

I really liked that game, and since my only two other games were Ms. Pacman and Crossfire, I loved the type-in games.

Later I started buying original tapes, and then my interest in type-in programs faded away. But I still have fond memories.

Sometimes I take such a book, and type something in again... just for fun.

[emkay]

Rybags, on Sun May 22, 2011 5:57 AM, said:

None really.

Type-ins for the most part were pretty lame compared to commercial games and I can remember numerous times the disappointment at the end result of typing something in and running it.
Additional to that, it was a bit demeaning if the only equivalent of a given arcade game on your system was not a licenced or playalike commercial game but someone's effort in Basic.

Although that said, just browsing the listing before doing anything would often give an indicator as to whether the game would actually be worth it.

One of the few if any magazine games that I felt was worthwhile was Balloonacy, I think it was in one of the generic UK computer magazines.

Some exceptions are there ....



This one beats 99% of all jump and runs , and it was a type in from a german magazine

Referring to Basic type ins, it was the best way to learn writing own software....

[Marius1976]

emkay, on Tue May 24, 2011 1:13 AM, said:

This one beats 99% of all jump and runs , and it was a type in from a german magazine

Well... for a basic game it looks cool and runs smooth, but hey 99%? You must be kidding here. There are really a lot of cooler Jump and Run games for Atari 8bit.

That 99% fits the saying "45% of all statistics are made up"

Quote

Referring to Basic type ins, it was the best way to learn writing own software....

Here I agree with you!

[emkay]

Marius1976, on Tue May 24, 2011 2:30 AM, said:

emkay, on Tue May 24, 2011 1:13 AM, said:

This one beats 99% of all jump and runs , and it was a type in from a german magazine

Well... for a basic game it looks cool and runs smooth, but hey 99%? You must be kidding here. There are really a lot of cooler Jump and Run games for Atari 8bit.

That 99% fits the saying "45% of all statistics are made up"

Tell me 10 games that are better than this one.

And, btw, the game is machine code. It was a type in via a hex code enter tool.

Quote

Quote

Referring to Basic type ins, it was the best way to learn writing own software....

Here I agree with you!

OK

[Marius1976]

emkay, on Tue May 24, 2011 9:14 AM, said:

Tell me 10 games that are better than this one.

When you state that Submussion beats 99% of the games in that genre, and I have to name 10 better games, this means that there do exist 1000 games on Atari 8bit in this genre?

There are definately better games in this genre on Atari 8bit:

Just a few crossing my mind:

Cavernia
Henry's House
Montezuma's revenge
Bruce Lee
H.E.R.O.
Alchemia

Crownland (though It should have been finished)
Wloczykij (ok this one is not the best... it has bad controls, but it is still an awesome game)


Submission is ok, but not more than that. I like "Escape from Epsilon" more, and that IS basic.

[emkay]

Marius1976, on Wed May 25, 2011 9:26 AM, said:

emkay, on Tue May 24, 2011 9:14 AM, said:

Tell me 10 games that are better than this one.

When you state that Submussion beats 99% of the games in that genre, and I have to name 10 better games, this means that there do exist 1000 games on Atari 8bit in this genre?

There are definately better games in this genre on Atari 8bit:

Just a few crossing my mind:

Cavernia
Henry's House
Montezuma's revenge
Bruce Lee
H.E.R.O.
Alchemia

Crownland (though It should have been finished)
Wloczykij (ok this one is not the best... it has bad controls, but it is still an awesome game)


Submission is ok, but not more than that. I like "Escape from Epsilon" more, and that IS basic.

Well, well, well. Games are still more that a single "nice" feature. The concepts has to be round.

Alchemia you find in the league of games where the Protagonist seem to be handycapped, even if not as heavy as Wloczykij


Henry's House is nice and round. Btw: have you ever asked yourself, why the skulls in the A8 version looks sad and in the C64 version they look happy?

Montezuma's Revenge is almost unique on the A8. It's one ot the 1% of games that are better than Submission in that genre..

Bruce Lee is not really a Jump&Run. Call it nitpicking, but it is an action Game, thus more than a Jump&Run

H.E.R.O. is also not a dedicated J&R game

And, as you wrote, Crownland still has to be finished....


And, btw, what's good with Cavernia? The one moving enemy ? Or that you die on a stone by no sense?