13 replies to this topic

[chrisbid]

I found this yesterday for 2 bucks, and I was frankly a little dissapointed. The graphics were almost exactly like the 2600 version (I didn't do a direct comparison though). So is this a case of the 2600 version being so good, they didn't want to mess with it, or is it a case of Imagic being lazy with the 8-bit port.

Are there any other Imagic 8-bit titles, and are they also too similar to their VCS cousins?

[Gury]

http://cvmm.vg-network.com/imagic.htm

Greetz,
Firemover/Gury

[chrisbid]

Gury, on Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:10 AM, said:

http://cvmm.vg-network.com/imagic.htm

Greetz,
Firemover/Gury

that ad doesnt show the 8-bit line, but after a little digging i found out that Demon Attack and Atlantis are the only two games Imagic Produced, is Atlantis also a clone of the VCS version, or did they borrow from the Intellivision version at all?

[www.atarimania.com]

Imagic also published two titles on disk: Chopper Hunt is actually the same program as Buried Bucks by ANALOG Software and Imagic 1-2-3 is a compilation featuring Wing War, Quick Step and Laser Gates (which were to be issued on cartridge in the first place).

Some other games like Nova Blast and Fathom were announced but never released. Could be they exist as prototypes though...

--
Atari Frog
http://www.atarimania.com

Edited by www.atarimania.com, Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:56 AM.

[chuckwalla]

Super Breakout is ok but it lacks the awesome sound effects of the 2600 version

[jetset]

chrisbid, on Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:42 AM, said:

I found this yesterday for 2 bucks, and I was frankly a little dissapointed.  The graphics were almost exactly like the 2600 version (I didn't do a direct comparison though).  So is this a case of the 2600 version being so good, they didn't want to mess with it, or is it a case of Imagic being lazy with the 8-bit port. 

Are there any other Imagic 8-bit titles, and are they also too similar to their VCS cousins?

Much like Activision, Imagic must have made a conscious decision to be lazy and not take advantage of the 800's graphic capabilities. They both changed next to nothing and relied on name recognition for a quick buck.
Fargin Bastages.

[FujiSkunk]

jetset, on Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:24 PM, said:

Much like Activision, Imagic must have made a conscious decision to be lazy and not take advantage of the 800's graphic capabilities. They both changed next to nothing and relied on name recognition for a quick buck. 
Fargin Bastages. 

That's a little harsh, in my opinion, especially concerning Activision. You could say their attitude was, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Part of the joy those games bring on the 2600 is their simplicity. In fact, I find what few graphical enhancement Activision did make to the likes of Pitfall or H.E.R.O. seems to take away something. At the same time, Activision did release other games to take advantage of the 8-bit line's capability, like Zenji. Imagic may have been planning to do the same, before the crash.

[chuckwalla]

jetset, on Thu Oct 27, 2005 5:24 PM, said:

chrisbid, on Wed Oct 26, 2005 9:42 AM, said:

I found this yesterday for 2 bucks, and I was frankly a little dissapointed.  The graphics were almost exactly like the 2600 version (I didn't do a direct comparison though).  So is this a case of the 2600 version being so good, they didn't want to mess with it, or is it a case of Imagic being lazy with the 8-bit port. 

Are there any other Imagic 8-bit titles, and are they also too similar to their VCS cousins?

Much like Activision, Imagic must have made a conscious decision to be lazy and not take advantage of the 800's graphic capabilities. They both changed next to nothing and relied on name recognition for a quick buck.
Fargin Bastages.

By the way, it's a pleasure to see a Roman Moronie fan here

[Heaven/TQA]

if you have a close look on the activision 2600 ports you'll recognise that they are spised up and tweaked little bit compared to their 2600 counterparts (river raid, keystone kapers, megamania, pitfall 1, pitfall 2, great american cross country road race (enduro)). and just think on the complete 2nd maze in pitfall 2 after finishing the "standard" game...

[chrisbid]

i picked up a 400 a few weeks ago with a dozen carts (the whole pacakge was 20 bucks, couldnt beat it).

but now after a little thought, in those days, companies figured consumers only owned one platform. the VCS version of Demon Attack was pretty popular, and (according to the mindset) few 8-bit owners had a VCS, why not just make a quick port.

[davidcalgary29]

I've always disliked the A8 version of Demon Attack for many of the same reasons that have been posted. I'm sure that Imagic lost a huge opportunity with the growing home computer market by failing to realize that many home computer owners were "trading up" from then-simpler console games and didn't want the same old version on their A8 or C64. I sure saw alot of copies of this game being dumped in Kay-Bee stores across the U.S. in early '84, when I bought mine for around $2.

[darklord1977]

i found demon attack at a video game store by my house for 99 cents i always liked this game back in the day growing up in the 80s so i had to get it its a little tight in my 7800 but it works well...its still addictive after all these years:) i still remember the commercial... btw demon attack blows away phoenix...

[tjlazer]

The game was great on the 2600, it cannot be improved that much more! I think the 800 version is very nice!

[darklord1977]

yeah the 2600 rocked! i still play it to this day..never tried the 800 version though but i hear its nice:)