2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

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VideoGameCritic
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2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby VideoGameCritic » May 14th, 2010, 5:37 pm

These three reviews were mainly rewritten because the original versions (circa 1999, 2000) were extremely short.  The Fireball and Flash Gordon grades are consistent with the original reviews, but my opinion of Pete Rose Baseball has been downgraded.

Feel free to post comments.


Crimefighter

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Crimefighter » May 14th, 2010, 10:33 pm

Holy crap, you REALLY downgraded Pete Rose ... A- down to a D.  Was that the biggest downgrading you've ever done?

Alienblue

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Alienblue » May 15th, 2010, 8:30 am

Did you notice that the "FLASH GORDON" game has ZERO,ZIP,NADDA
to do with Flash Gorden?! This is because this is a direct port of the
computer game SPIDER CITY. Fox even listed SPIDER CITY as coming soon
for the 2600, then some wise A$$ said "Hey just put a FLASH GORDON
graphic on the box and it will sell to Flash Gorden fans!"

This was a common practice back then. Geeze they could have at least
re-drawn the ship to look like Flash Gordons Rocket!

They could have cornered the ADULT market if they just called
it FLESH GORDON! (:



Video Elephant

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Video Elephant » May 15th, 2010, 8:35 am

'A' was too high for Pete Rose....'D' is too low.  When compared with other baseball games on the 2600 (I'm looking at you, Homerun) Pete Rose seems a heck of a lot better than a 'D+'.  

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2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby VideoGameCritic » May 15th, 2010, 11:13 am

First off, thanks for the Flash Gordon info - I will try to incorporate that into the review.  Also, I see your point about Pete Rose.  I may change that to a C-.

Orion Pimpdaddy

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Orion Pimpdaddy » May 15th, 2010, 2:34 pm

The Flash Gordon review should say "your lasers" instead of "you lasers."  Also, since someone mentioned the Flash Gordon name was slapped on, I wonder if that had anything to do with the instructions being so complex.  Maybe they were trying to cram Flash Gordon references in there.


TedE.Bear

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby TedE.Bear » May 15th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Let's face facts...Pete Rose Baseball is the best baseball simulation on the 2600.  Certainly nothing to brag about!!!  I do think Realsports Baseball is worthy of a C-, however.  When played in a two-player mode this is a competitive game that is not nearly as horrible as the VGC describes in his review.  Or perhaps I just get sentimental about P.R. B-Ball due to the fact I was in boot camp in August of 1989 when 'ole Charlie Hustle got banned from the game by commissioner Bart G.....(can't spell the damn last name...too many beers!!)........It doesn't matter..the best baseball game on any system  in the 1980's is the Atari 5200 version!!!!!!

Jake

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Jake » May 18th, 2010, 12:11 pm

[QUOTE=Alienblue]Did you notice that the "FLASH GORDON" game has ZERO,ZIP,NADDA
to do with Flash Gorden?! This is because this is a direct port of the
computer game SPIDER CITY. Fox even listed SPIDER CITY as coming soon
for the 2600, then some wise A$$ said "Hey just put a FLASH GORDON
graphic on the box and it will sell to Flash Gorden fans!"

This was a common practice back then. Geeze they could have at least
re-drawn the ship to look like Flash Gordons Rocket!

They could have cornered the ADULT market if they just called
it FLESH GORDON! (:


[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I knew that.

Flash Gordon
I don't see it as a big deal being called after Flash Gordon. The oldest Atari system had little chance of making a game just like Flash Gordon anyway. Spider City was probably too abstract of a title to use, and makes even less sense, even if that's what the game is originally.   

Agreed they could have tried to re-work the ship though to look like the movie...

I find the game fun, and don't care what it is called... but it's a space shooter with some nice visuals and often is only mentioned for it's name screw up (several times at atari-age) and its slightly messy control sceme.

I'd merit the game somewhere between B- to C- It's not very clear to me, but I played much worse on Atari 2600.

The review as stands, I didn't really enjoy this reading one. Strayed around the game too much, and something about instruction manual...

Fireball about even with the first review with more detail.

Pete Rose Baseball, Probably wiser and better then the first review of it.
For sure not in any hurry to buy this, which I wanted to from the old review...






Sudz1
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2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Sudz1 » May 18th, 2010, 7:58 pm

[QUOTE=TedE.Bear]It doesn't matter..the best baseball game on any system  in the 1980's is the Atari 5200 version!!!!!!
[/QUOTE]

Correction - the best baseball game on any system from ANY generation, present systems included, is the Atari 5200 version
Good eye!


Jake

2010/5/14: Atari 2600: Fireball, Flash Gordon, Pete Rose Baseball

Postby Jake » May 18th, 2010, 9:20 pm

[QUOTE=TedE.Bear]Let's face facts...Pete Rose Baseball is the best baseball simulation on the 2600.  Certainly nothing to brag about!!!  I do think Realsports Baseball is worthy of a C-, however.  When played in a two-player mode this is a competitive game that is not nearly as horrible as the VGC describes in his review. 
[/QUOTE]

I dunno if it's sentimental value, because,
I actually thought Realsports Baseball is pretty playable. I only played it against the AI, but still had an "ok" time... for an Atari 2600 sports game it's not the worst! The review is funny, well the redo of it "Super Baseball".. lol. Funny stuff. I like all the realsports Atari games (in their own ways), except for the tackle feature on RS Football... frustrating and difficult "as hell" to score a touchdown. I almost tackled the game instead...

-
Going back to
Flash Gordon, the (D) grade seems a bit strict for a no flicker, good graphics, sound and substance type-of game.

Though the grade of the game isn't really the bad part, but what is, the info throughout the review. It describes the game, in a flimsy manner!

I wasn't nearly as confused as the review suggests, I played Flash Gordon with no instructions years ago, and had it down fine. The instructions just explain what everything is or means, it's not a must read to be able to play. The map also didn't confuse me, and I didn't have to 'FOCUS' so intent with it. I can fly around to where I need to go, and not have any problems. Though, true... the screen/map are not in-sync, but Gravitar, the movement in this game does not feel insync at all, but that doesn't mean it's flawed, or not good fun.

Now,
the flow of the screen does have a strange (magnet pushed across/against a fridge) look about it, but doesn't cause any abnormal function or control to your ship.

The worst aspect of Flash Gordon, wasn't quite mentioned, the fact the area or room to shoot at things is kinda small, and the ship has a limited space to navigate in general. That closes things in a bit too much... though I found it fun to try to escape or kill enimes, debris, etc. Shooting has a rewarding feeling and the difficully is very even and increases slightly wave after wave.
So you get futher each time you play it. 

It too seems silly to mention that the *bonus* shield periodically shows up on the ship, "inexplicably"... ...
when in the game Keystone Kapers you have to dodge bouncing suitcases in a mall??! Lots of unexplainable or irrelevant things happen in a video game. Not a good or bad thing. In this case it seems 'good' because the shield lets you fly past enemies without getting shot!



Would be interesting to hear others thoughts on Atari 2600 Flash Gordon, the game and if it's fun or not fun.. or if others agree with VGC's review or the final grade of D

I'll just ask, what you guys think of Flash Gordon??! or Spider City...
what would you guys grade this 'thang'?


PS, small spelling error, Flash Gordon near the end of review, it says (It's not praticular fun or innovative) the "ly" on praticularly is missing.







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