Riddle Vs Raiders (Atari 2600)

[VideoGameCritic]

I've decided to revisit two summer-related Atari 2600 games: Riddle of the Sphinx and Raiders of the Lost Ark. The two have quite a bit in common actually. Both require a second joystick to manipulate your inventory, and both require using mysterious objects to solve the game.

So which game do you think is better?

[matmico399]

Easily Raiders! It's in my top five games of all time on the 2600. First off Raiders after you have played it for a long time has a great payoff with a good ending. Riddle just ends. Second, the puzzles in Raiders are much more complex, hard but not too hard. And lastly in my opinion, it is just a much more entertaining game. My 2600 just died recently. Somehow I misplaced my Raiders. I found one for $8 online. I just ordered it today. Along with a new Retro 77.

[lynchie137]

I never played River of The Sphinx for the 2600. So I can't say if it's any good or not. But this ad below that used to appear in various Marvel comics back in the day (specifically Uncanny X-Men and The New Mutants) was golden and always made we want to give the game a go. Guess I'll have to track a copy down someday and see for myself what kind of game it really is....

Here is the link to see said ad....

https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-26 ... Id,470859/

[BlasteroidAli]

I will go
for Riddle of the Sphinx. It was a game where I went wow. The did everything right and it played so well. Raiders is style over substance. Yeah it is a great game but it needed to be on the Atari 800xl to do more with the visuals.

[Matchstick]

I like both, and I think Sphinx is the easier game to play. But I have to go with Raiders, simply because I find the game easier on the eyes. No, not the graphics - the color choices! Raiders features a lot of darker-colored or black backgrounds, while Sphinx blasts you with that bright desert sand throughout the whole game.

While I think it is a more-enjoyable game on the whole, it's not the best for a late-night session with your face pressed against the picture tube in a dark basement - which is how nearly all my 2600 games were played as a youngster. Indy, on the other hand, I could play all night.

I just ordered it today. Along with a new Retro 77.

Oooooh, I've been so tempted to order one of those, myself. Did you go for the woodgrain or the transparent orange? Me, I'm in love with the look of the orange one, but still haven't been able to justify the $70 or so to make it happen.

If you can remember, please post your impressions once you've had a chance to play it. I'm curious to know more about how well it works!

[goldenband]

I'll always have a deep attachment to Raiders, as the first game of its kind I ever really played. I seem to remember that my mom and I worked together to figure it out, something pretty rare in my house (not in a bad way or anything, just that my parents weren't big adventure game nuts, though my mom liked Superman too).

I keep meaning to spend some time with Riddle. I even have a complete copy for some reason! Never owned that or Adventure as a kid, though.