Did anybody , back in the late 80's, buy the Atari 7800 over the NES or SMS? I know that most of the 7800 games can't compete with the other two, but I often wonder if it's because the 7800 was so underpowered, or 1) they never had lots of "extra power" games and 2) never attracted third party game makers like the others.
You can't really compare old 1983 games like Asteroids and Robotron with Super Mario Bros. and Zelda. The few late issue games like Ballblazer and Midnight Mutants,though, got me to thinking if Atari had focused more on the 7800 and hadn't dumped it in favor of the REALLY old-timey XE system, it might have eventually competed with the other two.
What do others think?
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
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Atarifever1
- Posts: 3892
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
I just got Tower Toppler and I think it is, and this is not overstating it, my favorite 8 bit game of all time. It feels like a game from the 2600 generation, just with with great graphics. That`s a perfect combination. I think it proves that, with proper programing, it is entirely possible to make great looking games that control well on the 7800.
My favorite Atari era is actually the Tramiel era, despite the terrible marketing, penny pinching, etc. Look at the amount of gaming available at once there for awhile. The 2600 Jr. was supported with some new games and budget re-releases of old classics. The XEGS had a great library from the get go and some good new stuff. And then the 7800 had some great arcade classics and some newer type games. Between all three, there`s more good gaming than most console manufactuerers could ever hope to come up with, and it was all available at once.
Ì guess if they`d focused on the 7800 and not bothered with the XEGS and 2600 Jr. they could have managed better, but I`m glad they didn`t. My 7800 collection is my favorite game collection, I love games like Solaris and Secret Quest on the 2600, and as soon as I can I`m going to start on an XEGS collection. An NES collection looks pretty boring in comparison.
My favorite Atari era is actually the Tramiel era, despite the terrible marketing, penny pinching, etc. Look at the amount of gaming available at once there for awhile. The 2600 Jr. was supported with some new games and budget re-releases of old classics. The XEGS had a great library from the get go and some good new stuff. And then the 7800 had some great arcade classics and some newer type games. Between all three, there`s more good gaming than most console manufactuerers could ever hope to come up with, and it was all available at once.
Ì guess if they`d focused on the 7800 and not bothered with the XEGS and 2600 Jr. they could have managed better, but I`m glad they didn`t. My 7800 collection is my favorite game collection, I love games like Solaris and Secret Quest on the 2600, and as soon as I can I`m going to start on an XEGS collection. An NES collection looks pretty boring in comparison.
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Funkmaster V
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
[QUOTE=Atarifever]I just got Tower Toppler and I think it is, and this is not overstating it, my favorite 8 bit game of all time. It feels like a game from the 2600 generation, just with with great graphics. That`s a perfect combination. I think it proves that, with proper programing, it is entirely possible to make great looking games that control well on the 7800.
[/QUOTE]
My god, I think I have found true love. Tower Toppler is also in my top 8. Check my myspace page! It's there!!! It's a great looking, complex and varied game experience.
I had a 7800. Never owned an NES. Can you believe it? I can, because it's true.
The 7800 Maria graphics chip could handle more on screen colors than the NES and SMS, and the games rarely blinked or slowed down, but the sound was generally horrible on most titles and there wasn't alot of ram for big games. Midnight Mutants, Ikari Warriors and the like are pretty amazing considering the limitations.
I'm glad I owned a 7800. Because of it, I'm still fairly athletic, socialible, and aquired handy day to day skills outside of the video game realm
Cousin Vinnie
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Atarifever1
- Posts: 3892
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
[QUOTE=Funkmaster V]
Ummm, let's just be friends.
I agree that it's a great looking game. I mean, is that mode 7? And is that paralax scrolling in the water stages? I think it makes it clear exactly what the 7800 was capable of when not in the hands of rushed, untalanted programmers.
[quote]
I had a 7800. Never owned an NES. Can you believe it? I can, because it's true.
[/QUOTE]
It is one of my greatest shames that I owned, and played, an NES. I wish I could redo it and stick with Atari or buy the SMS before I had stained my childhood heart with the dust blinkies. Instead, I had to buy a SMS later that generation and a 7800 a scant 3 years ago.
[QUOTE=Atarifever]I just got Tower Toppler and I think it is, and this is not overstating it, my favorite 8 bit game of all time. It feels like a game from the 2600 generation, just with with great graphics. That`s a perfect combination. I think it proves that, with proper programing, it is entirely possible to make great looking games that control well on the 7800.
[/QUOTE]
My god, I think I have found true love. Tower Toppler is also in my top 8. Check my myspace page! It's there!!! It's a great looking, complex and varied game experience.
Ummm, let's just be friends.
I agree that it's a great looking game. I mean, is that mode 7? And is that paralax scrolling in the water stages? I think it makes it clear exactly what the 7800 was capable of when not in the hands of rushed, untalanted programmers.
[quote]
I had a 7800. Never owned an NES. Can you believe it? I can, because it's true.
[/QUOTE]
It is one of my greatest shames that I owned, and played, an NES. I wish I could redo it and stick with Atari or buy the SMS before I had stained my childhood heart with the dust blinkies. Instead, I had to buy a SMS later that generation and a 7800 a scant 3 years ago.
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ajsmart1
- Posts: 609
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
I had the 7800 while everyone else and their dog had the nintendo. I had always been a bit jealous of the Metroid, kid Icarus, Super Mario games, but....
On the ol' 7800 two player arcade action was where it was at!
Me and my buddies spent countless hours on Joust and Mario Bros. we always preferred the 7800 version of these over the NES ones.
The exclusive two player modes on centipede and asteroids were pure genius.
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Atarifever1
- Posts: 3892
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
[QUOTE=ajsmart]
[/QUOTE]
The NES version of Joust is, at best, a complete failure. It doesn't even have the special waves, and for some reason, the bigger, more detailed sprites just look incredibly ugly. As well, although 7800 Double Dragon isn't the pretiest version, at least it has 2 player co-op. Hey NES fans, real quick, what's the "double" stand for? On the NES version: nothing, that's what.
Me and my buddies spent countless hours on Joust and Mario Bros. we always preferred the 7800 version of these over the NES ones.
[/QUOTE]
The NES version of Joust is, at best, a complete failure. It doesn't even have the special waves, and for some reason, the bigger, more detailed sprites just look incredibly ugly. As well, although 7800 Double Dragon isn't the pretiest version, at least it has 2 player co-op. Hey NES fans, real quick, what's the "double" stand for? On the NES version: nothing, that's what.
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m0zart1
- Posts: 3117
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
I preferred the NES to the Atari 7800. What I particularly liked about the NES was that, while it contained arcade ports just like the Atari 7800, it wasn't dominated by them. It branched out in other directions that the arcades weren't known for. For that matter, even the arcade ports were improved in some sense. Contra on the NES was better than the arcade version. And games like Gauntlet and Rygar were better on the NES because they had a quest-structure that had clear goals and an ending. Gauntlet and Rygar arcade games just went on forever. I enjoyed the NES versions of those games much more as a result of having clear goals. Rygar was even made to be a lot of like Metroid, which was never a bad thing for me, with the only downside being that a complex game like that needed either a save system or a password system, and it didn't have one.
Don't get me wrong, I still like games that are based on score and endless traversal too, but I don't think they should be all there is in the gaming world. The NES was able to separate itself from just being yet another machine for home arcade ports. The Atari 7800 had some better straight ports, but overall I think the NES did a better job of being something unique at the time, and not just another home console trying to emulate the arcade experience.
Don't get me wrong, I still like games that are based on score and endless traversal too, but I don't think they should be all there is in the gaming world. The NES was able to separate itself from just being yet another machine for home arcade ports. The Atari 7800 had some better straight ports, but overall I think the NES did a better job of being something unique at the time, and not just another home console trying to emulate the arcade experience.
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Gentlegamer1
- Posts: 687
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
[QUOTE=Atarifever]Hey NES fans, real quick, what's the "double" stand for? On the NES version: nothing, that's what.
[/QUOTE]I can't hear you, I'm too busy playing River City Ransom.
[/QUOTE]I can't hear you, I'm too busy playing River City Ransom.
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Alienblue
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
AF-let's not let love of a console blind us TOO much. NES double dragon, while single player, was a very fun game. The 7800, while it had decent graphics, is UNPLAYABLE-thanks to the horrid controls. It's as bad as the 2600 version.
But before you get upset, now let me defend it by saying the old 2600 ports of Millipede and Stargate were better than Millipede and Defender on the NES. And 7800 Centipede and Joust were PERFECT. For some reason, the NES didn't do the old arcade games as much justice. The control pad didn't help here!
Do you have JUNKYARD DOG for the 7800, AF? I always thought that might be the closest the 7800 got to Super Mario Bros.- I never got the game though; I wondered how it played.
But before you get upset, now let me defend it by saying the old 2600 ports of Millipede and Stargate were better than Millipede and Defender on the NES. And 7800 Centipede and Joust were PERFECT. For some reason, the NES didn't do the old arcade games as much justice. The control pad didn't help here!
Do you have JUNKYARD DOG for the 7800, AF? I always thought that might be the closest the 7800 got to Super Mario Bros.- I never got the game though; I wondered how it played.
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Atarifever1
- Posts: 3892
- Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm
Atari 7800 Vs. NES
[QUOTE=Alienblue]AF-let's not let love of a console blind us TOO much. NES double dragon, while single player, was a very fun game. The 7800, while it had decent graphics, is UNPLAYABLE-thanks to the horrid controls. [/quote]
If it's unplayable, how come I finish it every time I play it?[quote=Alienblue]
Do you have JUNKYARD DOG for the 7800, AF? I always thought that might be the closest the 7800 got to Super Mario Bros.- I never got the game though; I wondered how it played.[/QUOTE]
I don't have Scrapyard Dog yet, but I'm ordering it when I place an order for a trackball later this month. On the Atariage board they're making a guide through the game right now.
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