ATARI 2600:
COLECOVISION:
ODYSSEY2:
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:
2600 CONNECTION NEWSLETTERS now in book form!
BRIDGE (ACTIVISION STYLE) EMBROIDERED PATCH
MATTEL INTELLIVISION:
GOSUB (last call ) ( co-published with INTELLIVISION REVOLUTION )
Thursday, July 18, 2024
Saturday, July 6, 2024
ALIEN ABDUCTION ( Audacity games ) review
ALIEN ABDUCTION ( Audacity games ) review
reviewed by John K. Harvey for 2600 Connection
In late 2020/early 2021, Atari launched a new generation of console called the "Atari VCS". While its commercial success can be debated, it did succeed in carving out a niche market of its own. The games at the time were an interesting mix. Players now had the chance to purchase official ROMs from Atari for a subset of classic Atari titles as digital downloads for the system. Some of these classic titles were common games, but others were hard-to-find titles for the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, and arcade. The system also brought new content along with it as well; a mix of independent games have been made available alongside re-imagined Atari classics, and are still being developed and released today. Through a series of circumstances, I somehow managed to obtain my own Atari VCS. Then one strange day (May 5, 2023 to be exact), my attention was grabbed when a surprise title arrived in the online store. This new title, "Alien Abduction" seemed normal enough; it was a digital download and it was priced at a reasonable $8.99. The surprise, however, was that it was an Atari 2600 title programmed by none other than John Van Ryzin, the original author of the beloved classic Activision game "H.E.R.O." for the Atari 2600. There was no evidence of a physical release being available at the time; instead, it was an Atari VCS digital exclusive. So, of course, I had to buy it.
It has been just over a year since "Alien Abduction" launched on the Atari VCS, and during that time some developments have been underway. At the time of this writing, a physical release of "Alien Abduction" for the original Atari 2600 is imminent; it will arrive on the Audacity Games website on June 15, 2024 (https://adgm.us/). It also appears that new features may have been added to the game itself, such as QR code support (just like Circus Convoy from Audacity Games utilizes). You can see a list of features here: https://adgm.us/portal/guide04A.html. I'm sure we'll learn more as the physical release happens. But, you may be wondering-- what is the game like?
"The princess was abducted. Be a hero and save her!" The Atari VCS version of "Alien Abduction" starts with a title screen containing this pretty straightforward description alongside a fun little animation of a 3-pixel-across human being beamed aboard a little flying saucer. It must be the princess! There are 2 instructions listed on the title screen as well: "Up = fly. Down = land". This may seem simple enough, but I will admit that it takes some getting used to. 2600 Connection readers may be familiar with the controls of the original "H.E.R.O." being a little touchy. When I first started playing it decades ago, I would often accidentally ignite dynamite by bumping down on the controller when I was on land. Even a single tap would have disastrous consequences. "Alien Abduction" has similar, but different controls. Players can move the hero up and down between levels in a space station, but only if you're in what I'll call "flying mode". "Flying mode" can be quite dangerous if you're not careful. With gravity/momentum, you can start picking up speed fast! You can quickly find yourself near death if you don't pay close attention. Pressing down on the joystick while mid-flight will make your character land on the next platform below you instead of passing through it. Once you're on the ground, the hero can either stand or crouch. It takes a bit of time to get used to, but it works effectively.
Did I mention that this game is timed? In "H.E.R.O.", you had a "Power" bar, but in "Alien Abduction", you have an Energy bar (which is essentially your countdown timer) as well as a Health bar. Thankfully, the Energy and Heath bars both reset upon completion of a level. The good thing about the Health bar is that it allows you to absorb a small amount of damage before a death. If you touch a magma wall for a second or get shot by a bullet, it's really not a problem. However, touching other objects (such as aliens or robot guards) will often result in a quick death; sometimes almost instantly. When you die, the hero will restart on the same screen you died on with one less life, but full Health and Energy. The game is a fast-paced race where precision is needed to move around each level while avoiding the more deadly obstacles. Oh yeah-- there's one more thing. Did I mention that you only start with one life?
Level 1 is a good "teaching" level. It is just 2 screens long. Our hero starts at the top of the screen, and you'll need to press "up" to get started and enter "flying mode". If you don't touch anything else, you'll find your hero plummeting right into a robot guard or a piece of the spaceship to an instant death. You'll quickly learn to press down just before impact; this is a good screen to practice on. Level 1's first screen has a health power-up, magma walls, a large green skull. The second screen (there are only two screens on level 1, much like "H.E.R.O.") has our princess, a few magma walls, an enemy you can shoot, but who also shoots at you. There is also an extra life available. A tip for first-timers players would be that the game allows you to take your time at the start of any level. Your Energy bar does not start to deplete until you first move the joystick, so before you get a cheap death you have an opportunity to strategize. This can be helpful on later levels.
On level 2, you are introduced to 2 new features: an energy replenishing power-up, and dynamite which must be triggered by moving from a standing position to a crouching position that can destroy walls. And, Level 3 isn't so bad either.
However, I had a lot of trouble finishing the end of Level 4 the first time. If you're a casual gamer who only plays Atari games for a few minutes before switching off the power, I expect that this may be your stopping point. It's very easy to run out of lives here if you're not careful. And, if that happens, your only recourse is to start over from Level 1, with just that single life. While you can pick up lives as you progress through some levels, they start becoming sparse really quickly. This means that you're likely going to be doing a lot of replaying this game in order to get good at it. Once I figured out the trick to Level 4, it was on to Level 5. And, things seemed to get easier. But, there definitely was an initial learning curve to climb, and frankly it was worth it. I can now manage to get to Level 12 fairly consistently. According to Audacity Games, there are 20 levels in the main game. Maybe someday with perseverance, I'll be able to figure it out! I'm sure 2600 Connection Readers looking for a new, fun challenge will really enjoy this game. And, the fact that it's pretty much a spiritual sequel to "H.E.R.O." makes it even more special.
As I have played the game, I thought it might be helpful to share a few tips and tricks for new players. Note: some of these tips could be considered Spoilers for those who want to figure things out on their own. Feel free to skip this section unless you'd like to know more, or if you're getting stuck:
- On any screen where you're headed "down", always land on the bottom platform. The screen will automatically scroll, and generally you'll be safe from traps if you perform this simple move. If you fall through the bottom recklessly, you have a lot more chance of a quick death.
- There is an extra life available in each of the first 3 levels. Pick them up to ensure you have the best chance ever of continuing through the levels.
- Green aliens can be killed if you are patient enough
- Energy refills are almost always worth a stop, as they will buy you time later. But, sometimes it's best to avoid Health power-ups if you are running low on time
Note to our readers: I still have not found a good way to get past the Radioactive Floor! So, any tips would be appreciated.
I'm definitely looking forward to Audacity Games' release of "Alien Abduction". But, would I recommend the game? Well, the answer is yes. If you like the classic Atari 2600 game "H.E.R.O.", then this game would likely be something you will enjoy. The story may be simple and the graphics a little cute, but the game is a fun little race against time that's worth putting a little bit of effort into. It may take players a little while to get used to the "fly through platforms" mechanic and to get used to the controls, but I think it's worth the small amount of time to go through that learning curve. That said, if you're a player who gets frustrated easily and you aren't a fan of games that require you to play a level a few times in order to get better at them, well, this may not be a game for you. But, there's one thing we can't deny. Seeing an Activision alumni come out of retirement from Atari 2600 programming to make a new game is definitely something special, and we are thrilled to see these types of new releases still come out to this day, keeping the Atari 2600 relevant even fifty years after its release.
John K. Harvey is the programmer of Pressure Gauge and Mean Santa for the Atari 2600.
He can be reached at the email address of johnkharvey@gmail.com.
He is also an active member of the Atari Age forums and username there is propane13
Saturday, May 25, 2024
THE HORRIBLE GHOSTS OF URANUS for the Odyssey2 / Videopac
THE HORRIBLE GHOSTS OF URANUS for the Odyssey2 / Videopac
NOW AVAILABLE!
a new game programmed by Chris Read for the Odyssey2 and VideoPAC
THE HORRIBLE GHOSTS OF URANUS
is a port of the game PAC-LINE
Each game cartridge will come with an 8-page color printed manual.
These cartridges are brand new 3-D printed casings that do not have the traditional handle!
The internal printed circuit boards and memory chips are brand new!
A durable black plastic storage box with a color printed insert is available as an option.
Chris Read's YouTube video of the videogame in action
Willie from the Youtube channel ARCADEUSA has posted a video of gameplay!
HOW TO ORDER:
game cartridge and printed game instruction manual only
IF YOU LIVE IN THE USA: $30 and $4 shipping
Click BUY NOW:
game cartridge and printed game instruction manual and black plastic box with color printed insert
IF YOU LIVE IN THE USA: $35 and $5 shipping
Click BUY NOW:
Monday, April 1, 2024
A prototype of PEPPER II (for the Odyssey2 ) has been found!
I went to a local thrift shop that is near to me and found an Odyssey2 cartridge that I had never seen before, so I picked it up. It cost $3.
It says PEPPER II written on it. It is kind of faded. D.B. Leafinmajick appears to be the name of the programmer. I did some searching online. I found him on LINKEDIN. His first name is Dewyah and he is originally from Indonesia. ( His full name = Dewyah B. Leafinmajick ) I read on Dewyah’s profile that he did work for CBS GAMES out of Terre Haute, Indiana. Research shows that in 1982 CBS Games and Twentieth Century-Fox Corporation formed CBS/FOX Company, a joint venture to acquire and distribute prerecorded video entertainment and operate Studio Center. So it is likely that this is where Leafinmajick did the bulk of the work for PEPPER II for the Odyssey2. On his LINKEDIN profile, he lists the PEPPER II game as being part of his resume under the unfinished work section.
I sent him an email and he replied that Coleco had wanted to get into the Odyssey2 market and saw the potential in 1982, so they outsourced the task to CBS Games. CBS Games wasn’t quite sure what to do, so they put an ad in the Terre Haute Today newspaper, looking for a programmer. D.B. applied for the job and was hired. He said that it was very difficult programming the Odyssey2. He managed to get a title screen programmed and the mazes for the four levels of the game.
D.B. planned to utilize the VOICE MODULE to play the musical soundtrack for the Pepper II game. At the title screen, Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" would play. This is also known as the theme from the Alfred Hitchcock show. During gameplay, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is briefly heard (the same excerpt heard in the middle of the intro of The Wonderful World of Disney in the 70s and 80s) when a maze has been completely filled. Unfortunately, D.B. stated he ran into a mental roadblock and could never get the code to work correctly. It’s in there, it just doesn’t play. Just for giggles, I hooked up my VOICE MODULE and plugged the cartridge in and hoped for a miracle. No luck. No songs played. Bummer! Maybe one of the talented homebrew programmers can figure it out.
If you are unfamiliar with PEPPER II, this is the basic gist of the game: There are four mazes per level in Pepper II. Each maze has an three exit doors that leads to three other mazes. All four mazes must be filled to advance to the next level. To fill in a maze, the player maneuvers "Pepper" around different segments of the maze. As Pepper travels, he leaves a "zipper". Once he encloses or "zips" a segment, it fills in and points are awarded. If Pepper backtracks on an uncompleted segment, it unzips.
Gameplay appears to be unfinished. I can move the white "Pepper" character around freely.
The character "Pepper" is an angel. There are two types of enemies that must be avoided: Roaming Eyes and the Whippersnapper. The Whippersnapper unzips all uncompleted, zipped segments by moving over them. Pepper's one defense is to enclose an area containing a pitchfork, which turns him into a devil for approximately four seconds. At that time he can go after all Roaming Eyes for points while the Whippersnapper freezes. There are four pitchforks in the corners of every maze. A deluxe energizer is located in the center of each maze. This energizer alternates between being a pitchfork and a halo symbol. If Pepper encloses the middle area when the energizer is a halo, the Whippersnapper disappears from the maze. I do not see any of these creatures in this Odyssey2 game.
Points are made for enclosing a segment, consuming a pair of roaming eyes when energized by the pitchfork (similar to Pac-Man), obtaining prizes, completing a maze, and completing four mazes. A bonus turn is awarded at 40,000, 50,000, 70,000 or 90,000 points. When four full screens are completed, a small cube appears at the bottom of the screen to mark your progress at completing cubes. I don't see any scoring system. No points! No nothing! I don't think Leafinmajick got that far.
On the profile, he lists this as the proposed artwork that was selected for the PEPPER II game:
Each maze also contains a prize in one of the segments. The player must enclose the area it appears in to gain the prize and points, and then the prize is shown beneath the maze. Again, maybe I am doing something wrong. I am not seeing any of this when I play the game. I feel like throwing my Odyssey2 across the room. Did I get ripped off $3?
What are your thoughts? or if you have more information , send an email.
Sunday, March 31, 2024
FALLPIT! for the ATARI 2600
FALLPIT! for the ATARI 2600
NOW AVAILABLE!
ON AN EXPEDITION IN SOUTH AMERICA...
You hear some locals talking about Pacal, a rich Mayan monarch who ruled many, many years ago. Apparently, his tomb has been said to be filled with treasure. One of them says that many explorers who have tried to find the oro ( gold ) have not returned.
One of the hombres ( men ) says something about a cueva ( cave ) and points to the entrance.
Enter the Maya cave and collect the treasures. That is the goal!
Each level of the cave has two gold bars to collect.
Then, you must enter a doorway and proceed on to the next level deeper within the cave.
There are 10 levels in the cave. There are 20 gold bars to collect in all.
If you can make it that far, the locals say you will reach the end of the cave
and see a large stone sculpture of the Mayan king!
Are you up for the challenge?
FALLPIT! was programmed by Cisano.
Included is :
a durable black plastic storage box with color printed insert
color printed 4-page game manual
a game cartridge with color printed label
Here's a video of the game in action!
HOW TO ORDER:
FALLPIT! is shipped via U.S. Mail.
In you live in the USA:
Price: $35
Shipping: $5
please click BUY NOW:
Monday, March 11, 2024
GOSUB for the Intellivision
In 2016, I co-published the game GOSUB for the Mattel Intellivision, complete in box, and it first appeared at the PRGE ( Portland Retro Game Exposition ) show in October 2016.
300 cartridges were made.
There are some remaining physical game cartridges, complete in box, and they are available for sale!
Both GOSUB and SUPER PRO GOSUB are included on the game cartridge!
IF YOU LIVE IN THE USA:
Intellivision game cartridge and printed game instruction and 2 overlays and box
price: $55 and $5 shipping
US Mail Ground Advantage Mail with tracking number
Click BUY NOW:
IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE USA:
Intellivision game cartridge and printed game instruction and 2 overlays and box
price: $55 and $17 shipping
US Mail International First Class with tracking number
Click BUY NOW:
GOSUB ( standard, free version )
SUPER PRO GOSUB
This is the LAST CALL for physical copies of GOSUB. Once these sell, no more will be made!
Want to give it a try? You can - FOR FREE! You can download the game from INTELLIVISION.US and try it out on your LTO FLASH or BACKBIT or jzINTV or your favorite MATTEL INTELLIVISION emulator.
The download site is:
Sunday, March 10, 2024
POT O' GOLD for the INTELLIVISION : a work in progress
Hello everyone and Happy week before St. Patrtick's Day
Two weeks ago, Willie Culver posted a video of himself playing the arcade coin-op POT OF GOLD on his YouTube channel ARCADEUSA.
He thought it would be a nice game for a home conversion.
ASK AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE!
I was corresponding with my friend AKA ATARI2600LAND and asked him what he thought... and if he would be willing to try to make a port of the game for the INTELLIVISION.
Well, he was up for the challenge and has begun programming a version of the game. I would like to stress that this is a work in progress and it is not the finished product. We are hoping to release & publish this game on cartridge - complete in box - but this will most likely happen later in the year.
Here are some basic instructions ( a screen capture from the coin-op machine )
here is Willie's video of the game in action:
here is Papa Pete's video of the game in action:
here is Brian's Man Cave video:
updated: March 17, 2024
Stay tuned!
More to come!
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