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atari2600_gamelist.xml
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atari2600_gamelist.xml
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<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gameList>
<game>
<name>2003 AtariAge Holiday Cart</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
The 2003 Holiday GreetingCart was part of a promotion in the AtariAge Store during the 2003 holiday sale. The Holiday GreetingCart is an Atari 2600 cartridge with a unique, holiday-themed label created by artist Dave Exton. When plugged into an Atari 2600, the cartridge displays a rendition of the same image, courtesy of Interleaved ChronoColour(tm) technology. These carts were individually numbered and there were only two ways of getting one: By placing an order of $50 or more in the AtariAge Store, or by participating in the 2003 AtariAge Holiday GreetingCart Contest and winning one for free!
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2745</desc>
<releasedate>20030101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>AtariAge</developer>
<publisher>AtariAge</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>2005 Minigame Multicart</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Atari 2600 fans Chris Walton (cd-w), Fred Quimby (batari), Bob Montgomery (vdub_bobby), and Zach Matley (Zach) submitted several 1K entries for the 2005 Minigame Competition. They have now teamed up to release their seven 1K games in a single 2005 Minigame Multicart, complete with an on-screen menu that allows easy selection of the games as well as instructions.
The included games are:
- Hunchy - Hunchy is inspired by the classic arcade game Hunch Back (released 1982), which is loosely based on the novel "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1831) by Victor Hugo. You play the role of the hunchbacked bell-ringer Quasimodo in his quest to rescue the gypsy girl Esmeralda from the cathedral of Notre Dame. To succeed, you must jump across the roof of the Notre Dame, avoiding the guards and an assortment of missiles. There are 16 screens to complete, increasing in difficulty as you progress. Hunchy has an infinite number of lives, and you will need them all!
- Jetman - In Jetman you play a battle-hardened gas station attendant in outer space! Your job is to refuel the rockets as quickly as possible, while coming under heavy fire from forces unknown. Jetman is inspired by the classic Ultimate 8-bit game JetPac (released 1983). There are 16 space craft to refuel in increasingly hostile conditions.
- Nightrider - As the Nightrider, you must ride for freedom or die! Hostile government forces are in helicopter pursuit as you make your futile bid for freedom. To stop or hesitate will mean certain death, but the rugged terrain will also bite you without warning. The faster and further you ride, the more your freedom is worth.
- Zirconium - An exotic alien species is invading our galaxy! The cubic zirconia, based on elemental zirconium instead of carbon, have tried to block your approach to their boxy mothership with their geometrically perfect space mines. You, as the intrepid space captain Joe Diamond, must think outside the box as you battle your way through their blocky blockade. Your ship's armor can only withstand a few collisions, so take good aim at the obstacles and don't miss the power packs spread throughout the galaxy!
- Rocket Command - Interterrestrial beings are erupting from the earth's core in an attempt to take over the surface! As the Rocket Commander, you have installed a battalion of rockets at the top of the volcanic crater where the magma beings are launching their craft. It's up to you to destroy these molten enemies before they launch into the sky! If your rockets destroy enough invaders, your leader will allow you to install more rockets to continue your campaign. You must be on your toes, because there's not much time to aim when you are down to your last few rockets!
- M-4 - Back in 1977, Midway released an arcade game titled M-4. This is a pretty simple game, where you take control of a tank where your goal is to accumulate as many points as you can within a 90 second period of time. You can score points for hitting the wall (well, you only get one point for this), hitting an opposing tank, hitting a car, and hitting an airplane (which scores the most). Every time you or hte other tank gets hit, the walls are rebuilt and the tanks are retgurned to their starting positions. The timer then pauses for a moment, and the game then resumes.
- Marble Jumper - Marble Jumper is a classic puzzle game played on a board with 33 squares. The goal is to clear the board with the last marble in the center. Marbles move by jumping horizontally or vertically. As in checkers, the jump is valid if the adjacent position is occupied and the position two squares away is clear. During a jump, the adjacent marble is removed from the board. Diagonal jumps are not allowed. Marble Jumper contains 24 puzzles, including the original where all squares but the center are filled.
The 2005 Minigame Multicart can be purchased in cartridge form from the AtariAge Store.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2728</desc>
<releasedate>20050101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>AtariAge</developer>
<publisher>AtariAge</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>2600tris</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
A very nice Tetris game for the 2600.
http://www.atari2600land.com/tetris.html</desc>
<releasedate>20100101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>atari2600land</developer>
<publisher>Unpublished</publisher>
<genre>Puzzle</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>3-D Tic-Tac-Toe</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
The game is similar to the traditional game of tic-tac-toe, but is played on four 4 - 4 grids stacked vertically on top of each other; it is basically a computerized version of the board game Qubic using traditional tic-tac-toe notation and layout. To win, a player must place four of their symbols on four squares that line up vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, on a single grid, or spaced evenly over all four grids. This creates a total of 76 possible ways to win, in comparison to eight possible ways to win on a standard 3 - 3 board. The game can be played by two players against each other, or one player can play against a built-in AI on one of eight different difficulty settings. The game uses the standard joystick controller.
3-D Tic-Tac-Toe was written by Carol Shaw, who went on to greater fame as the creator of Activision's River Raid.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-D_Tic-Tac-Toe_(Atari_2600)</desc>
<releasedate>19780101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Board Game</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Acid Drop</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
In Acid Drop you had multi-coloured blocks which were comprised of three squares that had to be matched in colour sequence. The blocks could only be laid vertically and you had to work out the best possible sequence that would help you to get ahead in the game for by pressing the fire button you could make the blocks change their stacking. Three blocks of the same colour laid together in a row would award you points and clear the space that they occupied. From time to time an Acid Drop would make an appearance and strategic use of it could allow the player to clear certain problem blocks from the screen and generally make life easier. On the downside the graphics were minimal and game play was far less intense than it could have been. The biggest problem though came from the horrendous music that was played as you attempted to sort out the falling blocks for the 2600 was not designed with music in mind.
It was best played with the sound turned well down but anyone expecting to find a true Tetris clone would have been sadly disappointed.
Reviewer: Ben Coulson
http://www.atarimania.com/detail_soft.php?MENU=2&VERSION_ID=7205</desc>
<releasedate>19920101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Salu</developer>
<publisher>Salu</publisher>
<genre>Action - Puzzle</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Adventure Invaders</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
A combination of two Atari Classics, Adventure and Space Invaders. Familiar characters from Adventure are attacking! You, the Hero, must defend yourself by shooting them, keep an eye out for the Chalice!
What's New:
Player sprite changed to resemble Adventure Hero. Invader sprites changed to resemble characters from Adventure.
http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=103</desc>
<releasedate/>
<developer/>
<publisher/>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Adventure (New Graphics Hack)</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Update hack for the Atari 2600 Classic Adventure. ~Rx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_(Atari_2600)</desc>
<releasedate/>
<developer/>
<publisher/>
<genre>Role Playing Game</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Adventure Plus</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Description
This is a hack of Atari's popular classic Adventure, with plenty of changes to keep Adventure fans busy for hours!
What's New
- Title Screen Added ("Adventure+"). Thanks to Channel 2, who helped removed the flicker.
- The Left and right border walls have been removed in the main corridor (underneath the original location of the yellow castle), allowing you to warp from one side to the other.
- Game 1: Red Dragon added, one new (semi-hidden, accessible only with the bridge) room added to blue maze, many item locations changed.
- Game 2: Many items are in new locations, including the Chalice. If you have trouble finding the Chalice, drop us a line and we'll give you a hint.
- Dragons changed to look more like dragons and less like ducks.
- Chalice, magnet, castle gates, sword, level select numbers, and bridge graphics all changed.
- Castles made wider at the top, for no particular reason.
- A Plus("+") sign was added in the castle gate graphic.
- Barrier Obstacles added to the corridor rooms.
- All-New Blue Maze
- All-New Invisible Maze
- All-New White Castle Maze
- Revised (very slightly modified) Black Castle Maze
- Yellow Castle changed to a dark orange color
- Yellow Key changed to orange to match new yellow castle color
- Blue Maze changed to a darker blue
- Startup screen changed from purple to a tan color
- Level select numbers changed to dark blue
- Main Corridor colors changed to dark blue and dark purple from the previous shades of green.
- Yellow Castle and Black Castle moved to different locations.
- The two "top entry rooms" near the white castle were moved, and the original entrances to them were closed off.
http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=94</desc>
<releasedate/>
<developer/>
<publisher/>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Adventures of Tron</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Adventures of TRON was based on the Walt Disney motion picture TRON, and was programmed by APh for Mattel. Originally it was meant to be an Atari 2600 version of the Intellivision game TRON Maze-A-Tron, but by the time the game was completed it had changed so much that Mattel gave it a different title. As a result of that change, APh also created Adventures of TRON for the Intellivision, but Mattel decided not to release it. In addition to being sold separately, Adventures of TRON was also packaged with TRON: Deadly Discs and a special blue TRON joystick. Consumers who bought the games separately could also send in proof of purchase and get a free joystick.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=741</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Mattel</developer>
<publisher>Mattel</publisher>
<genre>Action - Platform</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Adventure</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Adventure is considered the first action-adventure game. Its creator, Warren Robinett, also introduced the first widely known Easter egg to the gaming world.
History and Design:
Adventure was published by the console's developer, Atari, Inc. It was inspired by a computer text game, Colossal Cave Adventure, created by Will Crowther and later modified by Don Woods.
Despite discouragement from his boss at Atari who said it could not be done, game designer Warren Robinett created a graphic game loosely based on the text game. Atari's Adventure went on to sell a million copies.
At the time of the game's creation Atari did not credit any of its authors for their work. Robinett included a hidden message in the game identifying himself as the creator, thus creating one of the earliest known Easter eggs in a video game. According to Warren, a young player from Salt Lake City, Utah first discovered the easter egg and wrote in to Atari regarding it.
The total memory used by the game program was 4096 bytes (4 KB) for the game code (in ROM) and 128 bytes for program variables (in RAM). The Atari 2600's CPU was a 1.19 megahertz 8-bit MOS Technology 6507, which was a cheaper version of the 6502.
Due to a limitation in the Atari 2600's hardware, the left and right sides of nearly every screen are mirror images of each other, which fostered the creation of the game's confusing mazes. The notable exceptions are two screens in the black castle catacombs and two in the main hallway beneath the Gold Castle. These two hallway screens are mirrored, but contain a vertical "wall" object in the room in order to achieve a non-symmetrical shape, as well as act as a secret door for an Easter egg.
Innovation:
Not only was Adventure the first action-adventure game on a video console and the first to include an Easter egg, it was also the first ever to allow a player to have a stash of items, but required the player to select which one to use at any given moment, usually through keyboard or joystick input. Adventure allowed the player to drop one item and pick up another without having to type in any commands.
Easter Egg:
Inside the black castle catacombs (on difficulty level 2 or 3), embedded in the south wall of a sealed chamber (accessible only with the bridge), is an "invisible" 1-pixel object referred to as the grey dot. One must "bounce" the player cursor along the bottom wall to "grab" the dot. The dot is not actually invisible, but simply the same color as the wall and is easily seen when placed in a catacombs passage or over a normal wall. The dot is not attracted to the magnet, unlike most other objects in Adventure.
Bringing this dot to the east end of the corridor below the golden castle while other differently-colored objects are present causes the wall object to also become 'invisible', allowing the player to pass into a room displaying the words "Created by Warren Robinett".
Additionally, this could create a problem for the player. If the bat happened to steal one of the items necessary to cause the wall to become invisible (and drop a dragon which would wander off, for example) the player would become trapped in the wall unless the bat happened by again with an item that would cause the wall to re-open.
Gameplay:
The player's goal is simply to find the enchanted chalice and return it to the gold castle. The player character, represented by a square, explores a multi-screen landscape containing castles, mazes, and various rooms. Hidden throughout the world are a sword, keys to unlock each of the three castles (gold, black, and white), a magic bridge which allows the player to travel through a wall, and a magnet which will pull any of these objects toward it.
Roaming the world are three dragons:
- Yorgle, the yellow dragon: He is afraid of the golden key and will run away from it. He guards the chalice when he can find it; otherwise he wanders around or helps the other dragons guard their possessions.
- Grundle, the green dragon: He guards the magnet, the bridge, the black key, and the chalice.
- Rhindle, the red dragon: He is the fastest of the three and the most aggressive. He guards the white key and chalice.
A dragon can be "killed" by touching it with the sword. If the console's right difficulty switch is in the "A" position, the dragons will run away when they see the sword.
When a dragon touches the player, it will "strike" (remaining motionless for a moment with its mouth open, waiting for a shorter time if the console's left difficulty switch is in the "A" position) and then "swallow" the player, who becomes trapped in the dragon's belly. While the dragon's mouth is opened, it cannot be killed.
A black bat flies around randomly, occasionally picking up or dropping objects (including live or dead dragons). The bat can steal the player's sword and give him a live dragon in return, or vice-versa. The player can catch the bat and carry it around. The bat continues to fly even after the player has been killed, and occasionally the bat will pick up the dragon whose stomach contains the player, giving the player a whirlwind tour of the Adventure universe. The player can trap the bat inside a castle; this works best with the gold castle, since it has only one room and (provided the player has emptied it beforehand) the bat will, if it is flying upwards (straight up or diagonally up-right or up-left), fly around endlessly in the room and will not leave the castle. If the player enters with another item, the bat will change direction to grab the new item and usually end up leaving the castle. The bat's name was intended to be Knubberrub, but that name never made it into the manual.
There are three different games available via the Game Select switch:
- Game 1 is a simplified version of the game and does not have the red dragon, the bat, the catacombs, the white castle, or the maze inside the black castle.
- Game 2 is the full version, having all the features described. The location of the objects at the start of a new game is always the same and because of this known initial state, this is the easiest game to use to find the Easter egg.
- Game 3 is just like Game 2; however, the initial locations of the objects are pseudo-randomized, providing a different game each time. Because of this, the game could be easier or harder to solve (occasionally impossible, due to a bug in the item-placement routine that sometimes locks the gold key inside the gold castle). Due to the unpredictable placement of the items, it is more difficult to secure the bat and locate the items needed to find the Easter egg (though the location of the dot is consistent).
When a player is eaten by a dragon, he does not necessarily have to start over. Hitting the "Game Reset" switch resurrects the player back at the gold castle and resurrects any killed dragons; however, the objects all remain where they were at the time of the player's death. This could be thought of as one of the earliest usages of the "continue game" feature, which is now prevalent in most video games. Hitting "Game Select" after death returns the game to the game select screen and an entirely new game can be played.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_(Atari_2600)</desc>
<releasedate>19780101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Adventure - Multi-Screen</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>A Game of Concentration</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Each game version is played the same. The only difference is the number of matrix squares. Behind each numbered square is an object. Each player takes a turn by choosing two matrix squares. When a player chooses a square, an object is revealed. If the two squares' objects are identical, the player scores one point.
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19780101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Educational</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Airlock</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
You're trapped! Your disabled nuclear submarine, resting periously on an undersea ledge, has begun taking on water. With time running out for you and your crew -- and with your on-board torpedos shaken loose by an eerie current from deep under the sea floor -- it's up to you alone whether you sink or swim!
Here are some things that you need to remember:
1. The torpedos cannot enter the elevator shaft, so once you have retrieved your keys and the door opens, move at once into the elevator and you'll be out of danger's reach.
2. Try positioning your player so that he can jump a barrier and torpedo at the same time -- it can save you precious seconds, and the time you save at one level may help you out on the next.
3. In games 3 & 4, you have ten Airlock Levels to pass through. The first five levels, like those in games 1 & 2, have two barriers per level. But the second five levels in games 3 & 4 have four barriers per level. Not an easy task!
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19770101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Data Age</developer>
<publisher>Data Age</publisher>
<genre>Platformer</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Air Raiders</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
TRAINER VERSION: UNLIMITED AMMO
This game was originally called Air Battle while it was in development, and at least one prototype has been found with an "Air Battle" label. The prototype label is white with black text similar to an INTV label.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=5</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Mattel</developer>
<publisher>Mattel</publisher>
<genre>Flight Simulator</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Air Raid</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Air Raid, not to be confused with Air Raiders or River Raid, is considered to be the rarest game released for the Atari 2600. It was the only game released by MenAvision and had an extremely limited distribuition. Its cartridge is a blue T-handle design with a picture of flying saucers attacking a futuristic city. It is not uncommon for the game to sell in the thousands of dollars when listed on eBay.
We have never seen the box for this game.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=972</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Men-A-Vision</developer>
<publisher>Men-A-Vision</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Air-Sea Battle</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Air-Sea Battle was one of the nine original launch titles for the Atari 2600 when it was released in October 1977. It was also released by Sears as Target Fun and was the pack-in game with the original Sears Tele-Games version of the Atari 2600.
Gameplay:
There are six basic types of game available in Air-Sea Battle, and for each type, there are one or two groups of three games, for a total of twenty-seven game variants. Within each group, variant one is the standard game, variant two features guided missiles which can be directed left or right after being fired, and variant three pits a single player (using the right gun) against a computer opponent, which simply fires continuously at the default angle or speed. In every game, players shoot targets (enemy planes or ships, shooting gallery targets, or each other, depending on the game chosen) competing to get a higher score. Each round lasts two minutes and sixteen seconds; the player with the higher score after time expires is the winner, unless one player wins (and ends the game) by reaching 99 points before the time is up.
Anti-aircraft games
Variants 1-6 are anti-aircraft games, in which the player uses a stationary anti-aircraft gun that can be positioned at a 30, 60, or 90-degree angle to shoot down four different types of aircraft. The planes typically appear in groups of three to five, and once every plane in a formation has been destroyed, a new formation appears. There are two groups of anti-aircraft games: in variants 1-3, each target hit is worth 1 point, while in 4-6, the various types of aircraft have different point values. Additionally, zero-point blimps are added as obstacles in games 4-6.
Torpedo games
The torpedo games (7-12) are essentially the same as the anti-aircraft games, except that each player mans a submarine and fires at ships instead of planes. As with the anti-aircraft games, in games 7-9, all targets are worth one point, while games 10-12 have variable point values for targets and additional zero-point obstacles, this time in the form of mines.
Shooting gallery games
The shooting gallery games (13-15) differ from the previous variants in that, in addition to setting the gun angle, the player can move the gun left and right. Instead of planes or ships, clowns, ducks, and rabbits are the targets, with point values of 1, 2, and 3 respectively.
Polaris games
The polaris games (16-18) put the player in control of a boat which moves back and forth across the bottom of the screen automatically. Instead of controlling the gun angle, the player controls the speed at which the ship moves, attempting to shoot the same fleets of planes as in the anti-aircraft variants, with the point values of games 4-6.
Bomber games
In the bomber games (19-21), the player-controlled vehicle is a plane flying near the top of the screen dropping bombs on the ships from the torpedo games. As in the polaris games, the plane's speed is controlled by the player, and the point values are identical to those in games 10-12.
Polaris vs. Bomber games
In the polaris vs. bomber games (22-27), one player controls the ship from the polaris games while the other controls the plane from the bomber games, with the goal being to destroy the other player's craft. Games 25-27 feature zero-point mines as obstacles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-Sea_Battle</desc>
<releasedate>19770101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Shoot 'em Up - Fixed</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Alien Menace</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Aliens are afoot! It's your job to blow them to smithereens! But to do that you'll have to fly through their defenses and hit them where it hurts! This River Raid hack opens up a lot of new options in the game play and adds more targets for you to shoot at!
What's New:
Playfield layout and colors have been changed. "Scenery" sprites have been changed to viable targets. Sprite graphics have been changed.
http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=277</desc>
<releasedate/>
<developer/>
<publisher/>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Alien Planet</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
It's a whole new planet! An Alien Planet. You'll have to out run, out jump, and just plain out last the alien inhabitants if you are to survive your visit.
What's New:
Playfield and sprite graphics have been changed. Jump heights have been altered.
http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=211</desc>
<releasedate/>
<developer/>
<publisher/>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Alien</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
In space no one can hear you scream...
Your job is to run through the hallways of your space ship and crush all the Alien Eggs which have been placed there. You must also avoid or destroy the adult Aliens and snatch up as many prizes as possible.
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>20th Century Fox / CCE</developer>
<publisher>20th Century Fox / CCE</publisher>
<genre>Movie Adaption</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Alligator People</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Based on the really bad 50's sci-fi movie of the same name, Alligator People was the center of controversy even before the actual game was found. Sometime is in the mid 90's a collector found what they thought was a prototype for the Alligator People because the cartridge was labeled as such. For many years most people assumed that the game was the lost Alligator People prototype, mostly because the games graphics were rather generic looking and there was no other indication of its true identity. However in 2002 when collector Ben Liashenko found a genuine copy of Alligator people, it was discovered that the game everyone previously thought was Alligator people was actually Planet of the Apes!
Despite being based off one of the worst horror/sci-fi movies ever created, Alligator People is actually a really good game. You play the role of Jane Marvin who must save her husband and his friends who are turning into Alligator People due to a failed medical treatment (think The Lizard from Spiderman). Jane (who just happens to look like a syringe) must shoot each person on the top and bottom of the screen with special Alligator antidote (no I'm not making this up!) until they are cured. Of course the alligators aren't just going to let Jane wander about curing people unmolested, otherwise it wouldn't be much of a game now would it? Jane must avoid roving alligators and moving walls whiles collecting vials of antidote and serum.
So what do moving walls have to do with the movie? Well to be honest not much, but it wouldn't be much of a game without them (play game variation 1 and see). The constantly moving maze walls pulse in and out in a predetermined pattern attempting to crush poor Jane. After playing the game for awhile it quickly becomes clear that these moving walls turn an average game into a great game. The walls also serve another important function by covering up antidote vials your trying to collect making your task all the more difficult (this can be turned off with the right difficulty switch). However if you find the moving walls too difficult they can be turned off by selecting games 1, 4, or 7. Likewise you can make it so Jane can safely travel through the walls by selecting options 2, 5, or 8.
As you wander about the maze you'll see little vials of antidote and large red S's which are containers of serum. Antidote vials allow Jane to cure her friends by shooting them with them with it. The number of antidote vials Jane currently holds is represented by the 'A' at the bottom of the screen while the 'S' represents the current Serum Level. Serum appears only in game variations with moving walls (all but 1, 4, and 7), and increase the potency of the antidote (thus making it easier to cure people). The Serum Level can be increased to a maximum of nine, after which collecting more does nothing. Jane can also shoot regular alligators in addition to her friends to prevent them from killing her. Shooting regular alligators doesn't cost any antidote vials (there's no curing them, they really are alligators!), so shoot till your hearts content. Once Jane has cured all six of her friends the game moves to the next level.
Unlike most 2600 games, Alligator People offers the player a unique gameplay option: Infinite Lives. Yes you read that right, by putting the left difficulty switch in the 'B' position you can give yourself infinite lives. It's unknown if this option would have been left in the final game, but apparently 20th Century Fox's management wasn't too keen on this. According to Crypts of Chaos programmer John Marvin:
"The developer had left a switch in, you know for one of the switches on the back of the VCS, for unlimited lives, and management was pretty irritated."
While the management may not have liked this feature (what do they know?), it does make a great learning tool. The player can really get the feel of the game without worrying about how many times he's died. Still it does take alot of the challenge out of the game...
So why did Alligator People never get released? According to John Marvin:
"Nobody seemed to be interested... we would play test games and sometimes they wouldn't make it out because of the play test and that one didn't make it out because it was a little bit too slow moving for the kids that played it, too easy for them."
I don't know what version of the game these kids were playing, but Alligator People isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination. Perhaps they were playing the variations without the moving maze?
http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/alligator/alligatorpeople.htm</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>20th Century Fox</developer>
<publisher>Unreleased</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Alpha Beam with Ernie</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
ALPHA BEAM is unique in that it includes opportunities for cooperation. When you play ALPHA BEAM with your child you can foster coooperative play by talking to him or her. As you play, say things like, "Which letter should we pick up first?" and, "Where should we put the letter A?" Encourage your child to talk about the game also.
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Educational</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Amidar</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
As in Pac-Man, the player is opposed by enemies who kill on contact. The enemies increase in number as the player advances from one level to the next, but do not increase in speed. Their speed is always matched exactly to that of the player.
On odd numbered levels, the player controls an ape (in some versions labeled "Copier"), and must collect coconuts while avoiding headhunters (labeled "Police" and "Thief"). On even numbered levels, the player controls a paint roller (labeled "Rustler"), and must paint over each spot of the board while avoiding pigs (labeled "Cattle" and "Thief"). Each level is followed by a short bonus stage.
Whenever a rectangular portion of the board is cleared (either by collecting all surrounding coconuts, or painting all surrounding edges), the rectangle is colored in, and in the even levels, bonus points are awarded. This leads to some comparisons with the popular and influential Qix, although the similarities between these games are superficial at best. When the player clears all four corners of the board, he is briefly empowered to kill the enemies by touching them (just as when Pac-Man uses a "power pill").
The game controls consist of a joystick and a single button labeled "Jump," which can be used up to three times per level. Pressing the jump button does not cause the player to jump, but causes the enemies to jump, enabling the player to walk under them.
Enemy Movement:
The enemies (and bonus stage pigs) in Amidar move deterministically; this is described in the game as "Amidar movement". Each normal-type enemy moves vertically from the top to the bottom of the screen, and then back to the top, and so on. While moving in a constant vertical direction, the enemy will take every horizontal turn available. Each level has one special enemy (the "Tracer", colored white) which, at the beginning of each stage, simply patrols around the perimeter of the gameboard in an anti-clockwise direction. However, following a certain number of "laps", The Tracer will begin to relentlessly pursue the player by following the path their on-screen avatar takes around the level. Since the Tracer moves at the same speed as the player character, but does not mimic any pauses or hesitations the player makes, gameplay now becomes much more frantic, as too many mistakes will allow the Tracer to catch up.
Later levels increase difficulty by adding more complex game grids, adding more enemies, and reducing the delay before the Tracer starts pursuing the player, until eventually it starts its pursuit at the very beginning of each new level.
The even numbered levels where the player controls a paint roller are somewhat more difficult, because the paint roller cannot move too far from grid rectangles that have already been filled without running out of paint and having to return to completed parts of the map to refresh its supply. When this happens, any painted lines which are not part of a filled rectangle will vanish and must be painted again. In practical terms, this means that the player must build their completed squares around the starting point of the level (which always has a fresh supply of paint) and spread outwards, rather than completing squares in any part of the game board they please, as they can on the odd-numbered levels. This also makes filling the corner rectangles and becoming invincible much more difficult.
Ports and Clones:
A simplified version of Amidar was released in 1983 for the Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers. This was the only official port but as with most arcade games of the time, there were many unofficial clones for home computers including Acornsoft's Crazy Tracer (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron), Microdeal's Cuthbert Goes Walkabout (Dragon 32/64, TRS-80 CoCo, Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit family), Llamasoft's Traxx (Vic-20, ZX Spectrum), Superior Software's Crazy Painter (BBC Micro, Acorn Electron) and Gapper (DOS).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amidar</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Parker Bros.</developer>
<publisher>Parker Bros.</publisher>
<genre>Arcade - Maze</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Amiga Boing 2.0</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Fans of Amiga computers will immediately recognize the nature of the Amiga Boing Demo 2.0. To help demonstrate the power of the Amiga, the Amiga Boing Ball demo was created. The demo consists of a checkered red and white ball bouncing within the confines of the screen, changing direction when hitting the walls, all the while spinning. With this demo running in the background (as the Amiga could multitask, which was a fairly unique feature at the time in personal computers), it as a powerful statement of the Amiga's capabilities. This demo ultimately became synonymous with the Amiga, and even today it used as part of the official Amiga identity.
For a period of time the Amiga Boing Demo was ported to just about every platform imaginable to demonstrate that, "Hey, we can do this, too!" And of course, the Atari 2600 was no exception! Several years ago, Rob Kudla created a simple version of the Amiga Boing Demo for the Atari 2600 as a tech demo that he posted to the Stella programmers mailing list.
More recently, David Galloway (djmips in our forums), updated Rob's demo to make it truer to the original Amiga demo. His changes include:
- The ball is now larger
- The world the ball bounces in now has gravity (as opposed to the ball moving at a constant velocity and in a straight line)
- The spin of the ball switches when it bounces against a side wall
- PAL/NTSC switch using the B&W switch
- Corrected the number of scanlines to 262
- User control of horizontal speed and gravity (wtih joystick)
- Random change of horizontal speed (after bounce with side wall)
Includes cartridge and manual. If you're not attending the Dallas vgXpo, you can pre-order the Amiga Boing Demo 2.0 in our store, and it'll be shipped to you after the show.
http://www.atariage.com/features/shows/vgdallas2005_preview/new_games.html</desc>
<releasedate>20050101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>David Galloway</developer>
<publisher>AtariAge</publisher>
<genre>Demo</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Androman on the Moon</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Androman on the Moon was one of several planned games for the unreleased Androman robot. Although a few of the games were rumored to have been programmed, Androman on the Moon is the first one to actually surface. Although the game itself may not look like much, one has to remember that it was only part of the package. The real magic was with Androman himself.
So what exactly was Androman? Androman was a small white robot that would scurry about on a floor mat while the player controlled him using the Atari 2600. Androman also had a barcode scanner in his bottom that would read barcodes placed on the map so the 2600 (and the robot) knew where he was. Using a combination of the joystick and barcodes, the player could guide Androman around the floor mat and play various games. One of those games being Androman on the Moon.
So exactly what is Androman doing on the moon? According to programmer Michael Case, Androman is mining minerals on the moon when he is attacked by aliens (don't you hate it when that happens?). The giant floor mat would have the locations of the mines, and the player would have to guide Androman to them. Once Androman was over a mine, the 2600 would show the mine maze portion of the game. In the mine maze the player has to guide Androman (shown as an X) through the maze while avoiding the alien (shown as a green face).
Androman isn't helpless however. Unbeknownst to the aliens, Androman comes equipped with time bombs that he can drop behind him. If timed right, the alien will be destroyed if it is near the bomb when it explodes. However the aliens are very fast, and timing everything just right is difficult. The best course of action is to hightail it towards the end of the mine before the alien can get you. If the alien does catch Androman the screen will go black and the timer will countdown to zero, after this the game crashes. The reason for this is that the 2600 is trying to output commands to Androman that would make him jerk around and make noise (to show that he has been hit). Unfortunately there is no Androman robot to control so the game simply crashes.
Once the player has made it through the mine, he enters a 3-D tunnel. Here the player must avoid or shoot down large circular objects (Moon Bats) as they come flying towards the screen. The tunnel will move about the screen as the player shifts to the left or right in some very nice looking 3-D effects. As with the mine screen, if the player gets hit the game crashes.
After the player reaches the end of the tunnel, he would have had to make Androman move back to his home base with the minerals he mined. After which the whole cycle would start again (find a new mine and play the mine scene again). Unfortunately we don't have an Androman to control, so the game simply crashes at the end of the tunnel. Oh well.
Androman on the Moon is an interesting game that shows how the 2600 could be expanded and enhanced through the use of sophisticated controllers (such as robots). Unfortunately the game market was rapidly deteriorating, and the public wasn't very receptive to new ideas, especially anything that cost extra money. The Androman idea wouldn't be seen again until Nintendo decided to try something similar with R.O.B. Unfortunately R.O.B. met a similar fate after only two games.
http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/androman/androman.htm</desc>
<releasedate>19840101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Michael Case (Programmer) and Lenny Carlson (Music)</developer>
<publisher>Unpublished</publisher>
<genre>Maze</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Angry Video Game Nerd K.O. Boxing</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Hello all. I am pleased to announce that I have finished my first sequel to K.O. Cruiser! Woot!
If case you are not familiar with the show, the Angry Video Game Nerd is an Internet show based on reviewing old video games. The "nerd" is a retro gamer like us and, like us, has been aggravated playing terrible games. Often, in the past, we would buy a game (or most likely get one as a gift) only to find out it was TERRIBLE!
"Back to the Future for my Nintendo? Thanks Santa! This looks great!"
(10 minutes later)
"This sucks!"
The show combines knowledge of video games & old systems with rants so acerbic and scatological that they can cause paint to peel. In quite a few episodes, characters from the game, such as the Joker, Cowardly Lion, Bugs Bunny, etc... join in. Mike Matei, who acts in these roles, and creates the episode title art, was kind enough to draw a cover for this game. He also was helpful by giving me tips and suggestions during development.
Enjoy!
P.S. In this sequel, I added I added the ability to dodge punches. When your opponent is about to throw a punch, you can move left or right and dodge. If your boxer is not in danger, you will move normally. I'll update my other boxing game to use this feature.
http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/149089-angry-video-game-nerd-k-o-boxing/</desc>
<releasedate>20090101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Devin</developer>
<publisher>Unpublished</publisher>
<genre>Sports - Boxing</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Aquaventure</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Aquaventure is a bit of a mystery in the prototype world. It was never mentioned in any Atari press releases nor does it show up on any internal part lists. Aquaventure seems to have popped out of the woodwork one day without any public fanfare nor any history behind its mysterious origins. In any case, Aquaventure seems to be complete and ready for release, we can only speculate as to why it was shelved.
The game concept is simple; you must dive to the bottom of an undersea cavern and retrieve a fabulous treasure (which just happens to look like a small house of some sort). Along the way you must avoid fish, sea horses, and other underwater creatures attempting to block your path. Your diver came prepared however, for he is armed with a spear gun which he can use to temporarily kill one of the creatures. However, each enemy you kill is soon replaced by a faster and indestructible version of itself, so you need to carefully carve a path to the bottom only destroying the creatures that get in your way. After retrieving the treasure and returning it to the top of the cavern, a mermaid will appear. Touching the mermaid will take you to the next level, where you get to do it all over again. At the top of the screen there is a turtle, which shows how much air you have left. If the turtle reaches the Air sign at the far end of the screen before you complete the level you loose a life.
Aquaventure's main problem lies in its repetitive gameplay. Each new level looks the same as the previous one, only with slightly different colors, faster fish and less time (air) to accomplish your goal. But even with these new twists, there just isn't enough to keep the average person interested for very long. Going up and down the same cavern all day gets old fast. In its current state Aquaventure is a fine start, but it needs a few more gameplay elements to round it out a bit. Why Aquaventure was abandoned instead of being fixed is still a mystery, but it's a shame since it's an interesting game with real potential.
http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/aquaventure/aquaventure.htm</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Unreleased</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Armor Ambush</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Armor Ambush is a game that gives players control over tanks that battle one another over terrain that offers varying degrees of texture and traversability. Dueling tanks was a theme familiar to owners of the Atari 2600 since Combat, the game packaged with nearly every Atari 2600 system, had a very similar premise. However, Armor Ambush expands upon the simple battles available to players of Combat. The field of battle occupies a region greater than the size of the screen. Players are able to control two tanks and switch between them on command. The terrain is more diverse, featuring areas of foliage, water, and natural barriers. There is also a single-player mode that allows a player to battle a computer-controlled opponent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armor_Ambush</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Mattel</developer>
<publisher>Mattel</publisher>
<genre>Shooter - Multi-Directional</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Artillery Duel</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Artillery Duel takes gameplay common to many games of the time and adapts it to the limitations of the Atari 2600. The game consists of dueling cannons on either side of a hill or mountain of varying height and shape. Each player has control of the incline and force behind the shell launched, the objective being to score a direct hit on the opposing target. Artillery Duel lacks the wind variable featured in other variations on the theme. Where many versions gave the player a few tries on the same course, Artillery Duel switches to a new mountain after each turn. When the player does manage to hit the opposing cannon, the reward is a brief animation of comically marching soldiers at the bottom of the screen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artillery_Duel</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Xonox</developer>
<publisher>Xonox</publisher>
<genre>Strategy</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Assault</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
(1) At first, a mothership that cannot be destroyed moves along the screen.
(2) In each page, mothership will lay a total of ten aliens in the space.
(3) In different pages, the aliens will have different ways of movements:
(i) Horizontal movement with sudden change of direction.
(ii) Up-down + horizontal movement with sudden change of direction.
(iii) Sudden appearance at random locations for a short while.
(4) The alien at the lowest region will emit different kinds of weapons at different pages:
(i) Single missile
(ii) Groups of missiles
(iii) Laser
(iv) Fireballs
(5) There are several kinds of aliens, namely
(i) Large alien that cannot disintegrate
(ii) Large alien that can disintegrate into two small aliens
(6) Different aliens & weapons with different speeds & movements in different pages.
(7) Fireballs reaching the base will attack cannon horizontally.
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Bomb</developer>
<publisher>Bomb</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>AStar</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
AStar is a new puzzle game for the Atari 2600 by Aaron Curtis, whose first homebrew endeavor was the highly popular Fall Down. AStar is inspired by an old calculator game called DStar. The basic idea is to collect all the items (cherries on the first level), but it's not as easy as it may seem at first! You can only move in a straight line until you hit something. You can then change your direction and again move forward until you hit a wall. You also have control of a small block to that you can use to help you navigate the level.
The number of moves you've made is shown at the bottom of the screen. Each level has a minimum number of moves required to complete it, and if you go over this the display will change color. Completing every level in the minimum number of moves (no easy task!) wins the game!
AStar may be purchased in cartridge form from the AtariAge Store.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2741</desc>
<releasedate>20060101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Aaron Curtis</developer>
<publisher>Aaron Curtis</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Asterix</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
TRAINER VERSION: INFINITE LIVES
The year is 50 B.C. Gaul is entirely occupied by the Romans. Well, almost entirely... There is one Gaulish village, located near the Roman outposts of Totorum, Aquarium, Laudanum, and Compendium, that has resisted the Roman legions. According to reports from Roman spies, the villagers are led by two Gaulish heroes - Asterix and Obelix.
The first hero, Asterix, is a shrewd little warrior with a quick mind and a large moustache. Asterix gets his superhuman strength from a magic potion brewed by the village Druid, Getafix.
The other hero is Asterix's remarkably strong and hungry friend, Obelix. Obelix has a healthy appetite for wild boar, and is always ready for a good fight with the Romans.
These two valiant heroes aren't afraid of anything. Except... well, except for one thing. The off-key tunes from the lyre of Cacofonix, the village bard, can make them retreat faster than a Roman can say "Veni, Vidi, Vici"!
Trivia:
Taz for the 2600 was slightly modified and sold as Asterix in Europe.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=1965</desc>
<releasedate>19880101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Action</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Asteroids</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
The objective of Asteroids is to score as many points as possible by destroying asteroids and flying saucers. The player controls a triangular-shaped ship that can rotate left and right, fire shots straight forward, and thrust forward. As the ship moves, momentum is not conserved the ship eventually comes to a stop again when not thrusting. The player can also send their ship into hyperspace, causing it to disappear and reappear in a random location on the screen (with the risk of self-destructing or appearing on top of an asteroid).
Each stage starts with a few asteroids drifting in random directions on the screen. Objects wrap around screen edges for instance, an asteroid that drifts off the top edge of the screen reappears at the bottom and continues moving in the same direction. As the player shoots asteroids, they break into smaller asteroids that frequently move faster and are more difficult to hit. Smaller asteroids also score higher points. Periodically, a flying saucer appears on one side of the screen and moves across to the other before disappearing again. The saucers are of two kinds: Large saucers fire in random directions, while small saucers aim at the player's ship.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asteroids_(computer_game)#Ports</desc>
<releasedate>19810101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Atari</publisher>
<genre>Shoot 'em Up - Arcade</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Asteroids (Vector)</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
This version of Asteroids was created to pay homage to the vector graphics of the original arcade game.
What's New
All visual elements have been changed to more closely represent the original arcade. An added benefit is the flicker is less atrocious, making the game easier on the eyes.
http://www.atariage.com/hack_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareHackID=4</desc>
<releasedate/>
<developer/>
<publisher/>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Astroblast</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Hit as many falling, fast-moving targets as you can. Move your laser base to avoid being hit yourself. Keep shooting as long as your bases last, and try for a great Peak Score!
You start with 10 laser defense bases. Several things fall from the sky: rocks, spinning white bombs, "smart" guided missiles and - when your score goes over 20,000 - UFO bombs. If your active laser is hit OR a spinner lands, you lose that base. You get another base whenever your peak score goes up 1,000 points. As the score goes higher more targets appear - falling faster.
~From the Manual
This is the Atari version of the Intellivision game Astrosmash. There is a bug in the original release of this cartridge - when two controllers are plugged in and moved simultaneously, unpredictable graphic effects can occur, and the joysticks may stop operating until the game is reset. The bug was fixed in later productions of the game.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SystemID=2600&SoftwareID=832</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Mattel</developer>
<publisher>Mattel / Telegames</publisher>
<genre>Shoot 'em Up</genre>
<players>1</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Astro War</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Your mission is to attack enemy's strange monsters from their base. you should shoot them brokenly by laser before crossing into each other. The enemy commands two teams of monsters; one is the main which will attack your base and the other is the obstructors which will destroy your ship. Anyway, you should avoid to cross into them, but shot up by your unlimited laser bomb. You have 6 reserves.
~From the Box</desc>
<releasedate>19830101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Starsoft</developer>
<publisher>Starsoft</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>The A-Team</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
If The A-Team looks familiar it's because it is little more than a graphic hack of another unreleased Atari game called Saboteur. At one point it was thought these games were the same except for the graphics, but after analyzing them I've found some slight gameplay differences. On this page I'll concentrate on the differences between Saboteur and The A-Team, for more information on the gameplay itself look at the Saboteur page.
It's unknown why Atari decided to change Saboteur into The A-Team, but we assume it's because they wanted a game based on the then popular A-Team TV show and didn't want to wait for a new game to be developed. At that point Saboteur was ready for release and Atari decided that they would attempt to integrate A-Team characters into a game that was already finished. The results are interesting at best, confusing to say the least.
http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/ateam/ateam.htm</desc>
<releasedate>19840101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Atari</developer>
<publisher>Unreleased</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Atlantis II</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
This is a special contest version of Atlantis. It was sent to the high scorers of the Defend Atlantis contest so that they could determine the top four scorers. The top four players from Atlantis II would be flown to Bermuda for an Atlantis shoot-out and a chance to win $10,000. While the game graphics are the same, it is much faster and fewer points are awarded for hits, making the game much more challenging. The actual scoring graphics are slightly different as well.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=1037</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Imagic</developer>
<publisher>Imagic</publisher>
<genre>Shoot 'em Up - Fixed</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>Atlantis</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
TRAINER VERSION: INVINCIBLE SIDE GUNS
Atlantis is a variation on the shooting game genre popular in the early 1980s. The player controls the last defenses of the City of Atlantis against the Gorgon invaders. The city has seven bases, which are vulnerable to attack. Three of these have firepower capabilities to destroy the Gorgon ships before they manage to drop bombs on one of the settlements. The gun bases have fixed cannons; the center base fires straight up, while the far left and far right bases fire diagonally upwards across the screen. The enemy ships pass back and forth from left to right four times before they enter bombing range, giving an ample opportunity to blow them away. Lost bases can be regained by destroying enough Gorgon ships. However, regardless of the player's efforts to avert the tragedy, Atlantis is doomed. The only way the game can end is when all bases are destroyed. However, then a tiny ship rises from the rubble and speeds away, foreshadowing the events of the sequel Cosmic Ark.
Similar Games:
The most obvious comparison to this game is with Colony 7 which was released by Taito in a way a combination of Space Invaders and Missile Command, which also features the defense of a number of bases, only some armed, against an irresistible invading force. The principal differences lie in the controls. While Missile Command features a complex targeting and positioning system that used a trackball in the arcades, Atlantis returns to an earlier era where the only control is in the timing of the gun fire that must be lined up with the movement of the enemy ships in order to successfully destroy the invaders. Still, like many of the early titles produced by Imagic, the game was popular and considered a hit for the company.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis_(video_game)</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Imagic</developer>
<publisher>Imagic</publisher>
<genre>Shoot 'em Up - Fixed</genre>
<players>2</players>
</game>
<game>
<name>A-VCS-tec Challenge</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
1475. Tenochtitl?n is ruled by the Aztec sovereign Axayacatl, son of Motecuhzoma. Even as he was being defeated by the Tarascans, Axayacatl was expanding his realm by conquering the Mixtecs and Zapotecs.
You, being a warrior of the Zapotecs, managed to escape the battlefield together with two of your brothers, but unfortunately your party was trapped afterwards. Axayacatl offers you the only chance to survive by reaching the coast and leaving the country by boat. He challenges you with spear throwing warriors along your path and stone rolling priests on the pyramids. Reaching the pyramids safe inside allows your team to relax for a short time and prepare for the next trail.
Simon Quernhorst, author of the Atari 2600 homebrew game Mental Kombat, has programmed a new 2600 game: A-VCS-tec Challenge. A-VCS-tec Challenge is a conversion of the popular Aztec Challenge on the Commodore 64. The Atari 2600 version of the game includes the original game's arcade-like first level, called "The Gauntlet", as well as a second level where you must race up the stairs to the top of the pyramid while avoiding large stones being thrown down from the top! A-VCS-tec Challenge features the memorable soundtrack from the Commodore 64 version, composed by Paul Slocum, author of the Synthcart and Marble Craze for the 2600.
You can learn more about A-VCS-tec Challenge by visiting Simon Quernhorst's A-VCS-tec Challenge Development Page. You can read about the game's development, view detailed information about the gameplay, and watch a 43 second video trailer.
A-VCS-tec Challenge may be purchased in cartridge form from the AtariAge Store.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2744</desc>
<releasedate>20060101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Simon Quernhorst</developer>
<publisher>Simon Quernhorst</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Bachelorette Party</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
The second version of the game Bachelor Party. It has no difference in gameplay, but has the game sprites reversed: The player now uses his or her paddle to bounce a naked woman toward naked men.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_Party_(video_game)</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Mystique-Playaround</developer>
<publisher>Mystique-Playaround</publisher>
<genre>Adult</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Bachelor Party</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
The object of the game is to use your paddle control to line up the Spanish Fly with the flying bachelor, giving him a shot of energy and causing him to rebound, and "scoring" with one of the lovely young ladies attending his party. When the game starts, the bachelor has four lives. Every time he misses the Spanish Fly he loses one life and a musical theme is played. After each life is lost, you must depress the button again. When all the lives are lost the game is over. Small squares on the stripe at the bottom of the screen show how many lives are remaining in addition to the one then in play.
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19820101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Mystique</developer>
<publisher>Mystique</publisher>
<genre>Adult</genre>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Backfire</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Backfire is a homebrew game for the Atari 2600 written by Chad Lare. In Backfire you have two guns, one on the top of the screen and one on the bottom. To control the gun on the top of the screen, press up, to switch to the other gun, press down. Once you are controlling a gun, you can move horizontally and shoot. If you have a clear shot all the way across the screen, you can accidentally blow up your own gun. Also if you shoot one of the barriers, your shot is reflected back at you and you have to get out of the way (hence the name Backfire).
Scoring: There are four types of targets. The spaceships are worth 10 points if you shoot them when they are on one of the center lines, 0 points if they are on a line right next to your gun, or 5 points anywhere else on the screen. There are also red, blue, and green UFOs. The red ones are worth 100 points, the blue ones give you an extra life, and the green ones clear out all of the barriers and set you back to an easier level where you have more clear shots. If you don't shoot any green UFOs for a while, the levels get ridiculously hard.
How to win: You can't! This is Atari. You play till you lose. Them's the rules! Difficulty switches, select switch, and BW/Color switch have no effect. Only the 1st joystick is used.
Backfire may be purchased in cartridge form from the AtariAge Store. The label design created by Earl Green for Backfire was chosen through the Backfire Label Contest. Dale Crum then created a full-color 12-page manual to accompany the game, in the same style as manuals that accompanied Atari's picture-label games.
http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=2386</desc>
<releasedate>20030101T000000</releasedate>
<developer>Chad Lare</developer>
<publisher>Chad Lare</publisher>
<genre/>
<players/>
</game>
<game>
<name>Backgammon</name>
<path/>
<image/>
<video/>
<marquee/>
<desc>
Backgammon, in some version, has been played in various parts of the world for over 5,000 years. It is possibly the oldest war game still being played. It is suggested in early writings that the game was originally designed to train soldiers for combat, as backgammon has all the intricacies of any war game: strategy, position, and timing. It is both a game of skill and luck, which probably accounts for its longevity.
The most ancient possible ancestor to be found so far dates back to the ancient civilization of Sumer. The Egyptian Pharaohs played a similar game. Game boards were found during the excavations of Kin Tut's tomb that akin to backgammon. The ancient Greeks and Romans played different forms of the game were mentioned in many of their writings. A form of backgammon was played in the Middle East long the Crusades. In fact, it is believed that the Crusaders brought the game back to Britain with them, where it flourished in the eighth and ninth centuries.
The earliest written mention of the name "backgammon" was made in 1645, in a description of a game that is very much like backgammon as it is played today. The rules of today's game were set down by Edmond Hoyle in 1743.
The object of all the variations of the game, from its beginnings to now, is to move you game pieces around the board and bear them off before your opponent does.
~From the Manual</desc>
<releasedate>19780101T000000</releasedate>