This will not be probably the most in-depth hands-on on this planet, however hopefully, we’ll be capable of present just a little bit of data on every new recreation and assist you decide whether or not they will be value your time or not. One factor we’ve got to say earlier than we go on, nevertheless, is that each addition right here comes with its personal digital instruction guide; one more instance of Digital Eclipse’s unrivalled consideration to element.
So with out additional ado, let’s check out the video games included on this free replace…
Adventure II (2005, Homebrew) – Atari 2600
The authentic Adventure is probably probably the most well-known and beloved video games on the Atari 2600, with its hidden easter egg serving as the principle inspiration behind the 2011 sci-fi novel ‘Ready Player One’.
This official sequel, designed by the late Curt Vendel and incorporating components from the 5600 homebrew title by Ron Lloyd, is just about extra of the identical, which is ok by us. The world is bigger and extra intricate than the 1980 authentic, but retains every thing that made it such a basic.
The solely draw back right here is that there are not any recreation variations for this one, so it is technically a lesser recreation than the primary Adventure in that sense, however nonetheless effectively value your time.
Aquaventure (1983, Prototype) – Atari 2600
Aquaventure is a recreation that sadly fell sufferer to the online game crash of ’83, left stranded as a accomplished undertaking earlier than being formally launched on cartridge in 2022. It’s a recreation that thrives on its simplistic but addictive gameplay, requiring you to easily navigate to the underside of the ocean, retrieve the sunken treasure, and make your manner again up, all whereas defending your self from sea creatures and maintaining a tally of your oxygen provide.
The visuals listed below are a deal with, with the ocean creatures particularly showcasing attractive gradients of color. With excessive potential for replayability and score-chasing, this may effectively be the very best new recreation of the bunch.
Bowling (1979) – Atari 2600
Bowling was the final recreation designed by Larry Kaplan earlier than he went on to co-found just a little firm known as Activision. It’s a surprisingly satisfying expertise that allows you to briefly steer the ball in your required path to attain these valuable strikes.
If you are not up for that, then sure recreation variations will let you focus solely in your preliminary throw. Two gamers are additionally supported, so if you wish to replicate the times of enjoying Wii Bowling along with your mum, this may simply scratch that itch.
Circus Atari (1980) – Atari 2600
If you are conversant in Breakout (which, in case you’re even remotely into Atari, try to be), you then’ll be proper at house with Circus Atari. It performs equally, requiring you to bounce a pair of clowns up within the air to pop a bunch of balloons. You’ll want to verify the clowns land on the proper aspect of the teeter-totter, nevertheless, as failure to take action will trigger them to land on the ground with a hole thunk.
Relatively simplistic in design, it nonetheless presents a bit extra variation in case you’ve already mastered the distinctive Breakout and Super Breakout. Touchscreen help can also be included in case you’re discovering the analogue stick or d-pad would not supply fairly sufficient accuracy.
Double Dunk (1989) – Atari 2600
A direct sequel to Basketball, Double Dunk represented a big leap in visuals and depth for the 2600, which is sensible given it was launched in 1989, a full 12 years after the console’s debut.
Taking place in a single half of a basketball courtroom, the sport options spectacular particulars like foul detection and play-calling, making this an awesome possibility for these extra conversant in the game. For newcomers, nevertheless, studying the ropes right here may make for a irritating expertise.
Maze Craze (1980) – Atari 2600
Maze Craze, initially launched again in 1980, is certainly one of a number of 2600 video games that require two gamers. It’s a reasonably easy expertise during which you merely navigate round a randomly-generated maze earlier than your opponent does so, nevertheless it manages to combine issues up superbly with its recreation variations. Depending on simply how imply you need to be, you possibly can select to cowl up a partial space of the maze or your complete factor, that means you and your opponent might want to guess the place to go. And so hilarity ensues.
It’s even nonetheless bought a bizarre visible glitch as you boot up the sport. If that is not authenticity, we’re unsure what’s.
Miniature Golf (1979) – Atari 2600
Who would not love a little bit of miniature golf? Well, the 2600 Minature Golf is a high-quality, if just a little irritating, technique to expertise the basic household recreation. It encourages you to go a bit nuts along with your aiming because the limitations of the display imply you possibly can’t actually put a lot energy into your photographs. So aiming for the partitions and praying you do not run right into a shifting impediment is your greatest wager with this one.
MotoRodeo (1990) – Atari 2600
Developed by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell after he based developer Axlon, MotoRodeo is one other two-player recreation that splits the display and accumulates factors as you navigate your well beyond a large number of obstacles.
Its gameplay is remarkably partaking, permitting you to carry out flips as you fly up into the air earlier than brutally crushing one other car as you land. It’s nice enjoyable in case you’ve bought a pal to hitch in, however equally worthwhile with the sport’s AI opponent.
Save Mary (1990, Prototype) – Atari 2600
Designed by Tod Frye, the creator behind the ill-fated SwordQuest sequence, Save Mary is a curious, but extremely enjoyable title that remained unpublished till 2005 when it appeared on the Atari Flashback 2. It required gamers to avoid wasting a lady known as Mary (duh) trapped in a canyon that is slowly filling with water. You want to make use of the crane to drop platforms all the way down to Mary and permit her to climb to security.
It’s a gradual, methodical recreation, however an immensely satisfying one as soon as you determine the optimum technique to full every degree.
Like Double Dunk, Super Football is one other title which may appear fairly daunting for newcomers to the game, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a powerful showcase of what the 2600 may do greater than a decade after its launch. The animations are remarkably easy, the visuals are pleasing sufficient, and there is sufficient depth right here to maintain fanatics busy for an excellent whereas.
Return to Haunted House (2005, Homebrew) – Atari 2600
Created by homebrew programmer Anthony Wong, Return to Haunted House seems and performs like Adventure and its sequel, changing the long-lasting pair of eyes from the unique Haunted House with a easy dot. This is not to detract from the expertise, nevertheless, as you’ve got nonetheless bought three totally different ranges to deal with of various issue, every boasting devious ghosts and daunting passageways. A worthy sequel, indubitably.
Warbirds (1991) – Atari Lynx
The solely non-2600 recreation on the listing, Warbirds is a recreation that, like Turbo Sub, makes wonderful use of the first-person perspective, squeezing out each final drop of energy from the common-or-garden handheld. It’s a quaint title by in the present day’s requirements, certain, nevertheless it’s additionally an undeniably enjoyable recreation. You can customise your expertise to your coronary heart’s content material too, toggling invincibility, limitless ammo, and extra to your liking.
So that is yer lot. For a free replace (the primary of many, based on Atari), the video games added listed below are all effectively value enjoying, even when a pair may show a bit daunting for newcomers. The lack of any new content material within the interactive timeline is a minor concern, however we have been instructed that future updates will certainly embody new behind-the-scenes interviews and movies to flesh out the expertise much more.
We cannot wait to see what else Atari and Digital Eclipse have in retailer, however for now, we’re off to play some extra Aquaventure.
Have you tried out the brand new replace for Atari 50 but? What do you make of the video games included? Let us know your ideas with a remark down under.
Discussion about this post