Atari Retro Brings Back Memories [Archive]

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Perry Reed

03-15-2004, 06:30 PM

<img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-04.jpg" /> Product Category: Game Manufacturer: MDM Where to Buy: <a href="http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productType=2&optionId=1_2_2&jid=2ABC5694393C5A917E679CA94FDX54AF&platformId=2&siteId=1&productId=87379&sectionId=0&catalog=30&txtSearch=Atari+Retro">SD Card version</a> or <a href="http://www.handango.com/PlatformProductDetail.jsp?siteId=311&productType=2&optionId=1_2_2&jid=2ABC5694393C5A917E679CA94FDX54AF&platformId=2&siteId=1&productId=94354&sectionId=0&catalog=30&txtSearch=Atari+Retro">Downloadable version</a> (Both are affiliate links.) Price: $29.99 USD System Requirements: <li>SD Card version: Windows Mobile-Based Pocket PC 2002 or higher with SD/MMC expansion slot <li>Downloadable version: Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC devices: Audiovox Maestro PDA1032, Audiovox Thera, Casio E-200, Dell Axim X5, Fujitsu Siemens Pocket Loox, HP iPAQ h1910/h1920, HP iPAQ h1930/h1940/h1945, HP iPAQ h2210/h2215, HP iPAQ h3800 Series, HP iPAQ h3900 Series, HP iPAQ h4150/h4155, HP iPAQ h4350/h4355, HP iPAQ h5100/h5400/h5500, HP iPAQ h5450/h5455, NEC MobilePro P300, O2 xda, Samsung SPH-i700, Siemens SX56, T-Mobile Phone Edition, Toshiba 2032, Toshiba e310, Toshiba e330 Series, Toshiba e350 Series, Toshiba e550 Series, Toshiba e570, Toshiba e740, Toshiba e750 Series, Toshiba Genio-e, ViewSonic Pocket PC V35, ViewSonic Pocket PC V36, ViewSonic Pocket PC V37, Zayo <li>Memory required: 600KB <li>The games are also available for Palm and N-Gage devices.Pros: <ul><li>Excellent emulation of the original games;<li>These old games are still fun!</ul>Cons: <ul><li>With the SD-card version, you must have the SD card to play the game; you cannot copy it into main memory;<li>The sound is awful, although I understand why;<li>The D-Pad and small screen make playing the games more difficult than the originals.</ul>Summary: Are you old enough to remember the Golden Age of videogames? I mean the first Golden Age; before Sega, before Nintendo, and way before Sony or Microsoft. I mean the Age of Atari. If you remember the simple game play, lousy graphics and sound, but having a great time playing those old games, then MDM has something for you! MDM's Atari Retro contains seven original Atari videogames that you can play on your Pocket PC. Read on for the full review!<!> <PAGEBREAK> Remember when? Think back to the late '70s. Pong had been available in home versions for a few years, but it was time to take the next big leap forward in home videogames. Actually, it was the first really big leap. A videogame console that could play many games, each available on a cartridge that you plugged into it. Enter the Atari VCS (Video Computer System), later called the Atari 2600. Videogaming would never again be the same. Sure there were other systems around the same time. Some, like Mattel's Intellivision, had superior graphics and sound. But none sold as well as the Atari, and none had anywhere near as many games available for it. Why did the Atari do so well? The gameplay. It was all about the gameplay. In simple terms, the Atari games were fun! Despite the simple graphics and lousy sound, the plain truth was that they were fun. And they still are! Not everyone is a classic videogame nut like I am. I currently have somewhere around five or six Atari 2600 consoles, about that many Intellivision consoles, and several hundred cartridges. But now you don't have to be a nut to enjoy some of the old games. Various emulations and ports have been available for some time now and recently, MDM has gotten into the act with Atari Retro, a collection of Atari games that you can play on your Pocket PC. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-01.jpg" /> Figure 1: This is what you used to have to have to play these seven games (plus a TV). <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-02.jpg" /> Figure 2: This DVD-style case contains everything you need now (plus a Pocket PC). Contents and Packaging MDM decided to ship Atar Retro on an SD card only. While this does harken back to the old days of buying a cartridge, it presents some issues. First of all, only Pocket PCs with an SD card slot can play the game, eliminating a lot of models out there. Secondly, because of the copy protection embedded in the games, you must have the SD card inserted to play the game; you cannot copy them to your main memory. This means one more thing to carry around with you. Update: MDM has just recently released a downloadable version of the game, which negates the need for the SD card and an SD-card-capable Pocket PC. Thank goodness! If you purchase the SD-version of Atari Retro, it comes in a DVD-style case, which is great since it allows you to store it with your DVDs or Playstation 2 or Xbox games. Inside the case is very little -- literally! Inside is a smaller SD-card holder, which is really nice in that it will hold the Atari Retro SD and three others as well. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-03.jpg" /> Figure 3: The SD card in its holder, which can also store three other cards. <PAGEBREAK> Fire it Up! To start the fun, simply insert the Atari Retro card into the SD slot on your Pocket PC. On most models, the game should automatically start. (If it doesn't, you can always start it manually after inserting the card). The first screen you see is the start up screen which allows you to select the game you wish to play or view a screen showing you how to control the games. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-04.jpg" /> Figure 4: The start-up screen. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-05.jpg" /> Figure 5: The game controls screen. You have a choice of seven popular Atari games. They are: <li>Adventure; <li>Asteroids; <li>Breakout; <li>Centipede; <li>Missile Command; <li>Yar's Revenge. These popular games were all released by Atari way back when. If MDM ever releases a sequel, I'd love to see some of the great games from Activision or Imagic. (Remember Pitfall!? It was one of the best...) You simply tap on one of the games to play it. Once you select a game, you're not quite ready to play. First you see a game intro screen and, once you tap on that, a playing notes screen that provides some basic instructions for the game. From that screen, you can start the game itself. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-06.jpg" /> Figure 6: The game intro screen for Breakout. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-07.jpg" /> Figure 7: The playing notes screen for Adventure. <PAGEBREAK> The Gameplay! And finally, the part everyone wants to know. How well do the games play? Well, they're an emulation, not a port. That means that they're essentially exactly like the originals. At least in theory. In practice, they're pretty close. The graphics are identical to the originals. In Adventure, the dragons still look like ducks! Pong is still two rectangles batting a square back and forth. And the speed (framerate) of the games was fine, too. (It does seem odd to be talking framerates when discussing these old games!) <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-08.jpg" /> Figure 8: In Adventure, the dragons still look like ducks. In a nutshell, they were as fun as the originals. But that's not to say they were perfect. In fact, I found two issues that detracted from the overall experience. The first problem was the sound. Now, the sound on the old Atari was never great; certainly the Pocket PC has far superior sound capabilities than could have even been imagined back in the '70s. However, Atari Retro does not make use of them. In fact, the sound isn't even up to the standards of the '70s! All of the games original sounds have been replaced by cheesy little blips and beeps. Put simply, they're awful. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-09.jpg" /> Figure 9: Asteroids -- Shoot the asteroids to destroy them, but don't let them hit you! At first I was bewildered that MDM would take games with decent, albeit dated, sounds and when putting them on a device with great sound, instead opt for the worst game sounds I've heard since my old Mattel Football handheld! But after giving it some thought, I think I know why they did it. As I mentioned earlier, these games are all emulated, not ported. To most people that's a subtle difference, but it's important. With emulation, the original game code is running as is the emulation software. So the games cannot be very easily optimized for the Pocket PC platform as a ported game could. The sacrifice in optimization is made up for in authentic gameplay. But from a processing standpoint, emulation is expensive, and there's only so much processing power available on a Pocket PC. Therefore, my guess is that they decided not to emulate the original sounds in order to improve performance in the other areas. It's unfortunate, but in the end I think they made the right decision. Gameplay -- speed and graphics -- are more important than the sound. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-10.jpg" /> Figure 10: Missile Command -- Protect your cities from swarms of falling missiles! The second issue I found was not an issue of Atari Retro, but of the Pocket PC itself. Unfortunately, the D-pad on the Pocket PC is no match for an Atari joystick. It's harder to control the games on the D-pad. Not impossibly difficult, but harder. And the graphics on the small screen are tough to see with my old eyes, especially compared to playing the games on a television set. But those are minor quibbles. Overall, the games are excellent and faithful reproductions of the originals. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-11.jpg" /> Figure 11: Pong -- Play "tennis" against the computer. <PAGEBREAK> The Ultimate Test I wanted to see just how good the emulation of these games really is, so I decided to test a hidden feature in Adventure, long one of my all-time favorite games. The goal in Adventure is to maneuver through castles and mazes, avoiding or killing the dragons, and ultimately to bring the chalice to the gold castle. Along the way you can collect various objects that will help you, like the sword (to kill dragons), the keys to the three castles, the magnet (draws other objects towards it) and the bridge (allows you to pass through some walls). Well, as the diehard fans will remember, there is a secret object. A tiny dot is hidden in the maze inside the black castle. You need the bridge to find it, but once you have it, if you take it to the "hallway" room below and to the right of the gold castle, the wall on the right side of the room disappears and you can enter the secret room. Inside the room you'll find one of the earliest examples of an "Easter egg" hidden in a game; in this case a message from the game's programmer that says "Created by Warren Robinette". If the Atari Retro version has the easter egg, I'd call it nearly perfect. I found the dot, right were it should be, although it wasn't easy. On a TV with the original it was hard to see, and on the small Pocket PC screen it was all but invisible. But it was there, and when I brought it into the right room, what did I see? <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-12.jpg" /> Figure 12: The secret room in Adventure. It was there! Just as it is in the original. Atari Retro passes the test. Conclusions If you're a classic videogame nut -- like me -- or not, you'll enjoy these great reproductions of classic Atari games. The gameplay and simple fun more than makes up for the relatively simple graphics and sound. For the old folks like me, playing them will bring back some fantastic memories. <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-13.jpg" /> Figure 13: Yar's Revenge -- Hard to explain this one, but it sure is fun to play! <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/reed-atari-14.jpg" /> Figure 14: Breakout -- Knock down the bricks in this popular Pong successor.

Dominator

03-15-2004, 06:45 PM

I think somebody forgot to only post the summary on the front page. :oops:

PPCMD

03-15-2004, 06:56 PM

x999x

03-15-2004, 07:10 PM

If you're going to pay for emulation, the emulation should be perfect, or darned close, and unfortunately, that's where the Atari Retro Pack faulters. You won't recognize the sounds, because theyr'e not emulated correctly, and the visuals are condensed causing some minor graphic differences between the original game. Take Yars revenge for example, you can barely make out your projectiles because of scaling the game screen to fit a portrait display rather than being presented in landscape, and the sound effects of the Kotile turning into a spiral and launching out at you isn't accurate at all.

It's details like this which bring about true nostalgia, when all of your senses are appeased and teased the way they were over 20 years ago on a real atari 2600.

MDM's Atari Retro Pack is a noble effort at bringing more franchise games to PDAs, it's only downfall is it's lack of accurate emulation, which may be to blame on making the engine compatible with so many devices. Perhaps sticking to one OS for this compilation would have yielded far more accurate emulation with the games on hand, akin to the quality compilations programmed by Larry Banks for MS and Capcom using his HiveCE engine.

x999x
Game Industry Lurker

Janak Parekh

03-15-2004, 07:11 PM

I think somebody forgot to only post the summary on the front page. :oops:
Should be better now. :)

--janak

davin1378

03-15-2004, 07:12 PM

I, too received the free MMC version of the game. And although it is fun to play (and finally gives me something to carry in those little slots on my aluminum case(, I would say you are better off with an emulator like VCS, which plays hundreds of games.

Still I enjoy it - and the smiles from my friends who remember growing up in the atari age.

dommasters

03-15-2004, 07:12 PM

Is the price $29.95 or $2.95 ? Surely some mistake ?
;)

Ekkie Tepsupornchai

03-15-2004, 07:16 PM

My quibble is more of a personal one. For games such as Missile Command and Asteroids, I'd rather have an emulation of the actual arcade version of which the Atari game was based off of... not an emulation of an emulation.

Perry Reed

03-15-2004, 07:29 PM

Is the price $29.95 or $2.95 ? Surely some mistake ?
;)

The correct price is $29.95. It was a typo on my part.

Perry Reed

03-15-2004, 07:30 PM

I actually got this in MMC format for FREE when I registered at some site in October last year. I have to say don't waste your money. While it seems cool at the onset the games are so old and out dated that there really wasn't any fun for me anyways.

I guess that's where you and I would disagree, then. While the games are old and out-dated technically, they are still a lot of fun, in my opinion.

dean_shan

03-15-2004, 10:21 PM

Perry Reed

03-15-2004, 10:25 PM

Seems like a lot when you can do basicly the same thing for free. I can see paying $30 for a game like Age of Empires (which I have done, the non-sd version) but $30 for games with a million free clones, that's way too much.

Do you mean free Atari emulators for the Pocket PC? If so, I would love to know what/where they are. Or do you mean free clones of such games as Asteroids or Missile Command?

Personally my favorite game of the bunch is Adventure and the only clone I've ever seen was Indenture, which was DOS-based (which gives you an idea of how old it is).

dean_shan

03-15-2004, 10:30 PM

Do you mean free Atari emulators for the Pocket PC? If so, I would love to know what/where they are. Or do you mean free clones of such games as Asteroids or Missile Command?

No I was meaning the clones. I'm not sure if there is an Atari emulator for PPC, I haven't looked for one.

Don't Panic!

03-15-2004, 10:40 PM

Try PocketVCS (http://pocketvcs.emuunlim.com/). It's an Atari 2600 Emulator. Worked okay with RiverRaid. Finding the ROMs... now that's a different story.

Don't Panic!
Bobby

bbarker

03-16-2004, 12:03 AM

I wasn't that into the original Atari game console. My first computer, though, was an Atari 800 and I liked its games. I especially liked the first-person-shooter one that came with my 800. It was a space game where you're piloting the space ship and shooting at all comers. You could hyperspeed across space to a distant sector as well. The graphics were simple but effective, seeming almost 3D at the time. And it all fit in an 8K cartridge!

I can't remember the name of it, though.

Perry Reed

03-16-2004, 12:09 AM

malcolmsharp

03-16-2004, 01:08 AM

You're thinking of Star Raiders, which remains to this day my all-time favorite video game on any system, anywhere.

I have a very clear memory of walking into a TV store when the Atari computers came out and seeing one hooked up to a projection TV. In just a moment, I had it up and running Star Raiders, and having a blast.

It also brought people into the store... I was right by the display window, and back then the sight of a game with great graphics (for the time) running on a huge screen brought them in.

sigh... had a blast that day, and I even sold some systems without even trying.

bbarker

03-16-2004, 01:19 AM

x999x

03-16-2004, 02:25 AM

It seems the only person "thrilled" about this bit of software is the article author himself.

While I can respect their opinion wholeheartedly, I do have to question whether this review was written subjectively or not. It's one thing to like the subject matter, however it's another to miss the overwhelming general consensus regarding the title at hand, and let nostalgia take command.

The games on their own are great, the point to them is just that, points aka High Score. However, when the means for presenting such games faulters, like in this compilation, even such rudimentary gameplay mechanics and graphics are negatively impacted. Bad emulation = Less faithful games.

PocketVCS, same thing, different flavor, free, more accurate emulation.

x999x
Game Industry Insider since '96
See you @ E3 :)

bitbank

03-16-2004, 03:16 AM

x999x,
Thanks for your vote of confidence; it's nice to know I have some fans. I am currently working on some new game emulation projects and a few titles are targeted for the Pocket PC :)

I do not know when they will hit the streets, but I will announce it when they are released.

Larry B.

dommasters

03-16-2004, 03:32 AM

I'm not convinced these are great games anymore. They were great that is for sure. They also laid the foundations for what was to come. But are they great now ? Are they playable (addictive, exciting etc). Would you fight your Pocket PC buddy to be next to play ? Like others I wore out my Atari joysticks but the VCS was always about having 2 players for me. Combat, Spacer Invaders etc. It was amazing that you could play a game on your TV - seemed like magic ! Atari Retro would be a great nostalgia trip at say $3 but at $30 it is just sad. Even at $3 I would personally pass on it. For $10 you can have the real thing off Ebay :)

In 1979:
Graphics: 10
Gameplay: 10
Longevity: 10
Kudos factor: 10
Value for money: 8

In 2004:
Graphics: 0
Gameplay: 2
Longevity: 0
Kudos factor: 1
Value for money: less than 0

Perry Reed

03-16-2004, 04:38 PM

You're thinking of Star Raiders, which remains to this day my all-time favorite video game on any system, anywhere.
That's right! Oh, I wish I could get that game today. I haven't played computer games in years, but I'd play that one again.

Look around, especially on eBay. The old Atari 8-bit computers, of which the 400 and 800 were the first, are usually easy to find and Star Raiders was a very common game and is also usually easy to find.

If you can't find any old Atari joysticks, a Sega Genesis controller will work just fine.

Perry Reed

03-16-2004, 04:50 PM

It seems the only person "thrilled" about this bit of software is the article author himself.

Could be. My question to you would be, so what?

While I can respect their opinion wholeheartedly, I do have to question whether this review was written subjectively or not. It's one thing to like the subject matter, however it's another to miss the overwhelming general consensus regarding the title at hand, and let nostalgia take command.

Well, of course it was written subjectively! It's a review, after all, not som hard-hitting news piece. I talked about the program and discussed what I liked and didn't like about it. As for "overwhelming consensus", I don't see any such thing. I see a few people who think it's too expensive and you who favors a competing product. Hardly overwhelming or a consensus.

The games on their own are great, the point to them is just that, points aka High Score. However, when the means for presenting such games faulters, like in this compilation, even such rudimentary gameplay mechanics and graphics are negatively impacted. Bad emulation = Less faithful games.

Hmmmm.... "great" "faulters".... Sounds awfully subjective to me! This compilation is by no means perfect, as I stated in my initial review. You may disagree, and I honestly have no problem with that, but I'm not sure why you feel the need to come after my supposed objectivity (or lack thereof) or deride my judgement.

PocketVCS, same thing, different flavor, free, more accurate emulation.

So you like this other one better. Fine. The purpose of my review wasn't to compare Atari Retro with any other programs out there. Why not simply mention this alternative program and leave me out of it?

rock

03-16-2004, 05:08 PM

Are there any Atari emulators for the desktop PC that support two players? I want some Combat action now with the wife. :)

gpatel

03-16-2004, 06:19 PM

For $10 you can have the real thing off Ebay

for $20 you can get one of these.

http://www.jakkstvgames.com/atari.html

dommasters

03-16-2004, 06:47 PM

For $10 you can have the real thing off Ebay

for $20 you can get one of these.

http://www.jakkstvgames.com/atari.html

WOA ! FOR $20 I JUST DID GET ONE OF THESE ! Nice one !

Perry Reed

03-16-2004, 07:10 PM

For $10 you can have the real thing off Ebay

for $20 you can get one of these.

http://www.jakkstvgames.com/atari.html

I've got that one, too. Unfortunately the games are a port rather than an emulation and aren't quite identical to the originals. Still, it's pretty cool. If you look around the net you can find a similar one that does some old Atari games from Activision, one that does Intellivision games, and if you look really hard you can find a "grey market" import from overseas that has over 120 Atari games built in. I have all of those and like them all. There are also a couple of arcade game ones around, one of which I've seen at Wal-Mart.

x999x

03-16-2004, 08:50 PM

So you like this other one better. Fine. The purpose of my review wasn't to compare Atari Retro with any other programs out there.

Not comparing it to what's already available would have added another dimension to your review, and like it's already been said more than once, PocketVCS is free, so why wouldn't you want to compare the two in a short blurb and describe why someone should pay for emulation over what's currently free. It's not like these games are new, and need a grand introduction on their storyline, I'm more interested in the Why one over the other? Is it the games we should by this application for, perhaps it's streamlined approach for which they're presented, or should we save our money because we'll get the same intitial "wow factor" whether or not we use PocketVCS or MDM's compilation? That's the only real thing new, or innovating here, the candy coating for which these ancient games are presented and played... but is it worth it?

Why not simply mention this alternative program and leave me out of it?

Because as a Reader, I can, the review is food for thought and the grease for opinions and ideas to start flowing. This is the very nature of having the ability to followup a review with reader's comments, and In my opinion, as well as others, comparing the two (Atari Pack/PocketVCS), or Alerting others of the freebie version, might have saved someone a little $ on what's otherwise a lackluster compilation.

I read your review, and I found it a little soft on dishing out a hard line, aka less subjective than percieved, which is why I made such comments. I am sorry if I come off brash, but without any constructive criticisms, how would any writer worth their salt hope to master their craft?

x999x
Play Magazine Editor
http://www.playmagazine.com

Perry Reed

03-16-2004, 09:15 PM

Not comparing it to what's already available would have added another dimension to your review, and like it's already been said more than once, PocketVCS is free, so why wouldn't you want to compare the two in a short blurb and describe why someone should pay for emulation over what's currently free. It's not like these games are new, and need a grand introduction on their storyline, I'm more interested in the Why one over the other? Is it the games we should by this application for, perhaps it's streamlined approach for which they're presented, or should we save our money because we'll get the same intitial "wow factor" whether or not we use PocketVCS or MDM's compilation? That's the only real thing new, or innovating here, the candy coating for which these ancient games are presented and played... but is it worth it?

Certainly a comparison of the two products would be valuable. I think since you've clearly got experience with both you ought to consider writing such a piece and posting it here. I'm sure several people, including I, would find it useful.

However, such a comparison was not part of my goal for the article I wrote. My mandate was simply to write a review of the Atari Retro product, which is what I did. I feel my review was fair and captured my impressions of the product, good and bad, and as such was balanced. In fact, I had not previously been aware of PocketVCS so writing a comparison between the two would not have been possible.

Again, my I suggest that you write a comparison of the two? I don't mean this as a challenge but as a serious, ernest suggestion.

Why not simply mention this alternative program and leave me out of it?

Because as a Reader, I can, the review is food for thought and the grease for opinions and ideas to start flowing. This is the very nature of having the ability to followup a review with reader's comments, and In my opinion, as well as others, comparing the two (Atari Pack/PocketVCS), or Alerting others of the freebie version, might have saved someone a little $ on what's otherwise a lackluster compilation.

Indeed, and your alerting the fellow readers of the alternative serves that purpose, does it not? I maintain that alerting the readers to that without impuning my motives would have served it even better.

I read your review, and I found it a little soft on dishing out a hard line, aka less subjective than percieved, which is why I made such comments. I am sorry if I come off brash, but without any constructive criticisms, how would any writer worth their salt hope to master their craft?

I'm all for constructive criticism! In fact I value it immensely. But I prefer it stick to the content of the article, or even my writing style. If your intent was merely to inform others of PocketVCS perhaps it would have been better to separate that from the critique of my intentions.