I saw one of these………

.....today so I thought I’d share.

Emulating an Atari 2600 (VCS) on your PC or Mac is easy. Using an emulator, Stella or Z26, allows you to play classic games like Pitfall and H.E.R.O almost exactly as you did in the late 70's and early 80's. I spent far too many hours in front of a wood panel effect TV, that incidentally matched the Atari’s wood panel almost perfectly, playing on our 2600 and getting a sore palm thanks to the rubbery delight that is the Atari 2600 joystick.

The Atari single button joystick is far from complex, looks rather dull and is best described as workman-like in it’s operation but it got the job done and was a key part of the 2600.

When emulating a game on a modern computer or Mac it’s been difficult if not impossible to use original controllers and this leaves the experience lacking that authentic something. Up, Down, Left, Right arrows and spacebar to jump or shoot is no substitute for an original controller.

Thanks to Atariage.com you can now buy an adaptor, theStelladaptor 2600 to USB Interface, that plugs into your computer and lets you plug in your Atari 2600 compatible controller. No drivers and no messing around. It really is plug and play. The Stelladaptor also recognises the Atari 2600 paddle and driving controllers.

It’s not cheap at $39.95 but worth it if you’re a retro game fan or more specifically an Atari 2600 fan.

For me even certain games became controller specific. Street Fighter II just isn’t Street Fighter II without an SNES pad. Goldeneye 64 needs an N64 controller, PES a PS2 pad, Sonic the Hedgehog has to have a Mega Drive pad, any Commodore 64 game needs a good old Quick Shot 2 joystick and any Forum worth it’s salt needs a Gameov3r.

Be careful what you wish for

This was one of those rare, very rare in fact, occasions when a game that I've wanted to see remade for a long, long time is suddenly released. Perhaps someone, somewhere was listening to me.

I logged onto XBL the other day and my eyes were immediately drawn to the advert in the corner of the screen. The Atari coin-op classic Warlords was available for immediate download. I was more struck with disbelief and suspicion than excitement. Is that REALLY Warlords? It's can't be any good. Can it?

I downloaded the demo and plunged straight into the new HD remake. Wow it certainly look up to date and yet it's still instantly recognisable as Warlords. The gameplay is faithful to the coin-op original and works well usung the 360 pad. Playing this with 4 friends could be a lot of fun but I have reservations and seeing as the demo doesn't allow multiplayer...... The playing arena feels too enclosed, almost claustrophobic. While the gameplay is faithful it feels dated. I'm not going to get into a huge review here because my views are based solely on the demo but the over riding feeling for me was that it could have been so much better. I can't help but think that Atari haven't spent a lot of time thinking about this or spent much cash on it.

As with other Atari remakes the original is included and a quick go reveals that it hasn't aged particularly well. The gameplay is tough and completely unforgiving. It's far tougher than I remember too! I think I must've become to accustomed to softly, softly modern games like GTAIV. I used to be ok at Warlords but now I find it as hard as trying to thread a needle after an evil and wicked witch has turned my hands into pigs trotters.

Maybe this is all a bit harsh after all it is only 400MS points. I just can't help but think that I'd play this for 30 minutes and never touch it again. As I said my views are based only on the demo and perhaps the full version would change my mind. The problem is that the demo doesn't make me want to download the full version.

It's always disappointing when a retro classic gets released and it fails to satisfy. It's worse still when it's a game I really wanted to see re-released. I'm going to be careful which games I wish to see re-released in future.

If you could have one game remade on any current generation machines what would it be? Be careful what you wish for though, it might just come true! Gameov3r FORUM time.

War!

What is it good for? Video games. Say it again! Huh! War!

I’ve been daydreaming. Happens to me all the time. It’s not usually about war nor is it usually anything that's fit to be written about on here and rarely does it culminate in a revelation and a gaming idea that someone, somewhere just has to develop and release.

Atari! Sit up and pay attention because that someone is you. The platform is XBLA and the game is Warlords.

Warlords appeared in arcades 28 years ago and a year later on the 2600. It can be described as a 4 player Breakout, last man standing, Pong hybrid type of game with the added element of being able to catch the “ball” and then launch it at your chosen target. The chosen target usually being the person currently in the lead. This added a strategic element to the game and also the ability to unfairly gang up on the player you liked least or that smelled like Gameov3r.

My daydream turned the ridiculously simple and addictive Warlords into a stunning HD environment on XBLA. Even with only these visual updates the game would be great on XBLA but add to the mix some new features, a single player adventure mode of increasing difficulty, obligatory achievements to gain a maximum of 200 Gamer Points, make it 400 MS Points and this could not fail.

There again perhaps Nintendo’s Wii Ware would be a better platform seeing as 360 owners consistently ignore XBLA classics.

What game would you resurrect from bygone eras and have remade for the latest generation machines? Head over to the GAMEOV3R FORUM and tell us. Our great leader, Gameov3r, wants the Commodore 64 game Groovy Garden remade for DS. I wonder about him sometimes. Now, if only he'd said BC's Quest for Tires.....

Rock My World!

If you'd like something to cringe at today then you've come to the right place!

Anyone remember the name Infogrames? They were the people behind such games as Alone in the Dark and Test Drive. A while back they bought Atari and now release games under that name. I think I've discovered the reason for that because if I was associated with what you're about to hear I'd probably do the same. Don't be fooled by the gentle start, stick with it for a rousing chorus with some of the greatest lyrics since Razorlight wrote the classic 'Somewhere Else'...

And I met a girl,
she asked me my name,
I told her what it was.

Makes me weep every time I hear it...



If the player doesn't work here's the link

With thanks to GayGamer.net, you rock my world.

Come and join the GAMEOV3R Forum you know you want to!