Atari 2600 Paddle Games: Whaddaya Think?

[digitalpress]

Hey in my recent gaming exploits I've been spending lots of time with the paddle controllers specifically. The first games I think of are Warlords and Kaboom!, both fab games to this day, but check out this list... lots of great stuff. I had forgotten how much fun Super Breakout really is, for example.

Astroblast (by M Network, for Atari 2600)
Bachelor Party/Gigolo (by Playaround, for Atari 2600)
Bachelor Party (by Mystique, for Atari 2600)
Backgammon (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Backgammon (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Beat 'Em & Eat 'Em (by Mystique, for Atari 2600)
Blackjack (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Blackjack (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Breakaway IV (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Breakout (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Bugs (by Data Age, for Atari 2600)
Bumper Bash (by Spectravision, for Atari 2600)
Burning Desire/Bachelorette Party (by Playaround, for Atari 2600)
Canyon Bomber (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Canyon Bomber (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Casino (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Circus Atari (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Circus (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Demons to Diamonds (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Dukes of Hazzard, The (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Eggomania (by US Games, for Atari 2600)
Encounter at L-5 (by Data Age, for Atari 2600)
GI Joe: Cobra Strike (by Parker Bros, for Atari 2600)
Kaboom! (by Activision, for Atari 2600)
Mangia (by Spectravision, for Atari 2600)
Mondo Pong (by Self-Published, for Atari 2600)
Night Driver (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Night Driver (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Picnic (by US Games, for Atari 2600)
Piece 'O Cake (by US Games, for Atari 2600)
Pong Sports (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
SCSIcide (by Self-Published, for Atari 2600)
Secret Agent (by Data Age, for Atari 2600)
Solar Storm (by Imagic, for Atari 2600)
Speedway II (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Star Wars: Jedi Arena (by Parker Bros, for Atari 2600)
Steeplechase (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Street Racer (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Stunt Cycle (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Super Breakout (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Super Breakout (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Tac-Scan (by Sega, for Atari 2600)
Video Olympics (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Warlords (by Sears, for Atari 2600)
Warlords (by Atari, for Atari 2600)
Warplock (by Data Age, for Atari 2600)

So what are your favorites? What games would have been great paddle games in THIS era of gaming?

[Keir]

What do I think? I think they should have taken better advantage of the fact that you had 4 controllers to make more 4-player simultaneous games. I think there are only 3.

BTW, you seem to be missing Marble Craze (by XYPE, for Atari 2600).

[Keir]

Oops! You can also add Party Mix to that list.

[Arcade Antics]

I've always been a huge fan of Kaboom, Super Breakout, and Warlords (4-player). Between those three games, you've got all the bases covered for paddle-game hits. :)

But here's a plug for Tac-Scan! It's an underrated sleeper of a game, and the 2600 version isn't bad at all.

[Querjek]

Nothing beats a good round of Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em before you go to sleep LOL

But, seriously, has anyone ever tried to play paddle games with normal controllers? Before I knew that Warlords was a paddle game (heh, I decided to read the cart), I thought that it was some glitchy game that only slightly worked when you rotated the joystick.

[NE146]

2600 Backgammon has a special place for me.. but that's only because I used to play it a lot.. Ahh the good old days LOL

But definitely my favorites are Circus, Tac-Scan, and of course.. Kaboom.

However I too think that almost all of them are surpassed these days by the mighty MARBLE CRAZE. But I don't know if that counts.... :hmm:

[ventrra]

Picnic (by US Games, for Atari 2600)
You know, this game gets a lot of bad reviews, but I've never considered it to be all that bad of a game.

Really, the only bad thing that I can think of about most paddle games on the VCS have nothing to do with the games, but rather the fact that the paddles would start breaking down and moving randomly.

[SMB]

Did the 2600 Space Invaders use paddles or joy?

I was always really good at the VCS version of Night Driver :)

[digitalpress]

Did the 2600 Space Invaders use paddles or joy?


"Joy"

[Ed Oscuro]

Did the 2600 Space Invaders use paddles or joy?


"Joy"
Oh! LOL

Since Nintendo has been talking so much as of late about introducing new types of game play onto their systems, as opposed to simply upping the ante for graphics, why not bring out some rotary controllers for their next system?

At the very least you could finally see some good ports of these games, and S.A.R.! :D

[TheRedEye]

Is there any decent way to play 2600 paddle games without, you know, a 2600, the cartridge, and a paddle?

[TheDomesticInstitution]

I've been playing a lot of Solar Storm today, and I'm really liking it. So yeah, great paddle game. I've gotten a high score of only 725, which is a far cry from the 5000 it took to win the T-shirt. I'm surprised how fast and accurate the controls are.

Anyway I don't expect anyone else to comment on this game. Just sayin'.

[swlovinist]

It is a rare game, but Guardian by Apollo is one fun paddle game. Add that to the list :)

[Ro-J]

Although it used a different type of paddle, Indy 500 (missing from list) was by far one of my favorites on the 2600. My brother and I spent countless hours on the "catch-the-dot" mode, and it is one of the few games where I actually prefer the ice stage.

[TheDomesticInstitution]

It is a rare game, but Guardian by Apollo is one fun paddle game. Add that to the list :)

R7? I'll keep my eyes open anyway.

[A Black Falcon]

Although it used a different type of paddle, Indy 500 (missing from list) was by far one of my favorites on the 2600. My brother and I spent countless hours on the "catch-the-dot" mode, and it is one of the few games where I actually prefer the ice stage.

That used the racing controller, not the paddle controller. It was the only game to use the racing controller actually, I think...

[Steve W]

I've got a copy of Guardian, but I've never played it. For some reason, I never feel like digging out the paddle controllers. To me, analog paddles really limit what a game can do. If ever there was a game that would make me want to break them out for, it would be Astroblast. The game worked pretty well with a joystick, but it played so much better with a paddle controller. The game turned into a real twitch reflex adrenaline rush.

[Leo_A]

That used the racing controller, not the paddle controller. It was the only game to use the racing controller actually, I think...

He knows, he mentioned it in the post you quoted. :)

[A Black Falcon]

He knows, he mentioned it in the post you quoted. :)

Sorry, wasn't paying attention. :)

... More usefully though, paddle games with 4-player support. I meant to find this for that post as well, but didn't get to it... here it is.

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=39963

There seem to be five or six 4-player simultaneous games, one or two 3-player games, and a few with alternating play for up to 4. So yeah, not many.

The thread's from 2003, though. Have any homebrew games since then been released that could be added to that list? :)