Atarians vote on the best games for Atari systems By Gregory D. GeorgeAugust 14, 2002
How many times have you clicked on a "World's Greatest Video
Games" link only to discover that
most of the games listed were released within the past
few months? Or even worse, the list omits
such important video gaming milestones
like Pong, Asteroids, or Tempest 2000?
Welcome, classic Atari
gamer, to The Top 20 Greatest Games for your Atari!
All of the games on this list should be recognizable to anyone who
has ever played an Atari system. There
aren't many surprises here, which
just goes to show you how important these
games are! And since the readers decided
on these games, this list is indisputable! ;-)
So, without further adieu, let's begin the list!
Honorable Mentions:
Here is a list of several games
that definitely deserve to be remembered
as some of the greats of all time.
Battlezone (Arcade)
Crystal Castles (Arcade)
Dig Dug (Arcade)
Frontier: Elite II (Atari ST)
Gauntlet (Arcade)
Klax (Arcade)
Midi Maze (Atari ST)
Miner 2049er (Atari 8-bit)
Populous (Atari ST)
Qix (5200)
Starglider (Atari ST)
Star Wars (arcade)
20. Pitfall II: Lost Caverns
The
sequel to one of the most well-known games from the golden age
of video gaming, Pitfall II takes the concept of spelunking to new heights
and pushes the Atari 2600 to it's limits! Thanks to a special
chip, this game is widely
regarded as having some of the best music ever produced by an
Atari 2600.
Versions: 2600, 5200, 8-bit.
19. Dungeon Master
Dungeon Master is one of those great RPG games
where you must traverse a dungeon in real time fighting monsters
and learning spells. Prior to this, adventure games were mostly
text adventures or 2D games where you "look down" on
your character. Dungeon Master turned that all around and
made adventuring a 3D experience!
Versions: Atari ST
18. Tempest
If you're looking for the most frantic blasting
action ever, you can't do better than the original Tempest! From
it's color vector display to the precise dial-controller,
Tempest is a game no true video game fan can pass up!
Versions:
Arcade, Atari ST, Jaguar.
17. Breakout
Breakout took
Pong to the next level putting Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak on the video game map. The
anticipation builds as you attempt to smash a small hole in the
side so that your ball can hit the bricks from the other side.
What a rush when all works in your favor!
Versions:
Arcade, 2600, 5200, 8-bit, Jaguar.
16. Pong
Those who say the video game started with
Computer Space would be wrong. Pong was the game that catapulted
the video game from the bar to the home. Clones of the game
appeared everywhere and Atari and the video game was launched
into the public eye for the very first time.
Versions:
Arcade, 2600, Dedicated consoles
15. Star Raiders
Before
Star Raiders, space
combat had never been so much fun or exciting! This is one
32K game that managed to blow people away with it's fantastic
graphics and gameplay. Star Raiders was such an awesome
experience, that many people bought and Atari computer just so
they could play it. Play any space combat today and you will see
influences of the original (and still the best) Star Raiders.
Versions: 2600, 5200, 8-bit, Atari ST
14. Kaboom!
There's
something special about racing the mad bomber that keeps Kaboom!
in so many classic lists. The game is so simple, fast, easy,
and fun to play that it's no wonder everyone who plays it gets
hooked. You goal is to prevent the bombs from reach the bottom
of the screen. Use your water buckets to stop them, or else Kaboom!
Versions: 2600, 5200, 8-bit
13. Alien vs. Predator
Voted
as one of the scariest games of all time, Alien vs. Predator
will have your heart pumping a mile a minute! Not only is this
game a fright-fest, it also requires the use of something most
FPS action games don't: Your mind! Don't forget, you can also
play as the alien or the Predator. "Game over, man! Game
over!"
Versions: Jaguar
12. Ms. Pac-Man
The
2600 version of Ms. Pac-Man is so spectacular, it's
almost enough to make gamers forget about that awful original
version! The goal: Guide the first lady of video gaming around a
maze eating dots and chomping ghosts! She really is more than Pac-Man
with a bow!
Versions: 2600, 5200, 7800, Lynx
11. Space Invaders
Space
Invaders for the 2600 is widely regarded as the first killer
app for any system. When the world was going crazy for the
arcade version of Space Invaders, this was the only
system that allowed you to play it at home. Defend the earth
from the marching aliens and the evil purple football!
Versions: 2600, 5200, 8-bit, Atari ST
10. Yars' Revenge
Now
here's a game concept you won't see in the political correct millennium!
You are an angry fly out for a little revenge on the Quotile.
You must attack the shield and then blast the core with your
cannon. Yars' Revenge is one of the most unique games
ever, even if it was meant as a clone of Star Castle.
Versions: 2600
9. Centipede
Do
you remember the first time you saw Centipede? Do you
recall that moment that you placed your hand on the cool white
tracball and sensed the precise control it delivered? Do you
remember the moment when you yelled at the game, "Darn you,
you stupid spider!" Few people will remember the exact
moment they first played this game because it's likely they've
played it hundreds of times since. Centipede is one of the
greatest games of all time because it offers fast action, and
easy to learn gameplay.
Versions: Arcade, 2600, 5200, 7800
8. Warlords
If
you were asked to devise a 4-player version of Breakout,
would you have thought of Warlords? Yes, long before this
game turned hands into claws on the 2600, Warlords began
it's life as an arcade game. Few games elicit as much
multiplayer excitement as Warlords. And the computer even
puts up a decent fight against would be attackers.
Versions: Arcade, 2600 & a 5200 Homebrew titled "Castle Crisis."
7. Missile Command
Alert!
Alert! Incoming ICBMs! You have been chosen to protect the earth
from nuclear extermination!
The theme of this game has rung home for over 20
years now. Missile Command has become the defacto
standard game when referring to nuclear war. Even John Connor
defended the world by playing it it Terminator 2.
Versions: Arcade, 2600, 5200, 8-bit, Jaguar,
Lynx
6. River Raid
Whenever
River Raid is mentioned, so is the name Carol Shaw. She
is one of the few women game designers who has not been
overlooked in this male dominated industry. The fact that River
Raid is so beloved by gamers should be an inspiration to all
of us, male and female. Oh, and don't forget to refuel!
Versions: 2600, 5200, 8-bit
5. Pitfall
Were
you as blown away as I was when you first saw Pitfall Harry
swing on that vine? Did you cringe having to cross the crocodile
infested ponds? And did you ever wonder where in the heck those
underground caverns lead? Pitfall! is another one of
those games that remains a classic. Shoot, there was even a
cartoon featuring Harry, Rhonda, and Quickclaw!
Versions: 2600, 5200, 8-bit
4. Combat
There
isn't a 2600 owner in the world who has not played Combat.
As the two-player only pack-in game for the VCS, you needed a
friend to play which meant video games were the path to becoming
a
social event instead of a solitary one. Today, you'd be hard
pressed to find a game where you must find a living opponent. Had this style of game continued, video games
might not have become such an "anti-social activity."
Versions: 2600
3. Tempest 2000
Forget
the scores and the polls... THIS is the Jaguar's best game.
Don't tell me you haven't played it, or read about it, or seen
pictures, because I know darn well that you have. Jeff Minter
truly outdid himself with this game, and it's likely it will
never be topped. Not even by Jeff himself. This web has a mind of
it's own!
Versions: Jaguar
2. Asteroids
Do
you have any concept how big of a game Asteroids is? Not
in code size, but in sheer popularity and name recognition.
THIS, my friends, is the game that brought down the mighty Space
Invaders. This is the game that has been imitated and copied
more often than any game on the planet. And this is one of the
few games
that is as fun today as it was in 1979.
