Search
Votes / Statistics
Rating 
N/A
Hits: 4,915
Downloads: 1
Votes: 0
My Atarimania
Comments (6)
Hoessi666 - 01/03/2020
Like Demon Attack, I wasn't too impressed when first playing this one: I had heard that it was one of the biggest Games ever made and maybe even made Video-Gaming popular - but there wasn't much happening on the Screen!
It seemed boring. But as with Demon Attack, playing it with not so high Expectations, you could really enjoy it. In my Opinion there are better Shooters on the System, but it's a really Classic with indestructable Gameplay and LOTS of Variations to keep you interested.
But if you, like me, never played it before and enter with enormous Expectations it will surely disappoint you at first!
rave.N - 19/08/2015
One of the very few occasions where a model 2600 game is "better" than model 800 and newer ones, which isn't saying much because this game is so technologically primitive, it's barely a kilobyte or kilohertz more than Pong. A pizza shop nearby has an original 1978 Arcade coin-op, no one plays and they leave it running 24/7 wasting power and giving its CRT a burn in. But for that classic retro feeling, 2600 Space Invaders is the one. This game single handedly sold 1000s or millions (worldwide) of VCS and many could not have cared less if their VCS did nothing else.

Neat factoid: because Atari knew they had a big hit, and since there's so little happening on screen, they made SI jump straight into "screen saver" (color rotation) mode upon launching and in between sessions, to prevent burn-in on CRT televisions. Imagine if they hadn't.

There is a database of what effects "Frying" has on many 2600 carts, at "2600connection.com" then click Easter Eggs. Now there's debate whether the double shot fire qualifies as an easter egg or a bug, I think neither. It's a cheat or trick. The heart of the matter is actually whether the trick was an accident or done on purpose. Easter Eggs by definition are decoration, not affecting the gameplay nor outcome. SI being a two player game, author must have known the game engine can handle two missiles and two collisions at once, so applying the two shot cannon to the one player mode must've been tempting.

Last, I can't believe how upset some folk get as to whether the SHAPES of the enemy are AUTHENTIC or been changed. Pixel shrapnel is pixel shrapnel.
rave.N - 17/08/2015
Holding down Reset (F2) also works in "Stella" emulator (v3.6.1) before launching the ROM instead of "turning on the power", this allows you to double your firing rate. This trick is based on a 2600 model hacking process known as "frying the cartridge" or system.

FRYING meant that one wiggled the power off and on in such quick succession that various cartridges would end up producing eerie tho consistent various effects. One famous example is Pitfall! your character can "go ninja" meaning he turns mostly black and glides thru tree tops. Space Invaders happens to give you double shots if "fried" and holding the Reset while powering on is like a Clean Shortcut for getting double shots. Holding Reset ain't a universal substitute for frying, holding reset rarely does any effect upon a game.

"Stella" emulator includes Fry Emulation, uses the Backspace button to pretend fry the cartridge you have running, and it really works. The downside is someone can accidentally bump into the Backspace key and you're left wondering why your game just became totalled.
Akira808 - 28/04/2010
Yes, this was a great translation, considering the hardware limitations. I know of a trick that you can use to shoot two bullets instead of the usual one. Before turning on the 2600, hold down the RESET switch while turning it on. Let go of the RESET switch and play the game. When you press and hold down the fire button, you'll find that the base now shoots two bullets, instead of one!! A friend of mine told me about this trick and you can even turn the score over quickly!!
eppy2000 - 07/04/2010
This was one of those early, highly popular arcade games that lent itself splendidly for the 2600. With plenty of difficulty variations (invisible invaders, anyone?), there were plenty of hours of fun to be had here.

This was also a rarity in that it was far superior to the one designed for the Atari 8-bit system. The programmer on that one inexplicably decided to redesign the invaders so they're unrecognizable. You also had them depart from a mothership or whatever that thing is, slowly trotting out in the beginning so you could shoot them right away.
Greg B. - 21/10/2007
This game alone made the 2600 what it was (is). I remember seeing 2600's FLY of the shelves during that holiday season and this game was the reason why. Plays almost as well as the real thing and the 112 options were incredible at the time. Incredible arcade port and a masterpiece of 2600 programming. Rick Maurer was clearly a genius in that he was able to design this game with NO flicker.
Write

Information -

%1%2

Cartridge -

Trivia -

Team Tap
Supports up to 4 players woth Team Tap -adapter.


Origins
Game is incomplete but features at least 4 levels.


Additional Credits
Framework: Dead Hackers Society


Hardware
Requires SAM digitizing cartridge.


Origins
PD-Palvelu's Kuukausilevyke was the second major Finnish diskmagazine for the Atari ST in Finland.

It was born when ST Klubi (team behind Suomenkieliset Tietosanomat) and ex-member Heinrich Pesch parted ways. His new diskmagazine ran from Jan 1989 to Dec 1990 and total of 21 issues were produced. Issues Oct and Nov 1989 along with Sep 1990 wasn't released due to the authors hardware problems.

Kuukausilevy didn't use any particular shell or browser for the documents. It was all plain text files. Every issue featured news from Atari World, translated overview of the latest issue of German ST-Magazin along with updated catalog of his PD-disk service Pesch was also running.

Rest of the disk was full of the latest PD software and some rare programs by the Finnish PD developers aswell as by the author himself.


Additional credits
DSP replay routine - TAT


Sound
Sounds samples for this game were taken from various Apollo missions.


Sound
This game features digital title music


Development
Written with Fast Basic


Hardware
Supports Blitter on Mega ST and STe


Hardware
Supports Blitter on Mega ST and STe


Origins
Announced by Atari at COMDEX fall 1985 for the ST.


Origins
One of the games participated to Finnish Mikrobitti magazine's L-game programming contest. Unfortunately all traces to this game has been lost so far. If anyone can help to preserve this one please get in touch!


Hardware
Supports RS232 for multiplayer action


Sound
Features digitized sound fx at 25KHz on STe


About Us - Contact - Credits - Powered with Webdev - © Atarimania 2003-2024