Demon Attack

This is a wonderful version of the game, although Atari 2600 version is still ever-so-slightly better (but that goes for many ports from that system - some of the magic was always gone when even good ports happened on the computer side - River Raid is another good example. Nothing wrong with the computer versions, but the Atari 2600-version is just the best in playability and atmosphere).

The C64-version of Demon Attack is basically garbage - the playability is similar, but the sound is not as good, the main ship has a black outline around it (groan!), there's no 'colorful copper bar', and worst of all, the badly drawn background crap makes it hard to see what's going on.

Less is more, as they say, and I am glad they didn't 'add' stuff to this, because this way, the game is 99.9% as good as the original, and if the Atari 2600-version didn't exist, this Atari 8-bit computer version is the one I would go to every time. VIC-20-version is nice, but the colors are boring and the whole thing is a bit more tedious to play.

Only Atari makes it possible in some cases, and this is one of those cases. Choose either version between Atari 2600 and Atari 8-bit computers, and you can't go wrong. Avoid the other versions, as they are just a mess.

People need to remember that when you carve a statue out of a stone, you don't do it by -adding- stuff, you do it by -removing- the unnecessary crap. Same goes for game ports - don't mess with what works, or you get the C64-version of Demon Attack as the result, yecch.

Atari 8-bit computer-version of Demon Attack is what I always use as the perfect, shining example of how to do a port well. I'd much rather play a well done almost identical port of a good game than a completely messed up garbage version done by people who couldn't leave well-enough alone.

It says a lot, that even the humble VIC-20 version is better than the awful C64-version that destroys all the subtle magic with loud showmanship without caring how it affects the playability.

Ranking these:

1) Atari 2600-version
2) Atari 8-bit computer version
3) VIC-20-version
4) All other versions, except..
10) ..the awful C64-version

One of the most lackluster ports ever done. It's basically a carbon-copy of the VCS version with none of the embellishments - with the exception of the O2 and VIC-20 versions - afforded by other ports (Intellivision, TRS-80, C-64, Colecovision, TI-99/4a, MS-DOS/PCjr). The programmer completely wasted the capabilities of the Atari 800, and considering this was an expensive cart BITD (nearly $50!), it amounts as nothing but a quick cash-grab on Imagic's part.

The "international edition" is extremely common? You gotta be kidding...

Fun because it's simple, responsive, and doesn't try to "wow" you. Just shoot the demons. Then shoot more demons. Eventually they'll end up shooting you. Short but sweet.