What's your top 3 Atari arcade games?

[DanP]

I realise this will be contentious, but I'm curious what are peoples top 3 Atari arcade games and why? Also do you own them or are they games you'd have if you could?

For me it's (luckily I own them all);

1) Star Wars - it just never gets old and with the ESB multi kit I could keep playing it forever.

2) Gravitar - it's still soooo damn hard but has that "just one more go I can do better" thing.

3) Tempest - every time I play it I realise just what genius it is, it's so engrossing and hypnotic at times, well for me anyway.

Dan

 

[andyman]

Would have to agree with your first choice

1. Star Wars - Because I love it, it is part of 'The Arcade' for me

2. Tempest - so radical in design at the time and still copied on other platforms now, which I have 2 versions of

3. Missile command - don't know what it is about this one maybe that huge trackball but just outranks Gauntlet

And no, I don't have any of them yet

Andy.

 

[karlcdoe]

ahhh, another list of lists, maybe we should become channel4?

Anyhow, it's actually a toughie to narrow it down to 3 as I have a disproportionate number of Atari cabs.

(1)Star Wars - pretty bored of it now but it wowed me at the time and the 25" Amplifone cockpit still has me 'ducking' to avoid catwalks. It was the first arcade game I tried to buy.

(=2)Paperboy / 720 (yes I'm cheating here) both system 2 games that were, in my opinion some of the first to actually look like cartoons rather than starfields with blobs. Good use of humour and instrumental effects for sound. Also, some of the first to use a medium res raster monitor.

(3)Tempest - saw it as a kid and then it prompty vanished from the arcades. Also the first game board I imported from the US. I do find the sound effects somewhat dull these days (apart from the white noise when level warping).

Could also substitue a sys1 game like Marble Madness for one of the above, I would like to have gone for Firefox but still haven't played a real one since the mid/late eighties...

 

[JohnBud]

misile command a true classic, mines running super misile attack. very hard game to play i can only get to sheet 11, then it just rains down on you.
tempest i have only played it a few times, but i did like it.

asteroids another game i liked playing but lacked enough skill to be any good. i like the cabaret version the best, and give a chance i would like to add 1 to my collection.

i know most folks wont agree but i thought star wars was a bit naff. or is that because i couldnt play the game well enough to play it often and get better. cheers.

john bud

 

[DanP]

Super Missile Attack does my head in it's so hard. I doubt I can clear 4 levels so 11 is pretty good going John!

 

[JohnBud]

super misille attack is a killer but i like the new sounds and that glowing space ship. it is a quick game though, every time i play it i decide to put missile command in but i would need to shift 3 other cabs to change it. so im stuck with it.

 

[DanP]

John, have you seen this?

http://www.brasington.org/arcade/mcm/

Allows you to switch between MC and SMA at the touch of a button(s)

I've got one and it works great!

Now back on topic, let's be aving some more top 3's please!

Dan

 

[virtvic]

1. Kangaroo - Love the daftness of the game and the cab.

2. Asteroids - I own it (have had a full size and now a cabaret) + Deluxe in the same cab.

3. Dig Dug - Have always loved this game.

 

[favouredson]

As Vic has started, I'll continue.

My top three would have to be any games which Atari did not develop but licensed from other companies.

 

[Jodo]

1) Star Wars - you never loose the thrill of installing minty rebuilt boards and seeing how much your picture has improved. Or not as you set fire to your Deflector PCB. I have a NR mint upright

2) Indiana Jones - Amazing music. It does a great job of replicating the feel of the movie, despite only having 4 stages. I have a very tidy system 1 cab with a couple of NR mint Indy CP's and a rebuilt Atari logo joystick

3) Gauntlet - "Elf needs fooooood badly" - need I say more? OK. Nice quotable speech. 4-players all crowded around 1 cab. It's intense fun. "sh*t! It's DEATH!" etc... I don't currently own this cab. Currently

Runner up: Tempest. I've never played an original cab but I love the cabaret, control panel art etc...would love one of these

Phil.
Jodo2010-09-27 21:13:00

 

[frothmeister]

Well the 3 Atari cabs I wanted to own more than any others were:

1. Super Sprint

2. Paperboy

3. Centipede

I'm not certain now that I think these are the 3 best Atari games but certainly the ones I have played the most in my lifetime (and even then it's nowhere near as much as I'd have liked). I also have ROTJ and APB so that must make them 4 and 5 in my list.

If I was naming my favourite vector game I think it would be Asteroids but I've always been put off buying a vector cab due to the high maintenance possibility.

 

[virtvic]

If you're talking REAL Atari, then it'd be-

1. Asteroids

2. Black Widow

3. Centipede

 

[Bods]

I reckon

1. Paperboy (funny and so cool with handle bars)

2. Indiana Jones temple of doom (as I love the film and the game)

3. Road Runner (great video of the cartoon, laserdisc version is amazing)

but I really like all the others I have too

Road Blasters

Rolling Thunder (if you can count)

Championship Sprint

Mad Dog McCree (again if you can count)

same with Dragons Lair

 

[Ravage]

Hmm...

1. I Robot

2. Star Wars

3. Asteroids

Thats my tuppence worth

 

[paulcan69]

1. Star Wars

2. Paperboy

3. A.P.B

These are just the ones that mean the most to me and my days in arcades.

 

[tenrohle]

1. 720
2. 720

3. 720

 

[paulcan69]

Sh*t you know what, I completely forgot about 720!!!

Only because I haven't played it since 198*

(except for cr*ppy ps1 and ps2 emulations which aren't the same, esp. without the cool rotary joystick)

You know what I'm with tenrohle:-

1.720

2.720

3.720

 

[Bensonrad]

1) Gauntlet - have the PCB on its way (one day hopefully a cab)

2) Paperboy - have the PCBs, Full control panel with handlebars, Marquee, Manual & Schematics (just need a cab for it all to go into!)

3) Marble Madness

I am a big fan of Tetris, Klax and Escape from the Planet of Robot Monsters too

 

[Alpha1]

Bensonrad, I have a Gauntlet cab I am looking to shift. in good nick.

 

[trm]

1. Star Wars - I just love this. It's my favourite game from any manufacturer (possibly tied with Bubble Bobble). And the cockpit is definitely my favourite cab ever.

2. Klax - great puzzle game.

3. Toss up between Battlezone and Hard/Race Drivin'

Although I do like pretty much all the Atari vector stuff.