• Tag Archives XEGS

  • Necromancer (Atari XEGS)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    atarian_issue1_18

    Source: Atarian – Issue Number 1 – May/June 1989

    Atari really new how to beat a dead horse. Here we have a strategy guide being published in 1989 by an official Atari publication for a game that was released in 1987 that had also previously been released in 1982. Necromancer was originally published for Atari 8-bit computers in 1982 and then the Commodore 64 in 1983. It was re-released for Atari’s XEGS in 1987. Given that an XEGS was just an Atari 8-bit computer in game console form factor, the game was exactly the same. Not that there is anything wrong with the game. It is a very good game in fact. It’s just that Atari had this tendency to re-release the same games over and over vs. publishing new stuff. Re-releasing old games is great but that isn’t what is going to sell systems in the long run and it is why so many more people had an NES vs. an Atari 7800 or an Atari XEGS. By the late 1980s, Atari just wasn’t developing enough new quality first party titles and could no longer attract significant third party support.


    Necromancer was originally released on disk by Synapse for the Atari 400/800 in 1982. It was ported to the Commodore 64 the following year. Four years later, it was released unchanged on the Atari XEGS in cartridge format. I suppose that by this time the other versions were probably relatively hard to find so if you wanted to buy it, the XEGS was probably your best bet. Of course, by this time the original Atari and Commodore disk versions had probably been pirated to a significant degree.


    The game itself is very well regarded. You control a Druid who is battling with a Necromancer. The game takes part in three stages. In the first, you build up an army of trees while defending them from ogres and spiders. In the second, you take your army of trees to destroy the spiders in their lair. In the final stage, you battle the Necromancer himself as he uses fire and his remaining spiders to try to destroy you. The game is fast paced and gets faster in each stage and there is a lot to juggle with controlling the trees and the Druid. The unique and tense atmosphere makes for an addictive game. But maybe they should have published a sequel that included the original game instead of just shoveling the original out again…


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  • Rescue on Fractalus! (Atari XE) – Strategy

    Posted on by Azrael 1 Comment

    Strategy guide for Rescue on Fractalus! for Atari XE based systems (Atari 130XE, Atari 65XE and Atari XEGS) from the October 1989 issue of Atarian.

    atarian_issue3_22

    Source: Atarian – Issue Number 3 – September October 1989

    This is a strategy guide for Rescue on Fractalus for Atari XE based systems, including the Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE and Atari XEGS from the October 1989 issue of Atarian.

    The first thing you may notice is that they spelled the name of the game wrong. It is supposed to be “Fractalus” not “Fractulus”. It is spelled fine in the body of the article, just not in the title. This does not bode well for the rest of it…

    But actually, the rest of it does give a good overview of the game. I remember trying to figure this game out on my Commodore 64 without instructions and I never could. While it doesn’t tell you what buttons to press, this article does tell you what actions you need to take and gives you a couple of strategies to be reasonably successful at it.

    There are a number of interesting things about this game. It was first released in 1984 for a number of systems, including the Apple II, Atari 5200, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, Tandy Color Computer 3, and others. At first this would seem like a pretty late guide for the game but the Atari XE version was an enhanced version that came out in 1987 on cartridge that was specific to only Atari XE based computers and the XEGS video game system. It had thirty levels to choose from instead of the sixteen of the original release. Even at that, this was a pretty late guide.

    The graphics were generated using fractals, hence the name of the game. An Atari 7800 version was under development but never released that would have used the more advanced capabilities of that system for smoother game play. An unreleased prototype was discovered in 2004.

    Finally, George Lucas had some personal input into this game, suggesting that some of the pilots to be rescued should really be the enemy in disguise. This actually added a pretty significant element and a scare factor to the game.





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  • Atarian Video Game Magazine (May/June 1989)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Atarian Video Game Magazine, Issue Number 1, May/June 1989

    While most companies that have produced video game consoles have tried their hand at an official magazine for that console, no one ever quite had the success of Nintendo with Nintendo Power. At the opposite end of the scale, we have Atarian which was only produced for a few issues. It wasn’t that the magazine was especially horrible, it’s just that at this time, Atari was mostly pushing games that had been published years in the past. The first issue from May/June 1989 includes:

    Interview

    • Nolan Bushnell – Whye the “Father of Video Games” came back to Atari.

    Reviews

    • Secret Quest
    • Tower Toppler
    • Summer Games
    • Fight Night
    • Impossible Mission
    • Double Dunk
    • Crime Buster
    • Karateka
    • Water Ski
    • Super Baseball

    Departments

    • Mailbag – Some of the many letters you’ve sent us
    • Top 30 – Your favorite 10 games for the 2600, 7800, and XE
    • Tips & Tricks – Short tips for playing 9 of your favorite games
    • Adventures of Atari – Our new superhero battles Ninja-Endo and his vile schemes
    • Puzzlers – Paper and pencil puzzles for a break from the joystick

    Features

    • Previews – Check out these 8 hot new titles coming soon to a store near you
    • Sports Superstars – To relax, Doug Williams, Ozzie Smith, and Spud Webb all play Atari video games
    • XE Game System – Spectacular graphics, power, expandability, and an extensive game library for under $100

    Playing Strategy

    • Necromancer
    • Donkey Kong Jr.
    • Desert Falcon

    …and more!




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