Atari Beats Nintendo
Dear Editor: At Christmas, I asked for a Nintendo system but my parents got me an Atari 7800 instead. I was amazed at how much better the Atari games are than the Nintendo ones, especially Mario Brothers and Winter Games which are my favorites. Also, the Atari controllers are much easier to use than the tiny Nintendo ones. Now all my friends come over to my house to play with the 7800.
Derek Jacobs
Ft. Worth, TX
Thanks for the nice words, Derek. Obviously we are biased, but we think the Atari systems are better than their competitors too.
Great Arcade Conversion
Dear Editor: The conversion of Crossbow from the coin-op version to the XE is really fantastic. The eight landscapes are right on and the XE light gun works perfectly. I’d like to see more coin-op conversions on the XE; are some planned?
Andy Jennings
San Diego, CA
You’re in luck, Andy. In the Previews section, you’ll find descriptions of four conversions on the way: Ikari Warriors and Xenophobe for the 7800 and XE, and Rampage and Double Dragon for the 2600 and 7800. In addition, you can look for several more that we’ll tell you about later this year!
Out of Stock
Dear Editor: The store where we bought our Atari 2600 game system (Zayre) only carries about 12 games. I know there are many more games made for the 2600, but where can I get them?
Walter Parkway
Brockton, MA
Different retail stores often stock different games so you could try some of the other stores in your area like Kay Bee, Toys ‘R’ Us and Child World. This is true for other parts of the country as well. You can also order selected games by mail directly from Atari by using the order form in upcoming issues of Atarian.
Into The Eagle’s Nest
Dear Editor: In the XE game, Into the Eagle’s Nest, when I pick up extra ammunition from a stack of shells, sometimes I don’t get credited with all the ammunition I picked up. Why is this? Also, when an enemy soldier starts firing at me, is there any way to get him to stop?
Scott Tarbell
Portland, OR
In the game, you can carry a maximum of 99 rounds of ammunition, so if you pick up ammo that would bring you above this, you still will be allowed to carry only 99 rounds. As you know, you can’t see the shots of enemy soldiers when they fire at you, but you can tell you are being fired at when your hit counter starts to register. You can absorb 50 hits before you go down. You can hide from an enemy, but about the only way to really get him to stop firing at you is to shoot him.
Idea for a New Game
Dear Editor: I think Atari games are great, although you could do a little better on the 2600 graphics. I have designed a 3-D maze game, Nar’s Domain. You have to find your way around and defeat Nar’s guardians—room flyers, ladder climbers, and flairs. You can find weapons such as an axe, bow and arrow, whip, and sword of flame as well as a magical book. I enclosed a drawing of the maze.
Cody Myers
Kaufman, TX
While the graphics aren’t quite as good on the 2600 as the 7800 and XE, the newer games like Secret Quest and Super Baseball use more memory to achieve great play action and challenging complexity while games like Solaris and Super Football on the 2600 boast spectacular graphics. Your game looks interesting! Be sure to watch in the next issue of Atarian for our contest to design an original game. It will be judged by some of the top game designers in the world and winners will be eligible for trips and prizes. Thanks for the cards and letters.
We appreciate hearing from you. Please send your tips, questions, high scores, and comments to Editor, Atarian, 7 Hilltop Road, Mendham, NJ 07945.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.