This game was Zelda before Zelda. What's really fascinating is this Adventure was actually a world simulator. The characters and objects in the game move independently of what's happening on the screen, based upon their in game movement rules. Amazing for such an early game.
This was absolutely my favorite Atari 2600 game back then...spent so much time playing, mostly on a black&white TV. Man, what a difference it made finally playing on a COLOR screen!
I still have the mazes memorized, that's how much I played the game. You could almost say it holds resoonsibility for my love of high fantasy. One of 2600's greatest games.
I always thought this was THE BEST Atari game. I'm 41 and as soon as I heard the dragons terrible roar I remembered it all. haven't played since like 89 ( bought a new Atari and a box of games at a yard sale in New Orleans ) and still love it. Wish I could play it on android. In 1982 ,at seven years of age adventure got me hooked on video games. the same way Bob Glidden got me hooked on fast cars.
Other than Superman, their other adventure games aren't as good: E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sword Quest: Earthworld, Fireworld, etc. I remember figuring out Riddle of the Sphinx (a good game) at a friend's home, but needed to map it out or look it up online when I played a few years back. Haunted House was good, but could have been better, Adventure-style, with their 24 rooms on 24 different screens with some distinctiveness, instead of everything in the dark.
Love it! Back when I was 11 and my cousin was 12, we for some reason weren't getting along, but then suddenly our mutual love of this game brought us back on friendly terms. And yes, we called the dragons ducks!
In game 3, the black key NEVER starts in the white castle. There's a 1/29 chance the gold key is locked in the gold castle so you can't win; plus a rarer chance that keys are mutually locked in each other's castle.
I played a game where the yellow key was inaccessible for some reason, and the bat was locked inside the yellow castle. I was pleased to have not seen him once the entire game, until I realized that the game was going to be unbeatable. FAIL!
@@markstahl1464 I think it's a teaching moment for kids to find out it's not beatable. But I would fix it so a key is never in its own castle, but allow them to be mutually-locked.
One way I like to play Adventure is with the following rules: 1 Game Variation 3 with both difficulty switches on A. 2 Before beating the game, slay all dragons and trap the bat inside the Yellow Castle. This can get quite challenging. :)
They say it's based on a text-adventure game, which makes me wonder if they could have made something similar based on the text adventure games I got for VIC-20. Although, years later I played some Sierra games that replaced text interface with action buttons and there was something missing.
loved this game. I played it incessantly as a kid and was what helped build my love of RPGs when the console market crashed and home computers were getting big and Legend of Zelda on the NES.
After this I played text-adventure carts on the VIC-20, like "Adventureland." I don't remember which others I have of: The Count, Pirate's Cove, and Voodoo Castle. But since Atari Adventure is based on the text game, "Colossal Cave Adventure" it makes me wonder whether these could have been converted to a fun, graphical version?
I got it when it came out in 1980. I don't remember if I discovered it myself, someone told me, or I read it in the Logbook Challenge that you could access the secret room after finding the hidden dot. That should be game 4 with the chalice hidden there.
I use to love getting eaten by the dragon and then the bat would pick it up and carry the player and the dragon all over the place till it got bored and found a new item.
A few years ago, before I looked it up online, I wanted to see where things were put "randomly" or pseudo-randomly. The black key is never in the white castle for game 3, which is too bad.
Such a fantastic game for it's time, and still fantastic now. Not surprised one bit that it got your number 1 spot. I own a boxed with manual PAL version, and the prices on the boxed PAL version can vary but it seems to be more expensive than your NTSC version over there. Luckily even the NTSC version will play on a PAL Atari 2600 with only some slight colour differences etc. I was lucky to get my PAL version recently in fantastic condition, it cost a bit more but was totally worth it.
I always thought the dragons looked like sea horses myself. Yes, this was one of my favorites back in the day. The only ones I liked more were Raiders of the Lost Ark and Joust.
Ha Ha! Always loved this game. I would collect all of the objects and put them in my (the orange) castle. I would often lock the bat (we called him the bird) in the white castle so he would stop stealing the stuff I was carrying lol.
It has a lot of good elements - medieval fantasy, a kingdom with castles, a quest, magical items, a pesky creature that causes chaos (bat), threatening creatures (dragons), a way to defeat them (sword), other helpful items (magnet, bridge), and a large enough map to make the exploration, travel and seeking approach an epic level. One cool element I liked was even if you evaded a dragon on one screen in a maze, you would likely loop back to the same screen before leaving, and the dragon would acquire and start chasing you again. By far this game captivated my attention the most, even if after I got my fill I didn't play it so much.
Adventure was always my favorite game; I played it frequently from '81 to '84 or so. I also loved Haunted House, and I suspect this was theme-related (I enjoy fairy tales more than sports or combat-themed games). Your review demonstrates many scenarios and is very helpful. I never realized that multiple objects in a room would allow me to bypass a dead dragon obstructing my path. Rhindle was difficult to outmaneuver, and I never really mastered Level 3, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying Adventure!
I lost the instruction book, so forgot the names of the dragons! Sorry you didn't master level 3; I felt there should have been a level 4 and 5 using pretty much the same screens.
It sold more than 1 million, but didn't sell more than 2 million which the top 10 selling carts all did. Of course sales aren't everything as Pac-Man is #1 at 8 million, Space Invaders #2 at 6 million, Donkey Kong #3 at 4 million, and E.T. #8 at ~2 million (counting or not counting returns?).
The Legend of Zelda is one of the greatest games of all time. Anyone who tells you differently is either trolling you, or doesn't have a clue what they're talking about. The game engine alone is absolutely phenomenal, and has rewarded my continuous gameplay throughout my lifetime. I've probably spent more time playing games based off of the Legend of Zelda game engine than any other game in my life. I'm no speed runner, but I've gotten fairly good at The Legend of Zelda over the course of 30+ years. I've made things more interesting for myself by not using potion, beating the game using as few keys as possible, getting to Ganon without picking up a sword, and playing the game without picking up any overworld items except the wooden sword, magic shield, and bare essentials (this is so much harder than merely skipping the sword, by the way). I can tell you from experience that The Legend of Zelda has been exactly the same every time I've played through it. There's nothing surprising or unexpected about it. I always know what's going to happen, from one room of a dungeon to the next. In contrast, every time I've played through Variation 3, and to some extent Variation 2 of Atari Adventure, it has felt like a unique experience. Adventure is unpredictable. I never know when a dragon or the bat is going to come out of nowhere and try to spoil my plans. I never know which corner of the map I'm about to make a mad dash for, or what tactics I'm going to have to employ at the drop of a hat. I still swear every time I get eaten by the third dragon after killing the first two. I still shout with excitement every time I make it back to the yellow castle with the chalice. Adventure was created in the late 70's, is the first of its kind, and fits on a 4k chip. Let that sink in for a couple of minutes... Now pick up the scattered pieces of your mind from the floor, and while you're at it, send Warren Robinett a thank you letter.
I loved the SNES version with areas you can see, but can't do anything with until you get the appropriate object like a hammer or shovel. I think I tried going playing the NES version, next, but gave up.
back in those days before internet and all that i had no idea how to play it and had to try figuring out what i was even doing (which i never could) lol
@@thenosweargamer1449 I don't know what you mean. Nearly all their games 1977-1980 have an ending, whether a sports game, a combat game, or a game with a time limit. Circus Atari, Space Invaders and Video Pinball are the only games from 1980 that don't have an ending until you lose. I don't know whether there's a limit on Slot Machine or Blackjack, and Basic Programming is different.
I remember playing this and always getting messed up on the second level withe maze. However I still believe those dragons look more like seahorses in my book.🤷
Pitfall! sold more, but I think less people won it as you had to map it out and find a route as well as be able to successfully jump like 30 scorpions!
I see there's 3 Atari games where the bat (who was supposed to be named Knubberrub here) takes things from you: Adventure, Haunted House and Mountain King. Is there a fourth? There's a bat I think in Crossbow but it attacks you and doesn't steal your stuff.
Do yourself a favor and look up "Indenture" online. Basically 'Adventure', but with 5 settings. Setting 4 and 5 have the same layout, but 5 is random (akin to 2 and 3). The later stages EXPLODE the area, with two new castles (green and 'flashing'), a new dragon ('Disgruntle', as fast as Rhindle), a whistle (which stuns the bat when you're holding it), and a number of new labyrinths. This whole new area can be found in a similar way to how the 'Easter egg' room can be found.
I could win Adventure (and E.T.). I didn't win Raiders until as an adult I looked up that you had to dig on what was a dirt pile. Then there's a glitch that never gives you a "full score" so the Ark doesn't rise all the way.
Adventure, yes a great game so you're placing I offer respect, I note from viewings of other You- Tube videos you frequently mentio!in theameplay mechanic/targets you prefer, well each to their own, I agree Adventure is fantastic but I have other multiple personal favourites that I would rate higher. All reviews of your reviews are fantastic, so thank-you.
It's funny. I hate watching play-throughs by people who make videos but can't seem to play a game well to save his life. But because he's doing a review, it didn't bother me that he was taking wrong turns here, or looked like he was deliberately crashing a car in Dodge 'Em.
I always thought this was THE BEST Atari game. I'm 41 and as soon as I heard the dragons terrible roar I remembered it all. haven't played since like 89 ( bought a new Atari and a box of games at a yard sale in New Orleans ) and still love it. Wish I could play it on android. In 1982 ,at seven years of age adventure got me hooked on video games. the same way Bob Glidden got me hooked on fast cars.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
This game was Zelda before Zelda.
What's really fascinating is this Adventure was actually a world simulator. The characters and objects in the game move independently of what's happening on the screen, based upon their in game movement rules. Amazing for such an early game.
This was absolutely my favorite Atari 2600 game back then...spent so much time playing, mostly on a black&white TV. Man, what a difference it made finally playing on a COLOR screen!
Yes. I've played many games on a B & W TV.
I like how you were moving the key and the sword at the same time... I need to remember that!
Been doing that since I was a kid!
The box art made the games look so exciting. Adventure still gets me. I guess we had good imaginations back then.
I guess that would be called flavor and anticipation?
I still have the mazes memorized, that's how much I played the game. You could almost say it holds resoonsibility for my love of high fantasy. One of 2600's greatest games.
Isn't crazy how you can remember things like that when it comes to video games, but then can't remember where you put the remote 2 minutes ago :)
I always thought this was THE BEST Atari game. I'm 41 and as soon as I heard the dragons terrible roar I remembered it all. haven't played since like 89 ( bought a new Atari and a box of games at a yard sale in New Orleans ) and still love it. Wish I could play it on android. In 1982 ,at seven years of age adventure got me hooked on video games. the same way Bob Glidden got me hooked on fast cars.
I know a website that emulates this game on android
Finally, i do agree with you. Adventure is by far the best ATARI game and one of its clasic
Other than Superman, their other adventure games aren't as good: E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sword Quest: Earthworld, Fireworld, etc. I remember figuring out Riddle of the Sphinx (a good game) at a friend's home, but needed to map it out or look it up online when I played a few years back. Haunted House was good, but could have been better, Adventure-style, with their 24 rooms on 24 different screens with some distinctiveness, instead of everything in the dark.
Always love it when the dragon manages to impale itself on the sword lol.
Sometimes I liked it when the dragon eats you, but the bat picks up the dragon and gives you a flight around the kingdoms!
I agree. I can still play Adventure to this day, and still feel the excitement I did when I was younger.
Love it! Back when I was 11 and my cousin was 12, we for some reason weren't getting along, but then suddenly our mutual love of this game brought us back on friendly terms. And yes, we called the dragons ducks!
In game 3, the black key NEVER starts in the white castle. There's a 1/29 chance the gold key is locked in the gold castle so you can't win; plus a rarer chance that keys are mutually locked in each other's castle.
I played a game where the yellow key was inaccessible for some reason, and the bat was locked inside the yellow castle. I was pleased to have not seen him once the entire game, until I realized that the game was going to be unbeatable. FAIL!
@@markstahl1464 I think it's a teaching moment for kids to find out it's not beatable. But I would fix it so a key is never in its own castle, but allow them to be mutually-locked.
One way I like to play Adventure is with the following rules:
1 Game Variation 3 with both difficulty switches on A.
2 Before beating the game, slay all dragons and trap the bat inside the Yellow Castle.
This can get quite challenging. :)
Neat rule set!
You ever lock the gold key inside the gold castle?
I used to try to get all items, including dead dragons in into the easter egg room.
Yes, I have locked the gold key in the gold castle! Lol!
One of the greatest games of all time. Period.
this game sucks
@@koolaidmansam8yearsago273 wtf are you talking about ? its a incredible game
@@gameboyadvanceplayer274 it may have been a good game at the time but in modern standards it's terrible
They say it's based on a text-adventure game, which makes me wonder if they could have made something similar based on the text adventure games I got for VIC-20. Although, years later I played some Sierra games that replaced text interface with action buttons and there was something missing.
loved this game. I played it incessantly as a kid and was what helped build my love of RPGs when the console market crashed and home computers were getting big and Legend of Zelda on the NES.
Yeah, I played this one a lot too as a kid, probably over 100 times.
After this I played text-adventure carts on the VIC-20, like "Adventureland." I don't remember which others I have of: The Count, Pirate's Cove, and Voodoo Castle. But since Atari Adventure is based on the text game, "Colossal Cave Adventure" it makes me wonder whether these could have been converted to a fun, graphical version?
I first played this game around 1982-ish...loved it then and I still love it now.
I got it when it came out in 1980. I don't remember if I discovered it myself, someone told me, or I read it in the Logbook Challenge that you could access the secret room after finding the hidden dot. That should be game 4 with the chalice hidden there.
I remember playing this with my cousins when I visited my Aunt. Very underrated game.
Not so under rated is a all time classic..
@@luigicorrias The term "under-rated" is over-used!
I use to love getting eaten by the dragon and then the bat would pick it up and carry the player and the dragon all over the place till it got bored and found a new item.
this was my first atari game to ever play i can never get bored with it
A few years ago, before I looked it up online, I wanted to see where things were put "randomly" or pseudo-randomly. The black key is never in the white castle for game 3, which is too bad.
First Easter Egg with Warren Robinett at 7. Then about 16 years later I worked at TLC. Oh the 90's!
So good, I actually wrote a piece of fanfiction that referenced the game.
Such a fantastic game for it's time, and still fantastic now. Not surprised one bit that it got your number 1 spot. I own a boxed with manual PAL version, and the prices on the boxed PAL version can vary but it seems to be more expensive than your NTSC version over there. Luckily even the NTSC version will play on a PAL Atari 2600 with only some slight colour differences etc. I was lucky to get my PAL version recently in fantastic condition, it cost a bit more but was totally worth it.
I always thought the dragons looked like sea horses myself. Yes, this was one of my favorites back in the day. The only ones I liked more were Raiders of the Lost Ark and Joust.
Lol
I used to think it was a duck
Ha Ha! Always loved this game. I would collect all of the objects and put them in my (the orange) castle. I would often lock the bat (we called him the bird) in the white castle so he would stop stealing the stuff I was carrying lol.
Lol, torturing the poor bird!
It has a lot of good elements - medieval fantasy, a kingdom with castles, a quest, magical items, a pesky creature that causes chaos (bat), threatening creatures (dragons), a way to defeat them (sword), other helpful items (magnet, bridge), and a large enough map to make the exploration, travel and seeking approach an epic level. One cool element I liked was even if you evaded a dragon on one screen in a maze, you would likely loop back to the same screen before leaving, and the dragon would acquire and start chasing you again.
By far this game captivated my attention the most, even if after I got my fill I didn't play it so much.
Adventure was always my favorite game; I played it frequently from '81 to '84 or so. I also loved Haunted House, and I suspect this was theme-related (I enjoy fairy tales more than sports or combat-themed games). Your review demonstrates many scenarios and is very helpful. I never realized that multiple objects in a room would allow me to bypass a dead dragon obstructing my path. Rhindle was difficult to outmaneuver, and I never really mastered Level 3, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying Adventure!
I lost the instruction book, so forgot the names of the dragons! Sorry you didn't master level 3; I felt there should have been a level 4 and 5 using pretty much the same screens.
yes! I agree adventure is the best atari game of all time!!!
Agreed, Adventure is the #1 game on the 2600!
I DONT THINK SO, IS YAR'S REVENGE
It sold more than 1 million, but didn't sell more than 2 million which the top 10 selling carts all did. Of course sales aren't everything as Pac-Man is #1 at 8 million, Space Invaders #2 at 6 million, Donkey Kong #3 at 4 million, and E.T. #8 at ~2 million (counting or not counting returns?).
Great commentary on this classic game.
This was my favorite game back in the Ferg
The Legend of Zelda is one of the greatest games of all time. Anyone who tells you differently is either trolling you, or doesn't have a clue what they're talking about. The game engine alone is absolutely phenomenal, and has rewarded my continuous gameplay throughout my lifetime. I've probably spent more time playing games based off of the Legend of Zelda game engine than any other game in my life. I'm no speed runner, but I've gotten fairly good at The Legend of Zelda over the course of 30+ years. I've made things more interesting for myself by not using potion, beating the game using as few keys as possible, getting to Ganon without picking up a sword, and playing the game without picking up any overworld items except the wooden sword, magic shield, and bare essentials (this is so much harder than merely skipping the sword, by the way).
I can tell you from experience that The Legend of Zelda has been exactly the same every time I've played through it. There's nothing surprising or unexpected about it. I always know what's going to happen, from one room of a dungeon to the next. In contrast, every time I've played through Variation 3, and to some extent Variation 2 of Atari Adventure, it has felt like a unique experience. Adventure is unpredictable. I never know when a dragon or the bat is going to come out of nowhere and try to spoil my plans. I never know which corner of the map I'm about to make a mad dash for, or what tactics I'm going to have to employ at the drop of a hat. I still swear every time I get eaten by the third dragon after killing the first two. I still shout with excitement every time I make it back to the yellow castle with the chalice. Adventure was created in the late 70's, is the first of its kind, and fits on a 4k chip. Let that sink in for a couple of minutes...
Now pick up the scattered pieces of your mind from the floor, and while you're at it, send Warren Robinett a thank you letter.
I loved the SNES version with areas you can see, but can't do anything with until you get the appropriate object like a hammer or shovel. I think I tried going playing the NES version, next, but gave up.
back in those days before internet and all that i had no idea how to play it and had to try figuring out what i was even doing (which i never could) lol
That's too bad as game 1 is fairly straightforward (i.e. simple).
Playing level three, it was always a thrill when the chalice was placed inside the white castle, inside the room that required the bridge to access.
Loving your atari reviews, keep up the good work :)
Thank You! I will try!
one of the oldest atari games and still fun to play, esp on level 3, after 35+ years
Yes it is!
I remember me and my sister used to crack up when I'd play without killing the dragons.
Who thought a game that could be beaten under a minute could be so great? (no seriously, I beat the first level in 59.6 seconds lol)
Try that with Superman!
IS LIKE HAUNTED HOUSE
I remember being blown away by this game when it came out, it's my fave game as well!
First game I finish on the 2600
And one of the first, if not the first 2600 you could actually finish.
@@thenosweargamer1449 I don't know what you mean. Nearly all their games 1977-1980 have an ending, whether a sports game, a combat game, or a game with a time limit. Circus Atari, Space Invaders and Video Pinball are the only games from 1980 that don't have an ending until you lose.
I don't know whether there's a limit on Slot Machine or Blackjack, and Basic Programming is different.
I own this game but haven't given it a fair shake yet....thanks for the positive review.
You're welcome. Once you get used to how to play it, it's pretty great!
Great review of what many of us would probably consider to be a game of legendary status. It was so fun to play back in the day and still is now.
1:54 "As the evil magician had created three large ducks, I mean, dragons"... LOL 😆
While playing I imagined there was an evil magician character you had to deal with. Too bad there wasn't a game 4 and 5.
This is my all-time favorite game. I already loved video games, but this one cemented my love for video games.
I remember playing this and always getting messed up on the second level withe maze. However I still believe those dragons look more like seahorses in my book.🤷
Great review! Loved this game
Love the label art lol
🥺😭😢 you had the crown for a good while Pitfall Harry, you did good.
Pitfall! sold more, but I think less people won it as you had to map it out and find a route as well as be able to successfully jump like 30 scorpions!
Classic!!
Atari is an amazing subject matter and this game was a flame to it all.
I see there's 3 Atari games where the bat (who was supposed to be named Knubberrub here) takes things from you: Adventure, Haunted House and Mountain King. Is there a fourth?
There's a bat I think in Crossbow but it attacks you and doesn't steal your stuff.
I feel fortunate to have grown up during this time and that my parents bought me a 2600.
Do yourself a favor and look up "Indenture" online. Basically 'Adventure', but with 5 settings. Setting 4 and 5 have the same layout, but 5 is random (akin to 2 and 3).
The later stages EXPLODE the area, with two new castles (green and 'flashing'), a new dragon ('Disgruntle', as fast as Rhindle), a whistle (which stuns the bat when you're holding it), and a number of new labyrinths. This whole new area can be found in a similar way to how the 'Easter egg' room can be found.
I love your reviews man
A great game, only bettered for me by Raiders Of The Lost Ark. Used to love the artwork on the box and cartridge!
I could win Adventure (and E.T.). I didn't win Raiders until as an adult I looked up that you had to dig on what was a dirt pile. Then there's a glitch that never gives you a "full score" so the Ark doesn't rise all the way.
Why did the sequel, Adventure II, not make it big? I just found out about it after 35+ years!!
Because it's actually a homebrew that wasn't released until 2007.
They said they were going to make a sequel, but changed it to Swordquest: Earthworld. Ugh.
This was my fave of all time.
Hey no swear gamer, have you heard of 8venture? Its a remake of the original and really good.
Adventure, yes a great game so you're placing I offer respect, I note from viewings of other You- Tube videos you frequently mentio!in theameplay mechanic/targets you prefer, well each to their own, I agree Adventure is fantastic but I have other multiple personal favourites that I would rate higher. All reviews of your reviews are fantastic, so thank-you.
It's funny. I hate watching play-throughs by people who make videos but can't seem to play a game well to save his life. But because he's doing a review, it didn't bother me that he was taking wrong turns here, or looked like he was deliberately crashing a car in Dodge 'Em.
Still the best video game ever!
I hate that bat.
SOMEONE GET THIS FREAKIN' DUCK AWAY FROM ME!
Try secret quest. It’s BETTER than adventure.
Tele game on eBay!!!!!!
No swear huh? FU-
It's no bat. It's a raven.
Still have no idea what people see in this game. Game 1 is fine but way too easy, but the bat makes games 2 and 3 just borderline obnoxious.
I always thought this was THE BEST Atari game. I'm 41 and as soon as I heard the dragons terrible roar I remembered it all. haven't played since like 89 ( bought a new Atari and a box of games at a yard sale in New Orleans ) and still love it. Wish I could play it on android. In 1982 ,at seven years of age adventure got me hooked on video games. the same way Bob Glidden got me hooked on fast cars.