Hey Ben! I am actually a bit disappointed in the Atari version for a couple of reasons. The sound to me is disappointing, but I’m not really familiar with the sound capabilities of the Atari 8-bit line, so maybe it’s as good as it gets. The “flagship” aliens in the Atari version are drawn the same as all the others, which I think is a big miss. But I think what bugs me most is the different aspect ratio. The original arcade VERSION uses a 4:3 CRT on its side, and the arcade port you demonstrated compensates for that by putting the scoring and lives off to the side, preserving the original’s tall aspect ratio for gameplay. The Atari version seems to throw that away, opting instead for a reimagined game field to accommodate your screen at home. I guess it’s pretty good for the time, but if memory serves, there was a nicer C64 port. Thanks for the video!
Hey Ben! I am actually a bit disappointed in the Atari version for a couple of reasons. The sound to me is disappointing, but I’m not really familiar with the sound capabilities of the Atari 8-bit line, so maybe it’s as good as it gets. The “flagship” aliens in the Atari version are drawn the same as all the others, which I think is a big miss.
But I think what bugs me most is the different aspect ratio. The original arcade VERSION uses a 4:3 CRT on its side, and the arcade port you demonstrated compensates for that by putting the scoring and lives off to the side, preserving the original’s tall aspect ratio for gameplay. The Atari version seems to throw that away, opting instead for a reimagined game field to accommodate your screen at home.
I guess it’s pretty good for the time, but if memory serves, there was a nicer C64 port.
Thanks for the video!