Chasing The Pregnant Dragons
Posted on | November 21, 2008 at 8:12 am | 5 Comments
Anything ever invented eventually shows up at the iPhone App Store. Case in point: The old Atari 2600 game Adventure (iTunes Store link here). Adventure was the first of its kind in many ways. It arguably started the whole action-adventure videogame genre, which is my favorite videogame genre. It also contained the first appearance of a gaming Easter egg. I remember when this game originally came out for Atari’s console and my little sister and I spent long hours playing it. Back in those days, there were no save files or anything, so you had to play it all at one sitting, or just leave the console on. The iPhone emulation is a pixel-perfect recreation, even down to the screen flickering. It has the three different difficultly levels, the dragons that look like they’re pregnant, and the object-stealing bat.
The Atari 2600 console only had a joystick for a controller, with a single button off to the side. That kind of game is easy to recreate on the iPhone. Instead of a joystick, you have the accelerometer/tilt sensor in the iPhone, which you use to move your pixel around. Instead of pushing the button to drop an object, you tap the screen anywhere. It’s that simple! Moving around takes a little getting used to, but that wasn’t the most straightforward, tightly controlled thing on the old Atari anyway. I like how you can get out of the application at any time, and when you get back in, it starts up exactly where you left off. No leaving the console on!
I downloaded it and I’ve been playing around with it some, including defeating the game on “Easy”, which takes just a few minutes. Wow, nostalgia time. Tonight I think I’ll make some non-microwave popcorn and watch reruns of Dallas.
Latre.
P.S. But of course what I really want is this.
Jogged Today: Yes (@ 27°F)
Songs That Came Up On The iPod While Jogging:
- “Beauty On The Beach” (Hugh Cornwell)
- “Bombers Bay” (Echo & the Bunnymen)
- “No Surprises” (Radiohead)
- “I Swallowed a Dragonfly” (Heartless Bastards)
- “Green Is Green” (Fretblanket)
- “You’re Gonna Get Your Fingers Burned” (Alan Parsons Project)
- “(the crux of the cameraman)” (Hallelujah the Hills)
Pet Peeve of the Day: The CDs I’ve bought lately online have the security tag stuck to the tray card itself instead of the jewel case. In order to get it off, I end up destroying the tray card somewhat. Aaargh!
Poignant Search Term Of The Day That Led To This Blog: “someone stole my fork”.
Videogame(s) Played Recently: Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
Comments
5 Responses to “Chasing The Pregnant Dragons”
November 21st, 2008 @ 1:47 pm
> when you get back in, it starts up exactly where you left off.
A respectable amount of progress to show for, not quite 30 years is it? Apple, you’ve done it again!
Now port this to the iPhone…
November 21st, 2008 @ 9:45 pm
As for those ruined CD tray cards: first, what is “buy a CD”? (Kidding: I bought two 2-disc sets today, and another disc I’d mail-ordered arrived the other day…with one more 2-disc set en route.) To the point: write back to whomever you ordered it from and demand that they either provide you a clean copy of the tray art or a refund. You paid for a new, unblemished CD, including its art – that’s what they’re obligated to provide you, not something vandalized so that either it’s obscured by the “security” bullshit or ruined inevitably by the attempt to remove it.
November 21st, 2008 @ 9:46 pm
Oops – forgot: If they refuse, burn the CD, claim it’s defective, and return it for full credit. Really: a dying industry’s got no excuse for crap customer service, and deserves to die if it can’t do something simple like that.
November 22nd, 2008 @ 11:27 am
To the point: write back to whomever you ordered it from and demand that they either provide you a clean copy of the tray art or a refund.
No! I don’t want Amazon to ban me forever from their club! I have to just suck it up and take it!
November 22nd, 2008 @ 6:18 pm
How about Wolfenstein 3D for iPhone!? That would be cool. The source is available – someone start porting!
Also – Jiffy Pop!!!!
No, not for the iPhone – just to eat while enjoying Atari nostalgia.