HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: gugler-sean@cs.yale.edu (Sean Gugler)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Hmmm.
Date: 26 Jan 1993 01:02:03 -0500
Organization: Yale University Computer Science Undergraduate
NNTP-Posting-Host: toad.zoo2.cs.yale.edu
In-reply-to: 2a42dubinski@vms.csd.mu.edu's message of 25 Jan 1993 20:31:08 GMT

In article <00967245.DD21FB20@vms.csd.mu.edu> 2a42dubinski@vms.csd.mu.edu writes:
>I don't know who to address this to, but perhaps we should split up
>this sub into the associated systems we speak of.  There seem to be
>three systems that dominate this sub: Atari series (2600,5200,7800),
>Intellivision, and ColecoVision.  Why not split into separate SIGs?

[word-wrapped to 70 columns for readability]

I don't really see a need for separation.  Some good reasons to split are:
. excessive volume 
. diverging, unrelated topics
. hostile factions

The traffic is low as it is, maybe 30-60 articles a day.  Splitting
this into smaller groups might kill them.  Besides, I like reading
about all the various sytems.

Are there hostile factions I'm not aware of?  (... And the masses
cried unto the Oracle, "Please, Almighty, not another platform war!")

          - Sean
-- 
Sean Gugler                         gugler@cs.yale.edu     <-- Internet
P.O. Box 1902 Yale Station         gugseap@yalevm          <-- Bitnet
New Haven, CT  06520   USA         sgugler@music.yale.edu  <-- NeXT
(203)-436-0861            We both have truths; are mine the same as yours?
From: holcomb@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (David Holcomb)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Classic Game Reproductions
Date: 26 Jan 93 04:05:48 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

Does anyone know if there has ever been any sort of movement to get
classic computer games (Pacman, Ms. Pacman, Galaga, Asteroids,
Dodge 'Em, Space Invaders, Fantasy, Venture, etc...) re-marketed
for current computer architectures?

For example, suppose a bunch of hackers/great programmers get together
and decide they would like a faithful reproduction of a classic game
on their own machine (Mac, IBM, Amiga, whatever...).  When I say
faithful, I mean that the critters/controls react exactly/semi-exactly
the way they did on the original game.  Perhaps if some of these
companies are now defunct, or if they would like to make money on such
a venture without investing any money into it, an agreement could be made
between the companies and this programming team to the effect that,
"Should [so and so] members of this programming team manage to reproduce
a faithful reproduction of the game/program on another architecture, then
the team members get XX percentage of the profit made from selling the
program and the original company gets YY percentage of the profit."  Why
does the company get part of the profit?  Mostly because they should make
available to the programming team any written algorithms or actual machine/
assembly code that was originally used in the production of the video game
machines/video game cartridges.  The use of this information should be used
solely for production of said program and not for any other purposes without
consent of the information's proprietor.

I think these reproduced programs would sell like hotcakes because:
   1) they were great programs that even today's video game players
      will enjoy
 & 2) people who "don't play video games anymore" because they are
      too old (or whatever), but USED TO play video games regularly,
      will buy the programs because seeing them on their own machine
      will help them to continually remember the "ol' times".  People
      love memory books and photo albums.

Personally, I think that the games should be priced quite cheap, maybe $5,
$10, or $15 at most.  Maybe they could even be bundled in 3, 6, or 12-packs
(kinda like the old Scott Adams Adventure series -- god, I would LOVE to 
have copies of those programs for my machine).

A Pacman program that I have for my macintosh (in color) is what evoked this
idea.  The program really LOOKS like the original Pacman I remember from the
arcades, but many elements of the program have been altered, as have been the
monster patterns.

If anyone has ever heard of any movements/plans to "bring back the old," please
let me know.

Thanks,
Dave Holcomb
holcomb@csugrad.cs.vt.edu
From: skelly@amiganet.chi.il.us (Sean Kelly)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Telegames USA
Date: 25 Jan 93 16:10:29 CST
Organization: Amiga Network Information Systems

nuke@wam.umd.edu (root) writes:

>Dammit to HELL!!!
>
>Has anyone actually managed to contact these people by phone?
>I just blew about $7 in long distance charges trying to
>squirm through their automated teleordersystem.
>
>They have pauses where you are supposed to record your name,
>address, phone number, credit card number, etc... but they
>give you about a second to do it all... so I end up shouting 
>my phone number, and barely get off the comment that "I want
>to order someth... <click>"  Do these people actually want to
>do business?  Geez!
>
>Anyway, unless you already have an approved customer number,
>I don't suggest you call these folks.  I'll give it a try by
>mail and see if they will grant me an invitation to give them
>money.  :-\  I'll let you know how it goes.
>
>Take care...
>
 
 
 
     HAHAHAHHA "An invitation to give them money" that's a good one!  Actually,
I have heard that people are having much better luck just calling the one in
England!!  As you mentioned, the phone bill for just trying to navigate the
maze on their so-called "automated ordering" machine is way expensive.  I had
some games from them on my Xmas list and my wife tried calling them several
times and only ONCE got an actual person.  Out of the 15 or so games she
ordered we only got three all of which were actually MADE by Telegames.  Their
stock is rather depleted and since nobody makes these games anymore I can't see
them getting in anymore.  However, they do make some games for the 2600
themselves (two titles actually) and several for ColecoVision.  They also ran
into a decent sized lot of the Xonox carts for ColecoVision and have all of
them.  I don't have the number to Telegames UK though.  Maybe someone else can
help you there...

%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%
%   Sean Kelly - Sysop Amizon BBS (312)594-1146                         %
%   Always looking for classic video games for the following systems:   %
%                                                                       %
%  Atari 2600-Atari 5200-ColecoVision-Atari 5200-Intellivision-Vectrex  %
%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%
From: anguilla@acpub.duke.edu (Hunganh Nguyen)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: More Intellivision
Date: 26 Jan 93 02:16:59 GMT
Organization: Duke University; Durham, N.C.


	About Fathom, well, it actually does end.  There are seven levels and
each level MUCH larger than the last so that by the seventh level, there were
close to 100 screens (just a guess here, but probably pretty accurate).
	If you solved the last level (which I did, though it took quite some
time...), then you were supposed to get a *surprise*.  I didn't see much,
which bummed me out, since I had spent so much time and effort solving the
game.  Oh well...
	- Eddie "anguilla"
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: mary@wam.umd.edu (Mary Louise Cassidy)
Subject: Re: worst home game
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 07:58:58 GMT

The crappiest game I have for the 2600 is Frogs N Flies by
Intellivision.  SUCKS!!
From: skelly@amiganet.chi.il.us (Sean Kelly)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Looking for Intellivision Game
Date: 22 Jan 93 15:40:09 CST
Organization: Amiga Network Information Systems

jamull01@starbase.spd.louisville.edu (Joseph A. Muller) writes:

>
>  I dug out my intellivision unit recently and was looking through
>one of the game catalogs that was inside my 'Microsurgeon' packaging that
>was put out by Imagic (definitely one of the best game producers for the
>intellivision) and saw an advert for a game called 'Dracula', however I don't
>recall ever seeing it anywhere.  Did anybody buy this game ?  How was it 
>compared to other Imagic games like Microsurgeon or Sword & Serpents ?
 
 
     Dracula was released, and it's a pretty cool games actually.  It's one of
the harder Intellivision games to find though.  If you can't scrounge up a copy
let me know as I have a few of them left I think...

%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%
%   Sean Kelly - Sysop Amizon BBS (312)594-1146                         %
%   Always looking for classic video games for the following systems:   %
%                                                                       %
%  Atari 2600-Atari 5200-ColecoVision-Atari 5200-Intellivision-Vectrex  %
%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%^%
Organization: University of Maine System
Date: Monday, 25 Jan 1993 10:14:10 EST
From: Jason McIntosh <IO10716@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Worst home game of all time? ET!
 <1993Jan22.191136.25306@aber.ac.uk>


In article <1993Jan22.191136.25306@aber.ac.uk>, rnm1@aber.ac.uk (Ryan McCamy)
says:
>
>In article <C10xFy.3HI@unix.amherst.edu> acbonin@unix.amherst.edu (Adam Bonin)
>writes:
>>With all due respect, and I apologize if it's been mentioned, you can't
>forget
>>Pac-Man for the 2600...easily the most disappointing game ever.  Ugly, ugly
>>game.
>>
>>-adam
>>----
>>Adam Bonin '94
>>Amherst College
>>acbonin@amherst.edu
>>
>I gotta agree with this one.  The screen was YELLOW and the Pac-Man didn't
>even turn when you moved it up and down.  He would be moving up and chomping
>sideways!  Like E.T., this horrid game was coupled with tons of advertising
One of the most profound thruths of my young childhood in the middle of the
video game craze was that everyone except me thought that the 2600 pac man
was the greatest game on the planet.
I once brought a friend home to play the very good pac-man game on my Atari
800. He stared at the screen in disappointment. "Dontcha have REAL Pac-Man?"
he said.
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: vgriscep@wam.umd.edu (VGR (Craig Pell))
Subject: Re: intellivision
Keywords: help
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1993 01:11:19 GMT

In article <wstuartj.728014642@lucky.ecn.purdue.edu> wstuartj@lucky.ecn.purdue.edu (W Stuart Jones) writes:
>
>>Hi all, I just got an intellivision used that should be working. i also
>>got the sppech deal and an adaptor to play atari 2600 games,but all i get
>>is a black screen no matter what is plugged in. any ideas?
>
>I didn't know there was a device that allowed you to play 2600 games on
>an Intellivision, when did it come out?  Anyone out there want to sell one?

I'd like to hear some more information on that, myself.  I thought it didn't
exist.
-- 
      | $000C35FA                  <>-----=------------------------=----=----<>
 VGR  | (1812 Overture)            | "The size of the brain is no measure of  |
      | I GIVE UP                  | its capacity."   - Mr. Jonathan Frisby   |
      | YOU MUST BE A  VIDEO WHIZ  <>-----=---------=------------------------<>
From: dgb@owlnet.rice.edu (Dennis Gale Brown)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: [2600] Games for sale: that racing game...
Date: 26 Jan 93 21:00:45 GMT
Organization: Rice University

There were tons of 2600 Activision games. Some you forgot were
Dolphin (COOL game), Boxing (mine's dead!), Laser Blast (yech). And
lots more.
From: nuke@wam.umd.edu (root)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Telegames USA
Date: 27 Jan 93 05:41:57 GMT
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park

skelly@amiganet.chi.il.us (Sean Kelly) writes:
>nuke@wam.umd.edu (root) writes:
>
>>Dammit to HELL!!!
>>Has anyone actually managed to contact these people by phone?
>>I just blew about $7 in long distance charges trying to
>>squirm through their automated teleordersystem.
>>They have pauses where you are supposed to record your name,
>>address, phone number, credit card number, etc... but they
>>give you about a second to do it all... so I end up shouting 
>>my phone number, and barely get off the comment that "I want
>>to order someth... <click>"  Do these people actually want to
>>do business?  Geez!
>>Anyway, unless you already have an approved customer number,
>>I don't suggest you call these folks.  I'll give it a try by
>>mail and see if they will grant me an invitation to give them
>>money.  :-\  I'll let you know how it goes.
>>Take care...
> 
> 
>     HAHAHAHHA "An invitation to give them money" that's a good one!  Actually,
>I have heard that people are having much better luck just calling the one in
>England!!  As you mentioned, the phone bill for just trying to navigate the
>maze on their so-called "automated ordering" machine is way expensive.  I had
>some games from them on my Xmas list and my wife tried calling them several
>times and only ONCE got an actual person.  Out of the 15 or so games she
>ordered we only got three all of which were actually MADE by Telegames.  Their
>stock is rather depleted and since nobody makes these games anymore I can't see
>them getting in anymore.  However, they do make some games for the 2600
>themselves (two titles actually) and several for ColecoVision.  They also ran
>into a decent sized lot of the Xonox carts for ColecoVision and have all of
>them.  I don't have the number to Telegames UK though.  Maybe someone else can
>help you there...

Well, since I said I'd let you know how it went... this is how it went:
Someone actually listened to my pitiful attempts to speed-speak all the info
they request AND managed to give me a call!!!  Imagine, they called *me*!!
Personally, I think it must have taken 8 or 10 calls, because I am certain
they couldn't have understood my number clearly enough to get all the numbers.
Undaunted by my snipits of recorded profanity, they called back... and got my
answering machine.  <snicker>  They also gave me a time window in which to call,
and they promised a real live person would be answering the phone during that
time period.  (Their actual words)  Sounded like some charming grandma, and
she said that it was okay to order by mail.  (I had already scrawled off an
order)  They called me *again* yesterday, to confirm that my order was being
processed.  Still amazed by this change in service, I'm awaiting my order...
and may try the mail-route again.  :)

Take care...
From: mbrockma@bank.ecn.purdue.edu (Matt Brockman)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: worst home game
Date: 21 Jan 93 18:48:24 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

In article <1993Jan20.150734.10201@wam.umd.edu> nuke@wam.umd.edu (root) writes:
>I'd like to second my own nomination of MASH as the
>all-time worst game ever made for the atari 2600.
>
>Gameplay?  Move the helecopter across victims to 
>pick them up.  Return to base, repeat.  All of this on
>a single, nonmoving screen.  Challenge?  None.

This game is much more fun if you are playing vs. another
person. Then you both compete for wounded to take back
to your base.

>
>I'm renominating it as the worst game ever made (can't
>say this enough) because I remember it also had a pseudo-
>operation (the boardgame) sequence where you tried to
>pull stuff out of a maze, while avoiding the sides... combine
>this with the random sampling of the joysticks, and you
>get an unavoidably jerky motion.  Bah.

===============================================================================
Matt Brockman                                           mbrockma@ecn.purdue.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    "While a llama may produce some of the world's finest of wools, prized
        around the world, their breath, on the other hand, could only 
            be prized somewhere in the far reaches of llama hell."
===============================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: nuke@wam.umd.edu (root)
Subject: Re: Gravitar?
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 20:42:24 GMT

One vote for uploading a PC port of a PD classic game.
Doesn't sound like a waste of bandwidth to me at all.

Take care...
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: reid@dsm.fordham.edu (Darin Reid)
Subject: Re: starpath supercharger ????
Organization: Fordham University/CLC, Division of Science and Math
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:44:52 GMT

--
Darin Reid

	       Internet:                       Bitnet:
       reid@dsm.fordham.edu            areid@fordmulc[.bitnet]
       areid@mary.fordham.edu
       ddreid@nyx.cs.du.edu

Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: jam4944@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Subject: Re: [2600] Games for sale: that racing game...
Reply-To: jam4944@ritvax.isc.rit.edu
Organization: Rochester Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 17:30:40 GMT

Ahh... Enduro!

	I've had up to 21 days, and it was unbelieveably difficult.

I was wondering... could anyone compile a list of Activision games? There
were quite a few games that I could remember but I know there are more.

	Enduro
	Pitfall I and II
	Kaboom!
	River Raid
	Skiing 	(anyone remember that?)
	Keystone Kapers

Can't remember the rest. Help me out!

caM giB
From: grover@emunix.emich.edu (Grover Thomas)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: worst home game
Date: 27 Jan 93 08:13:40 GMT
Organization: Eastern Michigan University

In article <1993Jan26.190610.22972@wam.umd.edu> rsrodger@wam.umd.edu (Yamanari) writes:
>	
>	Nah.  The absolute worst game ever was:  Night Driver for the 2600. 
>
>	<I'm even withdrawlingmy nomination of ET for this one>

I don't think "Night Driver" was all that bad... In fact, I remember
building a 'steering wheel' setup out of a wood disk and potentiometer
just to play this game.

-- 
 __                                                                        __
(__)  Grover Thomas                   InterNet:  grover@emunix.emich.edu  (__)
(__)      "I am the terror that flaps in the night!  I am the"            (__) 
(__)           "metal key on the sardine can of justice."  -Darkwing Duck (__)
From: holcomb@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (David Holcomb)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Classic Game Reproductions
Date: 29 Jan 93 01:04:33 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech Computer Science Dept, Blacksburg, VA
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4

Okay, if you know of any attempts at "porting" classic arcade games
to a particular machine, please e-mail me.  I am including a form
below which will help in assimilating the information.  If I get 
enough responses, I will compile the responses into some sort of
list, probably a separate list for each machine, and maybe a cross-
referenced list for the games that have been ported to multiple
architectures.

I am hoping to get lists together for as many machines as possible,
although certainly for my own interests Macintosh and TRS-80 programs
have a high priority.  (I'm sentimental about the TRS-80 Models I & 
III).  The program ports should be SOFTWARE PROGRAMS, not cartridges.
The lists I am compiling are for computers, not game machines.  That
is the whole point -- computers were not designed to only play games,
so the fact that they do is an added bonus.  Please try to get info
on ANY machines, I don't care if it is a Timex Sinclair 1000.  The
program should, however, be a port or a clearly obvious adaptation of
an original arcade/adventure game.  If you know that the game is
realistic, that is you cannot obviously tell the look or feel from the
original, please indicate that in the comments section.

I am also interested in ports of classic adventure games, although
this really has nothing to do with this group.  If you know of any,
please mail me that information as well.

Please send a separate response for each game instead of one file
with many games listed.  This is just a request to make filing easier.

Also, if you have any suggestions for modifying the form (important
questions I haven't asked, or a better way to layout the form, or
whatever), please let me know.

Thanks for all your replies.

Dave Holcomb
holcomb@csugrad.cs.vt.edu

-----------------------------CUT HERE--------------------------------
 
Program Name:
Version:
Which Arcade Game(s) does it emulate?:
Machine:
System Requirements:
Disk Space Required:
Color? (Y/N):
B/W?   (Y/N):
Programmer/Author(s):
Address & Phone #:
Source Code available? (Y/N):
Price:
Commercial, Shareware, or Freeware?
Comments:
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: jrichard@cs.ulowell.edu (John Richardson)
Subject: Re: Thanks for GRAVITAR for the PC!!!
Organization: /usr/ug/1993/jrichard/.organization
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 00:20:05 GMT



     Thanks for the thanks ;)  But I must emphasize, that I only posted it, 
     I've done none of the coding.  Please send your thanks and encouragements
     to the programmer, Timo Joutsenvirta (joutsenv@cc.Helsinki.FI).  He's
     done a wonderful job, and still goes on developing the game.  

     Timo gladly accepts all kinds of hints and suggestions on how to further
     improve the already excellent adaption of the classic arcade game.  
     If you remember the original Gravitar by heart, mail him, and describe
     to him the details of the game.


One thing I noticed about this version of the game is there are no tunnels!
I think the original version was supposed to have tunnels that you fly
into and destroy a power plant and you have to get out before the planet
blows up.  Am I right here?  Is this implemented in the registered version?

PS: I CC. this to Timo.

John Richardson                |  "the more we live, the more we learn, 
jrichard@cs.ulowell.edu        |   the more we know... for each of us the road
jrichard@dragon.ulowell.edu    |   is clear, and life has just begun" -- Yes
From: mk52+@andrew.cmu.edu (Matthew A Kagle)
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
Subject: Re: Worst home game of all time? ET!
Date: 26 Jan 93 21:21:05 GMT
 <1993Jan22.191136.25306@aber.ac.uk>
	<93025.101410IO10716@MAINE.MAINE.EDU>
Organization: Masters student, English, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA

My vote goes to Intellivision Boxing
Newsgroups: alt.games.video.classic
From: tzcf1@isuvax.iastate.edu
Subject: my favorite vg of all time
Reply-To: tzcf1@isuvax.iastate.edu
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 18:06:49 GMT

My favorite video game of all time is, believe or not.. Space Harrier
3d for the Sega Master System.  It was very innovative.. had the coolest
wierdest and most original bosses and enemies and a good 3d effect.
HAS ANYONE ON THIS PLANET ever FINISHED THIS GAME?  I got to the 7 th
level with the red blue towers and the missles.. it was hard as hell
but played good and challenging.  I long for the day when video games 
are again that innovative and fun.

Write me at
tzcf1@isuvax.bitnet
and tell me about your favorite video game

ps... I was also wondering if there are any porno games out for current
systems.. like Custer's revenge for the atari 2600.

Jesse
Newsgroups: alt.games.mornington.cresent