Did this happen to anyone else after they got a cabinet?

disjaukifa

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Did this happen to anyone else after they got a cabinet?

Hey Guys,

I just got my Berzerk cabinet which I have been wanting since I fell in love with Berzerk for the 2600 early last year. When I got it home and plugged up, I couldn't believe how HARD Berzerk for the arcade was, my high score still isn't all that great to be honest.

I consider myself a bit of a Berzerk fanatic . . . I probably play 6 ~ 10 hours of Berzerk for the 2600 a week, and now that I have the cabinet, its split between the two.

My question is this, after having gotten a cabinet and played that game, has anyone noticed how easy the console version of said game is?

I know that is the greatest wording, but I went back and played some 2600 Berzerk tonight and it just seemed insanely easy compared to Berzerk the Arcade game!

Thanks
Disjaukifa
 
Yup. I think that goes for most older games that were ported to consoles.

For me, now that I own an original DK, playing the NES version is just crazy talk.

The Atari 2600 version is just garbage (granted there were hardware limitations) and the box says "Plays like the real arcade game!" I wonder how many gamers BITD really thought that when they started a game up. :)

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Berserk the Arcade Game was designed to give an average player 3 or so minutes of game time. Most classics are setup similarly.

Console ports didn't have the same need to gobble quarters, and had inferior hardware, so they were usually easier. I can marathon Atari 2600 Asteroids for days, but my HS on the real thing is about 40k.

.
 
Missle Command for the 2600 is another good example of this. I can still remember the day that PAC Man for the 2600 came out. And trying to convince myself that it was even remotely the same game as the arcade. If only they had put as much effort into that port as they did the release of Ms. PAC a few years later...
 
I haven't put in much time with ports, but the one where I did seems to match your experience… I played Pac-Man for the TI 99/4a for ages when I was younger — I thought it was one of the better Pac-Man ports at the time — even coming up with patterns that worked with the different ghost AI.

Way, way easier than the real thing. Even compared to the original "slow" Pac-Man, it feels slow.

Here's a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INHP9rdb4ek

Same deal with the Atari port of Donkey Kong for the TI. Vastly easier than the real game.
 
Yeah I'm glad its not just me . . . I know what my high score in Berzerk (2600) is, but its not really my high score, I usually have to just turn my game off to go to bed, or get my kids, or something like that.

I just finished playing a game of Berzerk (Arcade) and got 9270, my second highest score ever, my highest being 9730 . . I'm going to break 10K very soon.

I also find that playing the Arcade version is WAY more rewarding to me than the console version. Anyway else feel that way? I know when I got that 9270 tonight I was freaking stoked!

Before that I turned off my 2600 after breaking 100k in Berzerk (2600). Its not difficult for me to do that anymore . . .
 
You are not alone. When Atari finally delivered the port of Defender for the 2600, somebody "accidentally" dropped the 2600 down a stairwell at Williams.

ken
 
I'll be picking up my Smash TV cabinet soon, and I'm curious to see how it compares to the SNES version. I know the controls will be better, never been a big fan of the d-pad . . .
 
I remember being solidly disappointed with all of the ports I played on the 2600. I spent a lot of time in arcades, and it wasn't near close enough to keep me at home playing. The 5200 was a little better; I remember playing that one a lot more. I was able to score 800,000 on 5200 pacman, but I have never made it to the first key level on the arcade version.
 
I've been playing modern arcade ports lately(some are quite well emulated) but the Wii version of the laser games have some loadtime quirks that swear weren't in the originals. The Dragon's Lair Trilogy was pretty good except one part of Space Ace has this. I also picked up the Mad Dog Mcree Gunslinger pack because it was cheap and this has them constantly. It's been a very long time since I've seen a Mad Dog Mcree(1990s in fact) so I can't be sure...
 
I'll be picking up my Smash TV cabinet soon, and I'm curious to see how it compares to the SNES version. I know the controls will be better, never been a big fan of the d-pad . . .

It's like night and day. The arcade version is SOOO much better than the SNES version. I mean, don't get me wrong, the SNES Smash TV is a great game. The arcade version is just really, really good.

Most games are far easier on the consoles - like others have said, arcade games were designed to get you to keep putting money in it. Console games were designed to get you to like it so you'll buy it.

-Ian
 
It's like night and day. The arcade version is SOOO much better than the SNES version. I mean, don't get me wrong, the SNES Smash TV is a great game. The arcade version is just really, really good.

Most games are far easier on the consoles - like others have said, arcade games were designed to get you to keep putting money in it. Console games were designed to get you to like it so you'll buy it.

-Ian

Honestly I'm glad to hear that. Hard games don't bother me . . . especially when its not costing me anything :cool:, and I find at get a much great sense of accomplishment when I finish playing an arcade game compared to a console game.

To me there is something magically about keeping the lights off in my basement and turning on my Berzerk Cabinet and having it glow lighting up the basement slightly.
 
Consoles, at least classic consoles, were always easier. I totally rocked on my Atari 5200 with games likes Galaxian, Missile Command, Mario Bros., Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Q*Bert, Frogger, etc., etc., etc. I was able to roll 1,000,000 on Pac-Man multiple times, but have only ever managed 400kish on the arcade version. Mostly ditto for Ms. Pac-Man (800k on 5200), but nowhere near that for the rest.

Scott C.
 
Consoles, at least classic consoles, were always easier. I totally rocked on my Atari 5200 with games likes Galaxian, Missile Command, Mario Bros., Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Q*Bert, Frogger, etc., etc., etc. I was able to roll 1,000,000 on Pac-Man multiple times, but have only ever managed 400kish on the arcade version. Mostly ditto for Ms. Pac-Man (800k on 5200), but nowhere near that for the rest.

Scott C.

If only the 5200 controller wasn't a piece of crap :mad: I like Berzerk for the 5200 but the controller makes it so I can't play it!
 
The whole reason I became entralled with arcade games was that the real versions were almost always harder (and WAY better) than the home versions. DK is a prime example. There are little things in the arcade version like, you can fall off a girder, a barrel can go under your hammer and kill you. Then there's the cut scenes that were ommited from the ports, the levels that were omitted from the ports. Try as the home versions did, they were never able to truely replicate. Then in early 90s came MAME. That really got close but there are still little things (especially the lack of analog sound) that made it feel like I was playing a copy and not the real thing.
 
The whole reason I became entralled with arcade games was that the real versions were almost always harder (and WAY better) than the home versions. DK is a prime example. There are little things in the arcade version like, you can fall off a girder, a barrel can go under your hammer and kill you. Then there's the cut scenes that were ommited from the ports, the levels that were omitted from the ports. Try as the home versions did, they were never able to truely replicate. Then in early 90s came MAME. That really got close but there are still little things (especially the lack of analog sound) that made it feel like I was playing a copy and not the real thing.

I've debated the merits of making a MAME Cabinet, and the only merit I can see is trying out a game before I commit a chuck of bucks to buying the real thing. I've played Berzerk on MAME on my computer, and its just not the same. The Marquee, the Monitor, the feel of sitting in front of the machine is just second to none . . . its just not something I think you can replace.

Now I completely understand conversions, that makes perfect sense to me and I'll probably do a couple of those as well in time.
 
I've debated the merits of making a MAME Cabinet, and the only merit I can see is trying out a game before I commit a chuck of bucks to buying the real thing.

Space is the merit of MAME. The games I love and have room for I have in dedicated form, and the MAME cab makes it possible for me to play all the rest.

.
 
Space is the merit of MAME. The games I love and have room for I have in dedicated form, and the MAME cab makes it possible for me to play all the rest.

.

True, I did glance over that. I have an unfinished basement that is basically empty so for me I defiantly have the room. I guess to me I can always tell the difference with emulation compared to the real thing.

Now if I got MAME running on an Arcade Monitor that might help which I know can be done, but there is something unique to owning the real machine. Again I'm not saying I don't get the benefits of a MAME cabinet, just for me personally I'd rather have the real deal!
 
Missle Command for the 2600 is another good example of this. I can still remember the day that PAC Man for the 2600 came out. And trying to convince myself that it was even remotely the same game as the arcade. If only they had put as much effort into that port as they did the release of Ms. PAC a few years later...

Missile Command was the game I thought of when I read this post. The 2600 was super easy, now I have the Upright and I SUCK at it. Dam cool looking game though.
 
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