Played Demon Attack This Morning on the old Atari

Phetishboy

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And scored 4900 points. What a simple but brutally hard game. This title should have been a dedicated arcade machine. Man oh man, what a great game. The way the aliens (and later their laser bombs) drift as they fly is pure genius. Hit one demon and 2 devil birds appear? Classic. I love you Demon Attack.

s_DemonAttack_3.png
 
This was always one of my favorite Atari games. I have spent many hours playing this with friends - trying to outdo each other's score. It's hard enough that even once you get really good at it, you still can't play forever. Most importantly, it keeps getting harder as you go - with Space Invaders, etc - the game never really gets very difficult, and you can sit there and roll the score multiple times until you get sick of it and shut it off. But Demon Attack stays interesting.

-Ian
 
This was always one of my favorite Atari games. I have spent many hours playing this with friends - trying to outdo each other's score. It's hard enough that even once you get really good at it, you still can't play forever. Most importantly, it keeps getting harder as you go - with Space Invaders, etc - the game never really gets very difficult, and you can sit there and roll the score multiple times until you get sick of it and shut it off. But Demon Attack stays interesting.

-Ian

Ironically, just this morning I got my complete boxed (used) copy of Demon Attack. I never knew there were 10 variations of gameplay. I am just reading thru some of the 2 player variations and they look sweet. Co-op? Don't remember that at all.
 
Demon Attack is one of my favorite 2600 titles.
Much easier to play on real arcade controls! Its kind of rough, but I couldnt play with those crap joysticks anymore.
 

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Demon Attack is one of my favorite 2600 titles.
Much easier to play on real arcade controls! Its kind of rough, but I couldnt play with those crap joysticks anymore.

I wish I knew how to hack console controls, I'd make a sweet dedicated Demon Attack machine, complete with a full artwork package.
 
It was a first for me. I used a Monroe joystick and it actually makes some of these 2600 games playable. I really want a 7800 to use this badboy on!
 
I wish I knew how to hack console controls, I'd make a sweet dedicated Demon Attack machine, complete with a full artwork package.

I think that could be said about a lot of classic console games.

I know Prairied1ll0 thought about doing a custom dedicated Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts cab. It's considered probably the best version of the GnG series.

Someday, I would love to hack a spare NES and do a dedicated "Vs." Tecmo Super Bowl in a Nintendo cab with custom marquee and side art. :)
 
I wish I knew how to hack console controls, I'd make a sweet dedicated Demon Attack machine, complete with a full artwork package.

The Atari control stick is so trivial, it's not even funny. Here is the pinout of the joystick connector, from memory:

1 - up
2 - down
3 - left
4 - right
5 - nothing
6 - fire button
7 - nothing
8 - ground
9 - nothing

Wire it up just like any arcade control setup - common ground, one wire for each switch. The Atari stick is technically an 8 way joystick, but for Demon Attack, even a left/right galaxian stick would work. The connector that plugs into the console is a common 9 pin DSUB, new connectors and hoods are available from Radio Shack, although they won't mate correctly if the Atari's circuit board is still in it's case (plastic housing gets in the way). Or, of course, you can just take the cable off a beat up Atari stick and use that.

-Ian
 
Wire it up just like any arcade control setup - common ground, one wire for each switch. The Atari stick is technically an 8 way joystick, but for Demon Attack, even a left/right galaxian stick would work. The connector that plugs into the console is a common 9 pin DSUB, new connectors and hoods are available from Radio Shack, although they won't mate correctly if the Atari's circuit board is still in it's case (plastic housing gets in the way). Or, of course, you can just take the cable off a beat up Atari stick and use that.

Ahh, back when things were so simple :)

Also, great game, I haven't thought about it in years.
 
The original release of Demon Attack ends when you clear level 84. Imagic re-released it with a fixed version that plays indefinitely.
 
I remember the version that had an ending.

I was surprised when it happened because at the time video games rarely ended.

That's most definitely one of the best games for the Atari.
 
I remember the version that had an ending.

I was surprised when it happened because at the time video games rarely ended.

That's most definitely one of the best games for the Atari.

Demon Attack definitely was one of Atari's greatest games. Megalomania was pretty great too.
 
Demon Attack on the 2600 was decent.

I remember the Intellivision version of Demon Attack, which was quite different. It had a number of stages, including a Phoenix-like mother ship where you had to shoot away the shield.

- James
 
Phet, do yourself a favor and buy a Harmony cart. Unless you're into collecting carts for the sake of collecting, it'll be the last cart you ever buy. :)

http://harmony.atariage.com/

Growing up the daughter of one of the Imagic founders, Bill Grubb, was one of our babysitters and we got to try games before they went into production (and they were just circuit boards without the shell). :)
 
Phet, do yourself a favor and buy a Harmony cart. Unless you're into collecting carts for the sake of collecting, it'll be the last cart you ever buy. :)

http://harmony.atariage.com/

Growing up the daughter of one of the Imagic founders, Bill Grubb, was one of our babysitters and we got to try games before they went into production (and they were just circuit boards without the shell). :)

Whoa, $80 and I still have to find games to download myself? Insane.
 
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