Which Atari 2600 game deserves a reboot?
Unless you’ve been under a rock, you’re probably aware that the wildly disparaged Atari 2600 game E.T. was unearthed in New Mexico last week.
I remember playing this game at a friend’s place in the Christmas of 1982. My expectation was high – after all, I loved the movie when it came out. Our excitement quickly turned into disappointment. After a few minutes of trying to figure out how to get E.T. out of the pit, we cursed, we screamed, and then we simply gave up.
To say E.T. was a disappointing game was an understatement. Many folks attribute this game to be the trigger that caused the Video Game Crash of 1983. There were others to blame (I’m looking at you Pac-Man and Raiders of the Lost Ark.)
Yes, there were crappy Atari games – but there were also plenty of fun ones that I remember playing too. Some of my favorite Atari games as a kid were Ka-Boom, Space Invaders, Missile Command, Pitfall, and Combat.
While some of these games have reached a new lease of life on newer platforms, many games from that bygone era (like E.T.) have remained untouched, thanks to the stigma the name itself carries.
And therein lies the challenge:
What would a rebooted E.T. game look like? What if the best indie game developers on the planet had a crack at completely retooling this game? The possibilities are tantalizing. With the recent resurgence of interest in E.T. after all these years, maybe the time is right for a reboot. I, for one, would be interested in seeing this happen. And while we’re at it: How about another crack at Raiders?
What about you? How do you feel about E.T.? Do these games deserve a second life? Which game from the Atari 2600’s past would you like to see remade?
-Krishna
ProphetEKA
May 1, 2014 at 10:35 pmIf I were to reboot a 2600 title, I’d go with Enduro.
Just a simple racing game about passing a set number of cars before the “day” was through but it was fun. Nowadays, I could see it done with a number of different cars (or vehicle types) on a randomly generated track. Maybe tie the track to something like a song a la ‘Audiosurf’.
An option for classic play – the eternal track – could be added with the old Activision 5-Day “Roadbusters” badge finding its way into the game as an achievement.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
May 1, 2014 at 10:37 pmEnduro was a lot of fun to play – yes, I agree – it deserves a reboot. If nothing else – it’s a great sounding title. :)
Adam Huber
May 1, 2014 at 10:57 pmNot an official Atari 2600 game, but I’d love to see a remake of Pitfall. Stick with the flat 2D look, but give it that pixel-art style (ala Fez, Broforce, etc), add in some neat power-ups and enemies, and give players an actual finish line. Bam! That’s how you get my money.
Krishna M. Sadasivam
May 2, 2014 at 6:40 amI agree, Adam. Pitfall would be great as a true platformer. (I believe the first Pitfall game was the first platform game ever.) I know Pitfall had a few remakes (involving 3D), but the original gameplay is where it’s at. Updated graphics and extra power-ups and I’m in, too!