Worst VIC game ever! A definitive list.

[pitcalco]

I agree... pretty much every Basic Game sold in stores was crap. I remember a company called "ALA Software" who cranked out games back in the early 80's. I bought many of them and they were all written in basic and totally unplayable. I felt as though I got ripped off.

Well, I will give you a contrasting example just to clarify what I mean. I do enjoy playing the game Four Thought (much like Connect Four), which I have mentioned before. It is on the Mega Cart. Simple and straightforward game of strategy that I really enjoy, but it does have the look to it that immediately tells me that it was in BASIC. Clumsy and rudimentary graphics and the text being taken right from the BASIC character set are the give-aways. This is the kind of game I would like if I found it as a type-in program from a magazine or if it were among the programs found in the book Innovative Computing, for instance.

However, if it were sold on its own as game cartridge or on tape, I would hope that it would be done in machine language in order to take advantage of the capabilities the computer can offer. It would be nice if the chips actually were round and perhaps a bit of animation could be added so that we could see the chips slide down into the columns, as opposed to the BASIC game in which a coloured square simply appears in the space chosen. A game field that at least resembled a Connect Four board would be nice as well, and the use of the white noise generator to make at least somewhat believable sound effects of chips sliding and clicking into place would have added to the experience. Of course, that would all require machine language.

Again, as a type-in program, I would find Four Thought to be perfectly satisfactory, but without the extra bells and whistles I mention above, I would likely not have wanted to put my hand into my pocket to get the one game on a cartridge. So even if a game in BASIC is not total crap and if it is playable, it will still have serious limitations for which I don't think a serious software publisher should expect people to pay good money.

So back to the topic...sort of...are there any exceptions to the rule, i.e., are there any BASIC games out there that are superior to the ML games?

[pitcalco]

The commercial Basic game serves a very specific function that straddles the market of game player and aspiring game maker and even the game modder (gameshark proves the viability of that market).

A fair point, Jeff. That did not occur to me. However, I would only add that in such a case, the BASIC program must be exceptionally good for the very reason that it needs to cater to the ambitions of that game player/game maker market. Certainly, such is not the case with most of the BASIC programs we see. Even for my otherwise beloved Four Thought, I must acknowledge that most of us could probably program that ourselves. A BASIC programmer at a commercial level needs to provide so much more than just a type-in service.

[Jeff-20]

This topic should be its own thread.

It seems to me the video game market really seemed to take off in the late 8-bit and early 16-bit generations when secret option menus were common. By entering a code, a player could alter game play, boost lives and tailor the game to liking. The commercial BASIC game could have been the harbinger to this culture.

With good REM statements, a great game could be completely customized. Who doesn't like customization? This is why Lego is still a favorite toy. The Basic game, granted, has lower expectations but also a lower price tag usually. The added value is the customization. My Lego model may be a little less accurate than a dedicated model, but that would be overlooking the true value of the toy.

Comparing a basic game to one written in machine language is a bit unfair. On many but not all occasions I prefer a fast loading cartridge game on a classic console to the long loading times of a disc based game with superior details on a more recent console. It's a trade off.

Some machine language games implemented customization: omega race's color and ships customization when every single basic game had this native feature to anyone willing to press the run/stop key.


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[Mike]

So back to the topic...sort of...are there any exceptions to the rule, i.e., are there any BASIC games out there that are superior to the ML games?

You might take my implementation of TRON Light Cycles. It incidentally also was included in a slightly expanded version - English and German localisation instead of only German instructions - on Mega-Cart.

It's written in 100% BASIC, and given this type and size of playfield, I'd be hard-pressed to see any advantage of porting this game to machine language.

The original version of the text adventure 'Island of Secrets' also was written in BASIC. It still features a complex game play, though. And, TBH, it's quite a feat to produce a text adventure as type-in *and* in BASIC, where you can't deduce most of the plot or even the solution just from taking a glimpse at the listing.

That being said, there's always the possibility to retain the 'main' program in BASIC, and speed up just a few time-critical parts by calling routines in ML or using a BASIC extension. That's the approach orion70 and I took with VICtoria Gold Ed., for an example.

[pitcalco]

This topic should be its own thread.

My bad...

[pitcalco]

All flattery aside, I would contend that the BASIC programs developed by Denial members are excellent.
Perhaps if the original commercial BASIC programs back in the day had been like the ones I have seen here I would have a different opinion.

That said, I should have added that someone who programs in ML also demonstrates a greater intimate familiarity with the computer itself and a knowledge of the inner workings of the machine without the filter between programmer and hardware that higher-level languages represent. I simply get a better impression. Subjective? Even irrational? Maybe. However, when it comes to getting customers to open their wallets, that needs to be kept in mind.

Another analogy perhaps. A machine language programmer is a gourmet chef who makes everything from scratch. Programming in higher-level languages is like shoving a frozen dinner into the microwave oven.

Anyway, I won't harp on about this digression any more (pace:Jeff). I will only re-iterate that I find the worst VIC game ever to be Home Babysitter. I don't think it would even keep a kid occupied long before he lost interest. Ironically, (if I am using that word correctly), it would be a far better babysitter simply to leave the telly on to entertain the children instead of connecting a VIC 20 up to it.

Boring as hell!

[rhurst]

Nufekop Krazy Kong, $10 on cassette tape at Toys 'R Us:

[Jeff-20]

I am not trying to win the debate. I just feel like we are comparing cars to bicycles. Both have distinct functions. The car is faster, but the bicycle is priced appropriately. Weren't BASIC games always cheaper than ML games?


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[English Invader]

The bicycle also keeps you fit and doesn't pollute the environment. Commodore BASIC also has qualities that stand up against today's languages.

I've been tinkering with Python a bit and C= BASIC is definitely more of a one-stop-shop in comparison. With Python, you need different programs for graphics/sound et al while C= BASIC has everything you need right there in ROM.

My candidate for worst VIC-20 game is Bug Byte Asteroids. Jeff Minter slagged this game off in Bedrooms to Billions and the most pathetic thing about the game is that it doesn't even have joystick control. Good cover art, though.

The one saving grace the game has is that it inspired JM to make games and start Llamasoft.

[darkatx]

I always believed a game was meant to entertain.
It doesn't matter if it's in BASIC or ML. It's the end result that matters.

On a side note, my youngest daughter loves Jeff's Improbable War. It's an amazing game. Makes me wish that I had a game like that when I was her age over 30 years ago. Still we had Omega Race and such.

Now back to worst VIC game ever...that Kong game is pretty bad. I liked that Star Wars knock off...I found that fun even though it's rated pretty low here.

Raid on Fort Knox always bothered me.

[Navvarr]

My own personal worst game ever has to be 'Wacky Waiters' - I remember playing it back in the day and hating it. - Blitz was another game that sent me to sleep too.

Lazer Zone, Matrix and Hellgate were awesome in their day- even now I occasionally just load up Lazer Zone for the thunky sonic intro.

[beamrider]

I can remember buying whacky waiters off the back off Arcadia (which was pretty good). I ordered it mail order direct from Imagine. The advert artwork made it look really good. Boy was I disappointed when I loaded it up.

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[Navvarr]

Arcadia was brilliant- tough as old boots. I had the Spectrum version too, with more levels, but it was way slower than the Vic 20 version.

Good mind to go and load it up for a blast.

[Vic 2000]

Worst game? Hmmm

On real hardware it's perhaps Zorgons Kingdom.

Looong loading time...play the first screen, either you make it in about 15 seconds, or game over because the game control is horrible.

Loong loading time...play screen 2 (same thing here)

It's you're a master gamer possessing hidden psychic powers to control the poor character in the game and manage to see all 5 screens, the result is...

2 min of playing time...30 minutes of loading time.

The ad for this game was like . "This game is unbelievable 48k i size"

Right, and so rock hard that you will play it again and again and again if you can stand the horrible loading times for each screen.

[Vic 2000]

Wait a minute...

Qbert from Parker Brothers. The colour clashing is horrible in this game when you control a square chased by other squares on a pyramid. Parker Brothers had no idea of what colour clashing was and how to avoid it.