Conference rusure::nintendo

65.0. "XEGS loses to NES" by VINO::BHAMILTON (Buzz Hamilton) Wed Feb 24 1988 10:30

A Review of Two Games
by Tom Bellucco
Courtesy of The ACORN KERNAL - December 1987
Atari Computer Owners of Rochester, New York

It's beem a long time since I played a video game on
anything other than my ST.  I guess I've been a little
spoiled with the great graphics.  My last experience with a
game system was the good ol' Atari 2600, and well, you
know...

Seeing all the new advancements in graphics, sound and
accessories (especially the light gun), I decided to pick up
a game system.  Besides, my ST was never meant to be a 'game
machine'.  :-)

My first choice was the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES
from now on).  The graphics and game variety looked great,
but I did not like the look of the joystick controllers.
Next, I thought about the Sega.  The graphics and sound are
fantastic, but there aren't as many games available and the
prices of the available games are a bit high.  So I figured
on the Atari XE Game System (XEGS).  It has a light gun and
even comes with a keyboard to turn it into a real 65XE
computer!

I went to the 2 closet toy stores to price shop.  Both
places had all 3 systems (NES, XEGS and Sega).  The XEGS was
$149.95 at both places.  Even though both stores touted the
Sega and NES, I went with the XEGS.  Along with the system,
I bought Lode Runner on cartridge, the ONLY game either
store had for the XEGS.  I figured more would be out soon
enough, and clerks at the stores said the same.  Even the
back of the box showed games like One on One, Karateka,
World/Winter Games, and other great games.  I could wait.

I got the XEGS home and immediately set it up.  It came with
Missle Command built into the system, and Bug Hunt and
Flight Simulator on cartridge.  Since I'm a light gun fan, I
popped in Bug Hunt.  What a dissapointment!  I'd never seen
nor heard of it before, so I did not know what to expect.  I
was hoping it had some objects flying around the screen that
I was supposed to blast.  Not even close.  It has 6 big
squares on the screen.  Bugs appear in each square, and you
have to shoot them before they disappear.  The object of the
game is to hit on a high percentage of your shots to move
onto the next level.  The colors stink, period.  The action
is bad, too.  I mean, for a guy who likes to blast away, I
had to be careful with my shots!  Phooey!  Ok, I said.  I'll
get to like it eventually.  Next, I looked at 3 or 4 manuals
that come with Flight Simulator (FS).  I have never played a
single minute of FS in the 5 years I have owned a computer.
It just never appealed to me, and it still does not now.  I
tossed that aside and reset the machine to play Missle
Command.  This was one of my all-time 2600 favorites.  The
added features and challange of the 8-bit/XEGS version made
it even more fun to play.  But the graphics are not there.
In fact, they aren't even close to present day standards.
Blocky graphics just don't cut it anymore.  Finally, there
are only 2 options!  One game that gives you free cities at
every 10000 pts, and one game that doesn't!  If you count
1/2 players games as options, then there are 4.  Yippie.  I
played a couple games then yearned for more.  What next?
Well, there was Lode Runner sitting in its box.  This was
another game I've never played.  Ah, what the hell, plug it
in.  I was impressed at first.  The game was definitely a
challenge.  But it was not good enough to keep me
entertained for a long period of time, and this XEGS would
not last long with these types of games.

I suffered for a week, playing Missle Command and Lode
Runner.  I gave up on Bug Hunt and never even touched Flight
Simulator.  I took a trip back to the toy stores just to see
if any new carts had come out for the XEGS.  It's getting
close to Christmas, so something HAS to come out, right?
Wrong.  When I asked for new XEGS games, I was told that
there WERE new games available.  They were Pac Man, Joust,
Ms.  Pac Man, Qix, Asteroids, Robotron, etc.  Sound
familiar?  Yup, to me too!  I asked to see these games, and
was handed a bunch of gray boxes with white pin stripes.
I've seen these somewhere before!  These were all the games
released for the 8-bit computers, in the same boxes, with
one difference.  A sticker that said "Also plays on the new
XE Game System!".  I saw red.  They were trying to pawn
these old games off on me as new games for a new system!  I
should've known.  It was at this moment that I knew I no
longer wanted the XEGS.  Who knows WHEN the advertised games
were going to come out?  I didn't want to wait, that's for
sure.

A few days later, I returned the XEGS and bought the NES.
It was a tough choice between the NES and the Sega, but
that's a different story.  I am now completey satisfied and
totally happy I returned the XEGS.  Let's talk price first.
The XEGS (with 3 games included) + one game cost me $183.
The NES control deck (with Super Mario Brothers included)
and light gun cost $125 and I picked up 6 games for $130.
At first glance, the XEGS seems like the better value.  It
may be, but you definitely end up happier with the NES.  I
know I am!  The prices for games look about equal, but it's
hard to judge because there aren't any out for the XEGS yet.
The graphics on the NES are fantastic!  Arcade games look
exactly like arcade games!  It's come a long way from block
graphics.  There are about 50 (maybe more!) games available
for the NES, and just about all of them are NEW games that
I've never played and will be a challenge!  Even if all the
games advertised for the XEGS are released, the NES will
have more available.  The Nintendo light gun is twice as
good as the Atari light gun.  Better quality, higher price.
Makes sense.  The joystick controllers, which I thought were
a major drawback, aren't that bad after all!  I'd never used
them and was assuming they were bad.  They really are not.
They fit right in my hand and are very easy to use.  All it
takes to move the cursor is your thumb.  Game start and
select buttons are right on the controller, and in every
game I have, the start button is used to pause/resume the
game.  The game reset switch, however, is on the console.
That is about the only con against a very long list of pros.
The cords on the joysticks and light gun are about 6' long
too!  No more sitting right in front of the TV screen.

Well, as you can probably tell, I am very pleased and
satisfied with the NES.  I was dumb enough to shop with my
heart instead of with my head the first time around.  I
bought Atari because of loyalty.  I was lucky, though, and
got the chance to redeem myself.  Don't make the same
mistake.  Shop with your head and get the better machine,
The Nintendo Entertainment System.