The Atari Video Computer System ruled the home gaming landscape in 1978. This was its year in the sun, undisputed. The arcades exploded with Space Invaders starting the first video game craze, and Superman was a big hit in theaters. My favorite film though was Force 10 From Navarone which showed that Harrison Ford was going to do more than just Star Wars.
What to play then. . . I'd like to play sub sim games Sea Wolf and Sea Wolf II but they are only available in arcades like FunSpot in N.H. (I considered making the ten hour trip, but then money. . . ). Space Invaders is cool but I've played it and don't need to revisit it. Bowling and Breakout on Atari 2600 were favorites of mine but another Atari game got me even more interested.
Night Driver was an Atari game for the Atari 2600. It was also a sit-down arcade cabinet but I never played that. It was a very simple driving game. Most of the screen was dark except for the vertical lines that marked the edge of the road and some trees and houses that were there to give you a feel you were driving on a country road. Your blocky looking car was at the bottom and didn't really move. What you really moved was the road, giving you the illusion that your car was moving.
I replayed this on Atari's Greatest Hits Collection Vol. 2 for the DS. This is a fine version of the game but using the d-pad for car control is not advisable. It makes the game impossible. I used the stylus on the bottom screen where you can slide it left or right to move the car. I had to use my left hand for this since the acceleration is handled by the "A" button on the right side of the DS. It's a little awkward but with this configuration, the game played much better, and I almost made it the whole 90 seconds without crashing. You get scored by how far you can get in the 90 seconds. A number, which could be miles or tenth of miles, who knows, counts up in the top left of the screen. It's very simple. I got a 48 the last time I played, but I crashed into cars a few times.
This reminds me of those drunk driving simulators I played when we went on school road trips sometimes. Basically, it was to teach you how poorly you'd drive if you were intoxicated. Judging by that video, I'd say this could have been used for the same purpose. lol
I never knew about that Harrison Ford movie you mentioned. I wonder if I'd like it or if it holds up today.
It does handle like a drunk driver. It was better with the original paddle controllers, but it was still tricky.
I haven't watched Force 10 in a while, but I remember it fondly. I vividly remember some of the humor in the movie (wouldn't want to spoil anything by describing it). It's based on a Alistair MacLean novel as a friend of work reminded me.
The Guns of Navarone is one of my favorite Alastair MacLean novels, and I'm a huge Alastair MacLean fan. The movie is really good, too. Force 10 from Navarone always felt tacked on to me, both the book and the movie. And I think it was a made-for-TV movie, too. I think the movie might have been a wee better than the book.
Haven't read him. I was just thinking of how many movies Harrison Ford was in around that time. After Star Wars, he was in a huge number of movies.
You should read read some of his stuff. He did a lot of WWII adventure novels and a lot of Cold War spy adventure novels. A large number of his books got turned into mediocre movies - Where Eagles Dare, Breakheart Pass, Ice Station Zebra, and a few others.
Sounds interesting. I wonder how to mix in genre fiction into my "serious" reading list. Oh. . . I got it. I'll find a copy to put in my bookshelf. I'm rotating a Best Of list with Best Of graphic novels and stuff I have in my bookshelf.
Man, this takes me back. Until the NES finally dropped, the 2600 was all that my father, siblings and I had for gaming at home. The 2600 version used the paddle controllers, which made controlling somewhat easier until you progressed further enough that the curves became so fast and unpredictable that you'd "crash" and that would be the end of the game. Didn't completely stop me from playing it, though.
Yea, I remember the paddle controllers making the game a little better. You still crashed though. Those turns are rediculous!
As far as 2600 racing games go, I prefer Enduro.
of course Cary knows about the most obscure, best games on any system. 
Enduro is highly rated on allgame.com. I'm pretty sure I played it when I was collecting for the system a few years back.
Jesus, that's a very dusty DS you have 
Yea and I think some of that is behind the screen. Not sure how to fix that problem.
The only Atari 2600 titles I played back then was pac-man and space invaders. Never heard of that Ford movie. Never heard of this game you speak of.
Missile Command was pretty good on Atari 2600. Super Breakout too.