Atari 50 : The Anniversary Celebration

Titre : Atari 50 : The Anniversary Celebration
Plateformes: PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox SeriesX/S, Xbox One

Best scores/Meilleurs scores (score + xxxxxxxxx)

Akka Arrh

Asteroids (Arcade)

Asteroids (Atari 2600)

Asteroids (Atari 7800)

Asteroids Deluxe

Basketbrawl (Atari 7800)

Basketbrawl (Lynx)

Black Widow

Bounty Bob Strikes Back

Breakout

Caverns of Mars

Centipede (Arcade)

Centipede (Atari 2600) - Baby Mode

Centipede (Atari 2600) - Normal Mode

Centipede (Atari 7800)

Cloak & Dagger

Crystal Castles (Arcade)

Crystal Castles (Atari 2600)

Cybermorph

Dark Chambers (Atari 2600)

Dark Chambers (Atari 7800)

Demons to Diamonds

Evolution Dino Dudes

Fatal Run (Atari 2600)

Fatal Run (Atari 7800)

Fight for Life

Fire Truck

Food Fight (Arcade)

Food Fight (Atari 800)

Gravitar

I, Robot

Liberator

Lunar Lander

Major Havoc

Maze Invaders

Millipede (Arcade)

Millipede (Atari 2600)

Millipede (Atari 5200)

Miner 2049er (Arcade)

Miner 2049er (Atari 2600)

Miner 2049er (Atari 800)

Missile Command (Arcade)

Missile Command (Atari 2600)

Missile Command (Atari 5200)

Missile Command 3D – Original

Missile Command 3D – Plus High Score

Missile Command 3D – VR High Score

Neo Breakout

Ninja Golf

Quadrun

Quantum

Ruiner Pinball – Ruiner

Ruiner Pinball – Tower

Saboteur

Scrapyard Dog (Atari 7800)

Scrapyard Dog (Lynx)

Secret Quest

Solaris

Space Duel – Score

Space Duel – Combined score

Super Asteroids & Missile Command – Super Asteroids

Super Asteroids & Missile Command – Super Missile Command

Super Breakout (Arcade) – Cavity

Super Breakout (Arcade) – Double

Super Breakout (Arcade) – Progressive

Super Breakout (Atari 2600)

Super Breakout (Atari 5200)

Tempest

Tempest 2000

Touch Me

Trevor McFur in the Crescent Galaxy

Turbo Sub

VCTR - SCTR – Single Player Linked

VCTR - SCTR – Single Player Solo

Warbirds – Air Victories

Warlords

Yar's Revenge

Yar's Revenge Enhanced

Yoomp !

Best times/Meilleurs temps (time – xx’xx’’xx)

Club Drive – Best Race Times – Jerome’s Pad

Club Drive – Best Race Times – The Old West

Club Drive – Best Race Times – San Francisco

Club Drive – Best Race Times – Velocity Park

Some records are not included in this list (sports games, Atari Karts, ...) for good and reasonable reasons (possibility of versus modes, or similar tracks with no name written).

There is no obligation/rule for the proving method here, but it will be very helpful to get pictures or videos with the full screen, so including the side borders designs for these games, in order to avoid any possible misunderstandings with original games.

Note that there is also an Expended Edition, released in September 2024, with 39 potential additional games, but I don’t own it for the moment.

I found there was some problems with this game, after Siliconian messages and videos.

I need time to study this with more details, but we will probably have to adapt specific game rules to the whole game, or to some specific records (or games inside this compilation).
I will deal this next week.

I launched the game Lunar Lander and you can clearly see the "insert coins" for 750 extra fuel, and in arcade language, insert coins is a continue.
I invite you to redo your score.

I deleted my score on Lunar Lander, because of a problem here.

I will explain you why with details maybe next week, I don't have time or I have other priorities for the moment.

Ok, so now i can finally answer with details (sorry for the delay).

I played this compilation game quickly, except few ones that I appreciated or when I was curious or able to go further.

Siliconian noticed elsewhere that my score in Lunar Lander (4715) was too big compared to his score (925).

I'm not 100% sure, but I very probably used the maximum fuel available (9999) at the beginning of the game, in order to test if there was gameplay changes at one moment in the game (extra-bonus points or fuel when you reach 1000 points, or something like this), and in order to make a good reasonable score.
At the beginning of the game, I was surprised to automatically pass to 450 to 900 of fuel, then I added the maximum I can (9999), once only.

I don't see where the problem is here, because this option to get the maximum fuel is inside the game, like wanted by the developers, and it is assimilated to choose the best options to get the best possible score, as already there in many other games (character, car, weapons, difficulty, number of lifes, speed, ...).
So, in my first (and past) opinion, this can be allowed. 

Now, I found details which change my opinion. One problem in this game is : at any moment of the game, you can add fuel, and as many as you want ! 
I didn't check this, sorry for that, probably because making my score was already long enough, and I didn't checked all the parameters into it.
Due to the big list of games in this compilation, sorry but there is maybe some errors or forgotten things elsewhere, and I apologize if this will create other problems in the future.

Also, there is a second problem, with the patch/update in Atari 50, available since January 2023. In details:

Here are the patch notes for Atari 50:

Hi everyone — the January 2023 title update for Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is here! We've received a lot of helpful player feedback and we've tried to incorporate as many improvements as we could into this patch. Thanks for your patience and support!

REIMAGINED
- Eliminated rare VCTR-SCTR glitch and added minor improvements.
- Added various minor improvements to Haunted Houses.

ARCADE
- DIP switches can now be accessed for most arcade games at the Game Options menu. These will vary based on the game's original options, but may include settings such as game difficulty, number of initial lives, bonus score thresholds, and screen orientation. (One exception is Akka Arrh, which did not use DIP switches.)
- Some arcade games have been enhanced with new options in their DIP Switch settings. For instance, Pong and Fire Truck offer color modes that were not available in the original arcade versions. Fire Truck can also be set to single-player mode, which more closely represents Atari's Smokey Joe arcade machine.
- Fixed an error that caused the zoom function in I, Robot to function abnormally.
- Lunar Lander controls have been tweaked & standardized. Thrust is now mapped to the right analog stick (any direction) as well as the Nintendo Switch touch screen.
- Lunar Lander no longer automatically inserts an additional coin when the start button is pressed.
- Quantum no longer starts a two-player game by default on the Nintendo Switch.
- Food Fight controls have been fixed so Charlie retains his direction when the analog stick is released.

ATARI 2600
- Adventure game variation #3 correctly generates random item positions.
- A gameplay exploit has been removed from Warlords.
- Solaris' Galactic Scanner can now be activated from Player 1's controller.
- Restored missing pages of Swordquest: EarthWorld comic book.
- Minor improvements to the 2600 game variation selection system.

ATARI JAGUAR
- Tempest 2000 now supports analog controller input. This feature was hidden in the original game and intended to support an official rotary controller that was never released. This feature has now been surfaced and improved to function with modern controllers. Take it for a spin!
- Tempest 2000 now offers an “Enhanced & Overclock” mode that boosts the video to 60 FPS for a smoother experience on modern hardware.
- Cybermorph players can now use Access Codes at the level select screen.
- Club Drive players can now visit the secret level, Planet Todd.

ATARI LYNX
- Option 1 and Option 2 buttons now function as they should.
- Malibu Bikini Volleyball matches now end correctly.

MISCELLANEOUS
- Fixed a bug where timelines would sometimes improperly calculate completion percentage.
- Video segment durations are now listed on the timeline.
- 3D-modeled cartridge boxes now display correctly on ultrawide monitors.
- Improved OpenGL video performance.
- Implemented various other minor bug fixes and small refinements.
- Updated credits to thank even more people for their incredible help!

For your information, I bought this game on PS4, but didn't updated the patch until last week (on PS5, because my PS4 was never linked with the net).
So, finally, I can play both on unpatched/patched versions.

Due to Siliconian highscores, I supposed that it is really more helpful to get the update, due to the (allowed) selection of options.

Now, as an Admin point of view, every version (patched or unpatched, with every included options) is allowed.
Like we done and decided in the past (like for the big debate with Flow games, or some racing or FPS games), we allow every update (as wanted by the developers), even if there is better or more advantages for records in the old or in the most recent version.
For VGR records, we can differenciate the records (with DLC tag) only if you can distinguish the new options/changes visually in the records screen (like by using a new and unique better car in WRC, for example).

Now, comeback to Lunar Lander. In the unpatched version, you start with 450 of fuel, but when you start the game it automatically goes to 900. In the patched version, you start with 750 of fuel. Both versions have infinite adding of fuel.

Here I see 3 main options:

• A- we allow the competition, but with restrictive specific rule: 9999 fuel at the beginning, which means that the video proof is mandatory (so linked with YouTube account) to avoid unlimited adds of fuel
• B- we allow the competition, but with restrictive specific rule: 750 fuel at the beginning, which means that people with unpatched version can't compete, and which means that the video proof is mandatory (so linked with YouTube account) to avoid unlimited adds of fuel
• C- we delete Lunar Lander of the list of available records in this compilation

For your thinking, note that VGR never obliged people to proove their records, but now with lot of different situations and problems, this is more and more accepted and necessary.

As a player or as an admin, I don't care if just one game is concerned by a specific rule, I think people can adapt to it, it is not too restrictive or problematic.
I would like the opinion of other members, please (especially Siliconian and Foxof who own this game).

Like it was created like this, specific rules can be decided my the majority, and can be applied if there is no big restrictions.

Whatever we decide, my old score can't fit with unlimited fuel and unproven by video, that's why it was deleted (by myself).

Finally, note that there is savestates in some games of this compilation, in the unpatched and in the patched version.
Even if it can reduces some games interest, it is an included option, wanted by developers, so it is allowed.

Due to the possibility of having a black background around all the games in this compilation, it means that every Atari original game should now have video proof obligation, with showing the original game+ original system.
Let's say that we apply this on 1st May 2025.

I will take care of it (when I will have time).
 

Specific game rules have been added, for the 12 original concerned games which were already on VGR (including the recent one, Basketbrawl on Lynx).

For reminder, I would like the opinion of other members, please (especially Siliconian and Foxof who own this game), for this question:

With Lunar Lander, what do you prefer ?

• A- we allow the competition, but with restrictive specific rule: 9999 fuel at the beginning, which means that the video proof is mandatory (so linked with YouTube account) to avoid unlimited adds of fuel
• B- we allow the competition, but with restrictive specific rule: 750 fuel at the beginning, which means that people with unpatched version can't compete, and which means that the video proof is mandatory (so linked with YouTube account) to avoid unlimited adds of fuel
• C- we delete Lunar Lander of the list of available records in this compilation

There's no need for additional rules.
In arcade machines, adding money allows for additional continues, but in VGR, continues aren't allowed.
A continue allows you to extend your game; it doesn't necessarily mean extra lives. In Lunar Lander, it allows you to get extra fuel in exchange for extra credit.

Foxof, then I suppose that you vote for solution C- we delete Lunar Lander of the list of available records in this compilation
Right ?

Also, I will contact Siliconian more directly, now.

aucune de tes suggestions n'est bonnes, et encore moins la suppression du record

On t'explique tous les deux que pour faire ce record tu ne dois pas utiliser de credits, ce qui correspond a un continu et tu veux quand meme continuer dans cette direction.

Donc non, si tu veux faire ce records tu le fais sans utilisé de credits pour booster ton carburant. 
La seul chose qui peut etre fait c'est de mettre en place la preuve vidéo uniquement pour ce record et donc bloqué les preuves photo pour etre sur qu'il n'y a pas eu de credit consommé pour augmenté le carburant via une vidéo preuve complète 

Et si un records à une mise a jour, c'est au joueur de mettre à jour le jeu.
si un jour un jeu de course décide de changer la vitesse de déplacement du véhicule via une mise a jour, alors il faudra bien mettre tout le monde au meme niveau et la derniere version me semble le plus logique, quitte a faire sauté tous les records des membres du jeu.

😄

It seems that there is misunderstandings with each one of your messages ! Don't worry, I understand you.

Your suggestion is finally the B (which fits with the Siliconian video and way of playing), thanks.

Then, note that we don't follow what developpers made here, and that we put a rule/restriction on this game.

No worries with it to me, as player and as administrator.

I think we can't block the type of proof to force the video proof only, but we can mention it in the game rules.

I asked the Siliconian opinion too, I will wait his answer (until a certain delay).

For the updates, yes I agree, most of the times we follow what developpers made. We need to adapt (even if it represents a problem for those who can't or don't have the possibilities to update or download DLC).

Hi,

 As a player, I like to play all the games in default mode when the game no have specific variations (Easy, Hard, 3 lives, 5 lives, Infinite fuel, etc..)

Also, I do not agree a player have a free will to choose the easy variation and other player choose the default or hard and play the same game, because easy or hard you can do more points, this is a unfair challenge.

In my case, in Lunar Lander, I show my DIP switchs before start my attempt, the default is 750 fuel, and this is the right way to play this game, I not choose change the fuel because is not the right way to play.

The B solution is the correct for me (750 fuel), if a patch happens and the default fuel now 950 or 1500, the rules for this game must be clear that the Default always will be 750 fuel (does'n matter the patch), or the new Default is 950 fuel.

The rules for proofs of VGR are very, very, very problematic, because the picture proofs only can show the final score of a game, you will never have 100% sure if the player used a real console or emulator, if the started on Easy or Hard, used 1 live or 99 lives, used cheats or not.

Even we choose the solution B or C, anyone can submit a Lunar Lander score like 2341 points, not submit proofs or a picture proofs, and we never know if used 750 or 950 fuel.

The problematic rules of VGR agree this. And I need to respect because rules, are rules.

This is my personal opinion, transparency.