Retro Video Gamer

While watching some videos on YouTube today, I came up with the idea of looking at some retro games that were more abstract in their concepts.  One such game is Qix.  What exactly is a Qix?  Why are you trapping it?  Where do these sparks come from?  And, more importantly, what the heck are you actually controlling?  Is it a ship or is it something entirely different?  What other games have abstract concepts like these that you know of?

[align=center:2utejlc3]QIX consecutive 99%red fills.wmv (//http)[/align:2utejlc3]

Interesting topic 

I thought about this a lot and came up with quite a few ideas!

The first one I am going to mention though is Jinks by Rainbow Arts. It is a weird cross between Breakout and pinball that doesn't really make any sense at all but is strangely compelling and fun to play. It came on all the major home computers of the time and also saw a release for the Atari 7800 too. The weird intros on each version of particular note too:

[align=center:139nx70a]ATARI ST JINKS (//http)[/align:139nx70a]

[align=center:139nx70a]Jinks - Atari 7800 (//http)[/align:139nx70a]

Good choice, Laird.  Jinks is another one of those abstract games that have interesting concepts for the game but where the elements of the game are just weird. 

Does LSD: Dream Emulator fall into this?

PS1 - LSD Dream Emulator Highlights Part 1 (//http)

Is taking LSD a requirement to play that game? 

Quote from: "TrekMD"Is taking LSD a requirement to play that game?

I think you don't need it!

Quote from: "Alberto 2K"

Quote from: "TrekMD"Is taking LSD a requirement to play that game?

I think you don't need it! :)

[align=center:fms4ryqf]Here is another one for the list, I discovered this game recently while researching the Colecovision for Retro Gamer magazine. It's another mad cross between pinball and Breakout (like Jinks) but very different again and perhaps even weirder!!!

Flipper Slipper (Colecovision) gameplay footage (//http)[/align:fms4ryqf]

That is one weird game!  Here is another totally abstract (and super cool) game:  Tempest! 

[align=center:2mhluhfa]Tempest (1980 Atari) [Re-Uploaded] (//http)[/align:2mhluhfa]

Lol that breakout game is totally whacko.

Zoop is also totally abstract.

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Yep, that's another one and it is also one that looks cool. 

[align=center:1ryz753p]I think the Jaguar has quite a few but I am going to avoid the most obvious answer and pick Flip Out. I never really got this game no matter how much I tried:

Playthrough : Atari Jaguar - Flip Out! part 1 (//http)[/align:1ryz753p]

Maybe I should retitle the thread "Abstract & Weird Games!"  LOL

REZ is also a perfect example of abstract game

Rez HD (//http)

Definitely abstract and definitely awesome!!!! 

Oh yes, abstract for sure.  Looks and sounds great!

Is great !!!!

There is nothing else to say.


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Quote from: "Arethius_RGC"Is great !!!!

There is nothing else to say.


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This game has the Arethius Stamp of Approval!   

[align=center:jmpyn41x]One of my favourite games on the Spectrum back in the day!

A Whole New Ball Game Walkthrough, ZX Spectrum (//http)[/align:jmpyn41x]

Here is a classic that is also an abstract title and fun whether it is in its classic or updated from...

[align=center:313j9c82]Breakout (Atari 2600) (//http)

Super Breakout Atari 2600 (//http)

Breakout 2000 - Atari Jaguar (//http)[/align:313j9c82]

[align=center:2vyfz1m5]Another real favourite of mine, such an addictive game but also pretty damn crazy, weird and, of course, abstract!

Atari Lynx - Super Skweek [Loriciel] 1991 (//http)[/align:2vyfz1m5]

Hmm, so does Fantasy Zone qualify for this list?  It certainly has wacky characters and weird looking worlds that don't seem to be based on much that looks real. 

[align=center:1ploxe3u]Arcade Longplay [169] Fantasy Zone (//http)[/align:1ploxe3u]

[align=center:wtgiw2ta]CGRundertow INTELLIGENT QUBE for PlayStation Video Game Review (//http)[/align:wtgiw2ta]

Got a copy of this recently. Gorgeous game..


[align=center:hnlsat27]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ba76jf8e45Y (//http)[/align:hnlsat27]

That looks really cool!

[align=center:2o4vasi4]ATARI ST WEIRD DREAMS (//http)[/align:2o4vasi4]

That is one weird game!  Here is something else that goes between weird and abstract...

[align=center:hwcxo6tw]Katamari Damacy Intro (//http)[/align:hwcxo6tw]

[align=center:3vmv8pmo]The Sentinel on Atari ST (//http)[/align:3vmv8pmo]

What the goal in that game?

Quote from: "TrekMD"What the goal in that game?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sentinel_(video_game) (//http)

QuoteIn The Sentinel, the player takes the role of a Synthoid (called just "robot" in the US version), a telepathic robot who has to take control of a number of surreal, checkered landscapes of hills and valleys, by climbing from the lowest spot, where the hunt begins, to the highest platform, over which the Sentinel looms.
The Synthoid itself cannot move across the level; instead it can look around, accumulate energy by absorbing the objects that are scattered across the landscape, create stacks of boulders, generate inert Synthoid shells and transfer its consciousness from one of these clones to another.

Doesn't sound very exciting. 

Quote from: "TrekMD"Doesn't sound very exciting.

That's what I have always thought, the game was incredibly successful though and very highly acclaimed.

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "TrekMD"Doesn't sound very exciting.

That's what I have always thought, the game was incredibly successful though and very highly acclaimed.

Go figure!

Here's another abstract puzzle game....Drelbs.

[align=center:3rct738l]Amiga - Drelbs (//http)[/align:3rct738l]

I discovered Drelbs fairly recently on the Atari 8-bit and it's a really strange but ultimately very addictive game. It's one of those titles that doesn't look like much in screenshots but when you play it you will be pleasantly surprised!

From the video, it does look like it would be an interesting game to play.  It may seem simple, but it really isn't as easy as it appears.

Quote from: "TrekMD"From the video, it does look like it would be an interesting game to play.  It may seem simple, but it really isn't as easy as it appears.

I seem to remember that this was one of the A8 games converted to the 5200 recently.

Quote from: "The Laird"

Quote from: "TrekMD"From the video, it does look like it would be an interesting game to play.  It may seem simple, but it really isn't as easy as it appears.

I seem to remember that this was one of the A8 games converted to the 5200 recently.

I'll have to check on that. 

Quote from: "TrekMD"Doesn't sound very exciting.

I had a demo of the sequel on PSOne, can't remember why I never bought it.

My choice would be lemmings, its too often simply labelled a puzzle game but its much more than that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SgDS-16 ... ata_player (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SgDS-16UFA&feature=youtube_gdata_player)

Quote from: "TrekMD"Doesn't sound very exciting.

I had a demo of the sequel on PSOne, can't remember why I never bought it.

My choice would be lemmings, its too often simply labelled a puzzle game but its much more than that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SgDS-16 ... ata_player (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SgDS-16UFA&feature=youtube_gdata_player)

:4:  Amazing programmer

Any chance RVG can contact him, would love to know how he got from racing games to Sentinel? Its basically his only non racing game.

:113:

Just found out Geoff Crammond of F1GP fame did the Sentinel  :113:

Any chance RVG can contact him, would love to know how he got from racing games to Sentinel? Its basically his only non racing game.
[/quote]

There is an interviews suggestion thread somewhere, he would be a good candidate

Done cheers

http://www.retrovideogamer.co.uk/http://www.retrovideogamer.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?f=4.0 (//http)

Here is another rather abstract game, this time for the Mattel Intellivision:  Illusions.  The game itself is a bit weird but the music is pretty cool. 

[align=center:33l67xe3]Illusions for the Intellivision (//http)[/align:33l67xe3]

While watching the historical video Ben posted, this game was included.  It most certainly qualifies as an abstract game.  Have a look at Alpha Waves...

[align=center:184zsvqs]Alpha Waves / Continuum - Early 3D game (//http)[/align:184zsvqs]

That came out the Atari ST and Amiga machines in 1990, but the Atari 8-bit done something very similar but for the life of me I can't remember what the game was called

Quote from: "Greyfox"That came out the Atari ST and Amiga machines in 1990, but the Atari 8-bit done something very similar but for the life of me I can't remember what the game was called

No clue of how to even look for it.

Lol, I found it, I knew I wasn't imagining things, the game was called "Relax" and was created by Synapse Software in 1984 and was co-written by Bill Williams famous for his wonderful "Alley Cat" game and who sadly passed away in 1998 from cystic fibrosis at the age of 38 :)

(http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/screens/relax_2.gif)(http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/screens/relax_4.gif)(http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/screens/relax_5.gif)
That Sun is making me feel happy already

Relaxation software, eh?  It must have had some soothing music...

Restarting this thread.  Here is another abstract game that is also a bit strange.  This is Seventh Cross Evolution on the Sega Dreamcast...

[align=center:l025dwb5]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MwbToPTJ00[/align:l025dwb5]