Evolution of Retro Tennis Games

[TrekMD]

Continuing the "Evolution of" we are now going to take a look at another sport:  Tennis!

Let's get started with two classic versions:  Activision's Tennis for the Atari 2600 and Atari's own RealSports Tennis!

[align=center:tzm9qv82]Activision Tennis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ2Q6eEjQx8[/align:tzm9qv82]

[align=center:tzm9qv82]Atari's RealSports Tennis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMocFmcL1a0[/align:tzm9qv82]

[TL]

Realsports Tennis is one of the few times Atari bettered an Activision game, usually it was the other way round!

[TrekMD]

Realsports Tennis is one of the few times Atari bettered an Activision game, usually it was the other way round!

They absolutely did!  As you say, one of the few times this happened!  Better graphics, multicolored sprites, a real "net," a scoreboard that allows the player to enter their name.  They pull no punches making that one!

[onthinice]

I bought most of my Atari 2600 Real Sport games in the last few years. Picked them up cheap and have not played any except football. The Real Sport Tennis really looks good. Always fell into the Activision is best frame of mind.

[TrekMD]

I bought most of my Atari 2600 Real Sport games in the last few years. Picked them up cheap and have not played any except football. The Real Sport Tennis really looks good. Always fell into the Activision is best frame of mind.

In this instance, the Atari version bests that from Activision.    You should try it out.

[onthinice]

I like tennis games and it is sorta cool after all these years to find a good one I missed. At least in a suckish kind of way that I missed out playing Real Sports Tennis for the last Twenty-five plus years.

I'll probably be banned from the site, I have not had much Atari love as of late besides the Lynx. Same for the Colecovision.  I have been playing the Intellivision, Lynx, PSP and Saturn.

[TrekMD]

I like tennis games and it is sorta cool after all these years to find a good one I missed. At least in a suckish kind of way that I missed out playing Real Sports Tennis for the last Twenty-five plus years.

I'll probably be banned from the site, I have not had much Atari love as of late besides the Lynx. Same for the Colecovision.  I have been playing the Intellivision, Lynx, PSP and Saturn.

You're OK since you do have the Lynx in there.   

[onthinice]

Whew! Thanks! lol

[TrekMD]

Not a lot of Tennis fans?  I think there are more boxing fans around.    In any case, here are to versions of Tennis for the Intellivision:

[align=center:396t9p2s]Tennis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o9ZIRhAjLA[/align:396t9p2s]

[align=center:396t9p2s]Championship Tennis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do8zSl1wIZ8[/align:396t9p2s]

[TL]

[align=center:29m7cemo][size=140]Atari 8-Bit Computers[/size]


Laser Tennis - By AllSoft


RealSports Tennis - By Atari


Wimbledon '88 - By Eaglesoft[/align:29m7cemo]

[onthinice]

RealSports Tennis for the Atari 8-bit computers looks like a step back compared to the 2600.

[TrekMD]

RealSports Tennis for the Atari 8-bit computers looks like a step back compared to the 2600.

It seems that way, doesn't it?  I wonder why it was programmed that way.  Of course, the 5200 version is the same as the 8-bit version:

[align=center:1257unqt][/align:1257unqt]

[onthinice]

Were they released at the same time or did the 2600 version come later?

[TrekMD]

Were they released at the same time or did the 2600 version come later?

They came out the same  year. 

[onthinice]

Must have been different programmers.