I was a big Pac-man fan at the time I got this game. And one of the biggest surprises for me in Cosmic Ark was in one of the higher levels, you can catch a pair of Pac-man shaped creatures...that really blew my mind as a kid when I reached that level.
Yeah, i can remember that still very well. Getting to discover the new little creatures was a real motivation to reach the further levels which really was stressful with the crazy speed of the lasers and asteroids. Such a great game indeed!
I still have my cart of Cosmic Ark from when I was a kid :) Its a fun game. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, but I did enjoy it and I put a lot of time into it.
It was Demon Attack, not Demon Slayer. Imagic had some really good games. I think were they really shined was on the Intellivision though. Hands down the best games on INTV are usually an Imagic game.
That sweet Atari 2600 glitch technique they used to make the elaborate space background in Cosmic Ark made it look more advanced than other games like Space Jockey & Spacechase.
Cosmic ark is one of my favorites 2600 games. I played the hell out of it back then. I loved the atmosphere of the game, created by the story, and artwork.
"Cosmic Ark" was more or less a clone of Bally's arcade game "Space Zap". Its a very simple reaction tester (which likely makes it good to feel latency differences between original hardware on CRT and some random 2600 emulators). A slightly better variant of the concept of landing on planets (with nice music) was "Cosmic Tunnels" on Atari 8-bit.
@cyberyogicowindler2448 You are so right about Cosmic ark being a clone of Space Zap. I never really thought about using the game as a latency tester. I can see using the game to test for lag on our home arcades. I think Cosmic Tunnels was way adavance for it's time. Thank you for watching and the comment.
One of my earliest gaming memories is coming across Cosmic Ark (I only found out the name 25 years later) on a borrowed bootleg Atari 2600 Jr. with built-in games, and not having the slightest clue as to how it was played. But the image of that ship stayed with me all these years.
yup. cosmic ark was in my top 10. also really liked moon sweeper. the two-mode gameplay, and the hypnotic nature feel like they're in a similar category to cosmic ark to me. didn't have the privilege of playing Atlantis yet, and only recently found out it was the predecessor. will try it out soon.
I agree @blarghblargh I think Moon sweeper and really all of Imagic games were hypnotic and relaxing to play even today. Thank you so much for watching the video.
@@highscoresontap"Moon Sweeper" was technically great. I played it much on my 2600. It was similar like "Buck Rogers but the zoom felt more like "Space Harrier" (although not checkered).
High Scores on Tap, Yeah, I always liked Cosmic Ark on the 2600. It's a game you can instantly get into and have fun! I remember in my early days dabbling with MAME, a buddy and I were reminiscing about old Imagic games on the Atari, including Cosmic Ark, and he asked me if I ever played an arcade game called Space Zap; he said the gameplay was similar, defending a base in the middle of the screen by shooting in four directions. He had me search though MAME and sure enough it was there. It definitely brought me some Cosmic Ark vibes, though it was a one trick pony when it came to gameplay variety. I didn't mind though, because Space Zap is such a great time! I just wish I would've saw it in the arcade. Imagic games always had the coolest box art and Cosmic Ark is no exception. Thanks for sharing this bit of history about the game! vgv
idk how 1983 was dead atari booth had battlezone, imagic cosmic ark, activision pitfall2 so at least all 3 atari or ex atari company (imagic , activision) had couple great programmers left
I've played that. Not on the Atari 2600 but on my Windows XP computer. It was part of a bunch of games called "Activision Anthology." It included Imagic games, which is why "Cosmic Ark" is in it. Like you said in the video, you can download it for free. I think I will whenever I'm ready because one of my computers has Windows 11 23H2 and the other has Linux Mint Cinnamon. "Activision Anthology" wouldn't work on them.
didn't know imagic was so good but they did scrolling patrol game, plus cosmic ark that impressed activision pitfall creator, and they dud best cover ever imo demon attack 😆 idk how 1983 was dead atari booth had battlezone so at least all 3 atari or ex atari company (imagic , activision) had coyple great programming
@highscoresontap I didn't know imagic was so good but they did scrolling patrol game, plus cosmic ark that impressed activision pitfall creator, and they dud best cover ever imo demon attack 😆 idk how 1983 was dead atari booth had battlezone so at least all 3 atari or ex atari company (imagic , activision) had coyple great programming
Game looks great for the system, I have not heard of this one (granted I'm younger than the game) but it just comes to show what hold Activision and Atari themselves had on the market, but I'm glad to hear games like these exist as well!
Games like this are a big reason why people still are playing Atari. Activision is just the best known and highest rated but so many others exist. And of course, the homebrews.
None of anything about what you said was in the instruction manuals. Cosmic Ark was about nothing more than picking up alien animals from different planets.
@@highscoresontap I think arcade game mentality was a weakness of early consoles. The progressive difficulty in coin op games was necessary to keep the money coming and encourage skill and competition. I don't think that translated well to consoles where a more relaxed gameplay was also fun. Missile command 2600 had an easy mode that was really fun. Just my opinion.
Idk why guy was so smug, pitfall didnt scroll like activision 1982 river raid (I think a woman made it) sprectravison planet patrol shooter or imagic laser gates or 1982 gcc/atari moon patrol
Regarding that starfield effect, I think i would have gone the demoscene route then, grab a module, dump it and shove it into a disassembler. If you know how to write games for the Stella it will get clear really quickly where the different Kernels are and what they do. And then you can try to write your own prototype of that starfield effect.
I always loved how dynamic and colorful Imagic games were, and Cosmic Ark was no exception. Also, simple but addictive (and often curse-inducing) gameplay! "Hold still, you little... I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU!"
@tombolenbaugh4030 I agree Imagic with out a doubt, had some of the best-looking games. I still cuss playing that game, but it's so satisfying to play.
Both cosmic ark and atlantis were great games.
I agree @c6jones720 I enjoy all of imagic games.
it's not Demon Slayer,
it's Demon ATTACK
Atari sued Imagic in 1982 for the games similarity to Phoenix.
You are correct on the name. Congrats on finding the easter egg in this video.
I was a big Pac-man fan at the time I got this game. And one of the biggest surprises for me in Cosmic Ark was in one of the higher levels, you can catch a pair of Pac-man shaped creatures...that really blew my mind as a kid when I reached that level.
I did not noticed that. But ill definitely be looking for it now. Thank you for pointing that out I love the easter eggs in games.
Yeah, i can remember that still very well.
Getting to discover the new little creatures was a real motivation to reach the further levels which really was stressful with the crazy speed of the lasers and asteroids.
Such a great game indeed!
I still have my cart of Cosmic Ark from when I was a kid :)
Its a fun game. I wouldn't say it was my favorite, but I did enjoy it and I put a lot of time into it.
I agree it's a fun game that does not require total focus.
It was Demon Attack, not Demon Slayer. Imagic had some really good games. I think were they really shined was on the Intellivision though. Hands down the best games on INTV are usually an Imagic game.
Your right it was Demon attack. You are the only one that caught that. I like to put easter eggs in my videos. I agree Imagic did have the best games.
I played this game so much when I was little, I heard the thumbnail.
Good times for sure.
That sweet Atari 2600 glitch technique they used to make the elaborate space background in Cosmic Ark made it look more advanced than other games like Space Jockey & Spacechase.
@ExtremeWreck, I agree. I remember playing as a kid and wishing other 2600 games were as fun and had as good of graphics as Cosmic Ark.
Cosmic ark is one of my favorites 2600 games. I played the hell out of it back then. I loved the atmosphere of the game, created by the story, and artwork.
A great game indeed. Thank you for watching.
When my father and I played this game together, we imagined that the creatures we were beaming up from the planets were to be processed into fuel.
It's awsome that a game can create great memories. Thank you for posting @gary-williams
"Cosmic Ark" was more or less a clone of Bally's arcade game "Space Zap". Its a very simple reaction tester (which likely makes it good to feel latency differences between original hardware on CRT and some random 2600 emulators). A slightly better variant of the concept of landing on planets (with nice music) was "Cosmic Tunnels" on Atari 8-bit.
@cyberyogicowindler2448 You are so right about Cosmic ark being a clone of Space Zap. I never really thought about using the game as a latency tester. I can see using the game to test for lag on our home arcades. I think Cosmic Tunnels was way adavance for it's time. Thank you for watching and the comment.
One of my earliest gaming memories is coming across Cosmic Ark (I only found out the name 25 years later) on a borrowed bootleg Atari 2600 Jr. with built-in games, and not having the slightest clue as to how it was played.
But the image of that ship stayed with me all these years.
Great memories for sure @rogeliolarronda. Thank you for watching.
Those two games were literally my faves back then.
They were hypnotic to play.
Atlantis on the Intellivision is way more fantastic! You can even use the ship. ;) And I do love Cosmic ark still to this day.. Greeting from Sweden!
Wow Sweden, thank you @lntellivision78 for watching. I have great memories playing the lntellivision.
Cosmic Ark was one of my favorite games for the Atari 2600.
I could not agree more. I still play it often.
yup. cosmic ark was in my top 10.
also really liked moon sweeper. the two-mode gameplay, and the hypnotic nature feel like they're in a similar category to cosmic ark to me.
didn't have the privilege of playing Atlantis yet, and only recently found out it was the predecessor. will try it out soon.
I agree @blarghblargh I think Moon sweeper and really all of Imagic games were hypnotic and relaxing to play even today. Thank you so much for watching the video.
@@highscoresontap"Moon Sweeper" was technically great. I played it much on my 2600. It was similar like "Buck Rogers but the zoom felt more like "Space Harrier" (although not checkered).
High Scores on Tap,
Yeah, I always liked Cosmic Ark on the 2600. It's a game you can instantly get into and have fun!
I remember in my early days dabbling with MAME, a buddy and I were reminiscing about old Imagic games on the Atari, including Cosmic Ark, and he asked me if I ever played an arcade game called Space Zap; he said the gameplay was similar, defending a base in the middle of the screen by shooting in four directions. He had me search though MAME and sure enough it was there. It definitely brought me some Cosmic Ark vibes, though it was a one trick pony when it came to gameplay variety. I didn't mind though, because Space Zap is such a great time! I just wish I would've saw it in the arcade.
Imagic games always had the coolest box art and Cosmic Ark is no exception.
Thanks for sharing this bit of history about the game!
vgv
Thank you for watching @videogamevegas i love all of imagic games but cosmic ark is one of my all time favorite
Imagic is pronounced "ih magic."
NOT "Eye Magic."
Imagination Magic
I have this cart from when I was a kid.
@flexsealman7096 Could be the best cartridge to have of all time.
idk how 1983 was dead atari booth had battlezone, imagic cosmic ark, activision pitfall2 so at least all 3 atari or ex atari company (imagic , activision) had couple great programmers left
I've played that. Not on the Atari 2600 but on my Windows XP computer. It was part of a bunch of games called "Activision Anthology." It included Imagic games, which is why "Cosmic Ark" is in it. Like you said in the video, you can download it for free. I think I will whenever I'm ready because one of my computers has Windows 11 23H2 and the other has Linux Mint Cinnamon. "Activision Anthology" wouldn't work on them.
Definitely fun to play online. Thank you @ThisGuyFrritz for watching.
Because it’s my favourite Atari 2600 game.
Thank you for watching @adrianrobey7716
Really don't know why this video was in my feed but here's a comment for the algorithm!!
I greatly appreciate the comment for the algorithm.
i play atari 2600 stuff time to time on the SNES mini I modded, but i just never remember look up atari 2600 on youtube before haha@@highscoresontap
I love Cosmic Ark & agree it was one of the best for the 2600!
Definitely a classic. Thank you for watching.
Star Raiders for the 2600 had an awesome star field! I believe it preceded Cosmic Ark by one year? Probably some overlap in there.
Could be some overlap or insperation for sure. Star Raiders is another great game. Thank you for watching @davidfulton179
didn't know imagic was so good but they did scrolling patrol game, plus cosmic ark that impressed activision pitfall creator, and they dud best cover ever imo demon attack 😆 idk how 1983 was dead atari booth had battlezone so at least all 3 atari or ex atari company (imagic , activision) had coyple great programming
Great story
Thank You @rustymixer2886
@highscoresontap I didn't know imagic was so good but they did scrolling patrol game, plus cosmic ark that impressed activision pitfall creator, and they dud best cover ever imo demon attack 😆 idk how 1983 was dead atari booth had battlezone so at least all 3 atari or ex atari company (imagic , activision) had coyple great programming
I’m your 400th sub! Congrats! 🥳
Thank you @greenmagicdragon for the sub.
One of the best. Killer game! I played this for ages as a kid.
I did as well as a kid infact I still play it from time to time.
I’ll have to pick this up. I have Atlantis for Intellivision. I wonder if the little ship is one that one?
The little space ship is the same. Imagic Released the game for Intellivision.
Game looks great for the system, I have not heard of this one (granted I'm younger than the game) but it just comes to show what hold Activision and Atari themselves had on the market, but I'm glad to hear games like these exist as well!
Thank you @Andres33AU for watching. You should give the game a try for free online as it is addicting.
Games like this are a big reason why people still are playing Atari. Activision is just the best known and highest rated but so many others exist. And of course, the homebrews.
@@edwardmclaughlin719 you are not wrong. I am still discovering these classic games.
None of anything about what you said was in the instruction manuals. Cosmic Ark was about nothing more than picking up alien animals from different planets.
Good game but could have used some easier modes and such.
The game could brutally hard for sure.
@@highscoresontap I think arcade game mentality was a weakness of early consoles. The progressive difficulty in coin op games was necessary to keep the money coming and encourage skill and competition. I don't think that translated well to consoles where a more relaxed gameplay was also fun. Missile command 2600 had an easy mode that was really fun. Just my opinion.
..and it was humble@@mbcoll8154
@@mbcoll8154There was a similar arcade game like Cosmic Ark. It was "Space Zap" by Bally (but with B/W CRT overlay and no landing).
Man, I LOVE EYE MAGIC'S DEMON SLAYER!!! Another grifting "expert" - dont' subscribe, support genuine retro gamers.
Iam glad you found the easter egg in this video.
The game was named Demon Attack.
Good story indeed
Thank you for watching and the comment
Idk why guy was so smug, pitfall didnt scroll like activision 1982 river raid (I think a woman made it) sprectravison planet patrol shooter or imagic laser gates or 1982 gcc/atari moon patrol
I agree but peoples egos were high in the 80s
@@highscoresontap ahhh
@@highscoresontap love the story of smug master turned into naive student a year later, that glitch from years ago was his ace card 😆
Regarding that starfield effect, I think i would have gone the demoscene route then, grab a module, dump it and shove it into a disassembler. If you know how to write games for the Stella it will get clear really quickly where the different Kernels are and what they do. And then you can try to write your own prototype of that starfield effect.
I always loved how dynamic and colorful Imagic games were, and Cosmic Ark was no exception. Also, simple but addictive (and often curse-inducing) gameplay! "Hold still, you little... I'M TRYING TO SAVE YOU!"
@tombolenbaugh4030 I agree Imagic with out a doubt, had some of the best-looking games. I still cuss playing that game, but it's so satisfying to play.