I kind of like the sound from both the Atari and c64.. While nobody can dispute the awesome power of the SID chip, Ataris sound had a nice warm and robust sound to it that the commodore didn't. Graphics wise...yeah..Atari was better.
Graphics are a trade-off to me...better resolution with more colors on C64....but very limited pallet
Sound I too prefer Atari...the Commodore sound chip was better...but I liked the sound quality of the Atari better...the Commodore often sounded to me like an oboe band....
"The XE ... has better sound" is an outright lie, and the engineers at Atari (who, by this time, were former Commodore employees Jack Tramiel brought over) knew this.
The funny thing is, that old C64 I found on the side of the road and saved still crashes nowhere near as often as my Windows 7. I wonder if the same applies with the Atari XE.
@macdeath69 The CPC came out 5 years after the general Atari 8 bit design. For the time the CPC was much better than the 8 bit, but a year later the Atari ST came out and that was way better than the CPC.
Ok so the sound quote is a little hard to swallow, but it did run twice as fast and have 200+ more colours. Does kinda dumb down the American audience :s
That's not quite correct. The Atari has a heavy DMA load from the ANTIC which the C64 doesn't have, so on normal 160x200 gfx modes the Atari is only 25% faster. And concerning the 128 color palette: Most of the games use 160x200 @ 4 color mode, and 4 colors always looks like 4 colors, even if they are picked from a palette of 128.
Not all games utilised that screen mode, and as a result ran considerably faster. However, Dropzone, a direct port to the C64, ran 2.5 times as fast on the Atari and had to be slowed significantly to make it playable. The XE had 16 shades of 16 colours, making a palette of 256. Most games also use more than 4 colours due to PM's not being drawn from the same palette. DLI's add additional colours. Although 512 colour full screen animations are now possible with the use of TIP mode graphics
Most games do use those high-DMA-load modes like 320x200 @ 2 cols, 160x200 @ 4 cols, 80x200 @ 16 cols. And the few examples where it comes to mind where 160x100 is used (where the A8 runs 50% faster than a C64) are usually picked to compensate the lack of good sprites. See Zynaps or Draconus: Lot's of software sprites on A8 and 160x100 resolution. On C64 those games are 160x200 (twice the resolution), and there are bigger sprites in higher number.
@Lutanamo The processor in the Atari is about 80% faster, but the Atari has a more efficient DMA and Graphics Chip. The Atari can process CPU and Graphics at the same time, the C64 Graphics chip pauses the CPU when it is in use. As a programmer you want to have high DMA use as it off loads work from the CPU. In the end, the C64 even though slower, had better graphics and sound.
@meowmmmmm look at atari demos. they are better on atari. c64 was restrained to 16 colors (atari 256), cpu 1mhz vs atari 1.7mhz. c64 had better sound and more sprites.
Better sound!? Fuck off!
inphanta 2 months ago
I kind of like the sound from both the Atari and c64.. While nobody can dispute the awesome power of the SID chip, Ataris sound had a nice warm and robust sound to it that the commodore didn't. Graphics wise...yeah..Atari was better.
Draconis888 1 year ago
@Draconis888
Graphics are a trade-off to me...better resolution with more colors on C64....but very limited pallet
Sound I too prefer Atari...the Commodore sound chip was better...but I liked the sound quality of the Atari better...the Commodore often sounded to me like an oboe band....
datacipher 1 week ago
"The XE ... has better sound" is an outright lie, and the engineers at Atari (who, by this time, were former Commodore employees Jack Tramiel brought over) knew this.
joecassara 1 year ago
The funny thing is, that old C64 I found on the side of the road and saved still crashes nowhere near as often as my Windows 7. I wonder if the same applies with the Atari XE.
MattTheSaiyan 1 year ago
at that time, most kids didn't care which one they get... getting one was priceless!
fcycles 1 year ago
Haha, atari was a piece of junk even compaired to Amstrad CPC...
macdeath69 2 years ago
@macdeath69 The CPC came out 5 years after the general Atari 8 bit design. For the time the CPC was much better than the 8 bit, but a year later the Atari ST came out and that was way better than the CPC.
meowmmmmm 1 year ago
Ok so the sound quote is a little hard to swallow, but it did run twice as fast and have 200+ more colours. Does kinda dumb down the American audience :s
gamein60seconds 3 years ago
That's not quite correct. The Atari has a heavy DMA load from the ANTIC which the C64 doesn't have, so on normal 160x200 gfx modes the Atari is only 25% faster. And concerning the 128 color palette: Most of the games use 160x200 @ 4 color mode, and 4 colors always looks like 4 colors, even if they are picked from a palette of 128.
Jawattdenn 3 years ago
Not all games utilised that screen mode, and as a result ran considerably faster. However, Dropzone, a direct port to the C64, ran 2.5 times as fast on the Atari and had to be slowed significantly to make it playable. The XE had 16 shades of 16 colours, making a palette of 256. Most games also use more than 4 colours due to PM's not being drawn from the same palette. DLI's add additional colours. Although 512 colour full screen animations are now possible with the use of TIP mode graphics
gamein60seconds 3 years ago
Most games do use those high-DMA-load modes like 320x200 @ 2 cols, 160x200 @ 4 cols, 80x200 @ 16 cols. And the few examples where it comes to mind where 160x100 is used (where the A8 runs 50% faster than a C64) are usually picked to compensate the lack of good sprites. See Zynaps or Draconus: Lot's of software sprites on A8 and 160x100 resolution. On C64 those games are 160x200 (twice the resolution), and there are bigger sprites in higher number.
Jawattdenn 3 years ago
It has a faster CPU, but it doesn't "run twice as fast"..
Lutanamo 2 years ago
@Lutanamo The processor in the Atari is about 80% faster, but the Atari has a more efficient DMA and Graphics Chip. The Atari can process CPU and Graphics at the same time, the C64 Graphics chip pauses the CPU when it is in use. As a programmer you want to have high DMA use as it off loads work from the CPU. In the end, the C64 even though slower, had better graphics and sound.
meowmmmmm 1 year ago
@meowmmmmm look at atari demos. they are better on atari. c64 was restrained to 16 colors (atari 256), cpu 1mhz vs atari 1.7mhz. c64 had better sound and more sprites.
thorgallpl 1 year ago
not a chance in hell
DrPhibes10 3 years ago
Comment removed
alaggan 4 years ago 3
Kinda puts the whole commercial into perspective..
Lutanamo 2 years ago