Classic Game Room HD - DESERT FALCON for Atari 7800 review

[gabbogabbo]

Actually I just found and bought this game, but its for the 2600, and it says copy right 1988 :/ I thought that was kinda weird!

[ceirwan]

This used to be one of my favourites! There was an awesome combo that let you skip past the whole level, can't remember what runes it was though.

[uzi9millimetuh]

Reminds me of a mix of Zaxxon and Synapse's Blue Max with a cool Egyptian theme pasted on.

[blueravenchick]

I loved this game growing up! My Mom and I would play it all the time! We still have it, but I need a new console!

[Whubblargh]

It was also on the Atari 2600. Just saying :P

[deadlygroove1]

You should be able to bird ass your enemies in this game.

[Kindlesmith70]

omg I have such memories of playing this game. I still remember that starting tune too even though it has been many years since I owned it.

[FreudRulz]

That looks like an NES game!!!

[TheMorbiousStone]

Honestly I love your reviews Dude But I think you missed some of the game/ whats wrong with your monitor/cable/maybe atari? those colors look terrible, that game was so much brighter

[TheMorbiousStone]

I loved this game growing up!!!!

[Tamanozke]

I actually love the 2600 version of this game. Played it lots!!

[DracIsBack]

This was actually started by GCC (the 7800's developers) in 1984 and was called SPHINX and (I think) Nile Flyer. Later, when the Tramiels took over, they ported it to the 2600 and XE game system. If I recall right, the XE version is absolutely terrible.

[MrSaturn33]

You know what's scary? Watch a video of the Atari 2600 version. It sounds EXACTLY the same. My only guess for the reason that the 7800's sound capabilities are so below the 5200 is that it's sort of an extension off of the 2600, and they did this to get backwards compatibility.

[DejaVoodooDoll]

@MrSaturn33

It's using the 2600 soundchip. The 7800 was designed by arcade hackers, GCC, who ironically were originally sued by Atari for creating illegal modifications of their hardware. The original design allowed for carts to receive their own soundchips, in theory, a 7800 game could have used Yamaha's YM2413 FM sound chip to sound like a Sega Genesis. Unfortunately, hacker dreams were no match for corporate cost cutting. Only 2 7800 games use another soundchip, and it's the 5200's POKEY.

[zuruzuruzuru]

Been trying to remember the name of this game for years! For some reason I loved it as a youngen.

[thebig1]

I like the 2600 version best. Thats just me though.

[jimbox114]

I have this on 2600, I love how hoping sounds just like the game Kangaroo.

[pwilson962]

This was my favorite!!!!!! I would play this for hours and hours.

[randomUnhold]

man, I´ve played that game sooo much as a kid :D I should read up on glitches i guess, because at some point, after playing several hours straight without game-overing, I somehow managed to have infinite lives, though I accidentally pressed the reset button instead of pause the next morning... so I was fuxx0rd ;( never ever got that far and was never able to reproduce the glitch

[phunqsauce]

wow, i own the 2600 version of this game (which ironically was purchased when i owned a 7800 back in the day) and the sounds are EXACTLY THE SAME! Of course the graphics are better....I may be mistaken but I remember seeing a review of this game in the first issue of Gamepro magazine which I received free with a purchase of an NES game at Toys R Us...

[NightSprinter]

I'm not sure. I know this game also got released on the 2600 and 8-bit computers (around the time the "XE Game System" was released).

[natecooper01]

I loved this game as a kid! Was there an ending or did it just get progressively difficult forever? I remember getting past 10 sphinxes or so and it got very difficult - more and faster enemies.

[jupreindeer]

They made a very decent 2600 port...I don't know how. Probably just as rare, too.

[dazer500290]

yes it looks liek a very original game at first look it seems like 1 of thse games that suck but ur addicted and cant stop playing. but for the love of god i cannot see the POINT or plot) of this dam game o-o

[coolcoldbro]

The review seems fair. It wasn't easy to get used to the controls, but after awhile shooting airborne enemies because easier. It is also one of the best looking 7800 games.

[Acrylick]

i loved this game :P

[lulaberri]

i knew how to play! i knew exactly which plane they were and knew how to glide in at the right moment. this narrator just didnt know how to play!

[seanj666]

Man I used to right down hieroglyphic combinations just to make sure I only got the good power ups. Even though I wanted a Nintendo (and who didn't) I did like this game.

[lancetexas999]

zaxxon ripoff

[Xegethra]

@lancetexas999 no it isnt, it has enough diffrent elements to make it its own game. its called within the genre....not a rip off. might as well say every other game that wasnt the first in the genre is a rip off

[sethshazam]

i was really good at the 2600 version as a kid. Plugged it in and played this game recently, and its still kinda fun

[MarkFrankJPN]

it's all about :Bird, Cane, Bowl. It's the warp which gets you to the end of the level

[kurisux]

Seriously? Oh snap gotta try it!

:D Wheee~! time to warm up the 7800!

[ac5015]

Beleave it or not there is a 2600 version

[g1980p]

There sure was, and it was the best game I owned for the 2600, really addictive, even more than pitfall

[Luigi84289]

this game looks awesome

[cavedweller1996]

i played this game on the atari flashback

honestly, the flashback one looks and sounds better

[nutherefurlong]

Loved this game. Was fun to find all the hieroglyphic combinations :)

[glamourknight]

Desert falcon is a fun game. I have the Atari Flashback, except on there the screen flickers, and drags in slow motion sometimes.

[dogeymon83]

Looks EXTRAORDINARILY REPETATIVE!!!

[ViciousAlienKlown]

I use to have this game along with the usual games like Ms Pacman, Asteroids, Dig Dug and Robotron. I thought the 7800 was a gppd video game system and now its classic. Desert Falcon was fun to play and unique,

[TheCastellan]

Zawe Hawass must have been pissed when this game came out. XD

[preydog1]

the 7800s sound is garbage.

[seanj666]

Man I was into this game. I use to write down the hyroglific ( I spelled that wrong) combinations to get the power ups I wanted. My favorite being warp and the rapid fire shot.

[youtubasoarus]

I had this game! Holy crap! Awesome.

[Tryzon]

The way the bird hops along the ground is awesome ^_^

[Tryzon]

This game's music is sweetness!

[Tryzon]

I still love the opening music. Only problem is it doesn't last enough at all. Oh well, I can just keep clicking the video. It's at 0:16, so you know.

[opcomment]

This game has got a bad rap, but I loved it as a game. It seemed so innovative at the time, LOL. But the perspective did screw me up a lot.

[harleykman]

Innovative??? It's no different from Zaxxon, released about four years earlier. That was the true innovator.

[oneslow50]

Another one of my favorites when i was a kid.. I still remember the glyphs for the warp to the end sphynx.. cross - feather - cane. I also forgot how hilarious the walking sound is. I still laugh at it. Good times SO many years ago.

Good to see this game again. I hate pulling my 7800 out of the closet to hook it up for a few hours of vintage gaming.

[Umbreona]

My best guess on story is that maybe you are the God Horus in Animal format trying to protect Egypt from the enemies of the Gods? Just my best guess but definitely wild looking.

[Xegethra]

@Umbreona hmm that could be it...but i dont think shooting the sphynx is really protecting egypt....

[Umbreona]

@Xegethra It is if it shoots at you as well. Maybe it is possessed? Egypt definitely looks more Green than expected but this IS near the Nile apparently and it USED to be green so...I guess this is definitely back in the day.

[fiannao]

i had the one for the original Atari it was a lot harder on that system .

[morgangamer22]

COOL

[HatNJ]

"This super game cartridge is an Atari 7800 exclusive"

Not an exclusive but is way better than the 2600 version

[marfg12345]

atari7800 eas the best game conzole

[nathanallan1]

Some of the bad guys you have to shoot look almost identical to the Egyptian "Airplane" model they found in one of the pyramids. Thanks for the review, looks like an interesting game. I'll watch out for a copy.

[chaosmaster07]

I played the 2600 version I think. The graphics were crappy, and the concept was a bit out there, in a not too interesting way. I didn't like it,

[lastvaquero]

I love how the falcon swims in the water ;D

[Retrogamer71]

c'mon shooting a sphinx in the

face, thats demolition of antiquity.

Typical American middle east

invasion tactic just like Iraq.

[Infinitrium]

That comment is both funny and stupid

[FalconNeko]

a Desert that cools like a green fields

and a Falcon that looks like a pirate

lol

[curlykid1]

wow games have changed alot :O

[christo930]

Don't think that this game represents game playing in the 1980's. It doesn't. This game sux balls. I wouldn't even recommend it to a collector.

This is a testament to Jack Trameil, who took a game system that had the technical power to defeat the NES and insisted on releasing the cheapest games using the smallest amount of rom space. There are really very few examples of how powerful this system was and could have been. But JT wanted one thing more than any other... CHEAP.

[crvandme]

Actually, Desert Falcon was supposed to be released in 1984 before Warner sold off the consumer division of Atari, Inc. to Tramiel. Even shows up in a 1984 catalog (see the AtariAge website).

[curmos]

Phonda's dad plays this game ALL the time!

[Matsuda41]

Wow, this does look like alot of fun. It almost reminded me of Top gun for the NES.

[COD5LooZa]

this doesnt look like dah desert more like texas in a way

[delfmeek]

This is actually one of my favorite 7800 games, as I don't know any other system that had a game like it. It's a cross between Zaxxon and Xevious, in my personal opinion. I played this game a lot, and was quite good at it back in the day.

Go grab the 2600 version of this, and it will totally frustrate you. The graphics are horrible---however, the sound effects are exactly the same as the 7800 version.

[christo930]

This is because the 7800 used the same exact sound chip as the 2600, however, it was designed so that a pokey chip could be included on the cartridge and giving it much better sound than the nes (at an added price) and Jack T. did not believe in spending money. The 7800 is better than the nes, but unfortunately, there really aren't any games to prove it. You just have to go with the specs.

[ZombieToaster]

That really sucks.

[V1RG1N1AN]

as a bird, you should be able to crap on people.

[COD5LooZa]

lol

[thundreturtle]

@V1RG1N1AN Or at least land with yo're butt onto them, like in Joust!

[JPhands]

This game looks frustrating...

[seroyer2]

This had to be mind blowing back in the day!

[strictlysega]

i cant think of a word to describe the game without swearing

[mkwarhawk]

4:20 - 4:27 answer is warhawk

[shailen1982]

I remember this one on Atari 2600 xD

[danytoon]

AT least some olde review' :D

[danytoon]

I mean at last! Sorry for my english :P

[WildWillow]

Dude i used to have this one when i was little ! it was awesome !

[yaywhewclips242]

Unfortunately 7800 couldn't compete w/ the upcoming mega successful NINTENDO. I never bought the 5200 or 7800 in the 1980's too expensive. I spend too much money on comic books and arcade playing in my H S days. I really didn't embrace NINTENDO until years later. I was in College so I had no time or money for new platform systems. I finally got a NES in 1989, SNES 1991, I was late in the game!! Oh well.

[welshfinn1]

I used to have this. As a kid I loved it! Got pretty far into it, too..

[friken0frank]

i'll give it 10/10 for orginallaty lol

[highway234]

zaxxon-esque!

[Lachlant1984]

I played this on the Atari 2600 back in early 1999.

[oejam]

i hope you mean 1979 or at least 1989 lol

[Lachlant1984]

No, I'm serious, I mean 1999, I'm only 25, I wasn't even playing games in 1989, I was 15 when I first played on an Atari 2600.

[icydarkness]

saw dis game on the internet everytime i searched for an atari falcon xD

[Dragonslayerscp123]

cool video

[mjdoomreviews]

i have this for the 2600 weird the sound is exactly the same good game!

[midiman22000]

and I thought I was the only one who knew there existed a 2600 version

[ACherimoya]

Wow, you're actually a falcon. I absolutely love it. What a great concept. The bird is so well-animated too.

And the hopping is SO CUTE!

[PaGoNdA]

today's my birthday =[) thx for reviewing gt5 prolouge, i'm going to get it soon!

[a1its]

I had that game as a kid.

[Rep2369]

Bird Ass 2! Now in semi-3d with pyramids and other assorted goodies! Brought to you by CGR! ;)

[D3STRUKT0R99]

I got the high score on Bird Ass!

[xgamer3000]

FALCON PAWNCH!

That's one wet desert.

[RyuFalchionX]

I thought the exact thing upon reading the title.

[MrNintendoGuy]

I might pick this game up but it does look a bit repetative

[CenturyGamer]

Damn that height system must have caused a lot of stress, trying to avoid enemies lol.

[guyvf]

my buddy had this game for his 7800. He thought it was great, and I wanna pick it up now!

[nastyguard007]

I love this game... Now all I need is to buy an Atari 7800, some 2600 games and 7800 games.

[atm94404]

It was never an arcade game, but versions were released for the 2600 and Atari 8-bit computers but the 7800 was the original (and best) version.

[atm94404]

Good review. A couple things you didn't mention. Unlike Zaxxon, the levels are randomly generated so you really can't memorize any patterns. Also, the power-up system is unique in that most are undocumented. There is a great deal of replay in discovering what glyph combos equal which power-up. Also, it is nice that not only does touching anything kill you, it also kills your enemies. You can lure them into pyramids so you don't have to shoot them.

[InecomCompany]

Driving the ememies into pyramids was a great deal of fun. That I agree with! -CGRHD

[xBlackSheepEntx]

lo, Desert falcon 2:the search for more ice cream, good vids overall

[dantheman23312]

best music ever..

[virusone25]

They made a version for the 2600.

[RetroMike01]

Weird. I didn't even know this game was on the 7800. :o

I played the 2600 version once, though.

[monkeymelon08]

good review as always

[EEQUALSIDONTCARE]

I love the music!

[ZLMFilms]

Nice review. This game looks weird, but cool.

[HipHop1981]

yeah second!!!

[Alemme01]

Wait, Desert Falcon was on the Atari 2600, and I've played it before. Probably not as good as the 7800 version because of the 2600's hardware limtiations and all.

[FloatyPineapple]

Nice review. Hopefully now I've commented noone will go 'ZOMGZ FIRZT WUN WUN WUN!'