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I had this one. I used to beat it constantly. I remember playing it on Sunday mornings while my parents made our big Sunday breakfast.

This game is full of weird glitches you can do, it's the best part

Love seeing the old advertisements as I didnt remember seeing them when I was younger.

Mountain King was one of my most-played 2600 games from back when. I'd forgotten about the "RAM Plus" boast. It explains how the game could maintain the yes/no state of all those diamonds (I did wonder). As you note, music on the 2600 was rare, in part because it only had two voices, in part because even just the data for music was hard to justify on ROM sizes typical for the 2600, and in part because the 2600's audio chip lacked enough poke fidelity to render "music" in terms of 12-note polyphony-every specimen of music on the 2600 is a compromise in this respect. A trick I quickly figured out when playing the game was to tap the flashlight on/off constantly so I could both collect diamonds and scan for the bonus briefcases. But what endlessly fascinated me about Mountain King was its gameplay quirk where if you did a double jump, the second jump was usually significantly higher than the first, and if you timed the first jump just right, the second jump would last something like ten full seconds. There was a certain place near the top of the entire area that you could use to reach a so-called "city in the sky", where the game began to fetch unintended portions of ROM to render its level. Possibly the most fascinating bug in any 2600 game ever.

Blueprint was another good 2600 game. I could sit here and list a lot of Atari 2600 games.

THIS game HAUNTED me as a kid. I was playing late at night and I had gotten the crown, as I was climbing to the top I had jumped to land on the top platform to WIN and BEFORE I landed a FREAKING BAT came by and stole my crown!!!! I got so frustrated I ripped the cartridge out of the console (while it was on) and threw into out of my room into the hallway where it properly hit the wall and cracked. That was enough to wake my parents up who were not happy being disturbed at 2AM. My father is his lack of sleep furry lurched at my Atari to remove it (forgetting it was plugged in) bending the cables ultimately ruining my Atari... which was never replaced Just thinking about it brings an uncomfortable shiver. Thanks for the memories

I remember finding the glitch world when I was a kid. Come to think of it, I haven't played this game since I was a kid. And I don't think I ever managed to beat it. Maybe I should fire it up some time soon.

As a kid this game was magical. You would have, had to been there to appreciate this one for sure. Looking at it in this day and age and as an adult, no doubt it doesn't look like much and you're not gunna get it. This was so cool to play back in the 80's.

I had this back when i was a kid. Somehow i found a place where i could duck down and the points would keep going up super fast. This is how it is done: Hi-score Super Easy: Go to the top of the biggest mountain and stand one level below to the left of the flame (near the left end of this level). Sit down and push the joystick down near that location. You're score will keep rolling over like crazy! The score will start over eventually

It's so crazy to see games like this and think to yourself that there were 2600 games that were pay ahead of their time. Thanks for reviewing this classic, Aaron. Excellent work as usual my dude! Have a great weekend good sir!

for those wondering: bbs electronics is indeed related to cbs as in the tv network, wince the network was the parent company. cbs purchased Gabriel toys to get into the video game industry, using the former toy company's marketing and manufacturing facilities. they were also the canadian distributer of the coleco vision (cbs was the first US based tv network to make strong inroads up north, thanks parshally to the work of animator ralf bakshy who had his own studeo over there which cbs used as a contract animation studeo, kinda like how Jay Ward had those mexicans at gamma or how dic had Rainbow animation in asia).

I opened your video and was getting bad deja vu like I have seen this before.....then I realized I watched this on your Patreon! Love the video, and I need to check this game out.

I had this game when it came out. Oh, those damned bats! This was a cool, but frustrating game for the time.

This was one of my favorites as a child. It was so rare to see Atari games with music, and while the graphics are basic, everything basically looks like what it is without having to make huge leaps of imagination. And I loved the jumping mechanic. I think it helped to have a good "clicky" joystick, rather than the "squishier" ones that originally came with the system for making all those precise jumps. (Yes, I may have worn through a few Atari joysticks in the day...)

When the Grieg kicked in and the game was shown in fast forward, I cracked up. It just struck me as hilarious. That said, I'm going to check this one out for sure.

Came here from a KZfaq ad you made, the ad was well made and your channel is very cool.

I remember a friend in school letting me borrow this in the late 80's. I never played Atari at that point in time, but this game got my attention for a few weeks or so. Pretty fun little game. Thanks for the video!

Another 2600 game that I played all the time . Such a fun game , I remember accidentally finding the glitch world because I wanted see how high I could jump. This probably could go on a top 10 2600 game list. Its damn good especially for 1983.

My cousin had it, I remember that cartridge cover but not sure I ever played it. If I did it apparently didn't make much of an impression because I don't remember it. I usually played stuff like Missile Command, Star Raiders (I think that was what it was called), Donkey Kong, Pac Man. By the time I was old enough to play video games my parents had bought me a C64 so I was more into that.

This was rad. Never heard of this game before this vid, and holy hell do I wanna play it!

We had so many Atari games when I was a kid, but not this one. I would have flipped for this. It looks very groundbreaking for it's time. Thanks for showcasing this little gem.

My dad made up an entire story surrounding 'the mountain king' about a bear who has to cross a field without crushing a single flower and the story built with the music as he told it. Sorry I know it's weird but I have a huge connection with that piece of music. Cheers!

Love Mountain King. Took me a while to get used to the controls. Loved it growing up.

“Actual Game Melody” was a weird disclaimer to have on that vintage commercial. I hadn’t noticed how much the jumping between levels resembled that of “City Connection.” (Or, since it came later, “City Connection” resembled this.)

i have atari flashback portable with an sd card that has all the games so when u do a 2600 video it makes me turn it on everytime. this game is pretty cool!

you get the crown and it starts playing the song "prelude to madness"

Never seen this one before, and for 1983 looks pretty decent, the music is great for the Atari, but its difficulty sounds a bit too much to try it out nowadays. Thanks for bringing this out!

I played the hell out of this and Zorro on the C64! Loved them!

Wow.......I think I owned this one 100 years ago, but someone stole the cart. Would love to see a remastered version at some point. I think (?) it was fun? LOL Another great find. Cheers, Aaron!

This game was fantastic back in the day and was one of the best Atari 2600 titles ever released (just my opinion). The jumping controls seemed no tougher in this game than any other during that time. It just seemed tougher if you missed a platform because the game field seemed so big. The music was phenomenal for its time.

I’d say the play control is actually quite good. It’s just that you have to be very precise with your jumps, and it takes a lot of practice to get the technique down. Mastering the jumping mechanic is the main challenge of the game. Yes, a GenPad is essential; and yes, my thumb is sore.

Looks a little like Jumpman (I think that’s the game I’m thinking about). I recently found the title of one I remember playing as a kid and wondered if you know it. Does Emergency Mission sound familiar..? I recall it in CGA on a PC, but it might have been on the Atari too. Great video! Hope you’re doing well during the pandemic.

That was looking fun until the time limit kicked in! Those bats would drive me batty!

I love the channel and this channel reminds me as a kid I had crappy games for Atari.

For a second there I thought you said "Tickle Chamber" instead of "Temple Chamber." That would have been a completely different game. LOL

Good job Aaron, always like when you do the 2600 games!!!......remember try the paddle games for Atari.

An important game for me. Along with Pitfall II, it was one of the first multi-screen, exploratory type games I ever played.

I find this game to be surprisingly atmospheric and evocative. It's proof that just supplying a couple of details can truly activate the imagination to fill in the rest. The gameplay IS clunky though, even through emulation on a keyboard. I'm hoping to pick up the 5200 version at some point.

My primal music game memory when I hear "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is from Return Fire on 3DO.

I say you gave a very honest review. The jumping can be very aggravated, I believe I was using the Gemini Gemstick for this game. And of course practice with my jumping. But with practice and a better then a standard Atari 2600 joystick. The jumping really isn't differential after that. Yes, the timing is intense to become a Mountain King. I guess I just enjoy this game, because I knew what I suppose to be doing. Then after finishing the game like 8 times or more. It just came easy to beat this game. I go back to it, because there is some random to the game, so it does have a little replay value. If you enjoy finishing the game the first time and listen to the music. Thanks for reviewing Mountain King and I enjoy the review you made.

Shout out to the legend AVGN for my initial exposure to this game. I agree with you though, the simpler 2600 games age so much better than these more complex ones.

Oh man, the commercial used to make me laugh my head off😂😂😂

I have this game but I never played it when I was a kid. Jumping around was cool but I could never figure out what to do aside from that. Comparisons to Pitfall are justified on the surface but this game is not as intuitive at Pitfall. If any of you liked Mountain King as a kid then I'm guessing you climbed the learning curve with vengeance or read the manual. I finished Superman and E.T. when I was a kid so I understand if some people like Mountain King. If I ever pull it out again I will revisit this video and maybe check out the manual.

Great review! :)

I think you overstated the difficulty a bit. 90 seconds is longer than it seems, and if it runs out you don't lose but can try again with your remaining overall time. That, plus the extra minute you get each time you find the flame spirit, means in practice you have two or three tries to get the crown to the top on the first level. Then on higher levels it gets slightly harder each time. I think this is the most atmospheric version of Mountain King, but it was released for some other 8-bit platforms as well, if the 2600 version is too clunky, maybe look for and try one of those?

"Madness reigns! In the Hall of the Mountain Ki..." My bad! Wrong Mountain King! I think there's a glitch in this game if you jump from a specific spot you jump forever and weird things happen. Addendum: That shows me I should wait until the video is OVER before making a reply.

This is the very first computer game I ever played on a c64.

Every time I get the crown those damn bats screw it all up lol

It look amazing and the commercial is funny. 😀👍🎮

Grieg is so Norwegian Black Metal; trolls, kobolds, mountain kings. Awesome!

Without seeing this on the 5200, I would guess the gameplay would be almost identical, but with slightly better graphics. I could be wrong to assume that, but that seems to be how things went for Pitfall1+2 and stuff like the Realsports games.

It's so weird to see CBS associated with any video game, let alone some of the more ambitious fare from the era. I mean, sh**, Tunnel Runner is a FPS for the Atari - that's insane. I can totally understand what you're saying about the games that hold up the best are the ones that kept their ambition in check and made sure they worked well with the hardware, but as someone who doesn't own an Atari and grew up a bit later, I find the ambitious games - whether they were successful or disasters or landed anywhere in between - the more interesting ones to look at and to hear people talk about. Thanks for showing this off, and once again, showing off the accompanying sweet retro commercial :)

I love the old Atari ads.

I had this when it was new and the jumping was always annoying. Not because you had to push diagonally on the stick, but because jumps always took more space than you thought they should. You'd position your guy, jump and find out that you were just a couple pixels too close. You learned to deal with it, but it was always annoying. Other versions of the game had a more forgiving jumps. Of course the glitch area is a mistake. You were never supposed to be able to make a 'super jump' like that. It's not in any other version of the game. It was a bug. BTW, the 2600 version actually has the best handling of the music, at least of the versions I've tried. It slowly and subtly changes in volume depending on whether you're getting closer or farther away from the flame spirit. In the C64 version, 5200 version, etc, it noticeably increases or decreases in rough steps. Which makes it harder to tell if you're going in the right direction. That's the one thing I don't like about the C64 version. Well, that and the fact that the bats are virtually invisible!

The scrolling looks pretty neat for the humble 2600 🤔

Another Suggesting game to review is Blaster Master by Sunsoft on the NES. It's a large game and takes a while to beat it. The bosses on each level are'nt really that easy to beat. Love the background story to this game, weird but neat. Your a little guy with weapons, can jump in a tank that also can jump with weapons. Plenty of baddies to meet up with until the boss levels. One of the games I'm proud of beating. Took me like four weeks of tried and error until I was able to beat this game. Also great music in this game. Thanks.

Thie is a very cool 2600 game, no one I knew had.

I remember playing this on my moms Atari computer. Had slightly better graphics. I remember I would panic if I fell to the bottom because the spiders freaked me out

Thank you!

Has a few pitfalls but I think it's worth $20, you don't often get that kind of visual variety or movement on 2600. Nothing wrong with the more basic game movement systems but the 2600 can support all kinds of gameplay. Think any control issues are just age related, could probably be smoothed out and improved with a hack now.

I played this back in the day, but damn if I could figure it out. Never had an instruction manual, and with no internet, it made for a not fun experience. It's more enjoyable now, but was just another of those inexplicable games if you didn't have the instructions.

Looks fun. I'll play it on my emulator

this video gets a like just for the 1983 tv spot!! I can't believe I'm unfamiliar with this game. ROMulators! mount up...

Does anyone know where to find a working rom of this? I can't find one. I wonder if it has something to do with the "ram plus" of the cart and something you have to tell the emu about?

What's that other early Atari game with had symbols like a lion and you moved around in the temple?

on the advertisement.. i wish the game went that fast lol

Welcome to Friday Night Greig!

omg I fergot about this game id used too play it on commodore 64 and also played Tooth Invaders

Off topic, but if you ever were persuaded to do computer games, I loved Aztec. You played as an explorer in a leather jacket and hat that... yeah, it’s a clear Indiana Jones knock off... but it gave you procedurally generated dungeons and a sense of improvisation that was fun. There were even bugs you could do crazy things with, like sometimes if you were really good you could actually climb a monster’s back to escape. Brutally difficult, unpredictable and let also: fun. Really the closest thing to it today is spelunky. This wiki article seems pretty accurate en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_(video_game)

Play the 5200 version. That one is SUPER EPIC.

Up to jump, wow, how _awful_. [cries in Amiga]

I discovered this game through the AVGN

It took me awhile, but I beat this when I was about 13.

This game looks very deep and interesting for an Atari 2600, but I think what you said at the end applies to any system. Games that tried too hard to push the limits of a console were certainly groundbreaking at the time of their release but they generally aren't worth playing after more powerful and appropriate systems come out. For instance, it was impressive to see polygons on 16-bit consoles, but it's hard to go back and play SFX games on SNES (with the exception of Starfox) when you have better options on 32/64 bit consoles and beyond.

Is that music from Super Mario Land for the Gameboy?

It seems like the bats in this game can drive u bat shit crazy😱

Creepiest game on the 2600. Everything's dark, the song that plays when you're near the dancing flame is ominous, and there's a spider the size of a damn horse in there.

There is a Half Price Bookstore not far from me that has one of these for sale. They have it locked behind a glass door along with some much more expensive items and has video surveillance. I know the game isn’t one of the cheaper used Atari 2600 cartridges to buy but I think they’re going a little overboard.

This game got me so tilted back in the day.....

Also, awesome video.

I betcha a blind person could beat the flame spirit level.

Word

I never done this but... First! :)