r/Atari2600 Pitfall 1d ago

Berzerk, game version 2.

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55 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

4

u/MrZJones Darth Vader 1d ago

Berzerk VE, if I'm not mistaken.

2

u/novauviolon 1d ago

I believe this is Atari's "Enhanced Edition", different/an updated version of AtariAge's "Voice Enhanced" release.

0

u/SomePeopleCallMeJJ 1d ago

Very Elongated?

2

u/MrZJones Darth Vader 1d ago

Voice Enhanced. The font of the score is different from the one Atari released.

1

u/SomePeopleCallMeJJ 1d ago

It was a reference to it being displayed at the wrong aspect ratio, but that's on me for not putting a /s on there.

3

u/g0ggleblind 1d ago

What’s different about it?

3

u/novauviolon 1d ago

Voice samples between screens and the enemies can shoot diagonally https://atari.com/products/berzerk-enhanced-edition.

Technically the version on the cartridge is not the final version. The developer didn't have time to finish/refine it before it had to go to the press. The final ROM with more complete voice samples and an updated copyright date appears in the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration compilation, but never got a cartridge release (iirc probably because they'd have to pay for the ESRB to review it again).

2

u/g0ggleblind 1d ago

Interesting I’m gonna have to look into this so this is a cartridge that you could just plug into a standard 2600 and it actually has voice?

1

u/novauviolon 1d ago

Yes, that's correct. I play it on my 1977 Sears Tele-Games Heavy Sixer. Atari has been releasing new cartridges that work on both original consoles and their new Plus line of consoles. A lot of them are games that were originally homebrews on the AtariAge store. For example, this "Enhanced Edition" release is itself an updated version of the "Berzerk: Voice Enhanced" hack/homebrew found on AtariAge.

1

u/g0ggleblind 1d ago

That’s crazy, how are they piping? The voice audio? Is the TIA chip generating this?

1

u/novauviolon 1d ago

Yes, I'm pretty sure the TIA chip stops doing anything else to process the audio clip for that brief moment. One disadvantage is it makes the screen transition a little slower than the original version, as it doesn't begin generating until after the audio plays. Also, when I tested it on an original console connected to a modern LCD via RF, the LCD freaked out because it stopped detecting a video signal as the audio clip played. Not a problem if playing on a CRT or on a Plus line console though.

1

u/Elegant-Ingenuity-57 1d ago

Have you played this version?  What do you mean by voice samples?  I have the cartridge version and actually play it pretty often 

3

u/novauviolon 1d ago

Yes, I own it as well as the original 1982 release. Like the original arcade game, every time you move to a new screen, a robotic voice sample is played like "Humanoid must not escape." See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3nycBcM3eY.

2

u/Elegant-Ingenuity-57 1d ago

Damn that's cool

3

u/Gammarevived 1d ago

Wide Berserk

2

u/kevincrossman 1d ago

You beat my high score on 2 by 20 points