The Midnight Tiger: Complete Guide to Atari 2600 Video Games [Paperback]

Ben Coulson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

The games that I have reviewed are how I see them and many of you may not agree with some of the reviews in question. That would be a valid point, for few share the same opinion as another. The reviews are simply a guide for those out there who may not have heard of a particular game or may have heard of a game but have no actual conception of the game play involved. I hope that I have provided a useful insight into the games that are available for the Atari 2600 as well as being an invaluable aid to collectors. It has been a faithful companion to many who have enjoyed playing it and it is pleasing to note that new designers have begun to release new titles for it on a regular basis. Hopefully the Atari will still be a key fixture in many homes for the foreseeable future, let us hope so.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Upfront Publishing (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844262650
• ISBN-13: 978-1844262656
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,667,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A wretched self-published manifesto w/dozens of errors., June 5, 2004

By 

Zach Meston (Redding, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Midnight Tiger: Complete Guide to Atari 2600 Video Games (Paperback)

"The Midnight Tiger" purports to review more than 600 Atari 2600 games, but each "review" is a brief paragraph of poorly written text that often leaves the reader wondering what the game is ABOUT, never mind whether or not it's entertaining.

The reviews aren't accompanied by screenshots, a bizarre choice for the inherently visual medium of video games, so you're stuck with trying to decipher the author's hapless attempts at gameplay descriptions.

In addition, the "book" is filled with dozens of factual errors, such as the author's claim that a 2600 version of Duke Nukem is in development. This was an April Fool's joke by the developers of Duke Nukem, and quickly revealed as such.

That the author of this "book" believed a multi-million-dollar company would create a brand-new game for the Atari 2600, which has been dead for roughly 20 years, instantly and permanently destroys his credibility.

If you want a thorough history of the Atari 2600 and its library of games, go to AtariAge.com.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a nice little reference book, March 26, 2005

By 

Ivan Shepperd (Richardson, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Midnight Tiger: Complete Guide to Atari 2600 Video Games (Paperback)

I'm not sure why this book received a couple of 1-star ratings. It may not be Pulitzer Prize material but it's still pretty good at critiquing games for the old Atari 2600. Each game description is about four or five sentences long. Not tremendous detail but enough to give you a feel for the game and whether or not it is worth playing.

The only thing I found a little odd is that he really likes to use the word "for" where I might use "because" or a period to break a sentence in two. Example: "Each wave gets harder and harder for the birds get smaller and even split into two." There's nothing reqlly wrong with it. It just sounds a little stilted. Hey, the guy is from the UK.

That aside, I found the material to be interesting and accurate for the most part. It's really just the author's opinion of the Atari 2600 games, some of which you may not agree with.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Authors Description, April 25, 2004

By 

"midnightfalcon06" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Midnight Tiger: Complete Guide to Atari 2600 Video Games (Paperback)

Hi I am the author of the book 'The Midnight Tiger Guide to Atari 2600 Video Games and I woudl like to tell you something about it.

Book Description
Soft cover paperback edition review guide for the Atari 2600 and its games. Contains personal reviews on virtually every game made for the famous system as well as information on companies both past and present.

Synopsis
The games that I have reviewed are how I see them and many of you may not agree with some of the reviews in question. That would be a valid point, for few share the same opinion as another. The reviews are simply a guide for those out there who may not have heard of a particular game or may have heard of a game but have no actual conception of the game play involved. I hope that I have provided a useful insight into the games that are available for the Atari 2600 as well as being an invaluable aid to collectors. It has been a faithful companion to many who have enjoyed playing it and it is pleasing to note that new designers have begun to release new titles for it on a regular basis. Hopefully the Atari will still be a key fixture in many homes for the foreseeable future, let us hope so.

From the Author
The Midnight Tiger Guide to Atari 2600 Video Games is a personal project that I undertook to aid not only myself but other collectors of this much loved vintage gaming system. I compiled a guide containing over 600 personal reviews which I believe contains every game currently available for the Atari 2600. These games range from common to Holy Grail and even prototype and hacks made from modern day designers. I wanted this book to be able to help other collectors to complete their collections by making them aware of the vast number of games that are still out there. In the back of the book I have added information on vintage companies as well as comprising a list of modern day companies and individuals that still create and sell 2600 games. Hopefully others will find this review a useful tool in their never ending quest.