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An avid gamer, I am up to date on all the latest games, but Alternate Reality: The City is absolutely my favorite game of all time.
I recently took a break from my current favorite, Ultima Online, to start up a new Alternate Reality: The City character and boy was it an extreme challenge and lots of fun. Just imagine, perma-death!
I have tried all the other AR versions i.e. Atari ST, Amiga, Commodore 64, PC, but it is specifically the Atari 8-bit version that I am referring to.
The difference is the immersive-ness, realism and feel. Even Alternate Reality: The Dungeon for Atari 8bit does not have it. The Dungeon seems more complex, by offering quests and more control, but is it really? Not even close!
One time, after years of play, one of my characters in AR: The City for the Atari 8-bit got Scurvy! Presumably, this was from not eating any fruit, as all I ate was Food Packets & Water Flasks. I was blown away – a game aspect that would not be possible to discover until after years of consistent play and the remote chance that I did not drink any fruit juice or have a single bit of fruit in a tavern.
What else waits to be discovered?
If you can remember arriving at the floating gate, hearing the wind whistle through the town square, the background sounds of a bustling town and the sun slowly rising overhead, then you know what I am talking about.
Which leads me to believe that the difference was Philip Price, as he is the creator of the game and the programmer for the 8-bit version, exclusively.
He was way ahead of his time and so was AR: The City.
Simply, Genius!
P.S. Anyone ever put this out on a cartridge?
If you have not played recently, try it out!
Download Atari800win emulator for PC here: http://atariarea.histeria.pl/PLus/index_us.htm
Download the Atari ROM files:
http://numen.scene.pl/download/atari_roms.zip
Download Alternate Reality: The City here:
http://www.avatardesign.net/alternatereality/files/default.asp
Copy rom files (*.rom) from zip file that you have downloaded, into "Rom" subfolder of emulator. Start the emulator and begin setting it up:
go to "Atari/ROM images..." and click "Search" button. Now locate "Rom" subfolder in your HDD by choosing this subfolder from shown HDD-tree. It could be, for example following location: "D:emu-testAtari800WinPLus30Rom" Confirm your choice by clicking "OK". Make sure that there is a mark on the "XL/XE" inscription in "Atari/Machine type" submenu
Load disk one and disk two into drive one and two; push F5 (Reset) to boot.
Interesting articles on Alternate Reality: The City
http://www.atariarchives.org/cfn/05/10/0015.php
http://www.ataritimes.com/8-bit/reviews/altreality.html
http://www.marktaw.com/reviews/AlternateRealityTheVideoG.html
” Keeping track of characters' blood alcohol level, disease incubation time, neural and blood poison was not too difficult. It was fun to have a character's reaction time decrease as they became intoxicated, as was the wobbling and finally the blackouts.” – Philip Price on Alternate Reality: The City from:
http://www.dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/PRICE.HTM
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Alternate Reality: The City - The Best Game Ever! new
