Asteroids (Rating: 10/10)
Around the time of space shooters like Galaxian and Space Invaders, Asteroids managed to stick out from them by utilizing one awesome gameplay twist: Controlling a multidirectional spaceship.
That said, Asteroids is terrific. Shooting things has never been any more thrilling (at the time) thanks to the fabulous control over your ship. You can move anywhere you please, but it's not as simple as that; you gotta pull the brakes if you want to stop the ship. And your ship actually has to TURN to go the direction you want it to.
Fortunately, that all made for a deeper experience, yet the overall game manages to be addicting as heck.
That said, Asteroids is terrific. Shooting things has never been any more thrilling (at the time) thanks to the fabulous control over your ship. You can move anywhere you please, but it's not as simple as that; you gotta pull the brakes if you want to stop the ship. And your ship actually has to TURN to go the direction you want it to.
Fortunately, that all made for a deeper experience, yet the overall game manages to be addicting as heck.
Breakout (Rating: 4/10)
Yes, I get it. This hailed from the 70s, where video games were as primitive as they could get. But it had some greats. Pong is an all-time classic, Asteroids and Space Invaders were pretty neat shooters, and Breakout.....was a game of Pong against a million bricks on a single screen.
The idea is innovative at the time, but the execution is lacking. One can't possible have the attention span that this game requires for you to destroy every single block on the screen. Granted, there were new ways to play the game on this Atari 2600 cart. You could make it so you can catch the ball in your paddle, or you could steer the ball (Which half-works). This only changes how the ball bounce against the bricks, though, rather than the slow pace.
What could have saved this game was its "Breakthru" mode. It allowed the ball to, instead of bounce off the blocks, go THROUGH them as they are destroyed! The pace went faster than ever, but it just so happens to go TOO fast. Literally. The ball somehow gains speed as it eats up the bricks. Once the ball bounces back toward the bottom of the screen, it could beat Sonic in a race. That's not fun for the player, but rather frustrating.
The idea is innovative at the time, but the execution is lacking. One can't possible have the attention span that this game requires for you to destroy every single block on the screen. Granted, there were new ways to play the game on this Atari 2600 cart. You could make it so you can catch the ball in your paddle, or you could steer the ball (Which half-works). This only changes how the ball bounce against the bricks, though, rather than the slow pace.
What could have saved this game was its "Breakthru" mode. It allowed the ball to, instead of bounce off the blocks, go THROUGH them as they are destroyed! The pace went faster than ever, but it just so happens to go TOO fast. Literally. The ball somehow gains speed as it eats up the bricks. Once the ball bounces back toward the bottom of the screen, it could beat Sonic in a race. That's not fun for the player, but rather frustrating.
Dig Dug (Rating: 9/10)
Dig Dug was just another one of those smash hits in your local video arcade. You dig through the ground, finding and blowing up enemies with a pump. It had simple gameplay, but that simple gameplay became very fun.
The Atari 2600 version is a lot like that. The graphics were actually pretty impressive for the Atari, and the sounds were fairly good too.
The Atari 2600 version is a lot like that. The graphics were actually pretty impressive for the Atari, and the sounds were fairly good too.
Donkey Kong (Rating: 6/10)
Nintendo was about to go bankrupt, but then Miyamoto was tasked to create an arcade game. That arcade game is Donkey Kong. It became as big as Pac-Man (Okay, maybe not as big) and lived up to even today. The Atari 2600 port was a good game. There was one major flaw though: 2 levels are missing. So you only get to play through 2 levels.
However, the game is still kinda fun to play.....But having to play only half the game just doesnt work for me that much.
However, the game is still kinda fun to play.....But having to play only half the game just doesnt work for me that much.
Donkey Kong Jr. (Rating: 4/10)
Donkey Kong Jr is a great arcade game. It may not have the same amount of success as Donkey Kong did, but it was still a popular gem...I guess. Like his father, Junior here was ported to several classic systems, including the Atari 2600. Okay.... How are we going to produce the awesomism of the arcade game onto something so primitive in comparison?
Here's how: Make it total crap. As soon as you start playing it, the first level is totally brown. ICK. I know the Atari had limited graphics, but don't tell me you can't make a green line atop of every platform to represent grass.
As for the gameplay, There's no fruit to crush the enemies with, and...heck with it, the alligators Mario spawns fall through the ground anyway. But that's not all. When Junior climbs a vine/rope, it makes a really annoying screeching sound. And when the second level comes (The one with the keys), Junior climbs on the ropes SLOWER, so you have to bear that screeching sound even more! Thankfully, there's only 3 keys...
But the third level (with the electronic sparks than kill Junior) is nearly impossible. There was no way for me to grab onto just one vine there. I had to hold onto 2, forcing me to face the wrath of the sparks. I know there might be strategy behind this, but this game was already pure heck by this point...
Here's how: Make it total crap. As soon as you start playing it, the first level is totally brown. ICK. I know the Atari had limited graphics, but don't tell me you can't make a green line atop of every platform to represent grass.
As for the gameplay, There's no fruit to crush the enemies with, and...heck with it, the alligators Mario spawns fall through the ground anyway. But that's not all. When Junior climbs a vine/rope, it makes a really annoying screeching sound. And when the second level comes (The one with the keys), Junior climbs on the ropes SLOWER, so you have to bear that screeching sound even more! Thankfully, there's only 3 keys...
But the third level (with the electronic sparks than kill Junior) is nearly impossible. There was no way for me to grab onto just one vine there. I had to hold onto 2, forcing me to face the wrath of the sparks. I know there might be strategy behind this, but this game was already pure heck by this point...
Jr. Pac-Man (Rating: 10/10)
Jr. Pac-Man is a really overlooked game in the arcades, mainly because Midway snuck this in without Namco hearing about what they're doing.
The Atari port is one of the only ports Jr. Pac-Man was ever ported to.
The Pac-Man gameplay is at its fastest and best on the Atari, and the maze is so big, it scrolls up and down (Although left and right in the arcade version).
If you had enjoyed the Pac-Man games, this is one unique game you really gotta get.
The Atari port is one of the only ports Jr. Pac-Man was ever ported to.
The Pac-Man gameplay is at its fastest and best on the Atari, and the maze is so big, it scrolls up and down (Although left and right in the arcade version).
If you had enjoyed the Pac-Man games, this is one unique game you really gotta get.
Mario Bros. (Rating: 8/10)
Mario Bros is an awesome arcade game. It stars Mario and Luigi and shows that they are really plumbers.
The Atari 2600 version plays just as great, but the graphics and sounds are obviously....Atari-ed.
As Mario, you just hit enemies from underneath, and then kick 'em off! Oh, and grab the coins, too.
Things are especially fun in 2-player mode, in which the other player plays as Luigi.
Overall, this game can't be missed by any Mario fan.
The Atari 2600 version plays just as great, but the graphics and sounds are obviously....Atari-ed.
As Mario, you just hit enemies from underneath, and then kick 'em off! Oh, and grab the coins, too.
Things are especially fun in 2-player mode, in which the other player plays as Luigi.
Overall, this game can't be missed by any Mario fan.
Mini Golf (Rating: 1/10)
Mini Golf games are pretty common, but they seem to offer various kinds of quality (Most notably the ones online on various websites). Mini Golf on the Atari 2600, however, is a failed attempt at mimicking the family sport.
Don't tell me a BLOCK is the best way the Atari 2600 can represent a putter! I've seen what the Atari can do! It can draw a club! A ball being a square, I understand, but the PUTTER? Yeah...Everything in this game is represented by squares and rectangles.
The variety in all of these courses are lacking as heck. The only obstacle is a moving...block. This makes for really bland Mini Golf play. Why can't there be more obstacles? Oh wait. There technically is: Poor design.
What I'm trying to say there is that there are notable points where you don't even have enough range for hitting the ball. THAT INCLUDES WHERE YOU START IN THE COURSE. So basically you are usually forced to NOT get a hole-in-one. Yup. Poor design...
To quote The Video Game Critic from his review of this game: "Even for a 1979 game, this is just an embarrassment"
Don't tell me a BLOCK is the best way the Atari 2600 can represent a putter! I've seen what the Atari can do! It can draw a club! A ball being a square, I understand, but the PUTTER? Yeah...Everything in this game is represented by squares and rectangles.
The variety in all of these courses are lacking as heck. The only obstacle is a moving...block. This makes for really bland Mini Golf play. Why can't there be more obstacles? Oh wait. There technically is: Poor design.
What I'm trying to say there is that there are notable points where you don't even have enough range for hitting the ball. THAT INCLUDES WHERE YOU START IN THE COURSE. So basically you are usually forced to NOT get a hole-in-one. Yup. Poor design...
To quote The Video Game Critic from his review of this game: "Even for a 1979 game, this is just an embarrassment"
Ms. Pac-Man (Rating: 9/10)
Pac-Man for the Atari was criticized due to flickering ghosts and different graphics, sounds, and maze design. Ms. Pac-Man on the Atari, however, was more faithful to its arcade origin.
The sounds, graphics, and gameplay were all identical, despite some parts of maze designs altered to fit in the Atari.
The sounds, graphics, and gameplay were all identical, despite some parts of maze designs altered to fit in the Atari.
Night Driver (Rating: 10/10)
Night Driver is a driving game that was certainly one to put the player in the driver's seat! You could compare this to other games such as Pole Position or Rad Racer, but Night Driver was one of the first, if not THE first, of its kind. And what a first it is - It's a pretty awesome game for something as primitive as Atari 2600 standards.
The lights on each side of the screen do a surprisingly effective job at making it look like a road at night, and it really helps that it's within a pseudo-3D perspective. Believe it or not, this is the only game I know of in which graphics really do matter in the game, because the lights are the only way to indicate the road, so when the lights change direction, that depicts a curved road, and you gotta steer to that direction!
Another element that adds to the gameplay is opposing cars. Yup. Along with watching the road, you gotta avoid upcoming cars when they come towards the screen! This is as robust as the action gets.
But that's why the game's so great - Simple gameplay, yet very fun!
The lights on each side of the screen do a surprisingly effective job at making it look like a road at night, and it really helps that it's within a pseudo-3D perspective. Believe it or not, this is the only game I know of in which graphics really do matter in the game, because the lights are the only way to indicate the road, so when the lights change direction, that depicts a curved road, and you gotta steer to that direction!
Another element that adds to the gameplay is opposing cars. Yup. Along with watching the road, you gotta avoid upcoming cars when they come towards the screen! This is as robust as the action gets.
But that's why the game's so great - Simple gameplay, yet very fun!
Pac-Man (Rating: 3.5/10)
I used to have given this game a 4/5 due to it still kinda being fun. However, I've looked closer into the game, and that fun was depleted by several factors, part of which being that this isn't the Pac-Man we've known and loved. What happened to the sound effects? What's with the completely different/repetitive maze? WHY DO THE GHOSTS FLICKER?! This turned one of the most popular games of the time into utter crap! It's playable, but there's a LOT to tolerate!
Pitfall (Rating: 10/10)
Back in the day, most of what you were seeing on the Atari 2600 were either arcade ports or one-screened games. They're mostly pretty fun to play, but when this game came into the scene, it blew them away quickly.
Pitfall did not just stay in one screen. It was one of the first side-scrollers, although one screen moves to the next rather than move with character.
The gameplay was really fun and addicting. At the time, the game felt like an adventure. You must find the treasures while avoiding hazards like alligators, snakes, fires, and scorpions. The alligators, however, also help you across lakes, since they let you jump on their heads.
There is a lot to explore in Pitfall. There are so many screens in this game that I can't count the limits exploring within the game.
The graphics are really good for the Atari. They are colorful and they give Pitfall Harry an iconic outfit.
The sounds are pure Atari 2600 sound effects. There is no music, but it didn't matter, because it's Atari. And who can remember that sound when Harry swings on a vine? Sounded pretty heavenly at the time.
Overall, if you are an Atari junkie, you can't be complete without this game.
Pitfall did not just stay in one screen. It was one of the first side-scrollers, although one screen moves to the next rather than move with character.
The gameplay was really fun and addicting. At the time, the game felt like an adventure. You must find the treasures while avoiding hazards like alligators, snakes, fires, and scorpions. The alligators, however, also help you across lakes, since they let you jump on their heads.
There is a lot to explore in Pitfall. There are so many screens in this game that I can't count the limits exploring within the game.
The graphics are really good for the Atari. They are colorful and they give Pitfall Harry an iconic outfit.
The sounds are pure Atari 2600 sound effects. There is no music, but it didn't matter, because it's Atari. And who can remember that sound when Harry swings on a vine? Sounded pretty heavenly at the time.
Overall, if you are an Atari junkie, you can't be complete without this game.
Popeye (Rating: 9/10)
Popeye is an arcade game based off of the old television cartoon show (which is still being watched on Boomerang, by the way). While the game didn't really grow as popular as games like Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, it was a cult classic.
You play as Popeye, and you must catch whatever Olive throws down (Hearts, music notes, H E L P letters). Each level has Olive throwing down different things. Of course, there's also Bluto trying to get in your way. If you get close to him, it's likely that he will throw wine bottles at you. You gotta break them by punching them. If you get farther in the game, a witch would probably come and throw skulls at you, too.
Each level has different gimmicks. The first has nothing, actually. The second level has a seesaw you can use to reach a platform unreachable by doing everything else. The third level shows Olive being captured by a bird. The bird is another obstacle which you can hurt by punching.
Overall, it is a great arcade game and the Atari 2600 version is no disappointment.
You play as Popeye, and you must catch whatever Olive throws down (Hearts, music notes, H E L P letters). Each level has Olive throwing down different things. Of course, there's also Bluto trying to get in your way. If you get close to him, it's likely that he will throw wine bottles at you. You gotta break them by punching them. If you get farther in the game, a witch would probably come and throw skulls at you, too.
Each level has different gimmicks. The first has nothing, actually. The second level has a seesaw you can use to reach a platform unreachable by doing everything else. The third level shows Olive being captured by a bird. The bird is another obstacle which you can hurt by punching.
Overall, it is a great arcade game and the Atari 2600 version is no disappointment.
Space Invaders (Rating: 9/10)
Space Invaders is a very simple arcade game, but it was a novelty back then. It was later ported to the Atari 2600.
You must shoot down all of the aliens while avoiding their attacks on you. That's all the gameplay is. But you know what? It was addicting.
The graphics and sounds were pretty cool on the Atari. The beeps and bloops are like as if they were formatted to sound like a simple explosion or zap or something like those.
What's special about the cartridge is how it contains a lot more game modes. Most you must play with a friend. It gives Space Invaders more variety of interactivity.
You must shoot down all of the aliens while avoiding their attacks on you. That's all the gameplay is. But you know what? It was addicting.
The graphics and sounds were pretty cool on the Atari. The beeps and bloops are like as if they were formatted to sound like a simple explosion or zap or something like those.
What's special about the cartridge is how it contains a lot more game modes. Most you must play with a friend. It gives Space Invaders more variety of interactivity.
Spider-Man (Rating: 8/10)
Spider-Man for the Atari has a simple goal: Climb up to the top of the skyscraper, avoiding bombs and other obstacles.
If you miss part of the building, or you collided with bombs or other obstacles, you will fall. Latch onto the building again with your web.
It plays like an arcade game, and an addicting one too.
If you miss part of the building, or you collided with bombs or other obstacles, you will fall. Latch onto the building again with your web.
It plays like an arcade game, and an addicting one too.
Taz (Rating: 8/10)
Ah, Atari 2600. Nearly everything that touched the system was an addicting arcade-style game. Taz, even as a licensed title, happens to be one of those many fun thingies. This game could have been anything, really. Taz could be replaced with Garfield or a mouth and it wouldn't change anything. But nevertheless, it was a very fun game.
The game is all about eating randomly discarded food while avoiding dynamite. Since Taz and the other surrounding objects move at a fair and fast speed, the simple experience is satisfying.
The game is all about eating randomly discarded food while avoiding dynamite. Since Taz and the other surrounding objects move at a fair and fast speed, the simple experience is satisfying.
Warlords (Rating: 10/10)
Warlords has some pretty deep gameplay based on a simple, yet ingenious concept. Pong's an all-time classic, and we all know that. But combine its mechanics with Breakout-ish blocks behind the paddles, and add more players against each other, and you've got what could be the ultimate early 80s multiplayer experience.
The resulting gameplay is just AWESOME, and it couldn't work in a better way. The battles between you, the CPU, and/or your friend(s?) could get pretty intense as the ball could possibly change speed (depending on how it bounced off something). Warlords is great in arcades, and the Atari 2600 does the game justice when it comes to delivering this epic experience at home.
The resulting gameplay is just AWESOME, and it couldn't work in a better way. The battles between you, the CPU, and/or your friend(s?) could get pretty intense as the ball could possibly change speed (depending on how it bounced off something). Warlords is great in arcades, and the Atari 2600 does the game justice when it comes to delivering this epic experience at home.