Dig Dug (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: General Computer Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

Dig Dug is an action game that was initially released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Offers a wide variety of level arrangements to keep things interesting and the collectable vegetables add risk-reward.

+ Quickly diagnosing layouts and planning a method of attack during the pre-stage jingle is both entertaining and stressful.

+ Craftily, you earn more points by defeating foes lower down the screen, and luring them into falling rocks is fiendishly fun.

+ Excellent graphical overhaul compared to the Atari 5200 version (1983) with less flicker and more detailed sprites.

- Controls aren't tight enough and many times you'll lose a life due to overshooting your intended target by a small amount.

- Pressing the button to activate your pump isn't always responsive and rapid fire attempts feel like hard work.

- While the Atari 5200 port offered 12 different skill levels to begin your game, this version only offers a meagre two.

Dig Dug (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: GCC
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1983

Dig Dug is an action game that was initially released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Provides a two-player turn-based option (as well as a stage select), and there's a perfect difficulty curve to ease you in.

+ Offers a wide variety of level arrangements to keep things interesting and the collectable vegetables add risk-reward.

+ Quickly diagnosing layouts and planning a method of attack during the pre-stage jingle is both entertaining and stressful.

+ Craftily, you earn more points by defeating foes lower down the screen, and luring them into falling rocks is fiendishly fun.

+ Though you'll often get sandwiched between enemies, it's neat alternating hits to keep them at bay until they explode.

- There's an unfortunate amount of sprite flicker in higher stages, which can cause confusion when two enemies overlap.

- Controls aren't tight enough and many times you'll lose a life due to overshooting your intended target by a small amount.

Ballblazer (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Lucasfilm Games
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

Ballblazer is a sports game that was also released on the Atari 5200 in 1986.

+ Action is impressively fast-paced with no slowdown despite the split-screen, and the graphics fit the futuristic vibe.

+ Brilliant scoring system to keep the competition tense, ranging from 1-3 points depending on your distance from the goal.

+ Has some clever ways to outwit your foe, such as swerving the ball and using the boundary to your advantage.

+ Two-player mode is the highlight and shooting the winning goal when the posts are at their narrowest is euphoric.

+ POKEY chip sings with its bass-heavy tones and there's neat audio cues to signal when you can blast an opponent.

- Looks and plays almost exactly like the Atari 5200 version and it's fair to question this port's lack of enhancements.

- Camera alternates between two angles and it can be very disorientating when it suddenly moves to a side-view.

Ballblazer (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: Lucasfilm Games
Publisher: Atari Corp.
Released: 1986

Ballblazer is a sports game that was also ported to the Atari 7800 in 1988.

+ Action is impressively fast-paced with no slowdown despite the split-screen, and the graphics fit the futuristic vibe.

+ Brilliant scoring system to keep the competition tense, ranging from 1-3 points depending on your distance from the goal.

+ Has some clever ways to outwit your foe, such as swerving the ball and using the boundary to your advantage.

+ Two-player mode is the highlight and shooting the winning goal when the posts are at their narrowest is euphoric. 

+ Bass-heavy intro music rocks, and there's some innovative audio cues to signal when you can blast an opponent.

- Camera alternates between two angles and it can be very disorientating when it suddenly moves to a side-view.

- While there's nine CPU skill levels, it's a shame a Tournament mode wasn't implemented to prolong play sessions.

Basketbrawl (Atari Lynx review)

Developer: Hamilton and Associates
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1992

Basketbrawl is a sports game that was originally released in 1990 on the Atari 7800.

+ Has ten characters (up from six in the original) with unique play-styles, and balancing scoring vs combat is a neat concept.

+ Has welcome new features like player recovery and weapons, and a handy password code is displayed after each match.

- Disappointingly, you can no longer chose your preferred game length and the ball bouncing SFX is beyond irritating.

- Action is choppier than on the 7800 and you often can't tell what's happening when players congregate in the same area.

- A curious removal from this port is your ability to jump, which hampers defensive rebounding in favour of button mashing.

- Screen only scrolls with your player rather than the ball handler, and it's far too easy to lose track of the action.

Air Rescue (Sega Master System review)

Developer: SIMS
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

Air Rescue is an action game that takes inspiration from Choplifter (1982, Apple II).

+ Displays a handy map prior to each stage for strategic planning and the timer creates urgency to your rescue mission.

+ Can switch between four weapons at the helipad, giving you numerous ways to tackle the enemy assault that lies ahead.

+ Stage 2's verticality mixes things up and rescuing people from the burning building requires more finesse than combat.

+ Challenge is spot-on and Stage 5's cave escape is epic due to its narrow corridors where absolute precision is needed.

+ Has five continues, the soundtrack is outstanding and the animation of the ladder swinging from your helicopter is terrific.

- Only five short missions available and once you've seen the credits there's nothing else to sink your teeth into.

- Attempting to fire a projectile is hit-and-miss, as the game doesn't always seem to register your inputs.

Choplifter (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Sega R&D 2
Publisher: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Released: 1986

Choplifter is a 1982 scrolling shooter (Apple II), although this version is based on the 1985 Arcade remake.

+ Missions have greater depth than the original game, a wider range of enemies / hazards, and there's a two-player mode.

+ Adds much needed variety in the way of new locales that test your skills in close quarters and wide-open spaces.

+ Travelling deeper and deeper into enemy territory is nerve-wracking and making it out alive is extremely gratifying.

+ Graphics are gorgeous and the awesome parallax effects don't interfere with the smooth scrolling / frame-rate.

- Difficulty is off the charts from Stage 1 and the game doesn't offer you any continues to aid learning and progression.

- Screen doesn't always scroll far enough ahead, leading to unforeseeable enemies that pot-shot you for quick kills.

- Shots don't always destroy clearly struck targets, and there's a mountain of flicker when rescuing hostages.

Berzerk (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: GCC
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1983

Berzerk is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1980.

+ Each attempt plays entirely different from the last thanks to procedurally generated maps and shifting enemy locations.

+ Gameplay pushes you to think and act quickly, and Evil Otto's impending presence is genuinely unnerving.

+ Knowing when to bail and exit to avoid Otto, or risk eliminating all robots for bonus points is a gripping premise.

+ Gives you tons of freedom in how you approach each screen, as well as how you progress through the elaborate maze.

+ Voice clips are fantastic with many memorable lines that enhance the game's personality and likeability.

- Your Humanoid's movements are slow and clunky, which makes it hard to avoid enemy fire in higher skill levels.

- Takes a while to adjust to shots coming from the right of your sprite (rather than dead centre) when firing upwards.

Choplifter (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Ibid, Inc.
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

Choplifter is a scrolling shooter that was originally released on the Apple II in 1982.

+ Gameplay is immersive, in large part due to its hook of testing your ability to return all 64 hostages to base.

+ Travelling deeper and deeper into enemy territory is nerve-wracking and making it out alive is extremely gratifying.

+ Tanks are more menacing than the Atari 5200 port (1984) due to their size, with the upshot being that they're easier to hit.

+ Significant visual upgrade from the Atari 5200 version and there's some cute graphical flourishes that add character.

- Takes an age for the hostages to exit your vehicle and it's bothersome how much it slows down the action.

- There's some dreadful slowdown when flying straight-on, and enemy jets fly in too quickly to competently react.

- Two-player option is absent, there's only one difficulty setting and no additional modes have been added.

Choplifter (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: GCC
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1984

Choplifter is a scrolling shooter that was originally released on the Apple II in 1982.

+ Gameplay is immersive, in large part due to its hook of testing your ability to return all 64 hostages to base.

+ Has some cute graphical flourishes, such as the flag blowing in the wind and the hostages that wave after being freed.

- Challenging gameplay has a cheapness to it, as it's difficult to anticipate incoming jets that quickly down your vehicle.

- Hit detection is insanely janky (especially when shooting downwards) and there's some heavy slowdown at times.

- Enemy tanks look less than menacing due to their minuscule size, which also makes them tough to actually hit.

- Animation and scrolling is jerky, which has the knock-on effect of negating pinpoint precision in your movements.

- No two-player mode, and the preset skill level might deter some gamers as there's no difficulty options.

Mountain King (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: K-Byte
Publisher: CBS Electronics
Released: 1983

Mountain King is a platformer that was originally released on Atari 8-bit computers in 1983.

+ Brilliant concept that mixes Arcade style action with treasure hunting by requiring you to use the flashlight.

+ Amazing use of audio and it's clever how the tune gets quieter / louder depending on your proximity to the Flame Spirit.

+ Grabbing the Golden Crown and sprinting back to the top is exhilarating and the timer increases urgency.

- Clumsy controls absolutely ruin the game and the imprecise jumping mechanics are a constant source of frustration.

- Collision detection isn't so hot and you'll frequently find yourself falling from ladders and off the side of platforms.

- Not as pick-up-and-play as other titles of the period, and gamers will need to read the manual before attempting a run.

- SFX are super annoying after a few run-throughs, as they feature random popping sounds for no discernible reason.

Mario Bros. (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: Atari, Inc.
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1983

Mario Bros. is an action-platformer that was first released in the Arcade in 1983.

+ Quickly forming a plan to defeat foes and avoid fireballs in rather cramped environments is part of the games' charm.

+ Varying enemy types have lots of personality and the animation of the turtle kicking its shell back onto itself is hilarious!

+ POW block evens the playing field in precarious situations, and the collectable coins add a neat risk-reward element.

- Mario's movements are egregiously slippery and trying to make split-second turns is nigh-on impossible.

- Each stage features an identical layout, and the Challenge stage's coins are always located in the same places.

- Hazardous fireballs are overly aggressive in early stages and the hit detection when bopping a platform is suspect.

- Graphics have a washed-out look, while the animation is choppy and the SFX play some ear-piercing notes.

Qix (Atari 5200 review)

Developer: GCC
Publisher: Atari, Inc.
Released: 1982

Qix is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1981.

+ Gameplay is addictive and despite the simple premise the fast-paced action always forces you to think two steps ahead. 

+ Considerable amount of techniques you can employ to fill the screen, so you always have new strategies to try out.

+ Sparx are brilliantly devious, as they stop you from moving safely by chasing your lines around the playfield.

+ Genius points system, as while you can move fast to claim territory, navigating slowly racks up an even bigger score.

+ Expertly dividing two Qix is thrilling and the game rewards you for consecutive splits by increasing the score multiplier.

+ Unlike the NES version (1991), this port has multiple difficulty options to cater to your particular skill level.

- Action can become quite repetitive and there's no gameplay variations to increase its long-term appeal.

Title Match Pro Wrestling (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

Title Match Pro Wrestling is a sports game that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1987).

+ Unlike Mat Mania Challenge (1990, Atari 7800) there's four wrestlers, as well as a tag team mode for 1-2 players.

+ Strength bar attempts to thwart button mashing by making you think more methodically to beat fellow competitors.

- However, the cheap path is to simply kick repeatedly when at full strength and then slam your foe for a very quick pin.

- Move-set is bizarre, as it excludes many customary and expected attacks such as clotheslines, suplexes and dropkicks.

- While there's four characters, their attacks and abilities are exactly the same which defeats the purpose of a wrestling game.

- Only single matches are available, which is puzzling when there's three other viable opponents to battle against.

- Some of the animations are atrocious, particularly the Airplane Spin which looks more like ballroom dancing!

Mat Mania Challenge (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Mat Mania Challenge is a wrestling game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1985.

+ Move-set is fairly in-depth with a good mixture of kicks, punches, slams and throws to cater to all situations.

+ Graphics are competent with an expressive crowd to boost personality, and the in-ring referee is a nifty touch.

- Options are basic with only one playable character (that's palette swapped), no Championship mode or tag-team matches.

- Zero special moves, and while your opponent's life bar isn't visible spamming the punch button guarantees victory.

- No rhyme or reason as to who wins grappling battles, and collision problems result in clear hits doing no damage.

- Can only run in the direction you're facing, which stops you from gaining momentum or creating distance.

- Crude music adds nothing to the experience and sounds more like random Morse code than melodic tracks.

Winter Games (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Epyx
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

Winter Games is a sports title that was released on numerous other systems including the NES (1987).

+ Supports up to eight contestants in multiplayer, and allows you to tailor the specific event(s) you want to compete in.

+ Bobsled has a good sense of speed and the impressive draw distance gives you ample time to plan turns.

+ Ski Jump's tough mid-air jostling is rewarding, and Biathlon's complexity makes for an engaging multi-genre event.

+ Speed Skating is a quick blast of racing, but it cleverly tasks you with timing button presses rather than mashing the controls.

- CPU contestants don't join you in the single player leaderboard, and continuously winning gold feels rather soulless.

- A few more events would have increased the game's longevity, as the four events won't hold your attention for long.

- Music is a mixture of clashing notes with some horrendous bass tones that sound like the console is about to combust.

Water Ski (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Froggo
Publisher: Froggo
Released: 1988

Water Ski is a sports game that was only released in North America. 

+ Gameplay is maddeningly addictive in the same way as Kaboom! (1981, Atari 2600) with its 'just one more go' factor. 

+ Superb course design and the risk-reward element of attempting a ramp jump for bonus points is thrilling.

+ Collision detection is tight and a lost life always feels like a learning moment rather than a cheap death.

+ Two-player mode is the star of the show, as it allows one person to control the boat and the other the skier.

- Desperately needed some difficulty options, as the game throws the kitchen sink at you from the opening moment.

- Checkpoints are non-existent, which adds to the frustration and forces you to rely on heavy memorisation to advance.

- With both a skier and a boat to manoeuvre simultaneously, it can take time to adjust to the unusual controls. 

Mean 18 Ultimate Golf (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1989

Mean 18 Ultimate Golf is a sports game that was originally released for MS-DOS in 1986.

+ Easy to play with intuitive controls, and the 18 holes are masterfully designed to test your all-round game.

+ Two-player exclusive Match mode is great for bragging rights, as the best golfer on each hole wins.

+ Displays a handy overhead map prior to each hole, and the screen redraws at a respectable speed post-shot.

+ Graphics are a step-up from the MS-DOS version with more detailed texture work, and the SFX are better suited.

- Unfortunately, the HUD doesn't include the max distance for each club, so you'll constantly need to refer to the manual.

- Only includes one of the three courses from the original, and there's no weather conditions (e.g. wind) to contend with.

- Swing metre takes some adjusting, as the narrow top segments and speedy gauge mean there's little margin for error.

Planet Smashers (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Datafast Computer Services
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Planet Smashers is a vertically scrolling shoot-em-up that's exclusive to the Atari 7800.

+ Having to obtain coloured capsules in a certain order is a unique and interesting idea that makes you use your noggin.

- Stages are mind-numbingly tedious, as there's only a handful of enemy types and the pace of gameplay is plodding.

- You can only move within a small vertical window, which often puts you in harms way when trying to grab an item.

- Weapon power-ups are too infrequent and you'll need to be deep into the game to actually see the spread projectile.

- While the first two capsules can be collected fairly quickly, the last one always makes you wait an age before it appears.

- Asteroid areas are pointless time-wasters, and dying at the boss is punishing as you need to replay the entire stage.

- No music to redeem the subdued action, and the SFX of your ship firing will have you reaching for the mute button.

Ikari Warriors (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Ikari Warriors is a vertically scrolling run 'n' gun game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1986.

+ Gameplay throws around an astonishing number of sprites, all while maintaining a decent frame-rate and avoiding flicker.

+ Corrects the firing issue from the NES port (1986) and your gun now shoots central to your body instead of from the right.

+ Taking things slow and deliberate is where the gameplay shines and it's fun trying to constantly outsmart your opponent.

+ Unlike Commando's turn-based action (1989, Atari 7800), the two-player mode here is co-op with no performance hit.

- Difficulty is off-the-charts from the outset (even on Novice), mainly due to the swarms of enemies and projectiles.

- Vertical scrolling is choppy, and enemy sprites inexplicably remain visible for a couple of seconds after being shot.

- Enemies have a propensity to enter the battleground and immediately leave without engaging in any form of combat!

Fight Night (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

Fight Night is a sports game that was released on Atari 8-bit computers in 1987.

+ Has an impressive range of modes, 12 boxers with unique abilities, and a surprisingly complex scoring system.

- There's only two punches at your disposal, and a simple uppercut or hook would have added more combat variety.

- Strategy is non-existent, and distance management is impossible as you need to be in close to connect a jab.

- It's not always clear how to consistently make contact and each bout results in mindless button mashing. 

- Unlike Punch-Out!! (1987, NES), fighters recover 100% between rounds which penalises attempts at skilled play.

- SFX add little to the experience, and weirdly the crowd can be heard going wild even though they aren't visible!

- Character art and animation is shockingly amateurish, and the K.O. sprite of a boxer on the canvas is laughable.

Commando (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Sculptured Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1989

Commando is a vertically scrolling run 'n' gun game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1985.

+ Includes difficulty options to tailor the game to your skill level, and the stages are well designed with fair checkpoints. 

+ Diagonal shots are easier to hit compared to the NES port (1986), and the Machine Gun is a great inclusion for auto-fire.

+ Fun bosses as the limited space and swarms of enemies resemble the claustrophobia of Robotron: 2084 (1986, Atari 7800).

+ POKEY sound is a gigantic step up from most other 7800 games and the SFX add sufficient weight to the frenetic combat.

- While a two-player mode is present it doesn't allow you to battle simultaneously, as the action is turn-based only.

- Scrolling is choppier than the NES version and there's heavy slowdown when fighting large groups (e.g. during boss battles).

- Missing the cut-scenes between missions and the underground bunkers are incredibly cryptic to locate.

Kung-Fu Master (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

Kung-Fu Master is an action game that was released in the Arcade in 1984 and ported to the NES the following year.

+ Twitch-style gameplay is fun with decent controls, and the levels alternate between left/right scrolling to keep things fresh.

+ Includes a good range of enemies and their unique attack patterns keep you on your toes and switching up techniques.

- Not much content to sink your teeth into and it only takes 5-10 minutes of fighting to beat the five rushed stages.

- Collision detection is a persistent issue, with your low kicks often doing no damage despite overlapping an enemy sprite.

- Omission of a high kick in this port can leave you high-and-dry, and having to press Up to jump is cumbersome.

- Missing lots of presentational touches found in the competing NES version, such as cut-scenes and end of stage ladders.

- Graphics are a step down from the NES (with Henchmen looking more like zombies) and the voice clips are absent.

Tank Command (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Froggo
Publisher: Froggo
Released: 1988

Tank Command is a vertically-scrolling action game that was only released in North America.

+ Air strikes make your upward journey more treacherous, and needing to top up on fuel adds a survival element.

+ Your projectile's wide blast radius gives some leeway and running over on-foot enemies to conserve ammo is gratifying.

- Gameplay lacks urgency and compared to similar titles like Jackal (1988, NES) this has reduced scope and limited variety.

- Enemy A.I. needed extra refinement as they often crash into each other, or avoid combat entirely by exiting stage-right!

- Shot distance metre only moves upwards, which isn't ideal when the immediate situation calls for the opposite end of the bar.

- Once you've seen the first ten seconds, there's literally nothing else to experience as it doesn't expand on its initial ideas.

- Graphics are poor with barren wastelands to navigate, and the lack of music during gameplay creates disinterest.

Pete Rose Baseball (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

Pete Rose Baseball is a sports game that was released as Baseball in PAL territories.

+ Seamlessly switches between six camera angles for a TV broadcast feel, and playing outfield is instinctive.

- Options are sorely lacking as there's only single matches, just two unnamed teams and no choice for innings length.

- Gameplay is bare-bones when it comes to strategy, as players don't have any stats and there's no substitutions.

- Infielders can only move within a small boundary and invisible barriers mean the ball can be inches from your grasp!

- During the pitching view, the slightly angled camera makes it tough to accurately judge the ball in relation to the plate.

- Graphically, the game looks outdated with player sprites being the worst offender due to a lack of any facial features.

- Awful crowd SFX play throughout the entire match and your eardrums will bleed when a big play happens!