Wednesday, 23 April 2025

Rampage (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Released: 1989

Rampage is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1986.

+ Has a whopping 132 stages and your constantly depleting life bar gives the game an edgy survival element.

+ Includes all three monsters from the Arcade, and recognising what items harm or heal you requires quick thinking.

+ Unlike the NES version (1988), continues are limited which is more of an incentive to try and beat your high score.

- Gameplay is mind-numbingly repetitive and there's barely anything new that gets introduced to keep you engrossed.

- Offers very little in the way of scenic variety and without different things to see you never feel like you're progressing.

- Controls can sometimes be unresponsive when bashing buildings, and the hit detection is spotty when punching choppers.

- Graphics and textures aren't as detailed as the NES version, and it's harder to distinguish items from one another.


Rampage (NES review)

Developer: Data East
Publisher: Data East
Released: 1988

Rampage is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1986.

+ Has a whopping 128 stages and your constantly depleting life bar gives the game an edgy survival element.

+ There's some mild strategy to staying alive and recognising what items heal or harm you is crucial in the heat of the action.

+ Map detailing which U.S. states you've destroyed is a nice touch that provides a visual reward for your hard work.

- Gameplay is mind-numbingly repetitive and there's barely anything new that gets introduced to keep you engrossed.

- Controls don't always respond as expected and many times you'll falter despite clearly pressing Up to grab onto a building. 

- Unlimited continues don't even reset your high score, so there's little point in trying to top your previous best.

- Only has two of the three playable characters from the Arcade, and the between-stage tips disappear too quickly.


Tuesday, 22 April 2025

F-18 Hornet (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1988

F-18 Hornet is a combat flight simulator that was also released on the Commodore 64 (1988).

+ Take-off is commendably straightforward and you can instantly select any of the four missions from the main menu.

+ Short missions have that 'just one more go' factor, and daring manoeuvres are incentivised with bonus points.

+ Polygon graphics are excellent with a consistent frame-rate, and managing to land the plane is endlessly thrilling.

- Forces you to memorise entire stage layouts from the manual, which negates spontaneity and skill-based reactions.

- Combat is wonky with an unreliable lock-on that's hit-and-miss, and the arc to your missiles never feels natural.

- Limited draw distance makes it tough to spot the exact placement of upcoming enemies and landing strips.

- Convoluted controls, as you need to use the console's Difficulty Switch and Select button alongside the joystick.


Monday, 21 April 2025

Ninja Golf (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: BlueSky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Ninja Golf is a beat-em-up / sports title that's exclusive to the Atari 7800 console.

+ Course design is brilliant and tasks you with deciphering whether the shortest route will ultimately lead to more peril.

+ On-screen map is super handy for planning your route, as well as showing your proximity in relation to the ball.

+ Beat-em-up sections are very reminiscent of Kung-Fu Master (1989, Atari 7800), with combat having a rhythmic flow.

+ Good range of enemies (some unique to each playing surface) and the neat parallax scrolling doesn't affect performance.

+ Plenty of items available to give you a fighting chance, and the limited shurikens are helpful for long-range attacks.

- Golfing aspect is rather basic and it's a shame that putting wasn't included to increase the drama at the end of each hole.

- Bosses are repetitive with easily exploitable attack patterns, and the lack of in-game music lessens the atmosphere.


Sunday, 20 April 2025

Touchdown Football (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

Touchdown Football is a sports game that was released on numerous platforms including Atari 8-bit computers (1986).

+ Includes a two-player mode with a great feature of being able to hide your play call by holding down the fire button.

+ Impressive amount of plays on both sides of the ball, including line shifts and audibles at the line of scrimmage.

- However, in actuality the passing game is weak as it's difficult to judge the intended location of your throws.

- Running game only involves the Quarterback and it's almost impossible to gain any noteworthy yardage.

- On Defense, the CPU gives you a nanosecond to choose a formation, which negates much of the strategic gameplay.

- Useless teammates rarely do their blocking job, while letting Wide Receivers speed by them with little resistance.

- Lack of difficulty options hurts the solo experience, and there's no time-outs to stop the clock for a final play.


Saturday, 19 April 2025

Summer Games (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Epyx
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

Summer Games is a sports title that was released on numerous platforms including the Sega Master System (1991).

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

+ Controls for each event are a nice mix of joystick waggling, timing-based reactions and restrained inputs for variety's sake.

+ 4x400m Relay is a superb game of strategy as you try to monitor energy levels while sprinting against a CPU pacer.

+ Gymnastics is similar to Ski Jump in Winter Games (1987, Atari 7800) and the complex mid-air jostling is rewarding.

+ Platform Diving has a neat risk-reward element, as you can perform an easy dive or gamble using complex rotations.

- Both swimming events lack a CPU pacer and the intensity is lessened without a fellow competitor to race against.

- As with Winter Games, CPU contestants aren't displayed on the leaderboard so winning doesn't feel as impactful.


Friday, 18 April 2025

RealSports Baseball (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

RealSports Baseball is a sports game that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1982) and Atari 5200 (1983).

+ Good pitch selection available, and easier double plays than the 5200 version as fielders all have cannons for arms.

+ Pace of play has been massively sped up, which allows you to complete a full nine inning game much quicker.

- Batting is awful due to your lethargic swing speed, and when fielding it's difficult to accurately judge the location of fly balls.

- No skill level customisation options, and the brutal CPU often throws you out at first after a hit near the warning track.

- No longer an option to change innings length, no quick pitches and the endearing voice clips have been omitted.

- Having to activate teammates after a play and manually throw the ball back to the pitcher is slow and cumbersome.

- Graphics show no substantial improvements from the Atari 5200 version, which is odd considering the five-year gap.


RealSports Baseball (Atari 5200 review)

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

RealSports Baseball is a sports game that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1982) and Atari 7800 (1988).

+ Decent pitch selection / path modifiers, and having a no wind-up variation is neat for keeping hitters off-balance.

+ Analog stick makes a huge difference when batting and gives you total control over swing speed and launch angle.

+ Charming voice clips, you can choose 3, 6, or 9 innings, and there's advance base running moves such as squeeze plays.

+ Fun multiplayer mode and the difficulty handicap is a fantastic way to balance skill levels between novice / expert gamers.

- Having to activate teammates after a play and manually throw the ball back to the pitcher is slow and cumbersome.

- Fielding ground balls is janky, as they often seem to travel straight through a player for a cheap base hit.

- Takes too long for fielders to throw the ball and it's infuriating when you can't turn an otherwise easy double-play.


Thursday, 17 April 2025

Motor Psycho (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Motor Psycho is a racing game that's exclusive to the Atari 7800.

+ Fans of Pole Position (1982, Arcade) will find enjoyment thanks to the familiar gameplay premise and scoring system.

+ Four race tracks are well designed and the impressive draw distance allows you to see long stretches of upcoming road.

+ Ability to jump crazy heights offers risk-reward, as you accumulate more points in the air than on the ground.

+ Controls are excellent, particularly when downshifting on tight corners, and you can even customise how your bike turns.

- Frame-rate is shaky in areas with lots of bikers, which isn't great in a precision-based racer where every move matters.

- Takes an age to return to the road after a crash, and the awful intro music sounds like a toddler's first song.

- Graphics do little to impress, with colour clashing and sparsely detailed scenery that create a drab backdrop.


Wednesday, 16 April 2025

Pole Position II (Atari 7800 review)

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

Pole Position II is a racing game that was first released in the Arcade in 1983.

+ Unlike the original Pole Position (1983, Atari 5200), the race tracks feel distinct in their layouts, with varied scenic backdrops. 

+ Responsive controls, decent speed and the inclusion of puddles on the tracks adds unpredictability to the racing action.

+ Changing low gear from d-pad up to down is clever and allows you to quickly emergency downshift around a tight corner.

+ Scoring system provides a great incentive to keep you playing, even if you're struggling to fully complete the races.

- Questionable collision detection, and CPU opponents often clog three-deep on tough corners, leaving you no room.

- No longer an option to select your chosen number of laps, which is disappointing for players who want extended races.

- Overly smooth graphics look smeared in Vaseline, and the SFX have a weird habit of cutting out when driving on kerbs.


Tuesday, 15 April 2025

Pole Position (Atari 5200 review)

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

Pole Position is a racing game that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Practice mode is a welcome feature that provides an opportunity to learn the ropes without other vehicles in the way.

+ Has three race tracks to test your driving and there's an option to switch from four to eight laps for a real challenge.

+ Racing has a good sense of speed and the excellent draw distance allows you to plan manoeuvres well in advance.

+ Analog stick offers ultra precision and squeezing between two competitors is fun thanks to the solid collision detection.

+ Secondary scoring feature means you always have an incentive to play again, even if you don't manage to complete a race.

- Reaching the finish line requires absolute perfection and casual players might be turned off by the lack of margin for error.

- Race tracks are samey and this port is missing a few presentational touches from the Arcade (e.g. billboard advertisements).


Super Huey UH-IX (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1989

Super Huey UH-IX is a combat flight simulator that was originally released on the Commodore 64 in 1985.

+ Arcade mode is a brilliant idea, as it allows less patient gamers to avoid take-off and get straight into the action.

+ Flight School is another neat addition, as it slowly teaches you the basics to alleviate an otherwise steep learning curve.

+ Respectable frame-rate, and despite only having two buttons the controls work well and quickly become second nature.

- Reality mode contains only a single mission that can be beaten in a couple of minutes by simply avoiding all enemies.

- Opponents have an infuriating tendency to spawn out of thin air, causing you damage despite having no time to prepare.

- Speed is lacking and unless you look at your speedometer you'll have no clue as to whether you're at 20 mph or 80 mph.

- Bare-bones graphics with only a few random objects scattered around, and the enemy vehicle animation is unimpressive.


Monday, 14 April 2025

Scrapyard Dog (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: BlueSky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

Scrapyard Dog is a platformer that was also released on the Atari Lynx (1991).

+ Deeper gameplay than you might expect, as while exploration isn't necessary it is rewarded with mini-games / items.

+ Lots of opportunities to visit shops that arm you with Special Items that are useful against packs of enemies.

+ Action is more enjoyable when approached as a resource management game and stocking up on items as early as possible.

- Difficulty curve is terrible, as Stage 1-3's sewer demands pixel-perfect jumps to platforms that are located off-screen.

- Doesn't do enough to progress the core concept, as there's very little difference in enemies / hazards after the first world.

-  No bosses except an awful sliding puzzle for the finale, and there's frame-rate dips and jerky scrolling in later levels.

- Manual does an awful job of explaining (or even visually demonstrating) what the huge row of icons are in the HUD.


Sunday, 13 April 2025

Ace of Aces (Sega Master System review)

Developer: Artech Studios, Tiertex
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1991

Ace of Aces is a combat flight simulator that was released on numerous formats including the Atari 7800 (1988).

+ Having multiple plane viewpoints is spectacular and there's tons of nuance to staying alive, such as dousing onboard fires.

+ There's real intensity when flying below the clouds to bomb trains and U-boats, especially as you're so close to ground level.

+ Practice mode is great for working on specific missions, and the pre-stage images are clearer than the Atari 7800 version.

- However, the difficulty is more random than on the 7800 and taking damage seems like pot-luck rather than lack of skill.

- Frame-rate is low and it's irritating having to constantly realign your altitude because of delayed button presses.

- No take-off or landing sequences does deter from the game's realistic feel, and there can be huge lulls in the action.

- Rockets have a slow travel speed that makes them pretty much useless, and the droning plane SFX is annoying.


Saturday, 12 April 2025

Ace of Aces (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Nova Game Design
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

Ace of Aces is a combat flight simulator that was released on numerous formats including the Sega Master System (1991).

+ Having multiple plane viewpoints is spectacular and there's tons of nuance to staying alive, such as dousing onboard fires.

+ There's real intensity when flying below the clouds to bomb trains and U-boats, especially as you're so close to ground level.

+ Practice mode is great for teaching you the ropes and working on specific actions you'll end up using in real missions.

- Frame-rate is low and it's irritating having to constantly realign your altitude because of delayed button presses.

- No take-off or landing sequences does deter from the game's realistic feel, and there can be huge lulls in the action.

- Firing rockets is a nail-biting affair for all the wrong reasons, as the ultra-small hit boxes require immaculate precision.

- Pre-mission images are hard to decipher and don't have anywhere near as much clarity as the Sega Master System port.


Wednesday, 9 April 2025

Super Skateboardin (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1988

Super Skateboardin is a maze game that's exclusive to the Atari 7800. 

+ Map design is expertly crafted, with intricate item placement and distinctive areas that force you to memorise multiple paths.

+ Doors you've already skated through remain open as you navigate around, which is handy when looking for new routes.

+ Controls are excellent and there's some cool sprite animations when objects such as TVs and printers are activated.

+ Once you've switched off each item, it's a race back to the entrance against the clock, which can be moderately exciting.

- Only one layout that doesn't take long to memorise, and the eight-second musical loop will quickly give you a headache.

- Apart from falling off the rooftop, the game is devoid of danger and could have used enemies / hazards to spice things up.

- Skateboarding premise feels tacked on, as there's nothing of substance that relates to the extreme sport.


Tuesday, 8 April 2025

APB (Atari Lynx review)

Developer: Quicksilver Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1991

APB is a driving game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1987.

+ Has surprising depth that challenges you to multitask, and the upgrade ability gives you numerous ways to tackle the stages.

+ Bite-sized missions are perfect for handheld play, and balancing the timer against finding items off the beaten path is fun.

+ Has charm in spades thanks to the hilarious voice clips, cut-scenes and general tone that plays on every cop stereotype!

- With 99 stages (and no continues) it's puzzling why there are no passwords, and constantly having to restart is disheartening.

- Demerit system is far too strict, especially as civilians aim to bump into your car and cause you to suffer the consequences.

- Could have used a pre-stage map to display the layout, as the result is aimless wandering when you need a gas station.

Robotron: 2084 (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: General Computer Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1986

Robotron: 2084 is a wave shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Ferocity and speed of the gameplay is mesmerising and the difficulty is more forgiving than the Atari 5200 version (1983).

+ Throws an enormous amount of sprites and animations around the playfield, and there's never any flicker or slowdown.

+ Having only a second or two to survey the most urgent threat(s) prior to the wave commencing is endlessly gripping.

+ Deciding whether to rescue humans or deal with the onslaught of robots is a great hook that adds risk-reward.

+ Using two controllers to fire and strafe works brilliantly and gives you just the right amount of manoeuvrability.

- Doesn't play nearly as well with just a single controller, as you can't be as nimble when evading / shooting enemies.

- Unlike the Atari 5200 port, this doesn't have a playfield border and the transition screens / SFX aren't as impressive.


Monday, 7 April 2025

Robotron: 2084 (Atari Lynx review)

Developer: Shadowsoft
Publisher: Shadowsoft
Released: 1991

Robotron: 2084 is a wave shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Throws an enormous amount of sprites and animations around the playfield, and there's never any flicker or slowdown.

+ Intense, claustrophobic action forces swift analysis of the most urgent threat(s) while giving you no chance to breathe.

+ Deciding whether to rescue humans or deal with the onslaught of robots is a great hook that adds risk-reward.

+ Upgraded intro presentation is excellent with ominous music and a back story that cleverly couples as a tutorial.

- Auto-shooting controls work, but can fail when trying to avoid blasting the last robot in the hope of rescuing humans.

- Graphical effect when starting a wave obscures your vision, and the small screen can make it hard to nimbly dodge foes.

Robotron: 2084 (Atari 5200 review)

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

Robotron: 2084 is a wave shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Throws an enormous amount of sprites and animations around the playfield, and there's never any flicker or slowdown.

+ Having only a second or two to survey the most urgent threat(s) prior to the wave commencing is endlessly gripping.

+ Deciding whether to rescue humans or deal with the onslaught of robots is a great hook that adds risk-reward.

+ Better transition screens / SFX than the Atari 7800 port (1986), and using two controllers to fire and strafe works brilliantly.

- Doesn't play nearly as well with just a single controller, as you can't be as nimble when evading / shooting enemies.

- Challenge is brutal compared to the Atari 7800 version and less skilled gamers won't last long even on Level 0.

- Animation is often quite choppy, which isn't ideal in a fast-twitch game where every micro-movement is crucial.


Karateka (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Ibid, Inc.
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

Karateka is a martial arts game that was first released on the Apple II in 1984.

+ Does a good job of building a narrative for the game's proceedings, and there's some cut-scenes that advance the story.

- Button presses are egregiously delayed and it's pot-luck as to whether your inputs will register seconds later, if at all.

- Distance management and strategy isn't possible due to the horrifically designed control scheme that's overly convoluted.

- You only have a small number of moves, and having to press the opposite direction to execute punches is unintuitive.

- Unlike International Karate (1985, ZX Spectrum), you can't jump and most fights end up in mindless button mashing.

- Gameplay is painfully slow, the collision detection is suspect and the voice clips from the original have been omitted.

- Being a port of a four-year-old game, it's a real missed opportunity to not include a two-player head-to-head mode.


Sunday, 6 April 2025

One-on-One Basketball (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Man Development Corp.
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

One-on-One Basketball is a sports game that was originally released in 1983 on the Apple II.

+ Has a number of customisation options including difficulty level, scoring rules, as well as an excellent two-player mode.

+ Bird and Dr. J have different skill-sets and learning how to outwit opponents using their unique play styles is a blast.

+ Fatigue Bar persuades you to rely on strategy over brute force, and carefully using time-outs for recovery adds nuance.

+ Like Food Fight (1986, Atari 7800), the replay feature is phenomenal and the shattering backboard animation is amusing.

- Quick-tap button presses occasionally result in a shot instead of a spin, and the end of each match-up is anti-climactic.

- Far sides of the court can't be reached, which is problematic when an invisible wall stops you in your tracks.

- Presentation is dry, and the graphics are simple with nothing in the background despite the cheering crowd.


Saturday, 5 April 2025

Desert Falcon (Atari 7800 review)

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

Desert Falcon is an isometric shooter that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1987) and Atari 8-bit (1988).

+ Gameplay adopts a thinking man's approach and gives you freedom to be methodical or charge in all guns blazing.

+ Constant need to switch between the air and ground is engaging and adds creativity to the entire playfield.

+ Buildings can shrewdly be used to your advantage and it's deviously fun drawing an enemy into their path for a kill.

- Isometric viewpoint makes it difficult to line-up shots, resulting in incessant shifting on the vertical axis to make contact.

- Super Power mechanic is convoluted and having to obtain hieroglyphs in a certain order is needless busy work.

- Has some unfortunate slowdown that causes frame-rate tanking, screen tearing, as well as laggy music.

- Bonus collect-a-thon stages do little to entertain, and some of the graphical colour schemes are garish.


Friday, 4 April 2025

Galaga (Atari 7800 review)

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

Galaga is a fixed shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1981.

+ Unpredictable enemy patterns keep things interesting, and the two-player mode is an enjoyable scoring competition.

+ Gameplay displays an impressive amount of on-screen sprites with no flicker, and there's some catchy jingles.

+ Action is infinitely more fun when armed with a second ship, and the gamble to obtain it is a lucrative risk.

+ Challenge Stage is an excellent diversion and a great way to test your reactions / pattern recognition for bonus points.

- Speed is pedestrian compared to the NES port (1988) and the Expert setting is the only way to get the true experience.

- Action becomes very repetitive after a few attempts and the game does little to advance the initial concept.

- Later levels suffer from bizarre instances of extreme frame-rate drops when there's swarms of on-screen foes.


Thursday, 3 April 2025

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.


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