The Video Game Critic's
Atari 2600 Reviews P-Q

I remember sitting in school listening to my friend Chuck rag on this game before it even came out! Apparently his mom worked in retail, and word got out early that this game sucked in the worst way. When you consider it's the official version of perhaps the most beloved video game of all time, its glaring flaws are hard to defend. The blocky maze design (which looks nothing like the arcade) is unimaginative and redundant. With so many turns, it's hard to navigate, too. The "escape" corridor (which transports you to the opposite side of the screen) is so poorly positioned that it's practically useless. The ghosts are pale and flicker so much that you can barely tell they're supposed to be different colors! Pac-Man now has eyes, and his mouth chomps continuously whether he's eating or not. Worst of all, he faces sideways when moving up and down, and that's just wrong! And are those square pancakes supposed to be an acceptable substitute for bonus fruit? This is Pac-Man by name alone, and it has "rush job" written all over it. Even so, the game is playable, and if you select a tough difficulty level you'll have your hands full. Atari would later release fantastic renditions of Ms. Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man, but the damage had already been done. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Five games in one, Party Mix was originally released as title #10 in Starpath's innovative line of tape-loading games. Putting the paddle controllers to good use, Party Mix lives up to its name with impressive graphics, decent music, and hilarious multi-player mayhem. These split-screen games are designed for two-on-two action, but can also be played one-on-one. Needless to say, the four-player action is wilder and often comical. The first game, Bop-A-Buggy, is a race between two large, oddly-shaped vehicles across several screens of obstacles, with a finish line at the end. The paddle controls are very sensitive but provide pinpoint steering. With four players, the other two competitors can fire missiles to slow their opponent's progress. Tug-Of-War is just as you'd imagine, with players mashing their fire buttons continuously to maintain the upper hand. It'll absolutely kill your hand, but with four people going at once, you'll all be laughing your asses off. In the Wizard's Keep, wizards on the left side of the screen shoot fireballs at targets that move down the right side, and timing is crucial. The fourth game, Down The Line, takes place in a factory. One player picks colored packages off a conveyer belt and hands it to his partner who must place them on the correct belt on the other side. The packages come pretty fast so there's no time to rest. The final game, Handcar, puts each pair of players on one of those two-man railroad carts where one guy needs to push a handle down while the other pulls up. Both players must be well synchronized to gain momentum. Any one of these fine mini-games could stand on its own, so having all five in one package is a real bargain. Party Mix can be yours if you purchase the Stella Gets a New Brain CD. Check it out. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

I love sports video games, but this one is hard to stomach. Each team is composed of three blobs that move in a triangular formation over a vertically-scrolling field. Reading Pele's Soccer's 17-page instruction book might lead you to believe the gameplay is pretty sophisticated, but in reality it's pure tedium as you slowly bring the ball up the field using a series of short kicks. You can't kick it very far, and passing between players is an exercise in futility. Inexplicably, the goalie resides just inside of the goal, yet if he catches the ball it's considered a save. None of the 54 game variations offer a way to shorten the games, which tend to run so long that your hands will cramp up, bleed, and eventually just fall off. The highlight of the game is the cool fireworks display shown after each score. Rarely fun and usually agonizing, this marginal soccer game was originally named Championship Soccer before given the celebrity treatment. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

I love how the instruction manual describes Pengo as "The Arcade Blockbuster". I suspect the term "blockbuster" refers to the gameplay, because I never heard of this game when it was new. Taking control of a red Penguin, the object is to destroy waves of circular yellow creatures called Sno-Bees. The playing field is full of square ice blocks, and you can squish the bees by sliding ice blocks into them. Pengo plays like a zero-gravity Dig Dug, and it's very satisfying to squash two or three bees with one block. Unfortunately, the Sno-Bees aren't too bright, and as a result the gameplay lacks intensity. The graphics are pretty good though, and your penguin actually looks like a penguin (except for the fact that he's red of course). You can begin this game on one of 10 levels. It's no blockbuster, but Pengo is certainly worth a try. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

I admit it - I was much too hard on Pesco when I originally reviewed it. I guess I was expecting more than just another Pac-Man clone from a 1999 game. It's a bit slow, but Pesco's at least as good as Atari's Pac-Man game. You control a fish being pursued by three crabs in a maze of dots. The graphics are crisp and colorful, with solid, nicely defined crabs. Ocean-inspired bonus items like clams and starfish appear in the upper part of the screen, and the tunnel on the bottom makes for a handy escape route. The worst aspect of Pesco is its lack of audio. The only sound effect is when you eat a dot (or dash, in this case). Eating a power pill or getting caught by a crab results in silence, which is pretty lame if you ask me. I do like how the difficulty ramps up in a hurry. Once you reach the third screen, you'll be swimming for your life. Pesco is nothing remarkable, but its challenge makes it worth playing. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

I can't believe I finally found a good baseball game for the 2600! Not only does Pete Rose Baseball play well, but it even has a few extras that you would never expect on the 2600. Let's start with the graphics. You get a behind-the-pitcher view just like a televised game, and there's even a catcher and umpire. The pitcher looks cool as he winds up and throws the ball, and the batter is equally well-animated. Once the ball is put into play, the screen switches to one of two infield views, and if the ball leaves the infield, one of three outfield views is displayed. There's no dirt around the diamond, but there are well-defined baselines. The outfield looks pretty nifty with a warning track and a blue wall. The blue wall even has distance markings! The movement of the ball is smooth and easy to follow, and I was amazed to see fly balls actually bounce off the outfield walls. My biggest gripe is that it's far too easy to hit home runs. Also, the control scheme gives each infielder a very limited area to move around, which can be frustrating if the ball is just out of his "zone". My other complaints are minor, such as the fact that both teams are the same color, white. But overall, this is clearly the best baseball game ever made for the system. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Phaser Patrols takes top honors as the Atari 2600's finest first-person space shooter, overtaking Star Raiders (Atari), Star Master (Activision), and Star Voyager (Imagic). Not only is Phaser Patrol's gameplay more advanced, but its sharp visuals put those other titles to shame. The high resolution control panel is chock-full of useful indicators and incoming messages displayed in large, easy-to-read text. Gameplay is similar to other games of its ilk, where you scour the galaxy for aliens and return to your star bases to refuel and repair. But Phaser Patrol has a few tricks of its own. Your "range finder" (aiming cursor) turns red when an enemy is under it, and firing a shot precisely at this time will cause your torpedo to be guided into its target - very satisfying! Shots that miss still detonate, and these explosions can also take out nearby enemies. Aliens tend to appear two at a time and fire aggressively. A separate map screen indicates locations of friendly star bases and known enemies, but initially initially most sectors are marked as "unknown". The left difficulty switch is used to access the map screen, and the color switch shuts down your shields (not recommended). There are two difficulty levels, and at the end of each game you're awarded a rank and level. Phaser Patrol is a rare game, and that's too bad because it's a real gem. Originally available only on cassette, you can also now find it on the excellent "Stella Gets A New Brain" CD compilation. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This shooter was incredibly popular at the arcade in my old neighborhood bowling alley. With four unique waves of kamikaze birds and a colossal mother ship (before bosses were so common), Phoenix was positively the bees knees (that's English for great). When it was released for the Atari 2600 in 1983, I begged my mom all day to take me to Toys R Us to purchase it - despite its exorbitant $36 price tag! I broke my piggy bank that day, but it was well worth it. Phoenix provides some of the best graphics and shooting action you'll find on the system. The first wave consists of eight small birds in formation, and these are fairly easy to pick off. The second wave is similar, but with different colored birds in a V-shaped formation. Oddly enough, the second wave is far easier because it's the only screen with rapid-fire shooting (just hold down the button). Next, you face the big blue birds that move across the screen and periodically swoop down at you. You can shoot off their wings, but only a direct shot is fatal. When both wings are shot off, new ones sprout, which is a pretty neat graphic effect. I only wish Atari had put some beaks on those birds. The fourth wave is the same as the third, except the birds are red instead of blue. Finally, the fifth screen reveals the imposing mother ship. Although it doesn't have the small birds protecting it (as in the arcade version), it's still quite satisfying to blast away at the hull and blow up the interior. From there the waves recycle and the birds become more aggressive. The sound effects are outstanding, especially in the first two waves. But as good as Phoenix is, it could have been better. For one thing, it starts out too easy, and you'll need to defeat the mother ship two or three times before the real challenge begins. There's only one skill level, and the game is far too generous with free ships (one every 10K). Still, I like how it preserves all of the key elements of the arcade hit. And have you checked out the label on the cartridge? While it's a loose interpretation of the actual game, it's easily some of the best artwork ever created for a video game. A poster of it (from an Atari Age magazine) hung on the wall of my bedroom for many years, and I wish I still had it. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This unreleased 1983 Fox game was made available for the first time at the 2002 Classic Gaming Expo. While its storyline is fairly original, I suspect its subject matter was considered somewhat risque by early-1980's standards. You play a typical guy out to win over a girl by collecting the following gifts for her: a car, a flower, money, perfume, a wine glass, and a heart. As these objects move overhead, you shoot them with guided missiles in order to collect each one. Shooting the same item twice however will cost you a life (or "chance", as this game calls it). Objects collected are displayed on the bottom on the screen, so at least you know what not to aim for. Collecting the items looks deceptively easy, but often you'll need to "thread the needle" to reach objects at the very top. While interesting in concept it's not terribly fun. Once you've gathered all six items, you grab your lady by the hand and take her to a tiny hotel with two windows. This where you really score! After going through the front door, you hear some footsteps and see the shades get pulled down. Five seconds later your guy emerges, revitalized and ready to take on the next level! What a total stud! © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Swatting flies at a picnic seems like reasonable video game premise, but Picnic is too sloppy and abstract to pull it off. The screen features two "cheeseburgers" sitting on a checkered tablecloth on the bottom. Who in the hell brings cheeseburgers to a picnic anyway? The big solid box between the burgers is supposed to be a "bug trap". C'mon US Games, is that the best you could do? Using the paddle controllers, you move a "swatter" (small curved line) across the screen to protect the burgers from waves of bugs. As the flies descend, the lowest one will suck up the food with his long, needle-like tongue. By timing your "swat", you transform the fly into a messed-up square that bounces around the screen. If I didn't read the instructions, I would have absolutely no idea what the hell was going on. Every few waves an oversized "super bug" emerges, but he's defeated in the same exact way. The controls are fine, but there's no strategy! All you do is hover under the lowest insect and keep hitting the button. The advanced difficulty is so easy and repetitive that I couldn't wait for it to end. The audio consists of an endless droning that's supposed to be the "buzz" of the flies. Picnic is one of those worthless, by-the-numbers games that companies were shoveling out by the dozens in 1982. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Piece O' Cake has its issues, but impressive graphics and imaginative gameplay make it worth a look. Using the paddle controllers, you move a huge baker across the top of the screen, dropping cake layers onto platters riding over a moving conveyer belt below. Cake layers come in three sizes, and to build a cake correctly, you'll need to stack the small layers on top of the larger ones. A perfect cake consists of three layers, and you'll want to top it off with a cherry to complete your creation before it falls off the conveyer belt. The paddles provide pinpoint control, and initially the game is pretty sweet. Once the conveyer belt starts speeding up however, things become unmanageable in a hurry. Piece O' Cake's graphics are surprisingly well done. The baker is huge with a well-defined face, and the cakes actually look somewhat appetizing. The sound effects on the other hand are relentlessly annoying. This one never really lives up to its potential. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Typical of so many licensed games, Pigs In Space delivers nice graphics but lackluster, uninspired gameplay. Assuming the role of pig astronauts from the old Muppet TV Show, you can choose between three entirely different games. In theory, this allows you to play only the variations you like, but sadly, it's unlikely you'll enjoy any of these! The first is a shameless Space Invader clone minus the barriers, and instead of aliens you shoot white chickens. A rotating Gonzo head serves as the mother ship, and I have to admit it looks pretty amazing. Unfortunately, by the time the challenge kicked in I had completely lost interest. The second game is a third-rate Frogger rip-off where you must guide Miss Piggy around asteroids to reach a space cruiser at the top of the screen. It's bad, but the worst is yet to come. In the third entry, you guide a spaceship through a vertically-scrolling cavern, firing at "bad" pigs camped out on ledges while avoiding their missiles. It's so freakin' slow and repetitive that I couldn't stand it. Pigs In Space certainly looks polished and incorporates some clever sound effects, but in terms of gameplay it's a complete dud. Its lack of imagination is matched only by its lack of entertainment value. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Pitfall is widely credited for starting the whole side-scrolling, platform-jumping craze of the 80's. As you guide the well-animated Pitfall Harry through a 255-screen jungle (!), you must avoid snakes, scorpions, pits, crocodiles, rolling logs, and quicksand while searching for treasure. Pitfall was completely original when it came out in 1982, and it's still entertaining today (not to mention more fun than most of its sequels). In addition to exploring the jungle, you can utilize underground "shortcuts" to skip screens. The jungle layout is exactly the same every time you play, but that's okay because the real challenge lies in exploring all the screens within the 20-minute time limit. Of course, casual players will use up their three lives long before the timer expires. Pitfall's attractive visuals are high-resolution and clean, and the sound effects include that memorable rendition of the "Tarzan yell" as Harry swings from vines. While revolutionary in concept and a technical marvel, the game is not flawless. Once you get good enough, the action gets monotonous. The challenges are basically limited to swinging on vines, running over tar pits, or hopping across the heads of crocodiles. The underground pathways are a nice touch, but unless you're mapping out the game, they're not very useful. I wish developer David Crane had put some treasure down there to provide more incentive to explore down there. Also, I'm always been slightly bothered by the fact that traversing the screens right-to-left is so much easier - it's almost cheap. But despite these minor quibbles, Pitfall remains a classic for all time, and is a must-have for any serious video game collector. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

The original Pitfall established a new standard for adventure games, but Pitfall II pushed the envelope even further. Heck, Pitfall 2 cartridges even include their own chip set! The result is expansive levels with varying scenery, high-resolution graphics, and first-rate audio. An incredibly catchy soundtrack plays throughout the game - probably the best music ever composed for the 2600. Pitfall II takes place mainly in deep, multi-tiered underground caverns, and there's a pool of water at the bottom which Pitfall Harry can actually swim though. A whole new collection of hazards includes monkeys, rats, frogs, bats, birds, scorpions, and electric eels. Unlike the first Pitfall, there are no "lives" and no timer - in fact, the game never really ends. Instead, there are scattered checkpoints, and losing a life sends you back to the last one (after deducting some points). Developer David Crane pulled out all the stops with this one. I only wish he had incorporated a much-needed "duck" move to avoid those pesky bats. Still, Pitfall II is a well-conceived adventure and a technical marvel. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Planet Patrol aspires to be more than a typical side-scrolling shooter, but its programmer wasn't quite up to the task. Large and small missiles approach from the left side of the screen, and while your plane can shoot down the large ones, you're forced to dodge the smaller ones. After a while, you'll reach a "stranded pilot" who can be docked with for bonus points. Next there's an enemy base where you're required to destroy three large green structures. Finally, you'll navigate a maze of "debris" in order to escape. Before proceeding to the next level, you have the option to land on a strip to refuel. There's even the concept of "night stages", where you can only see enemies when you fire a shot. It all sounds pretty ambitious for a 2600 game, but sloppy graphics, awful collision control, and herky-jerky animation expose Planet Patrol as the bargain-bin title it is. The refueling truck, which literally jumps across the screen, looks pathetic. Without a solid engine running the show, the sophisticated gameplay is largely wasted. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Plaque Attack is non-violent game with a positive underlying message, but I'll try not to hold that against it. The action takes place in a person's mouth, where waves of floating junk food attack teeth lining the top and bottom of the screen. Manning a tube of toothpaste, you move freely around the screen. You can shoot either up or down at these evil but surprisingly delicious villains. It's a lot of fun to strafe the teeth when several molars are under attack at once. My one issue with the control is that you can't easily reverse direction if you're near the top or bottom of the screen. Plaque Attack's graphics are better than average, with colorful and easily discernible burgers, hot dogs, French fries, candy canes, strawberries, and donuts. It takes a while for the challenge to kick in, so you'll probably cruise through the first few waves with no problem. The game ends when all the teeth are gone, but an extra tooth is generously awarded at every 2000 points. Like Missile Command, you'll want to concentrate on protecting that last tooth when it's all you have left. Despite its good intentions, Plaque Attack is one of the more forgettable Activision titles for the 2600. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Now available for the first time thanks to the good people at Atari Age, Pleiades is one of those games programmed "back in the day" but never released. According to its instruction manual, Pleiades is the unofficial sequel to Phoenix. If I had to hazard a guess as to why Pleiades never saw the light of day, I'm guessing it's because no one could pronounce its freakin' name. Anyway, this fun but uneven shooter features three completely unique stages. In the first, you control a cannon on a planet surface shooting aliens flying in various formations. The aliens move fast and drop a ton of bombs, but their movements are annoyingly choppy. Occasionally one will crawl across the bottom, leaving a wall that you can poke holes in. There's some scenery on the planet's surface, but nothing particularly impressive. The off-key "music" that plays during this stage is simply awful. The second screen resembles the mother ship sequence in Phoenix. This particular mother ship is large but chunky, with three trap doors that randomly open and close on its underbelly. Timing your shots, you must nail a little star that moves left to right across the center of the ship. Meanwhile, large birds swoop down, drop bombs, and block your shots. Like the first stage, it's moderately fun but over too quickly. The third screen is easily the most difficult and time-consuming. Your job here is to guide a slowly moving, triangular ship up a pyramid-shaped course while avoiding scattered obstacles. This is where you'll lose 90 percent of your ships. Especially near the top of the pyramid, the airplane-shaped obstacles are too densely packed to avoid, and it grows frustrating. Pleiades is still worthwhile to play, thanks to its fast action and sheer variety. I also appreciate the fact that it keeps the high score displayed on the screen at all times. Note: Despite what the manual says, set the left difficulty switch to B for a normal game, and A to practice. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This obscure shooter is considered by many to be a hidden gem in the Atari 2600 library. Polaris places you in command of a nuclear submarine in two distinct alternating stages. The first is viewed from the side as you blast enemy planes flying overhead while avoiding subs below. The degree of detail in the high-resolution planes is really pretty astounding. I love how their bombs appear to rotate end-over-end as they fall! Nice touch! And if you think the planes look nice, check out the occasional destroyer that zips across the surface. That thing looks freakin' amazing - no kidding! Once you knock out the bombers, you'll then have to contend with a very dangerous dive-bomber. Not only does this son of a [expetive] fly in quick, unpredictable patterns, but he's armed with heat-seeking missiles! If you make it past him, the second stage offers a vertically-scrolling, overhead view of the sea floor, where you have to navigate around walls and mines. The walls look pretty chunky, reminiscent of the "lost valley" in Raiders of the Lost Ark (Atari, 1982). But as bad as it looks, the stage provides a nice change of pace as you skillfully blast or maneuver around mines. The audio in Polaris is dominated by really annoying (and constant) sonar pings. Even so, the game offers a nice variety of visuals and gameplay, and the challenge is formidable as you progress through sixteen distinct levels. I really like this one. Play Polaris on your Atari 2600 and all of your wildest dreams will come true. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Pole Position is the grandfather of all racers, and while this arcade hit had to be certainly scaled down for the Atari 2600, it's still challenging and addictive. The illusion of speed is quite convincing despite a complete lack of scaling scenery. The background is sparse, save for some mountains and clouds, but you won't even notice them in the heat of a race. Your car is multicolored, but oncoming cars don't look nearly as good. They first appear as yellow blocks on the horizon, and inexplicably morph into castles as they approach. At least the transition is smooth, so if you ram into one, you can't blame the game. Pole Position's solid gameplay makes up for its shabby graphics, thank goodness. You begin each contest with an easy qualifying lap, which becomes tedious after a while. Once the real race gets underway, your car accelerates automatically, and the fire button fuctions as the brake. Pushing up and down on the joystick allows you to shift gears between high and low. The game really keeps you on your toes. Although oncoming cars only appear one at a time, they change lanes unpredictably, so keep your thumb near the brake and approach cautiously. No roadside scenery means you can always drive off the road, but it will slow you down. You begin the race with a 59 second time limit, but your time is extended as you complete laps. Realistic sound effects include passing car engines and squealing tires. I like how the game keeps a running score at the top of the screen. This version of Pole Position is tougher than it looks. Try to reach 50,000 points and you'll see what I'm talking about. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Pooyan suffers terribly when compared to the arcade original, which was known for its beautifully-rendered fairly tale characters, funny animations, and terrific harmonized music. This 2600 version is Pooyan by name alone. The game starts off okay, with a set of wolves marching onto the screen as a tuneful jingle plays. But once the action is underway, it's a lost cause. You control a blob (allegedly a pig), attempting to thwart a pack of wolves trying to invade your mountain hideaway. On the first screen, wolves float down on balloons, and by moving up and down along the side of a cliff, you must shoot them down and avoid their projectiles. Occasionally you can knock down several wolves at a time by tossing a rectangular slab of meat (meatloaf?). On the second screen, the wolves are floating up, this time with the intention of dropping a boulder on your head. The original game was brimming with personality, but none of that is reflected in this half-assed translation. The main problem is the horrendously choppy animation. Not only is it hard on the eyes, but it eliminates the sharp-shooting element that marked the original game. The bigheaded wolves look okay on the ground, but when hanging on balloons, they look more like stick figures! The sound effects are limited to sporadic beeps. Pooyan does offer four skill levels and two-player modes, but it's like trying to put lipstick on a pig. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

This is a highly playable version of the popular arcade game. A cross between Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, Popeye's gameplay has an addictive quality. The graphics could use some work, but at least the gameplay elements are intact. Playing as Popeye, you scurry around platforms while collecting hearts tossed by Olive Oyle which float down from the top of the screen. Bluto is constantly on your tail, and he can jump up or reach down to grab you from another platform. Once per stage you can seize a can of spinach and turn the tables on Bluto - sending him flying across the screen with one punch. One thing Popeye has that few other Atari 2600 games can boast is high quality music that plays throughout the game. The characters are single-colored but nicely detailed. One animation that doesn't look so hot is Popeye's punch - it looks more like he's passing gas (which I suppose could be equally effective). Three screens are included, each with its own unique layout. While the screens roughly capture the flavor of their arcade counterparts, even I have to admit that the third stage (the pirate ship) looks like crap. Those blocky, diagonal lines don't look like something you'd expect to see in a finished game. Oh well, at least Parker Brothers gave it a shot, instead of omitting the third screen altogether (as Coleco did with Donkey Kong). Although there's only one skill level, the level of difficulty is just right (a little on the hard side). If you haven't been spoiled by the Colecovision version yet, you'll have a great time with this one. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Fans of the original teen exploitation movie may find nostalgic value in this game, but for the rest of us, Porky's is just one long, arduous ordeal. Controlling a guy named Pee Wee, your ultimate goal is to blow up Porky's bar. The first screen plays like a third-rate Frogger, but it contains unlikely obstacles in the form of motorboats, bouncers, and dancers. The second screen features a set of platforms and ladders with a hefty woman chasing you around. In the center of this particular screen there's a figure of a naked woman taking a shower, but the graphics are so rudimentary that it didn't even raise an eyebrow in 1983. Getting caught by the woman sends you falling into a pit, which for many will conjure nightmarish flashbacks of ET. For some reason beyond my comprehension, you must "pole vault" your way out of the pit. You never actually lose a life in Porky's, so the game just goes on and on and on. The final screen requires climbing a scaffolding while avoiding the sheriff, and it's far more confusing than it should be. The bittersweet ending sequence shows Pee Wee finally blowing up Porky's. It's nothing to write home about, but at least there is an ending. Your final score is calculated by time completed and difficulty. Porky's graphics aren't the worst I've seen, but its gameplay is marred by awkward, unresponsive controls. Climbing requires you to position yourself next to a ladder instead of underneath it, which takes a while to get used to. Like the movie, Porky's is only good for a cheap thrill. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

The French company Ebivision has a checkered past when it comes to producing new video games for the 2600. Their titles tend to be either highly innovative (Marlin's Walls) or awfully derivative (Pesco). Power Off falls more into the latter category. The screen consists of eight red platforms connected by ladders and patrolled by robots. You control a tiny man trying to gather 16 blue blocks spread among the platforms. Please don't confuse this with the 50 other Atari 2600 games that share the same premise. There's really nothing interesting about Power Off. Heck, the fire button doesn't even do anything! Once I started playing however, a funny thing happened - I couldn't stop. Just clearing the first screen required far more technique and strategy than I initially gave this game credit for. It's hard for several reasons. The robots tend to move side-to-side over the ladders, so your timing needs to be impeccable to scale one untouched. It doesn't help that it's aggravatingly difficult to line up properly with each ladder (not unlike Ebivision's Alfred Challenge). Even more frustrating is the fact that no matter how many blocks you've collected, once you die the screen is completely repopulated! I can't tell you how many times I dropped the "F" bomb playing this game, especially after getting snuffed out with just one block remaining. I do appreciate the innovative scoring system however, which rewards the player for picking up consecutive blocks (their values increase by increments). When you finally clear a screen (quite a feat), you proceed to another level with a different ladder layout and new set of robots. Power Off's graphics are clean-looking, the robots are cool, and I like how your little guy scampers around. Except for the musical title screen, there's not much audio. Speaking of the title screen, I like how it scrolls the instructions, but I detected a loss in translation when it mentioned that robots were "haunting" the rooms. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

If this game is any indication, working in a fast food restaurant is an absolute blast! Pressure Cooker lets you play the role of a short-order cook, a concept we didn't see again until Cooking Momma took the Wii by storm in 2007. Pressure Cooker lets you assemble burgers by piling tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and onions onto beef paddies moving down a conveyer belt. The bottom of the screen shows a "checklist" of ingredients required to create the next three orders. It's possible to work on multiple burgers concurrently, but even trying to juggle two requires maximum concentration. Once a burger is complete, you carry it to a lower screen and drop it into one of three colored chutes where it's packaged. I love this game's colorful, high-resolution graphics. At the top of the screen the burgers can be seen passing over a flame in an oven before being placed on a bun. It's then transported via a series of conveyer belt contraptions. The cook looks like an old man with a chef's hat, and he's nicely rendered in several colors. The visuals are remarkably clean and the ingredients are easy to differentiate. The control scheme lets you "kick back" items you don't need by holding in the button, but sometimes you'll still get stuck with an unwanted ingredient. Sadly, the only way to get rid of it is to build a "bad" burger. A trash can would have been nice! Another minor complaint is how you have to sit through the intro tune before the action kicks in. But taken as a whole, Pressure Cooker is ingeniously designed and extremely well programmed. This is one of those quirky games that makes you glad you still have an Atari 2600. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

From its name, I anticipated Private Eye would be one of those slow, complicated games where you search high and low for obscure clues. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered a fast-paced driving game requiring little in the way of thought. The object in all five missions is to drive around town, find three or more items, and transport them to the proper building within a certain period of time. A bizarre control mechanism allows your car to leap high in the air, letting you snatch clues in windows or avoid oncoming obstacles. The slick graphics have a cartoonish quality to them. There are many screens to explore, but it's too easy to get lost. In the final analysis,Private Eye requires too much trial and error, not to mention constant backtracking. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.