The Video Game Critic's
Atari 2600 Reviews S

Yet another ill-fated 2600 project shelved in the mid 80's, Saboteur was consequently "lost" for many years. But thanks to the good people at Atari Age, you can now purchase this interesting shooter in its finished form. Saboteur has engaging gameplay and is quite sophisticated as well. You play the role of a robot attempting to stop an evil race from constructing a missile. The first screen is divided into six layers, with your robot situated in the center. Various "slave" robots and Yar flies (!) scurry above and below, systematically building a huge missile on the right side of the screen. You can fire in eight directions, but try not to shoot the yellow birds, since they actually slow the missile construction. The second screen is wide open, with a wandering "master robot" (which looks like a mask from Crash Bandicoot) and a conveyer belt along the bottom. By deflecting laser blasts off the master robot, you can indirectly destroy missile parts on the conveyer belt below. Should you not destroy all the parts in time, the third screen gives you a final chance to destroy the warhead as it's being launched. Saboteur features nice graphics, original gameplay, and five levels of challenge. But despite having so much going for it, the game as a whole lacks excitement and comes off as somewhat flat. Maybe that's why it was never released in the first place. Still, Atari 2600 collectors should be grateful that this old gem has finally seen the light of day. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Although released for the first time during the 2002 Classic Gaming Expo, Save The Whales is actually an old, unreleased Fox title from 1984. To be honest, it looks and plays like a bargain bin title with its simple graphics and shallow gameplay. You guide a sub around the middle of the screen, just above a school of colored whales. As a tanker on the ocean surface drops nets from above, you must destroy them in order to protect the whales. The graphics are pretty standard, although the black puffs of smoke emitted from the tanker's smokestack really caught my eye. There are four speed settings and two-player modes that let a friend control the tanker. Setting the difficulty to 'A' changes the nets to harpoons, which are supposed to be harder to shoot, but I did not find that to be the case. Save The Whales is fast moving and difficult, and positioning your sub is key. The worst part of the game has to be the "radioactive flotsam" that comb the screen between rounds. Although meant to add variety, these blobs are easy to shoot and just plain annoying. Overall, Save The Whales is a mildly amusing little game. I wouldn't call it a lost treasure, but 2600 fans should appreciate this little piece of the past. Personally, I would have given this a more imaginative title, like "Save The Whales - For Me!!" © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

I know it's hard to believe, but this Froggo game is almost good! You control a jet plane flying over open water, attempting to destroy as many helicopters and battleships as possible. Your enemies can fire back, and the helicopters move in schizophrenic patterns similar to Chopper Command. Sea Hawk's controls allow you to drop bombs or fire missiles, depending on how you're holding the joystick when you push the fire button. It's a bit awkward, but adequate. Sea Hawk has one neat little feature: when you get shot down, a little parachute appears, and should you guide your man to a friendly boat, you won't lose a life. Other than that, this is a repetitive, never-ending shooter. Note: This game was originally released by Panda in 1983. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

Froggo has long been the whipping boy of Atari 2600 critics, probably because most of their releases are garbage. Sea Hunt is also crap, but at least it's challenging as hell. You begin in a boat at the top of the screen. Ridiculously blocky fish swim below, and there's a pixilated blob on the ocean floor that's supposed to be a shipwreck. You jump out of your boat and enter the water with a nice splash. The objective is to shoot the fish and plunder the ship's treasure. Unfortunately, you can't take control of your man until he sinks near the bottom, and more often than not you'll be eaten on the way down. Once you gain control, you can harpoon fish, but your harpoon is slow and you have to nail them directly in the mouth. If you miss, you have to wait for the harpoon to return, and by then you'll be as good as dead. With some patience, you'll finally be able to enter the wreck. This takes you to a separate screen with blocky crabs and three treasure items. But even after you grab the treasure, you're still not finished! No, you need to return to your boat, which is no small feat. If successful, you're finally awarded all the points you earned for shooting monsters, collecting treasure, etc. Sea Hunt looks good on paper, but on the screen it's a mess. The blocky graphics are embarrassing, and stiff control makes it frustratingly hard to maneuver. Although there appear to be escape tunnels each side of the screen, they don't work at all (they probably would have been a good idea). Sea Hunt's audio is deplorable. The tune that plays after each game sounds like a bad nursery rhyme, and there's a noticeable lack of sound effects (like when you jump in the water). Sea Hunt had potential, but its execution is fishy to say the least. Note: This game was originally released by Panda as "Scuba Diver" in 1983. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

It only takes one look at that bright blue water and gorgeous sunset to know this is a high-quality Activision game. And Seaquest plays as good as it looks. This rapid-fire submarine shooter delivers fast action with a touch of strategy. The idea is to blast sharks and enemy subs while saving divers. I love the animation of the sharks chasing the terrified divers. The more you can rescue before your sub surfaces for air, the more bonus points you earn. The action begins slowly, but gradually grows pretty intense. The divers are nicely animated, but they're nearly as big as your submarine! How are they supposed to fit in that thing? Beware of the small, innocent-looking ship lurking on the surface - that little bastard will try to ram you when you surface for air! © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Programmed by Atari founder Nolan Bushnell, Secret Quest pushes the 2600 to its limits. It's too bad this fine little adventure is a secret to most 2600 owners. Your mission is to blow up a series space stations. To do this, you'll collect weapons and keys, fight monsters, maintain your oxygen and energy, discover a detonation code, detonate a bomb, and escape through a transporter. The space stations also include traps, teleporters, and 16 different types of monsters! The characters are nicely animated and flicker-free. By flipping the black/white switch on the console you can consult a status screen which lets you know how you're doing. On top of all that, you are provided a symbolic "password" code that allows you to save and reload your game in progress! No question about it, there's a lot crammed into this cartridge. Three things detract from the fun. First, the rooms are all generic squares. Next, the size of the stations in later stages are so large that you'll actually need to draw a map to keep track of your position in the maze. That kind of sucks. Finally, the detonation and save codes are displayed in fancy symbols that are difficult to remember (or even write down, for that matter). As a technical achievement, Secret Quest is outstanding, but as a gaming experience, it's only very good. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

Here it is: the one and only lightgun game for the Atari 2600! It also happens to be one of the most repetitive, mind-numbing shooters I've ever had the displeasure to experience. I normally dig light gun games, but Sentinel is so uninspired and generic that it's practically disgusting. The uninspired graphics include a large "orb" floating above a sparse planet surface. Your job is to protect the orb by shooting approaching objects of various shapes. Some enemies fire missiles, but you can shoot those down as well. "Smart" bombs (which destroy all enemies) are initiated by shooting the orb itself, which makes absolutely no sense. Bosses appear at the end of each level, but they all look the same and require little strategy to defeat. Sentinel requires the Atari XE light gun, which is fairly responsive but fires slightly to the right of where you're aiming. The stages are excessively long and boring, and a skill level select is needed in the worst way. Sentinel becomes somewhat challenging by the third stage, but by then your trigger finger will be aching terribly. I actually had to switch hands just to soothe my cramping muscles. This game is awful. If not for the physical pain it inflicts upon you, Sentinel would be completely forgettable. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Shark Attack wouldn't be a bad maze game if not for its lousy control. You guide a diver around an underwater labyrinth, collecting dots and returning them to a box in the center for points. Sharks swim randomly across the screen, and their frequency and speed increase as the game progresses. Four not-so-secret "secret caves" in the corners will teleport you to another corner. These caves are your only escape from the "Loch Ness Monster", which resembles a pink octopus and chases you all over the place. Shark Attack is challenging, but mainly because your diver is constantly getting hung up on the walls of the "reef"! It's very aggravating. Sometimes you even seem to run into an invisible wall! I really like those trees on the island on the surface, but the action below is pretty tame. Note: This game was originally released by Apollo as "Lockjaw" in 1981. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Since the manual to this rare game is so hard to find, this review will also provide instructions so you'll know what the heck's going on the next time you play. Shootin' Gallery is an old-fashioned target-shooter that's very similar to Carnival. The object is to maximize your score using a fixed number of shots. The closest targets are snails, frogs, or ducks, and they are worth only 100 points. The next target up is the choo-choo train. Aim for the box cars, which are worth 1000 points each, compared to the 100-point engine. Above that, a monkey flips between bars. He's worth 500 points, and shooting him will summon a new train. The next row features animals like kangaroos, squirrels, and penguins. They are worth 2000 points each, and should be your main focus. On top of it all, there's a clock that is constantly counting down, and if it counts all the way down, a cuckoo will eat into your bullet supply. To avoid this, just shoot the clock periodically to reset it. You receive bonus shots every 20,000 points. Shootin' Gallery's graphics are impressive. The screen is an array of color, and the animals are realistically animated. That circus music really got on my nerves though. This is one of those games that seems interesting at first but doesn't hold your attention for very long. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Skateboardin' suffers from a serious lack of excitement. The object is to jump as many ramps and ride through as many tubes as you can in five minutes. Guiding a little skateboarder around a maze of screens, the object is to jump as many ramps and ride through as many tubes as you can in five minutes. The graphics and sound are fair, but Skateboardin's gameplay in no way captures the spirit of the sport. Tony Hawk would never put his name on this one. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

Back in the early 1980's, certain game publishers would release any piece of crap to make a buck, and Apollo's Skeet Shoot is a prime offender. With ludicrous graphics and reprehensible gameplay, this cartridge is borderline offensive. Your goal is to shoot as many "clay pigeons" (gray disks) as you can. It would be difficult to imagine worse graphics than those in Skeet Shoot. Those ugly shapes at the bottom of the screen are supposed to be a man with a gun. You can shoot in five directions, but aiming diagonally is terribly difficult, even with a good joystick. The game offers two target speeds, with "slow" being far too easy, and "fast" being so quick you don't even have time to react. Skeet Shoot has 17 useless variations, and once you've played one, you've played them all. This game is so bad that I'd actually be embarrassed to be caught playing it. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Here's a fresh new title for your Atari 2600. Played from a first-person point-of-view, you navigate a blocky maze while hunting a wandering skeleton. Ominous tones of varying intensity indicate his proximity, and by setting the difficulty level to 'B' you receive visual cues as well. The action grows pretty intense as the tones grow louder, indicating he could be around any corner. Once he's in view, press the fire button one or more times to disintegrate his bony ass. Any hesitation results in "GOT YOU" being displayed on the screen, abruptly ending your game. To complete the game, you need to dispose of 80 (!) skeletons in total. I'm normally not a big fan of maze games like this, but Skeleton's responsive controls and clean graphics won me over. The skeleton looks terrific, even a bit frightening, and it scales nicely when approaching. The mazes are easy to navigate as well. The only things I can criticize about Skeleton is what it does not have (but should). First of all, a skill level select is badly needed. The game is entirely too hard, especially with only one life. Next, when the game ends it should display some kind of score so you can see how well you did. It would have been easy enough to just print out the number of skeletons killed. But despite these flaws, Skeleton is still playable and comes with an attractive instruction booklet. It's a good effort, but a little more polish could have gone a long way. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Skeleton Plus (+) is a much needed update to a game that held much potential but was somewhat undercooked. I imagine programmer Eric Ball caught plenty of flack about the original Skeleton's lack of options and steep difficulty. However, I'm happy to report that he has addressed those issues sufficiently in this latest version. As in the original game, you move through a first-person maze, trying to zap wandering skeletons one at a time. The mazes are well rendered and can be navigated quickly and easily. The skeletons look terrific, and you can even follow them around (although they tend to turn on you). This "Plus" version displays the number of skeletons zapped on the bottom of the screen, along with your life points, which drain each time you're touched by a skeleton. Since some skeletons require multiple "zaps" to kill, there's a bit of a "cat and mouse" element. The game has four options: skeletons per level (five or ten), starting life meter (49 or 99), sound on/off, and skeleton speed. Unfortunately, two options are assigned to each difficulty switch, so there are only four combinations in total. I would have preferred if all 16 possible combinations were accessible via the select switch. A "touch of death" mode is also accessible via the black/white switch, in case you preferred the unforgiving gameplay of the original. I couldn't really recommend the first Skeleton game, but Skeleton+ is the real deal. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Skiing by Activision is fast, smooth, and slick. The straighter you head downhill, the faster you travel, but with speed comes danger. There are two modes of play: slalom and downhill. Slalom requires your skier to pass through a series of gates while avoiding the evergreen trees that litter the course. Downhill mode has no gates - you just try to reach the bottom of the hill as fast as you can. In addition to trees, there are also little gray moguls you can jump over. The novice and intermediate tracks are slow, but the advanced levels are fast and exciting. You can even ski randomly generated courses. Skiing's graphics are plain but silky smooth. The sound effects try to capture the sound of whooshing snow, but they sound too metallic. With ten game variations in all, Skiing provides enough challenge to satisfy any gamer. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

When having to choose between real skydiving or playing this 2600 simulation, I always opt for the pixilated approach. That's because very few people have become a red spot on the ground by playing a video game. Despite being graphically challenged and labeled as a two-player only game, Sky Diver is surprisingly entertaining. Its simple gameplay involves two players jumping from blocky planes moving across the top of the screen, adjusting to crosswinds in order to land on their respective pads. Pulling your ripcord at the last possible instant maximizes your score. You can guide your diver all the way down, but fluctuating wind makes it a challenge. Unlike some 2600 games, the different variations really do have an impact on the gameplay. You can alter the size of the landing pads, and choose between wind or moving platforms. There's even a "chicken" match with a single landing pad both players can vie for. Obviously Sky Diver is designed for head-to-head match-ups, but single players can still play for score. Deceptively plain looking, it's easy to write off Sky Diver, but I recommend you give it a try. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

This surprisingly weak Activision title plays like an overhead version of Barnstorming, and we already know how boring that game is! Believe it or not, Sky Jinks is even less interesting and more repetitive! Piloting a "P41 Racer" plane, you weave around red and white pylons while avoiding trees and hot air balloons. The fire button is used to accelerate, and your goal is to complete the course in the shortest time. Even when you get a feel for weaving through the pylons, Sky Jinks is never remotely fun. What did Activision see in this? The first game variation features a 25-pylon course which can be completed in about a minute. The courses in the remaining four variations range from 50 to 99 pylons in length, and these seem to take an eternity to complete. Sky Jink's high-resolution graphics are sparse but sharp, and all of the objects (including clouds) have shadows to convey depth. Your plane controls well, and the instructions even boast how it handles like "real flying". All I know is, if I get on a plane and see the pilot holding a cheap Atari joystick, I'm outta there! Sky Jinks is a rare dud released by Activision. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Here's an oddball little game where you fly an airplane through a maze that scrolls up and down. Sky Skipper's gameplay involves bombing gorillas, which somehow cause animals to be "released" from nearby cages. Scoop them all up, and you're off to the next stage. Your plane is smoothly animated, but I can't say the same for the tiny animals. When released, they simply blink in and out of their cages, and it looks pathetic. I can't tell you why it was programmed like that, but I suspect it was pretty easy to do it that way! Later levels feature tougher mazes and faster planes, but Sky Skipper's methodical gameplay is painfully monotonous. In the early stages, your plane tends to move very slowly (boring), but later it moves too fast, causing you to crash into everything. Sure, it's a challenge to avoid the walls, but not the "fun" sort of challenge. Any game that predicates its difficulty on a lack of control has serious issues. Sky Skipper is also the only video game where your airplane can actually crash into a cloud. Now that's just dumb. Sky Skipper is one of those brain-dead, tedious titles that will leave you asking, "What's the point?" Why a respectable company like Parker Bros. would put their name on a piece of junk like this is anybody's guess. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

VEGAS!! What is the purpose of Slot Machine exactly? I still don't know. All you do is bet one to five coins and pull the handle of the machine. The graphics are unexciting, with blocky, indiscernable objects. Vegas! If you're brain-dead, you can even compete against the computer which places random bets. Playing Slot Machine conveys the excitement of winning money in a real casino, except without the money and without the casino and without the excitement. Vegas...zzzzz © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

As one of the few two-player-only games for the Atari 2600, Slot Racers places two cars in a maze where they drive around shooting square missiles at each other. Twisted Metal it is not. For one thing, calling these vehicles "cars" is being awfully loose with the language. Judging by their blocky appearance and slow speed, they'd be more convincing as wheelchairs. The control scheme is counter-intuitive, and the entire shooting system is a joke. The missiles seem to meander around the maze with a mind of their own, and they sometimes move even slower than the cars! Where are the explosions? And can somebody please explain to me how this is considered "racing"? As much as I hated playing Slot Racers, my disgust turned into despair when I realized that the game doesn't end until someone scores 25 points! I recommend you quit this game while you still have the will to live. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Here's an enjoyable little romp with action similar to Pitfall. The object is to guide your Smurf through a series of screens to save Smurfette. Rescue's graphics are fairly blocky, but still colorful and pleasant enough. The Smurfs look particularly good, and the screens convey a nice variety of scenery. Well-orchestrated music plays throughout the game. The jumping controls take a while to get used to, but overall, I enjoyed this one. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

This game was tough to review. Taking control of Snoopy the flying ace, your goal is to shoot down the elusive Red Baron. Initially I was turned off by the game's repetitive action, but eventually it started to grow on me. The unique controls require you to lure the Red Baron into range before you can get a decent shot at him. The fact that you have both short-range machine guns and long-range missles provides some strategy. In terms of graphics, Snoopy and the Red Baron is impressive. You can easily make out Snoopy with his little scarf and goggles, and his doghouse even models damage in the form of bullet holes. The Red Baron's biplane looks equally good as it scales in and out. The scenery features a big blue sky and rolling hills, and several pleasant musical tunes play in the background. Unfortunately, once you get the hang of this game, it becomes too easy. The Red Baron simply isn't aggressive enough. Even on the most difficult skill level, you'll be playing until your thumb gets sore. It's the ultimate downfall of an otherwise impressive title. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

It's rare that you stumble upon a game you've never even heard of and it still turns out to be good, but Star Fox is a pleasant surprise. This interesting space game combines elements of Pac-Man, Q*bert, and Galaga. By guiding an airplane-shaped starship around the screen, you collect fuel cells arranged in various matrixes. Complicating matters are two cannons that fire rapidly from the top and bottom of the screen. Your ship can roam freely, and you can reverse or turn on a dime. The steering controls are a bit quirky, but being able to slow down (using the fire button) helps. In later stages, you'll need to pass over each cell twice, with the first pass only altering its color. Solar Fox is one of those addicting games that'll have you hitting the reset switch over and over again. There are even Galaga-inspired "challenge racks". On the downside, Solar Fox's graphics are only average, and its sound effects have an irritating quality. Still, this low-profile title is worth picking up. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

With its sophisticated gameplay and high-resolution graphics, Solaris is a technical marvel. Your objective is to seek out and save the planet Solaris while wiping out hostile alien forces along the way. Although it's played much like a first-person space shooter, you're ship is always visible at the bottom of the screen. There's plenty of dogfighting action which not only happens in open space, but over planet surfaces as well (a la Moonsweeper). For a 2600 title, Solaris is huge in scope. There are 16 "quadrants", each containing 48 sectors! That means there are 16 different maps to move between, each loaded with a variety of targets including enemy fleets, flagships, planets (friendly and hostile), wormholes, and blockades. There are even special "corridor" areas that challenge you to blast aliens and snatch keys while moving at high speeds. A lot of skill is required to hyperwarp between sectors and dock with repair bases. In addition to blasting aliens, you can also rescue stranded troops on the planets. The graphics in Solaris are first-rate. The multi-colored aliens are flicker-free and glide along smoothly, even when attacking in groups. The planets look beautiful and the map screens are finely detailed. Solaris is an ambitious title, but Atari didn't give it the first-class treatment it deserved. For one thing, they reused the label from Star Raiders on it, which is pretty lame. Next they included the most oversimplified, poorly written instructions I've seen in quite a while. The illustrations are just awful, and as a result, the rules of play are confusing. In fact, I suspect one reoccurring "bug" that I've encountered (getting stuck in a quadrant), might have something to do with my lack of understanding of the game. Solaris is a stellar effort, but you'll need to invest some time to appreciate everything it has to offer. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Mythicon's track record is fairly lackluster, but Sorcerer is a pleasant surprise. In some ways, this rare game is a gem. You begin by moving your wizard across the bottom of a screen as a "flying platform" whizzes around above you. You need to jump up and grab this device, but the jumping animation is pathetic, as your sorcerer suddenly "appears" several feet above the ground before floating softly down to the earth. Once you snag the platform, you can freely fly around the entire screen. Moving off the right edge, you'll encounter wave after wave of enemy which appear three at a time and move in distinct patterns. They fire missiles, so shoot first and ask questions later (like "what was that thing?" for example). These "forces of evil" aren't hard to overcome once you recognize their patterns, and they drop a nice hunk of treasure behind when defeated. As you progress through the various waves, you'll be introduced to a surprising variety of foes, and it's always interesting to see what the next wave has in store. Sorcerer's sprites are chunky but smoothly animated and multicolored. The action is fast and the controls are responsive. It's definitely a challenge, and Sorcerer holds more surprises than your typical 2600 cartridge. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Even when a video game concept looks good on paper, you never know if it's going to have that intangible "fun" quality until you sit down and play it. Designed with younger players in mind, Sorcerer's Apprentice incorporates some interesting graphics and novel gameplay elements, but in the end it just feels like a chore to play. Assuming the role of a nicely rendered Mickey Mouse, you begin on a screen with colorful mountains and raining stars. You can shoot the stars for points or catch them to earn "buckets". Once you've accumulated buckets you can move off the right edge of the screen, where you'll find yourself on a staircase with rising water. Your buckets will automatically bail out the water, but first you must clear out a parade of water-carrying brooms. Eventually these brooms will overwhelm you, causing the water to fill the screen and end the game. The first screen has a handy meter at the bottom showing the current water level. The graphics are kind of fun, but the game never quite "clicks". Neither screen is particularly enjoyable, and after a while it just feels tedious going back and forth. Even the music is annoying, as it constantly "resets" whenever you fire a shot. I know it's designed for kids, but I can't imagine this holding anyone's interest for long. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

This was M-Network's attempt at a first-person space shooter, and it's a mixed bag. The radar screen is not a grid as you might expect. Instead it's wide open, with enemy ships approaching your mother ship in the center. From this screen you deploy three squadrons of ships. The best strategy is to deploy your nearest squadron to the most threatening enemy. Space Attack's controls are confusing, so you'll probably need to consult the manual. When one of your fleets meets the enemy, you switch to a battle screen that lets you to move a crosshair and shoot enemies. I do like the fact that the explosion of one enemy ship can take out another. You either win or lose this game - there is no score. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

Ready for another run-of-the-mill space shooter? This time you control an astronaut at the bottom of the screen who must shoot bomb-dropping aliens. These aliens are colorful but otherwise non-descript. Occasionally you're attacked from the side by creatures with large mouths. Space Cavern really doesn't have much to offer. It's also unfair - when starting with a new life, you are often bombed before you even get a chance to move! Whatever happened to those few seconds of invincibility you were supposed to get? It's not just a good idea - it's the LAW! © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

It's hard to come up with anything negative to say about this classic. In many ways this Atari 2600 version of Space Invaders is even better than the arcade, with colorful graphics and countless options. The 112 game variations include moving shields, zig-zagging bombs, invisible invaders, and several two-player simultaneous options. The difficulty switches even let you to make your cannon "skinny" or "fat". The aliens are large, and there are six different varieties, each with its own distinct look. Periodically the red "mother ship" slowly crosses the top of the screen, and at 200 points, it's hard to resist. Three shields along the bottom of the screen are handy to take cover under. It's fun to poke holes in the shields, but the invaders seem particularly adept at dropping their bombs through those narrow openings. As each round winds down, the sound of the aliens marching quickens, adding to the intensity. That last invader is always the toughest to hit. Your shots move slowly, so it's necessary to "lead them" into your target. It's a little slow, but Space Invaders is a legitimate classic that packs a good deal of shooting satisfaction. Tip: Enable the secret "double-shot" mode by holding down the reset button when you turn the game on. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

Playing this game brought memories of the 80's flooding back. My childhood friend Bill had a huge Atari 2600 collection, and it seemed like every time I stopped by he had acquired a new title. So one day we're sitting in his basement, and he's playing his latest acquisition, Space Jockey. I remember thinking how this had to be one of the inane games ever. As he played on and on, I started thinking, "Man, what is the point of this?" I waited for what seemed like an eternity before he finally switched out that God-forsaken thing. Since then, Space Jockey has become the designated whipping boy for lame Atari 2600 games, often mentioned in the same breath as "Sssnake", "ET", and "Swordquest". Moving a blimp-shaped "ship" up and down over a planet, you fire at balloons, planes, tanks, and helicopters that approach from the right. What does this have to do with space? Clearly the game doesn't take place in space. And why can you score points for shooting houses and trees on the planet below? I just doesn't seem right from an ethics point of view. I mean, when was the last time you scored points for shooting a frickin' tree?! Space Jockey's gameplay couldn't be more simplistic or monotonous, and it never really changes no matter how long you play. In fairness, the game does have a few redeeming qualities. The objects are rendered in multiple colors and the animation is smooth and flicker-free. If you play a difficult variation, Space Jockey even provides a degree of challenge. And did you know that moving the joystick after a game causes the high score to be displayed? Sadly, that's the highlight of an otherwise extremely bland shooting experience. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Space Master X-7 is one of those generic space shooters with little substance - if any. You guide an asterisk-shaped "ship" freely around the screen, holding down the fire button to shoot in any direction. In the center of the screen resides an enemy base surrounded by a shield that expands and contracts. Your goal is to destroy the base as many times as you can while avoiding the various things it tosses out. These things typically resemble zigzags and curly-cues, and are usually easy to avoid. A gauge on the bottom of the screen indicates the base's current strength, and many hits are required to wear it down. For the first dozen waves or so, you can simply navigate a gap in the force field and fire missiles down the base's throat. Once you reach 60K however, the shield moves too fast to penetrate, so all you can do is sneak in a few shots here and there. The problem is, the base regenerates its energy as fast as you can drain it, and that really sucks. Space Master X-7's graphics and sound are average at best, and I didn't find its gameplay to be especially interesting. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

This remarkable cartridge is very unique compared to most Atari 2600 titles. It attempts to be a realistic simulator of a space shuttle mission. In addition to the normal joystick controls, Space Shuttle uses all of the console buttons to control things like primary/secondary engines, cargo doors, and landing gear. The manual is a thick, 30-page booklet containing procedures, diagrams, and charts. A quick reference sheet is also included, and there's even a template to place over your console switches! The screen displays the instrument panel and a view out of the windshield. Activision allegedly worked with NASA to make this as realistic as possible. You might expect such a realistic game with complex controls to be a very dull affair, and you'd be correct. However, after trying it out I have gained a certain appreciation for Space Shuttle. Not that I had enough patience successfully complete a mission, but if someone spent enough time figuring this out, I think they could really derive some enjoyment. Just mastering the controls would derive some degree of satisfaction. Space Shuttle won't appeal to the casual gamer, but its quality and attention to detail is admirable. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

To say this ancient shooter hasn't aged well is an understatement. At first glance Space Bore (whoops - I meant Space War) looks like Combat with the triangular ships from Asteroids. Its ultra-simple gameplay involves thrusting around a wide-open screen while firing at your opponent. Hyperspace variations let you disappear for a few seconds at a time, which is really annoying for the other player. In some variations a square in the middle represents a sun with a gravitational pull, and in others it serves as a "space station", allowing you to reload your ammo. Space War's concept of running out of ammo and having to reload provides a modicum of strategy to its otherwise vanilla gameplay. But where are the explosions? What's a space game without explosions!? The final straw came when my friend Steve started thrusting continuously up the screen and refused to stop, rendering the game virtually unplayable. There are a few single-player "docking" variations thrown in, but these afterthoughts are even more pointless. It's easy to see why Space War was one of Atari's first discontinued titles, considering its uninspired gameplay and minimal graphics. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

This cartridge is the Sears version of Street Racer. See Street Racer for a full review. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Back in the early 80's, my little sister surprised me with this cartridge on one of my birthdays. I always thought it was a pretty cool game, but a little on the easy side. Playing it recently reinforced those sentiments. Technically, Spider Fighter is one heck of a shooter, with vibrant graphics, smooth animation, and some of the fastest rapid-fire shooting I've seen in any video game. Each wave begins with a "master nest" (which looks like a UFO) dispatching eggs and bomb-dropping spiders around the screen. Controlling a cannon on the bottom, you must unleash a steady stream of red missiles to wipe out the vermin and protect the fruit on the top. It's immediately fun and engaging, but the thrill doesn't last. Once the difficulty plateaus, skilled gamers can play this game almost indefinitely. The main problem is how the "master nest" always enters from the left side. Often you can blow it away as soon as it appears. Designer Larry Miller attempted to address this problem by making the nest temporarily invincible when it first enters. Unfortunately, this invincibility doesn't last long enough to make a major difference. Another problem is the excessive number of "free lives" awarded. To earn one, all you have to do is protect the fruit at the top of the screen for an entire wave, and believe me, that fruit is never really in any danger. Consequentially, even during a bad stretches your cannons are replaced as fast as you lose them. It's far from perfect, but Spider Fighter is still a blast for novice gamers. Note: Unlike most 2600 games, the A difficulty setting is actually easier. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

If you've played Parker Brother's Amidar, then you've played Spiderdroid. This Froggo rip-off is the same game with slightly modified graphics. The game reminds me Qix with a fixed maze. Controlling a spider, you try to "fence off" areas while avoiding the bad guys. The graphics are so non-descript that I can't even tell what these enemies are supposed to represent. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

With the new Spiderman movie just released, it seemed like a great time to give this oldie a second look. I'm happy to report that I underestimated Spiderman for the 2600 the first time around. It's challenging, plays very well, and manages to incorporate many aspects of the comic book. And guess who the villain is? That's right - the Green Goblin himself! Spiderman is rendered in blue and red colors, and he looks great. You begin each stage on the street below a tall building, and by holding the fire button down, you can shoot web of various length. If it sticks to something, you can either swing side-to-side on it or pull yourself up. Criminals appear in the windows and try to cut your web, which will send you into a free fall. Fortunately, Spiderman can catch himself by slinging web in mid-air! That's pretty cool. The Green Goblin hovers from side to side on his glider in front of the upper floors of the building. Here you'll also see bombs set to go off. Spiderman earns points by snagging criminals and diffusing bombs, accomplished by swinging over them. The stage ends when our hero diffuses the "super bomb" at the very top of the building. Then he's off to a new building. This is a game for gamers - it's difficult but can be conquered with skillful play and strategy. My only complaint is how Spiderman can't actually fight the Green Goblin - only avoid him. The programmers should have allowed you to defeat the Goblin somehow. As it is, Spiderman is still challenging and addicting. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

Like so many other Xonox titles, Spike's Peak features multiple stages and high resolution graphics. It's a shame that its gameplay sucks so bad. Persevering this crappy game is analogous to climbing Mount Everest with a rock in your shoe, a knife in your back, and an ice cream headache, only less fun. I will admit that the multi-colored main character is nicely rendered with a baseball cap and backpack. The first screen places Spike on a winding mountain trail, where he can take cover behind orange boxes to avoid approaching hawks or polar bears. The hiding controls are anything but responsive, making this stage far more challenging than it's meant to be. But the second screen is where the real frustration sets in. Here Spike must scale the side of a cliff while bouncing boulders and swarms of bees continuously knock him down. Spike moves at a snail's pace, so avoiding the numerous dangers requires more luck than skill. Sometimes a boulder will appear from out of nowhere just as you near the top of the screen, sending Spike all the way down to the bottom. The final screen is a combination of the first two, set on a snowy mountainside with wandering snow monsters. While game's visuals are fine, the abrasive sound effects really got on my nerves. Spike's Peak's controls will kill your wrist, and if you do manage to reach the peak, you'll be subjected to one of the most irritating "endings" you'll ever witness. Enjoy. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

This is an excellent version of the mildly popular overhead racing arcade game. Sprint Master resembles an updated Indy 500, but isn't quite as fun. You can choose between nine tracks and several modes of play. Each track has a completely different design, and some even feature ramps, overpasses, or gates. The tracks and cars are well-defined, and icons that appear on the track allow you to improve your traction or speed. You can also adjust the number of laps and even set the track surface to be black, dirt, or ice. The computer presents a fair challenge, but going head-to-head is always more fun. So what's the problem? Well mainly I wasn't crazy about the joystick control. It's a shame this game doesn't support the Indy 500 controllers. But overall Sprint Master is still one of the better racing games for the 2600. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

I've played many versions of this arcade classic, some good and some bad, but this Atari 2600 adaptation is simply outstanding. It retains all the elements of the arcade game, and is super fun to play. Driving a James Bond-style, weapon-equipped car down a highway, you destroy or avoid enemy cars trying to run you off the road. The overhead view allows you to anticipate oncoming traffic and forks in the road. After a while, you switch to a boat for some action on the water - very cool. The best part of Spy Hunter is the control. Originally this game was sold with a device that would give your joystick two buttons, one for front weapons (machine guns, missiles), and one for the back (oil slicks, smoke). I don't own this device, but I got by just fine by using the fire button on joystick #2. Spy Hunter's graphics are plain but clean, although the helicopter looks like a big floating tree. The Peter Gun theme plays in the background, and there are two difficulty levels. I highly recommend this one. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

There are bad games, horrible games, and then there's Squeeze Box. US Games should be ashamed for inflicting this garbage on the video game-playing masses. Spawned from the depths of hell, Squeeze Box puts you in control of a large criminal shooting his way out of a box closing in from both sides. The monotonous gameplay involves systematically removing one row of bricks after another until there's room to escape. The game is totally devoid of strategy or fun. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

Anybody still wondering why the video game crash of 1983 occurred needs to look no further than this pathetic piece of crapola. Sssnake is the kind of trash game companies spewed out by the dozens. In terms of gameplay, Sssnake is a poor man's Centipede. Your cannon moves around a small box in the center, shooting at creatures running around the screen. The snakes look like dotted lines, and shooting them yields unpredictable results. Sometimes they become smaller and sometimes they split, but mostly your shots just go right through and nothing happens at all. There are other creatures as well that resemble pixilated blobs. The control is awkward, to say the least. Sssnake looks more like an unfinished project. It's got to be one of the sssloppiest games I've ever seen. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Stampede is, without a doubt, one of the most underrated Atari 2600 games of all time. It never caused a big commotion like Pitfall or River Raid back in the day, but everyone who played it really got a kick out of it. Like most Activision titles, Stampede boasts super clean graphics, smooth animation, responsive controls, and madly addictive gameplay. You'll find yourself hitting the reset button "just one more time" over and over again (a sign of any good 2600 game). Controlling a well-animated cowboy on a horse, you slowly move up and down on the left side of the screen as groups of cattle approach from the right. Using your lasso, you need to snag each one before it passes by, and if you can't quite reach a group in time, you can still "nudge" them ahead to buy extra time. It's a pretty ingenious concept. The game ends when three cattle pass, but you earn a free one every 1000 points. Complicating matters are cow skulls and black cows that will quickly pass you by if you don't anticipate them. I still haven't figured out if it's possible to memorize the patterns, or if the game has a random element. It seems like every time you play Stampede, you get a little better. And let's face it, any game that gives you a "free cow" has got to be a winner. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Most first-person space shooters on the Atari 2600 follow the Star Raiders formula, emphasizing strategy over action. Starfire on the other hand lets you blast away like there's no tomorrow. Only your laser temperature gauge (which indicates overheating) prevents you from ripping the universe a new black hole. A scanner on the bottom lets you track enemy craft, and it's not uncommon for three or four large fighters to zoom into view at the same time. Blasting them is easy and fun, and you'll also need to shoot down their missiles (or guide them off the screen). Once you've destroyed enough ships, a portal appears that whisks you off to the next stage (much like Star Voyager). I like how your score is displayed between waves, which also provides you with a short breather. The waves are manageable until you reach around 1000 points, at which time the missiles come in almost as fast as you can shoot them down. Star Fire is really shallow but I like its bold, frenetic pace. The music on the title screen is wild. I can't decide if it's a brilliantly complex composition or just random noise. Another interesting aspect of the game is its familiar spaceship designs. It doesn't take much imagination to make out Tie Fighters (including the Vader model), Star Destroyers, Slave I (Boba Fett's ship) and even a Death Star. Rest assured, however, any similarities between this game and Star Wars are purely coincidental. You can purchase this game from AtariAge.com. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

This is one of those games that plays so poorly that if you didn't know any better, you'd think the cartridge was broken. Star Fox's graphics and sound are minimal, and its controls are utterly repugnant. A side-scrolling shooter, the idea is to collect blue "crystals" (flashing boxes) on the planet surface while avoiding (or blasting) black UFOs. Although your ship is equipped with rapid-fire, its movements are so spastic and squirrelly that you can never aim with any degree of precision. Instead of being evenly distributed on the surface of the planet, the blue crystals mysteriously "appear" whenever you change direction, which is a serious crock of [expletive]. But what I hate most about Star Fox is how you inexplicably cannot move side-to-side while flying low on the screen. The instructions provide this half-assed explanation: "The energy crystals have ionized the gases to such an extent that your horizontal drives will be useless: you may not be able to move left or right at low altitudes." Give me a break! Why don't they just admit that the programmer stinks!? To pick up a crystal, you must position your ship directly above it before landing, but your ship doesn't want to stay there, so you end up wrestling with it. The whole game is pointless and shallow. I love how the instruction manual attempts to build it up with lines like this: "Star Fox by Mythicon has a high level of computer intelligence built in. Your enemy is very smart and always knows where you are." Wow, I hope this cartridge doesn't suddenly become self-aware and try to take over the world! Quick - shut it off! © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

This first-person space shooter plays like Star Raiders, but I think it's much better. As in Star Raiders, you're trying to eliminate enemy forces in deep space, and you can dock with star bases to repair damage and refuel. But unlike Star Raiders, the graphics here are more detailed, and Star Master doesn't have as many boring lulls in the action. Instead of employing a bulky keypad, Star Master simply uses the black and white switch to toggle between the main view and the map screen, and it works fine. The game keeps you on your toes. Whenever you hyperwarp to a sector, you have to avoid asteroid collisions along the way by dodging or shooting them. When you warp to your star base, you actually have to "dock" with it by centering it in your crosshairs, and this requires some skill. There's only one type of enemy ship, but it looks pretty cool. Only one enemy appears at a time, and you can only destroy it if it's directly in your crosshairs. One thing that bothers me about Star Master's graphics is the erratic movement of the stars. Instead of smoothly moving towards the outer edge for the center of the screen, they move in an odd manner. Another flaw is the confusing evaluation system. Still, I'd take this over Star Raiders any day. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

This is the original first-person space shooter, but this 2600 version is a weak effort. Star Raiders came packaged in a fat orange box with a gratuitous eight-button "touch pad" and an overlay. No other game ever supported the touch pad, so Atari would have been better off using the extra console switches for these functions like Star Master did. Your mission is to wipe out 10 to 40 alien ships, depending on the difficulty level, but much of the game is played by staring at crosshairs as stars pass by. At the start of each game, you switch to your Galactic Map, locate the enemy's location, and warp to their sector. This Galactic Map is so lame. It's a blocky four-by-four grid, and the only indicators are your position, your base, and the alien fleet. What's the point really? The first-person shooting action is more respectable, thank goodness. Every few seconds one or two ships appear, zipping around while scaling in and out. It takes some practice to target in on these guys. Of the three alien ship styles, one looks like a Tie Fighter (Star Wars), and another looks like a Cylon Raider (Battlestar Galactica). The sound effects are confusing. During battle you hear constant explosions, but can't tell if they're from you being hit, an alien getting destroyed, or missiles colliding. Taking hits damages your shields, computer, photon torpedoes, or engines. I do like the various ways in which the damage manifests itself (shields flicker, left torpedo stops working, etc). If your shields get damaged, you'll want to repair them immediately or risk instant death. You always have the option to turn off your computer or shields to save energy, but energy is usually the least of your worries. Star Raiders isn't much to look at with its choppy, flickering graphics and blocky displays, but it is certainly challenging at the higher levels. At the end of each game you get rated from a "Cook" all the way up to a mystery rank. Star Raiders is okay, but for better first-person shooting action, try Star Master, Star Voyager, or Phaser Patrol. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Take Star Raiders, remove all of its strategic elements, saddle it with the most hideous graphics ever conceived, and voila, you have Star Ship. Yes, I know this game is really old, but I still can't resist cracking on it. The main game variation is a first-person shooter in the loosest sense of the word, where you try to blast as many big blocky aliens as possible within 2 minutes 16 seconds. Some variations allow a friend to control the aliens you target. Believe me, if you make someone play Star Ship with you, they won't be your friend for long! There are some other incredibly lame variations in which you just try to avoid oncoming squares - umm I mean "asteroids". And the "lunar lander" variations are truly pathetic. You simply move your little ship to the asteroid and push the button. Incredibly, there's no gravity, and hence, no challenge! What an embarrassment! No wonder Atari yanked it from their lineup. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Much like the climax of the first Star Wars film, Star Strike places you in the trench of an evil battle station, where you attempt to save the Earth from imminent destruction. Looming large at the top of the screen, the Earth gradually moves into targeting range. In order to save the planet, you must bomb eight vents that cycle below. The illusion of movement through the trench is fairly well done considering the vintage 1982 3D effects. You view the action from just behind your ship, and flying saucers sneak up from the rear as meteors approach from the front. Shadows on the surface help you determine your position relative to these hazards. Taking a hit will temporarily send you out of control, possibly crashing into the trench below, which ends the game. Although you can fire forward, there isn't much to shoot, and targeting is difficult. Flying low in the trench automatically puts you into "bomb mode". Gameplay is mainly a matter of dodging projectiles while occasionally plunging into the trench when a vent comes into range (a series of beeps will warn you). While its gameplay is simplistic and no score is provided (you either win or lose), Star Strike did manage to hold my attention for a little while. I was intent on beating this thing at least once, and it took some perseverance. Win or lose, you're treated to a short ending sequence. The difficulty switches allow you to configure four skill levels. There's not much to Star Strike, but the challenge might just keep you coming back for more. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

This game pretends to incorporate strategic Star Trek elements, but it's really just another mediocre shoot-em-up. The screen is divided into three areas: a status screen (mainly composed of colored blocks), a radar screen (providing a third-person view of the action), and a viewer (to help you aim). The are six stages in each level: 4 Klingon encounters, an asteroid field, and a boss. The Klingon ships are very easy to blast, and as long as you keep moving you'll avoid enemy fire. The rocks in the asteroid stage are easy to dodge and Nomad the boss isn't any more difficult than the Klingons. Star Trek comes with an unnecessary joystick overlay so you won't forget which button is used to fire (hint - it's the RED one!). With lackluster gameplay and only one skill level, not even a trekkie could love this one. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

This is yet another Star Raiders-inspired first-person space shooter, but it's one of the better ones. Star Voyager doesn't waste time with fancy maps, shields, or damage indicators. Instead, the emphasis is on shooting enemy ships, which I think is a good idea. Your ship is equipped with two types of weapons. You trigger the secondary weapon by pressing the fire button on the second joystick (I like to use my toe for that one). Your lasers are far more powerful than your photon torpedoes, but consume ten times more energy! Once you expend all of your energy, the game ends. After shooting down each group of enemy ships you have the opportunity to fly through a portal and replenish your energy. The graphics are fairly minimal, but the colors are vivid and the explosions are amongst the best I've seen on the 2600. There are two skill levels along with a two-player cooperative mode. Star Voyager is a heck of a lot of fun, and seriously underrated in my opinion. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic.

Man, this is so lame! An instantly forgettable shooter, Death Star Battle puts you in control of a tiny Millennium Falcon. Inexplicably, you're confined to a cramped area on the lower half of the screen! A partially completed Death Star is visible at the top, behind a rainbow-colored shield. If you don't remember this from the movies, that's because it wasn't in the movies. You can blast passing Imperial vessels, but it's hard enough to avoid colliding with them because they appear from out of nowhere. If you're looking for a cheap way to inflate your score, just wait for Vader's shuttle to cruise by - it's worth a cool 3,000 points (compared to a paltry 100 points for the others). Periodically a "hole" appears in the shield, a temporary gateway to the second (and final) stage. Here, the Death Star is presented as an ugly, gray, blocky monstrosity -- with a red dot in the center. Avoiding a roving laser, you must wear down the outside of the Death Star to expose its core. It's Star Wars meets Breakout, and it's not a pretty sight. After shooting the core, you must dodge a series of fireballs before the Death Star finally explodes. The explosion isn't bad (by Atari 2600 standards) but then it's back to the beginning for another uneventful round. Playing Death Star Battle is a shallow experience, lacking any sense of strategy or fun. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Who's bright idea was it to put two Jedi knights into a game, arm them with powerful lightsabers, and then keep them separated for the entire frickin' game?! Jedi Arena is so bogus that it's not even funny. It's very loosely based on a brief scene from the first Star Wars film. You may recall when Luke was practicing his saber skills on a floating metal orb inside the Millennium Falcon. In Arena, this orb shoots electrical charges and floats between these so-called Jedi. Actually, these competitors look like more two fat guys cooped up in boxes, protected by a four-layer shield. Using a paddle controller, you swing your saber from side to side - too bad it doesn't stick out far enough to touch anything! Jedi Arena's control scheme is counterintuitive (to say the least). You use your saber to block the orb's charges, and press the fire button to initiate charges toward your opponent. Blocking is easy enough, but aiming your shots is awkward - I could never get a feel for it. Every now and then the orb goes nuts and start shooting charges in all directions. It's a big, confusing mess. Jedi Arena is a real dud and a complete waste of the Star Wars license. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

It's remarkable that Parker Bros was able to squeeze this multi-stage, vector-graphics game into an Atari 2600 cartridge. Although simplified, the visuals are still impressive. I love how you can see the nose of your ship on the bottom of the screen, along with two guns in the lower corners (none are shown on top). In the first stage, you fire at Tie Fighters zooming across the screen, but the clumsy crosshair control proves a liability. Not particularly responsive, the cursor has some kind of delay mechanism that's really annoying. The Tie fighters are nicely rendered; however, their missiles look more like big fuzz balls. You'll need to neutralize these, but that's less fun than targeting Ties. Eventually the ominous purple (?) Death Star moves into view. Next, you find yourself flying over the surface of the Death Star, trying to shoot the tops of pillars without running into them (what movie was that from?) Your crosshair not only aims, but also guides your ship - which is somewhat awkward. The final stage places you in the Death Star trench, avoiding barriers and incoming missiles long enough to blast the exhaust port. It looks surprisingly good, with wire-frame 3D visuals that convey both depth and speed in a convincing fashion. Once you shoot the port, you're treated to a rather unspectacular explosion, before starting over on a harder level. Star Wars: The Arcade Game has two levels of difficulty. Casual gamers may not be impressed, but Star Wars aficionados will certainly appreciate this ambitious cartridge. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Easily the best Star Wars game for the 2600, Empire Strikes Back provides satisfying "twitch" gameplay and relentless challenge. I love it! Based on the best action sequence from these movies (the battle on [ice] planet Hoth), you pilot a tiny Snowspeeder attempting to subdue a parade of approaching Imperial Walkers. Your scanner indicates their position, and should one of these hulking mammoths reach the right edge of the scanner, the Rebel Alliance is defeated and your game is over. The screen scrolls rapidly as you whiz over the icy wasteland, and when you encounter a Walker, a high tech game of cat-and-mouse ensues. Not only are the Walker's missiles deadly accurate, but they also deploy "smart bombs" that behave like heat-seeking missiles. Empire's graphics are minimal, but the control is tight and the action fast and furious. Destroying a Walker is tough, considering each can withstand up to 48(!) shots. Fortunately, weak spots appear periodically, allowing a single well-placed shot to take them down. Should you manage to stay alive for two minutes, the Star Wars theme kicks in and you're awarded with 20 seconds of invincibility (yeee-ha!). The damage level of both the Walkers and your Snowspeeder is indicated by their respective colors. A red ship indicates critical damage, but you're permitted to land for repairs twice (per ship). You can't fly through a Walker's body (at least in the hard variations), but you can fly through its legs unharmed, and I like that. Crashing into a Walker inflicts major damage to it, and sometimes it makes sense to sacrifice a ship as a last ditch-effort to extend the game. Empire has no "stages" per se; the Walkers just keep coming until you're overcome. Easy to play and always exciting, Empire Strikes Back lives up to the Star Wars name. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

Stargate, also known as Defender II, is a far cry from its predecessor, which to many is regarded as one of the most disappointing Atari 2600 carts of all time. Atari's programmers must have learned quite a bit between programming the original Defender and this masterpiece. Stargate's graphics are high in resolution with smooth animation and arcade-quality sound effects. Better yet, no controls were sacrificed. In a wise design decision, the second joystick activates smart bombs, "inviso-shield", and hyperspace. All of the enemies are present with minimal flicker. Stargate is so good that it's actually difficult to believe this is an Atari 2600 game! © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

This Sears-exclusive title makes for some surprisingly fun four-player action. I pulled this one out when some friends were over, and we all had a ball! Four horses run across the screen and jump hurdles of various sizes. Using the paddle controllers, you adjust the height and timing of each jump, but it's not easy. The first horse to reach the right hand side wins. Three computer skill levels are included, but playing against three humans is the main draw. The only fault with Steeplechase is that the jump height indicator is on the far right, and it's tough to keep an eye on both that and your horse. But if you're looking for some unique four-player action, Steeplechase is worth checking out. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

I was expecting an epic galactic odyssey from Stellar Track, but all I got was a bunch of text-only strategy crap! Yuck! The object is to maneuver your ship through a series of space maps and destroy alien invaders. Think Star Raiders minus the graphics. Games like this were common on personal computers back in the early 1980's. Usually written in BASIC, they tended to employ overly complex control schemes to compensate for the lack of graphics. There wasn't much software back then, so we inflicted games like these on ourselves voluntarily. Well I'm sorry, but this just isn't going to cut it in 2001! I don't have the patience to master the confusing, non-intuitive user interface. Stellar Track is a lost relic that should remain that way. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Strategy X is one seriously ugly game, but its extreme challenge keeps things interesting. You control a tank moving up a vertically scrolling screen, blasting enemy cannons while maintaining your fuel supply. The screen is littered with blocky green "bogs" that slow you down and consume extra fuel. Besides your moving tank treads, there's not much to see. You can speed up, slow down, or move side-to-side, but the lack of diagonal movement makes the animation look choppy. The enemy cannons look rough, but at least they explode nicely. Enemy shots travel fast and are difficult to elude. Fuel towers can replenish your fuel supply, but these are also vulnerable to shots fired from the cannons. If you make it to the "triumphal arch" at the end of the stage, you'll advance to stage two. This time, you face a squadron of bombers that fire wiggly lines, and it looks even worse than the first stage. All in all, Strategy X is low in quality, but there's something addictive about its gameplay that kept me coming back for more. © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic.

I remember way back in the 1980's when my little sister was into Strawberry Shortcake big time. Naturally, I would make fun of all of those sissy characters of hers. Little did I know that twenty years later I'd find myself playing Strawberry Shortcake Musical Match-Ups on the Atari 2600! Fate can be a cruel, twisted thing. Anyway, this was one of the first games marketed to little girls (4-7 years) and evidently video game reviewers (30+ years). The screen displays a mixed-up character with the head, body, and legs of six random Strawberry Shortcake characters. We're talking about all your favorites, like Purple Pie Man, Lime Chiffon, and Huckleberry Pie. You need to combine the correct character parts in a certain period of time. The characters are large and colorful, and each has its own cute little theme song. Would a young child enjoy this game today? It's not beyond the realm of possibility, but the thrill wouldn't last. Once you memorize all the body parts, the game loses its replay value. Plus you can't blow up anything. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Street Racer may be the most cringe-worthy game ever inflicted upon the 2600. You only need to glance at its screen to see just how pathetic it is. The fat, ugly vertical bars separating the split-screen action are accompanied by the worst-looking, blockiest car designs ever conceived for a video game. Let's face it, games like this give the 2600 a bad name. Only the sheer number of variations (27 in all) keep Street Racer afloat. Played with paddle controllers, you can dodge cars, swish through slalom gates, shoot jets, or catch numbers. While the two-player action is reasonable, the one-player modes feature a "computer opponent" who does nothing but sit there the whole time. Four players can compete at once, but good luck finding three other people who can stomach these horrendous graphics. I remember buying Street Racer as a kid because it was on sale ($19.95!), but I was never crazy about it. The number cruncher variations were always the favorite around my house, probably because the games ended quickly, unlike the other variations that seemed to drag on for far too long. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

Sub Scan should be prescribed to insomniacs, because it is so slow and boring. You control a ship that crawls across the top of the screen, dropping bombs into the water below. Subs approach from the left and right sides of the screen. Every object on the screen seems to move in slow motion, and waiting for the bombs to reach the subs is excruciating. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

If you've mastered Adventure and are looking for some real punishment, Suicide Adventure is for you. Let me tell you, this thing is relentless! Not only are the rooms reshaped and often cluttered with obstacles, but the dragons are truly ferocious! You can't outrun them and they snap their jaws in an instant. This game may be a little bit too hard, but it makes for some exciting, fast-paced action. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

Suicide Mission is a cassette-loading game by Starpath which owes more than a little bit to Asteroids. It even manages to simulate low-quality vector graphics. The objects look rough, but at least they move very smoothly. The background story involves a microscopic submarine injected into a patient to destroy viruses. That would explain why these asteroids look like shape-changing amoebas. Your sub has substantial firepower, so you can shoot several shots at once (nice!). Your sub controls are similar to those in Asteroids, but instead of hyperspace, you have a shield, and thrusting gives you no momentum. Suicide Mission isn't very original, but it's a perfectly respectable shooter with some innovative graphics. © Copyright 1999 The Video Game Critic.

What's so "super" about this? All Atari did was take Realsports Baseball, turn up the contrast, and slow down the action to a crawl! If this was Atari's attempt to fix Realsports Baseball, then they shouldn't have bothered. Super Baseball looks and plays nearly the same as its worthless predecessor, but the colors are deeper and the players are shorter. The insipid gameplay has been left intact, and the players look slightly worse as they are now rendered in a single color. They do move faster - faster than the ball in some cases! In fact, it's more effective to have your outfielder run around the bases tagging runners out than to throw the ball! Throws don't go sailing over basemen's heads as often as they did in Realsports Baseball, but batted balls are still hit to the same spots over and over. Unlike Realsports, you have the additional annoyance of having to wait for the batters lounging to and from home plate These guys are so slow that it's comical. My buddy Scott and I were literally rolling on the floor laughing as we watched these guys literally crawl to the batter's box. You could heat up a pizza in the oven in the time it takes for one of these slackers to step up to the plate! The CPU opponent is nearly invincible, and playing against a human opponent is just plain unpleasant. There's a nice title screen, but it can't hide the fact that Super Baseball is repackaged garbage. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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