Skiing (Colecovision review)

Developer: Telegames

Publisher: Telegames

Released: 1986

 

Skiing is a 1-4 player sports game that was released a year after Coleco discontinued the system.

 

The two events are Slalom (pass between a set number of gates) and Downhill (avoid moguls on the course), and the objective is to finish in the quickest possible time. Seconds tick away when you crash, and penalties are awarded for false starts or missing a gate. The events can either be tackled individually, or sequentially where the winner is the player with the best overall time. The controls are very responsive, but the collision detection is off, leading to some unfortunate crashes where your skis are clearly between the gates. What's incredibly annoying is that after a crash the game will sometimes respawn you directly in front of an obstacle! The fact that there's only two modes is inexcusable; sure, there are three difficulty settings each, but all of them can be beaten in 20-30 seconds. This means that after 3-5 minutes you've literally seen everything the game has to offer! It really could have used at least one extra event (such as Ski Jump) to flesh out the content and keep you invested in the action. While it's nice that the layouts are randomised each time you play, there's nothing interesting about the track design and all you see are the same sprites in a slightly different position. Considering the only challenge is to finish as quickly as possible, it's a shame that your best times aren't saved while the cartridge is on; at the very least, it could have noted your record time as you re-enter events to give you an incentive, especially in one player mode where you're only racing against yourself. Presentation wise, the game has some cool jingles, but the menus and results screens are unappealing.

 

Skiing is a barebones sports game that gives you little reason to stick around after the first few minutes. Even if you solely focus on what is here, the gameplay still isn't that much fun, and overall it's tough to recommend this over more polished and content-rich titles such as Olympic Skier (1986, Atari 8-bit).

 

 

 

Random trivia: Telegames released eight other titles on the Colecovision, including Boulder Dash (1984) and Tank Wars (1986).

Frogger (Colecovision review)

Developer: Parker Brothers

Publisher: Parker Brothers

Released: 1983

 

Frogger is an action game that was originally released in the Arcades in 1981.

 

Your mission is to avoid vehicles on the road, cross the river safely and reach the home bay; do this five times and you complete the level. Each attempt is timed and if the clock reaches zero (or you're squashed by the traffic) you lose one of your five lives. Any remaining time is added to your score, and additional points can be obtained by collecting Lady Frogs and flies. It's impressive how closely this port resembles the Arcade version, down to the music, vehicle patterns and enemy progression. Despite missing one of the five lanes of road traffic, and being converted from portrait to 4:3 format everything works remarkably well. The controls are fantastic, allowing you to make last second movements with precision. However, it's not always obvious how close you can be towards the edge of a log / turtle before falling into the water. The timer for each frog is a great touch that adds much needed tension to encourage you to take risks and refrain from playing it safe. Likewise, the bonus items are ideal for experts, as they tempt you into taking tougher routes! The first two levels are moderately easy, but things ramp up in Level 3 where snakes are introduced; they move so quickly and block so many routes that it's a maddeningly addictive challenge to outwit them! While it's absolutely no fault of this port, one of my personal bugbears with Frogger is that there's no variety in the locations or level layouts; this makes you feel like you're doing the same thing with only marginal enemy differences, and it's a far cry from multi-screen games of its time such as Donkey Kong (1981, Arcades).

 

Frogger is a faithful port of the Arcade classic with terrific gameplay, smooth controls and a perfect level of difficulty. While it doesn't have a great deal of longevity due to the static stage design, there's still a lot to enjoy, particularly if you're a fan of simple, high score action games.

 

 

 

Random trivia: A multi-screen sequel called Frogger II: ThreeeDeep! was released on the Colecovision in 1984.

Tapper (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco

Publisher: Coleco

Released: 1984

 

Tapper is an action game that was first released in the Arcades in 1983.

 

You play as a barman who serves customers by throwing root beer down the bar. These patrons are spread across four counters that can be switched between, and once their thirst has been quenched they exit and you move onto the next level. Lives are depleted each time an unserved customer reaches the front of the bar, if you fail to collect an empty mug that's been returned, or if a mug is thrown down a counter with no patrons. The gameplay is multitasking mayhem and it's not exactly a relaxing experience with all the chaos going on around you! Saying that, there is something hypnotic about keeping an eye on all four counters and flicking between them with lightning speed. The more you play, the more you start to instinctively use advanced tactics and anticipating what customers will do; this involves throwing another beer before they've even finished their current drink which can help you clear levels much faster. There are a few issues with this port though, mainly the choppy animation and flickering sprites that make it hard to judge whether 3 or 4 customers are at any given counter. Also, the garish colour scheme used for the patrons / beer glasses can be indistinguishable from the background. While it's great that all four locations from the Arcade original are present, there's no between-level animations so much of the humour is lost. After every 2-4 levels you take part in a Bonus Round where your job is to pick the only unshaken can. These act as a much needed change of pace and always manage to be fun regardless of whether you're successful, or end up with a face full of root beer! 

 

Tapper is a simple game, but one that's quick-paced and packed full of strategy for regular players. However, while this port is decent it doesn't really do the Arcade original justice, and once you reach the higher levels the technical issues start to affect the gameplay, and luck becomes as much of a factor as skill.

 

 

 

Random trivia: Occasionally, customers leave tips and if you manage to collect them you'll be treated to a dancing show featuring girls and monkeys!

Pitstop (Colecovision review)

Developer: Epyx

Publisher: Epyx

Released: 1983

 

Pitstop is a racing game that supports either a standard controller or the Expansion Module #2 steering wheel.

 

There's six tracks that can either be raced individually, in a Mini Circuit (three randomised tracks), or as a Grand Circuit (all tracks). Your car doesn't crash upon impact, and instead the tires gradually turn from blue to red to signify that they're close to blowing; when this happens or you run out of fuel your driver retires. Each track has a pit stop though where you control team members to repair the tires and refuel. The action is fast-paced, but average, and although it's nice to have a simulation style racer on the system it's all very uninteresting. This is partly due to the barren scenery and the fact that each track is identical from an aesthetic point-of-view. Likewise, opponents always enter in pairs and once you've passed them another two will appear in the distance; this quickly leads to boredom and makes you feel like you're repeating the same thing. Enemy A.I. is annoying too and often they'll move into your path at the last second, or smash into you as you're overtaking them. This is unfair considering there's no way for you to exact revenge by depleting their tire level! Sometimes, two cars cheaply block both lanes, leaving you with no option but to hit one of them from behind in an attempt to make room. Although the steering wheel works fine, it's not particularly fast at reacting to quick spins for harsh turns. Weirdly, a standard controller does a much better job of responding to your inputs and allows for more fluid movements. The pit stop mini-game is similar to Days of Thunder (1990, NES), but I don't like how it interrupts your racing flow, and using the cursor to select team members is slow.

 

Pitstop is an unexciting racing game with dull track design, repetitive action and overly aggressive A.I.. It does nothing to engage players or to spark their imagination, and the end result is a highly forgettable racer that will have you reaching for the Off button within 10-15 minutes.

 

 

Random trivia: The game was also released on Atari 8-bit computers and the Commodore 64.

The Dukes of Hazzard (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco

Publisher: Coleco

Released: 1984

 

The Dukes of Hazzard is a 3D driving game that requires the Expansion Module #2 steering wheel.

 

Your mission is to drive the General Lee car through Hazzard County and pass-by Jeremiah Stinge to catch him; however, you also need to keep an eye on the rearview mirror, as you can also be captured by Boss Hogg if you're not fast enough! The game uses a controller docked into the module as a gearshift (four gears in a H configuration) and the keypad buttons act as a handbrake to turn 90o. Waiting for the 'Get Ready' screen to disappear and then quickly slamming the analog stick into first gear to start your car is exhilarating, and by the time you've reached fourth the sense of speed is incredible. Considering the game's age and the rather primitive hardware it's seriously impressive how well the rearview mirror works; the graphics also do a great job of simulating a 3D environment, especially when you're hitting speed bumps, launching off ramps and spinning your car around using the handbrake. The SFX clearly let you know when to change gear, as well as conveying when you're airbourne. However, the game has one unfortunate problem which puts a huge dampener on the entire experience... the controls. Trying to drive in a straight line is nigh-on impossible, and right from the get-go you'll be swerving across both lanes while wrestling with your vehicle. The lanes feel extremely narrow (almost as if the road is the same size as your car!) and it's a complete crapshoot as to whether you ram into Stinge's bumper, hit the side of the road, or breeze past for a successful capture. This makes it difficult to drive with any consistency, and managing to pass a level is usually 70% luck, 30% skill.

 

The Dukes of Hazzard is a game that will make you sigh, as there's massive potential here that's so close to being realised. When you do get on a roll the game is an absolute rush, but frustratingly most of your time will be spent battling the controls and wondering what on earth it was that you supposedly just hit!

 

 

 

Random trivia: One of the designers was Jennell Jaquays who worked on the Colecovision versions of Donkey Kong (1982), Omega Race (1983) and WarGames (1984). 

Destructor (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco

Publisher: Coleco

Released: 1984

 

Destructor is a driving game that requires the Expansion Module #2 steering wheel.

 

You control a Ram-Car and your mission is to collect an increasing number of crystals by ramming Krystaloids and depositing them into your starcruiser. Danger comes in the form of accidentally driving into the water, or by being captured by the deadly Insektoids that can only be killed by firing a crystal in their direction. The action has somewhat of an adventure feel, which is initially exciting in terms of being able to explore the expansive surroundings. In theory, this means you can scope out the best route in each level and strategically plan your attacks. However, the problem is that enemies randomly generate, and considering there's no timer, your best bet is to circle the starcruiser so the drop-off point is as close as possible. The controls are a real nuisance and the steering wheel's lack of a centre position means it's easy to over-steer, resulting in frequent water deaths. The other issue is the choppy scrolling and the fact that you need to be 3/4 towards the edge of the screen for it to move; this impacts the action in later levels, as often you won't see enemies until they're basically on top of you. I do like the map at the top of the screen though, as it stops you from wandering around aimlessly. There's also a neat mechanic whereby you can build a wall of crystals to block incoming enemies from attacking you, and later on there's some intense night missions that build paranoia due to your lack of vision. The level design appears to be randomised too which is a great idea. Unfortunately though, the collect-a-thon style gameplay grows tiresome after a couple of levels and boredom quickly sets in.

 

Destructor is an interesting concept with tons of potential, but unfortunately the imprecise controls and monotonous gameplay leave a lot to be desired. Try it if you're looking for something different, but in my opinion Bump 'n' Jump (1984) and Turbo (1982) do a much better job of showcasing the awesome steering wheel accessory.

 

 

 

Random trivia: A homebrew version is available that allows you to use a standard Colecovision controller.

Bump 'n' Jump (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco

Publisher: Coleco

Released: 1984

 

Bump 'n' Jump is a driving game that supports the Expansion Module #2 steering wheel.

 

There's 20 levels (split into seasons) that involve manoeuvring your car through tight lanes, while avoiding obstacles and jumping over water hazards. Enemies litter the road to try and slow you down, but giving them a slight nudge crashes them into the scenery and scores you points! Once you reach the end of the track you refuel and move onto the next level. The controls offer razor-sharp accuracy and the steering wheel in particular ups the fun-factor and immersion to a huge degree; it's perfect for making small movements, as well as harsh turns where you spin the wheel with force to avoid crashing. Being able to steer in the air is a brilliant mechanic too that allows you to choose a different path and racing line, depending on what's ahead. Jumping has a great risk-reward element, as it's ridiculously satisfying when you smash down on an enemy from above, yet you chance wrecking if a hazard suddenly appears while you're airborne; this provides much-needed strategy to the seemingly basic gameplay. Similarly, bumping cars into walls is fiendishly enjoyable (especially when you pinball one car into another, forcing a chain reaction!), but another option for experts is to completely avoid totalling enemies in a level to earn a massive 50,000 point bonus; it's challenging and almost acts like a retro style 'achievement' task! The collision detection is superb and the unlimited continues are a great idea so patient gamers can see later levels. My only real criticisms are that there's no visual aide to show how far along the level you are, and the seasonal themes aren't really reflected in the stage design.

 

Bump 'n' Jump is a remarkably playable driving game and it's just as good of a showcase for the Expansion Module #2 as Turbo (1982, Colecovision). The ability to become airborne is where much of the stress and excitement comes from, and this gamble is an addictive hook that constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat.

 

 

 

Random trivia: The game first launched in the Arcades in 1982, and was also ported to the Atari 2600 (1983) and Intellivision (1983).

BurgerTime (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco

Publisher: Coleco

Released: 1984

 

BurgerTime is a multi-screen action game that was first released in the Arcades in 1982.

 

The premise is to climb ladders, avoid enemies (which include Hot Dogs, Eggs and Pickles!) and walk over ingredients to drop them downwards and eventually form burgers. There's six stages and only five lives but you do have a limited amount of pepper to throw which temporarily stuns enemies. The game has a few elements of strategy such as learning to drop ingredients at the top of the screen as soon as an enemy starts walking across them; this sets off a chain reaction so instead of the food moving down one level it launches down several at once! It's a fun mechanic that forces you to plan your attacks in advance. However, my main issue is that the game is brutally hard, even on the lowest skill setting! This is partially due to the ruthless enemy A.I. that follow your moves closely and attack in packs, but also the fact that they're slightly faster than you. The controls are a bit dodgy too and sometimes your character will stop in his tracks or continue advancing up a ladder even though you're holding Left or Right to move horizontally. Your supply of pepper doesn't even partially replenish when you lose a life or complete a level (and there's no way to collect more) so the odds are constantly stacked against you. Enemies occasionally respawn right in front of you giving you no time to react; there's also some sprite flicker when multiple enemies congregate in the same area and it can cause issues with seeing exactly where you are in relation to platforms and ladders. The graphics are nice but I wish the play-area was larger as it only takes up a small window instead of being full screen.

 

BurgerTime is a simple, yet genius, concept that had more potential than it realised. The core mechanics should make for some addictive gameplay but the implementation is poor and it's far too difficult for a home console port where the emphasis should be on fun rather than simulating the coin guzzling fury of the Arcades!

 

 

 

Random trivia: Unlike the original Arcade game and the Colecovision port, the Intellivision version (1983) featured seven stages instead of six.

Venture (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco

Publisher: Coleco

Released: 1982

Venture is an action game that was originally released in the Arcades in 1981.

Playing the role of Winky your mission is to travel through perilous dungeons and collect all the treasures. You initially start off as a small unarmed dot on a map screen that shows all the available rooms you can enter. Here you must guide your character around safely without touching any of the Hallmonsters that kill you with one hit. Once you're inside a room the action zooms in and you now have access to a bow and arrow; this is used to destroy enemies that include goblins, dragons, snakes and skeletons. Similar to Berzerk (1980, Arcades) you need to quickly make your escape from the room after collecting the treasure otherwise an invincible Hallmonster will appear and attack you. Interestingly, one room in each level features no enemies; instead it's known as the Wall Room and it tasks you with collecting treasure from the middle of the screen while avoiding moving walls. It's a really nice change of pace and keeps the action varied. After you've collected the treasure in all rooms you move onto the next level with increased difficulty. The action is intense like the best early Arcade titles but it also has an adventure feel to it as you strategise the best way to reach each room. It's enjoyable working out your route and outsmarting the speedy Hallmonsters as they try to catch you! Each room brings something new to the action to keep things fresh and I love that they have their own individual music (uncommon for the time). Minor annoyances are that you can sometimes exit a room and be killed by an enemy the instant you reach the map screen, and diagonals aren't easy to consistently pull off.

 

Venture is simple in nature but it feels very expansive and much deeper than many other early 1980s Arcade titles. The amount of variety in both the enemy types and gameplay is fantastic and the creepy atmosphere draws you in for a fun and truly engrossing experience.

 

 

Random trivia: The game was also released on the Atari 2600 and Intellivision.

Jungle Hunt (Colecovision review)

Developer: Atarisoft

Publisher: Atarisoft

Released: 1983

Jungle Hunt is an action game that was first released in the Arcades in 1982.

Your mission is to navigate through four stages and rescue your lady friend who's been kidnapped by cannibals. The first level tasks you with jumping between vines and timing your leaps so you don't fall to your death. It sounds easy but the vines move at different speeds and giant monkeys eventually show up to block your path! The second level takes place underwater while you avoid or stab deadly alligators. You must keep an eye on your oxygen metre and occasionally return to the surface for air; this forces you to think about whether to gamble for extra points or avoid everything so you live to see another day. In the third level you run up a mountain while jumping over small rocks that fall close to the ground and avoiding giant boulders that bounce high in the air. It's not the most interesting part of the game but it's still mildly enjoyable. In the final level you need to jump over two cannibals, avoid the cauldron and leap to rescue your lady friend. There's little margin for error as the cannibals move back and forth so precision is key. It's a simple yet engaging stage but it's also the only area I noticed sprite flicker. Once you've completed all four levels the game loops with increased difficulty. The controls have just the right amount of responsiveness making slight movements a breeze and the collision detection is also solid. Although each stage is fun I do wish there were some bonus icons to collect as this would have greatly increased the risk-reward element and have you multitasking at all times. The graphics and animation are poor and seem closer to what you'd expect on the Atari 2600.

 

Jungle Hunt has some great ideas and lots of variety and overall it accomplishes most of what it sets out to do. A bit more gameplay depth would have made this a classic but it still has tons of charm and those that enjoy Donkey Kong will find themselves right at home with this one.

 

 

Random trivia: The game was released on numerous other systems including the Apple II, Atari 2600 and Commodore 64.

Super Cobra (Colecovision review)

Developer: Parker Brothers
Publisher: Parker Brothers
Released: 1983

Super Cobra is a horizontally scrolling shooter and the follow-up to Scramble (1981, Arcades).

Piloting a chopper your mission is to travel 11,000 miles through enemy territory as you face flying saucers, rockets and heavy ground artillery. Your journey is split up into eleven unique stages and you can either fire straight ahead or bomb below you. These bombs travel at roughly a 120° angle and it takes a while to adjust to them not travelling straight downwards as you have to plan ahead. The fuel gauge in the bottom right is vitally important and you must destroy any fuel tanks to keep topping up. The stages are tons of fun and each brings new hazards in the form of different enemies, varied scenery and treacherous pathways. They're all very well designed too as some test your bombing skills while others rely on reaction times and multiple quick turns to avoid crashing into the environment. The controls are extremely responsive which is really shown off in the narrow corridor areas you'll face later in the game. Once you've lost all your lives you can continue at the same point you left off but your score is reduced to zero; this is a great idea and a really nice trade-off for people who just want to see what each stage has to offer. The difficulty is perfect and the game eases you into the action while providing a good challenge later on. One downside is that the collision detection is inconsistent and there's times when you'll die despite not touching an enemy. On the flip side though, there are other occasions where you're clearly clipping through the scenery so it works in your favour! I also encountered an annoying game-breaking bug during one play-through as everything locked up at 10,000 miles!

Super Cobra is a fun shooter with lots of replayability as beating all of its stages takes a while. It's not quite as interesting or ground-breaking as Scramble but the action is still highly addictive and it clearly had a big influence on a number of other horizontal shooters such as Dawn Raider (1988, Atari 8-bit).

Random trivia: Ports appeared on a number of systems including the Atari 2600, Intellivision and MSX.

Donkey Kong Junior (Colecovision review)

Developer: Coleco
Publisher: Coleco
Released: 1983

Donkey Kong Junior is a multi-screen platform game that was originally released in the Arcades in 1982.

You play as DK Jr. and you must rescue Donkey Kong who's been kidnapped by Mario. There's three stages and this sequel places more importance on climbing and manoeuvring on vines. These vines provide layers of strategy as trying to climb one is slow; however, grab onto two at the same time and you can advance much quicker. Likewise, the reverse mechanic is used for descending. While doing this you have to avoid birds and snapjaws, as well as hitting bonus fruits at the right time so they fall on enemies. The action isn't as smooth as the NES version (1986) and the controls are slightly stiff but I was impressed by how many sprites are visible on screen, especially in Chain's Stage with tons of birds and snapjaws littering the play area. The controls have a few quirks that make things a little more difficult (at least initially), especially if you're used to other versions; for example, in the Springboard Stage there's a section where you need to hold on to a moving chain and then grab onto a vine to cross the gap. However, you can't reach your arm out beforehand to extend yourself as you'll fall into a bottomless pit every time. Instead, you need to reach and then grab the vine in one fluid motion and it takes a while to readjust. You also can't jump straight up to cling onto vines which is extremely annoying in the heat of the moment as it can lead to lost lives. The third stage (Mario's Hideout) is missing which is a shame but at least, in my opinion, the best three levels were included. The collision detection is spot on though and the music and sound effects are all very faithful to the original Arcade version.

Donkey Kong Junior is a good port of the classic Arcade game and for its time it was probably the best available home version. However, future years produced much better ports and in my opinion you're better off sticking with the NES version as it has better controls and features all four levels.

Random trivia: This is the only videogame where Mario appears as a villain!

Antarctic Adventure (Colecovision review)

Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1984

Antarctic Adventure is an auto-scrolling platformer that was first released on the MSX in 1983.

You play as a penguin and the objective is to reach the ice station in all ten stages before time runs out. While automatically moving along the level you control your speed by pressing Up or Down, as well as jumping over ice crevasses and seals that slow you down when hit. Bonus points are awarded for any seconds you have remaining and you can also increase your score by collecting flags and leaping fish. The gameplay reminds me of Slalom (1987, NES) as the levels constantly scroll along while testing your reactions and decision making. The controls are very responsive and I like that you don't have to keep pressing Up when your penguin hits top speed. Despite the cutesy graphics the game can get hard depending on how you choose to play. For example, trying to gain the highest possible score by collecting every item puts you in awkward positions and the levels are designed so that following these routes puts you in harms way. Disregarding the bonus points and simply rushing to the exit will get you further but it still becomes highly challenging around Stage 5 with multiple ice crevasses lined up in a row. As you advance to later stages the draw distance becomes a real annoyance as seals don't appear until the last second; this makes them very difficult to avoid and it feels cheap as you're not given adequate time to prepare your move. There's also little variety in both the level design and environments which means that the action gets repetitive quicker than it should. There is some music during gameplay but the same track repeats over and over again!

Antarctic Adventure's lack of variety is a real shame as improving the level design and adding further enemy types would have made it much more enjoyable. However, the gameplay is decent and it's certainly worth a look if you like early Arcade platformers.

Random trivia: The game has been re-released several times including on the Wii Virtual Console (2007) and the Windows Store in Japan (2014).

Up 'N' Down (Colecovision review)

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1984

Up 'N' Down is an overhead driving game that was first released in the Arcades in 1983.

In many ways it's a variation of Pac-Man and your objective is to drive around avoiding collisions with other cars and collecting ten flags to move onto the next level. Each part of the road is single lane only and incoming cars can advance on your position from both the top and bottom of the screen. Luckily you have a jump button where you can either leap over vehicles or smash them from above for bonus points! Care needs to be taken though as jumping too far will see you careening off the track and you'll lose one of your five lives. To make things more difficult you'll have to drive over hills which require momentum and inclines that speed up your vehicle. The track loops and some memorisation is needed to remember the location of the missing flags. To be honest, I would have preferred to see a small mini-map (similar to Rally-X) which shows you the layout of the stage and the location of the flags. Without it you just end up driving around aimlessly or slowly reversing your vehicle. Doing the latter is extremely dangerous as the game doesn't allow you to jump and other drivers always seem to be on your tail. I also don't like that you can't see much of what's ahead; while you get bonus points based on how quickly you collect all the flags the limited visibility encourages you to drive slow and take less risks. The graphics are poor for a game released so late in the console's life and the scenery is bland and lacking detail. The music is unbelievably annoying and you'll be reaching for the mute button within seconds!

Up 'N' Down is a game that lots of people seem to enjoy but I just couldn't get into it. Although the core mechanic is good it's not very well executed and as a result the gameplay ends up being more frustrating than anything else.

Random trivia: Ports of Up 'N' Down were also released for the Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64.

Keystone Kapers (Colecovision review)

Developer: Activision
Publisher: Activision
Released: 1984

Keystone Kapers is a cops 'n' robbers game that was originally released on the Atari 2600 in 1983.

You play the role of officer Keystone Kelly and must use the handy radar at the bottom of the screen to find and capture Harry Hooligan who has escaped from prison. There are four floors and you can either use the escalators (these only go upwards) or the elevators. Using the latter covers ground much quicker but you'll have to wait for it to open on your current floor. To make things tricky there are obstacles that get in your way including beach balls, shopping trolleys, biplanes and radios. You only have 50 seconds to catch the crook and touching an obstacle either deducts nine seconds from your total or takes away one of your three lives. Points are awarded based on how many seconds you have left once you arrest Harry but you can also collect items such as briefcases that give you 50 points each. The first few waves are easy as everything around you moves slowly. However, before long the difficulty ramps up as obstacles start speeding through the level leaving you little time to react. The short time limit and fast paced action keeps things intense and it's fun working out the best way to catch the crook while trying to avoid the many obstacles. Despite the simple nature of the game it does have some elements of strategy. For example, you have to be careful about navigating to the top floor as once you're on the roof there's no way back down. It's only worth going up there if you're 100% sure you can catch the crook. My only real complaint is that the layout doesn't change per wave so you end up doing the same thing over and over again.

Keystone Kapers is a great arcade game and a fun way to waste 10-15 minutes. Repetition does start to set in due to the lack of stage layouts but it controls well and you'll definitely enjoy the frantic gameplay while it lasts.

Random trivia: The game has been ported to a number of systems including Atari 8-bit computers, the MSX and the Xbox 360 Game Room.

Zaxxon (Colecovision review)

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1982

Zaxxon is an isometric space shooter that was originally released in the Arcades in January 1982.

You pilot a futuristic spaceship and your mission is to infiltrate an enemy asteroid and destroy their installations. Pressing Left or Right moves you from side-to-side while Up or Down controls your ship's height. You can also use the handy metre on the left of the screen or your shadow to judge spatial distance. The power of the Colecovision is on full display here as unlike the Intellivision and Atari 2600 versions (which had a behind the ship angle due to technical limitations) the isometric viewpoint has been successfully ported across from the Arcades. The great thing about Zaxxon is that you need to constantly manoeuvre your ship depending on the current landscape. Most of the time you can fly low to the ground to shoot turrets, base missiles and robots. This is where you'll also find fuel tanks that you must destroy to keep your ship moving. Sometimes you'll need to pull up to scale walls or to take out enemy aircraft. It's a great deal of fun switching between the vertical planes and quick reactions are required throughout. Once you pass the force field near the end of the asteroid you'll face a robot boss; beat it and the game loops with more obstacles and a mixture of ground and air enemies at the same time. The collision detection is slightly off and there's times you'll lose a life despite clearly being able to see distance between yourself and the obstacle! The viewpoint can cause some issues as it's tricky to judge your height in relation to walls and enemy ships, especially in the fighter plane areas as you can't see your shadow.

Zaxxon can be an acquired taste due to the unusual camera angle but those that stick with it will experience a unique shooter that's incredibly addictive. It's very faithful to the Arcade original and clearly shows how advanced the Colecovision was compared to its competitors.

Random trivia: The following year Coleco also released a table top version of Zaxxon. Although the gameplay is very primitive it did manage to include a mock isometric viewpoint. 

Cosmic Avenger (Colecovision review)

Developer: Universal
Publisher: Universal
Released: 1982

Cosmic Avenger is a side-scrolling space shooter that was originally released in the Arcades in 1981.

It clearly takes inspiration from Scramble (1981, Arcades) as the control set up is very similar. Both of the controller's side buttons are used as the left one drops bombs and the right one fires your laser. There are three separate sections available and once you beat them all the game loops with tougher and faster enemies. In the first area you battle UFOs and anti-aircraft machines that fire heat seekers if you don't shoot them quickly. You're certainly not eased into the action and it will take a while before you learn the best way to deal with the onslaught of enemies. The second area sees you moving closer to the ground to take out tanks and the occasional UFO. There is a radar you can use at the top of the screen to view incoming UFOs but it's redundant as it doesn't give you much notice. The final area is an underwater cavern where your path becomes more narrow. It houses anti-aircraft machines, mines and submarines that fire speedy torpedoes so you'll need some quick reactions and a steady hand. The scrolling is very smooth throughout each location and the game is a lot of fun to play. There's little time to relax and you constantly need to think ahead to determine how best to tackle what's currently on screen. Interestingly, enemy vehicles aren't immune to friendly fire and it's possible for them to accidently blow each other up! The collision detection is a bit off as sometimes bullets will fly straight through their intended target. You can also only fire one bullet at a time and this can be problematic when a UFO is staring you straight in the face.

Cosmic Avenger is an excellent space shooter and I'd recommend it to fans of Scramble and Defender. Even though there's only three short areas you can still bump up the difficulty to skill setting 4; be warned though, it's a serious challenge!

Random trivia: If you find it difficult to be accurate with the awkward Colecovision controller try plugging in an Atari 7800 joypad. It works wonders as both buttons still work independently!