Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Ballblazer (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Lucasfilm Games
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Ballblazer (Atari 5200 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Monday, 31 March 2025

Basketbrawl (Atari Lynx review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Air Rescue (Sega Master System review)

Developer: SIMS
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Sunday, 30 March 2025

Choplifter (Sega Master System review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Berzerk (Atari 5200 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Choplifter (Atari 7800 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Choplifter (Atari 5200 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Mountain King (Atari 5200 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Saturday, 29 March 2025

Mario Bros. (Atari 5200 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Friday, 28 March 2025

Qix (Atari 5200 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Title Match Pro Wrestling (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Thursday, 27 March 2025

Mat Mania Challenge (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Wednesday, 26 March 2025

Winter Games (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Epyx
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Tuesday, 25 March 2025

Water Ski (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Froggo
Publisher: Froggo
Released: 1988

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Monday, 24 March 2025

Mean 18 Ultimate Golf (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Bluesky Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1989

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Sunday, 23 March 2025

Planet Smashers (Atari 7800 review)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Saturday, 22 March 2025

Ikari Warriors (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1990

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Friday, 21 March 2025

Fight Night (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Thursday, 20 March 2025

Commando (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Sculptured Software
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1989

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Wednesday, 19 March 2025

Kung-Fu Master (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Tank Command (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Froggo
Publisher: Froggo
Released: 1988

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Monday, 17 March 2025

Pete Rose Baseball (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Absolute Entertainment
Publisher: Absolute Entertainment
Released: 1989

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Sunday, 16 March 2025

Hat Trick (Atari 7800 review)

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

Hat Trick is a sports game that's exclusive to the Atari 7800.

+ Has multiplayer / CPU difficulty options and the scoreboard displays the number of saves, as well as goals.

+ Rather than having to switch players, you intuitively control the goalie at the same time, allowing for quick reactions.

- Considering the lack of in-game sprites, the action is absurdly choppy with a frame-rate in the single digits.

- Collision detection and puck physics are suspect, and Overtime is too short with only 20 seconds of available time.

- Needed a difficulty middle ground, as the CPU goalie is either braindead in Novice mode, or a stonewall in Expert.

- Includes a neat looking Zamboni show, but it's pointless when you consider the fact that there's only one period!

- No options to select period length, only single matches are available and the game's longevity is questionable.


Saturday, 15 March 2025

Mario Bros. (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: International Technology Development Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

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

+ Two-player co-op mode is enjoyable, with much of the fun coming from trying to beat your friend for the high score.

+ Quickly forming a plan to defeat the unique enemy types in rather cramped environments is part of the games' charm.

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

- Movement and momentum feel entirely wrong and the odd physics don't afford you the level of precision that's required.

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

- Graphics have a horribly stretched-out look, and it's often weirdly difficult to avoid hitting the POW block.

- Sound is hideous and the off-key tones clash to create something more akin to noise than musical jingles.


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