Sentinel (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1991

Sentinel is a light-gun shooter that was originally released on the Atari 2600 in 1990.

+ There's several difficulty options and even a two-player turn-based mode where you can compete for a high score.

+ Limited Super Shots can get you out of a jam and it's clever how proficient shooting replenishes your orb's power.

+ Bosses have more varied movements than the original, which makes them more interesting and challenging to battle.

- Light-gun accuracy is nowhere near as solid as the Atari 2600 version, with your shots flailing around more erratically.

- Cheap damage is caused by unavoidable enemy swarms, with some speedsters giving you no reasonable time to fire.

- Stages are twice as long as they should be and it's not as easy to glance at the remaining distance as on the Atari 2600.

- Graphical overhaul is garish and the knock-on effect is that enemies and projectiles can blur into the background.