Ms. Pac-Man (Atari 5200 review)

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

Ms. Pac-Man is a maze game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1982 as the sequel to Pac-Man (1980, Arcade).

+ Eight difficulty settings are available to cater to your skill level and the cute cut-scenes provide an adorable back story.

+ While the original game only had one maze, this sequel has four well-designed layouts to keep you invested longer term.

+ Ghosts have unique behaviours and speeds, and their A.I. is incredible as you can actively watch them trying to flank you.

+ Bonus fruits return, but this time with the treacherous twist of bouncing around the playfield to raise the suspense.

+ Extra tunnels have been introduced to the mazes, which is a brilliant idea that gives you multiple ways to escape foes.

- 5200 analog stick has issues when trying to navigate more complex mazes, as it doesn't always register perfectly.

- Difficulty increases too quickly and novice players might get deflated when the speed surges after a couple of mazes.

Pac-Man (Atari 5200 review)

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

Pac-Man is a maze game that was first released in the Arcade in 1980.

+ Gigantic leap in quality from the Atari 2600 port (1982) and closely mimics the Arcade in gameplay, graphics and sound.

+ Allows you to choose your difficulty from eight different levels, and the cut-scenes convey an abundance of personality.

+ Different coloured ghosts have unique behaviours, which is great for learning patterns and outsmarting them.

+ Tunnels are an inspired feature for a quick escape and the limited energy pills turn the tide for a riveting ghost chase.

+ Collectable fruit adds an enticing risk-reward element, as the huge point bonuses mean venturing into perilous territory.

- Even the lowest difficulty is blazingly fast with aggressive enemies that will result in sudden game overs for novices.

- Despite the maze being intricately designed it's the only one available, leaving you wishing for a bit more variety.

Joust (Atari 5200 review)

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

Joust is an action game that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Action is fast and fluid with an impressive physics engine, and despite some minor sprite flicker there's no slowdown.

+ Includes various wave types to keep things interesting, and having to collect eggs before they re-hatch is devious.

+ Likewise, the need to quickly eliminate buzzards to avoid deadly Pterodactyls entering creates tension-filled gameplay.

+ Shrewdly, you can override the respawn animation after a death to get back into the action at the most opportune time.

+ There's several difficulty options to cater to your skill level, and the two-player mode is a fun mix of co-op and battle.

- 5200 controller results in some unfortunate deaths, as its lack of self-centring can see you drifting in one direction.

- Allows you to hold down the fire button to avoid continuous tapping, but your bird rises so slowly that it's pointless.

RealSports Baseball (Atari 5200 review)

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

RealSports Baseball is a sports game that was also released on the Atari 2600 (1982) and Atari 7800 (1988).

+ Decent pitch selection / path modifiers, and having a no wind-up variation is neat for keeping hitters off-balance.

+ Analog stick makes a huge difference when batting and gives you total control over swing speed and launch angle.

+ Charming voice clips, you can choose 3, 6, or 9 innings, and there's advance base running moves such as squeeze plays.

+ Fun multiplayer mode and the difficulty handicap is a fantastic way to balance skill levels between novice / expert gamers.

- Having to activate teammates after a play and manually throw the ball back to the pitcher is slow and cumbersome.

- Fielding ground balls is janky, as they often seem to travel straight through a player for a cheap base hit.

- Takes too long for fielders to throw the ball and it's infuriating when you can't turn an otherwise easy double-play.

Robotron: 2084 (Atari 5200 review)

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

Robotron: 2084 is a wave shooter that was first released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Throws an enormous amount of sprites and animations around the playfield, and there's never any flicker or slowdown.

+ Having only a second or two to survey the most urgent threat(s) prior to the wave commencing is endlessly gripping.

+ Deciding whether to rescue humans or deal with the onslaught of robots is a great hook that adds risk-reward.

+ Better transition screens / SFX than the Atari 7800 port (1986), and using two controllers to fire and strafe works brilliantly.

- Doesn't play nearly as well with just a single controller, as you can't be as nimble when evading / shooting enemies.

- Challenge is brutal compared to the Atari 7800 version and less skilled gamers won't last long even on Level 0.

- Animation is often quite choppy, which isn't ideal in a fast-twitch game where every micro-movement is crucial.

Dig Dug (Atari 5200 review)

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

Dig Dug is an action game that was initially released in the Arcade in 1982.

+ Provides a two-player turn-based option (as well as a stage select), and there's a perfect difficulty curve to ease you in.

+ Offers a wide variety of level arrangements to keep things interesting and the collectable vegetables add risk-reward.

+ Quickly diagnosing layouts and planning a method of attack during the pre-stage jingle is both entertaining and stressful.

+ Craftily, you earn more points by defeating foes lower down the screen, and luring them into falling rocks is fiendishly fun.

+ Though you'll often get sandwiched between enemies, it's neat alternating hits to keep them at bay until they explode.

- There's an unfortunate amount of sprite flicker in higher stages, which can cause confusion when two enemies overlap.

- Controls aren't tight enough and many times you'll lose a life due to overshooting your intended target by a small amount.

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.