32 in 1 (Atari 2600 / Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Atari Corporation
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1988

32 in 1 is a compilation of Atari 2600 games that was only released in PAL territories.

+ Ensures there's something for everyone by including titles in multiple genres, such as action, puzzle and board games. 

+ Robust sports list available, including Skiing which is a real highlight with its multiple layouts and ultra-precise controls.

+ Fun multiplayer action, with games such as Air Sea Battle and Freeway Chicken offering engaging high score battles.

- Having to power cycle the console to load the next game is cumbersome, especially when you want the last title in the list!

- Popular Atari games such as Asteroids and Centipede are absent, making this a muted showcase of the 2600 library.

- Blackjack is a peculiar inclusion given its Paddle Controller requirement, and NFL Football has a ton of flicker.

- Has duplicate titles with weird graphical hacks, and Fishing even introduces collision detection issues with your line.

Pac-Man (Atari 2600 review)

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

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

+ Features eight different game variations that allow you to customise the moving speed for both the ghosts and Pac-Man.

+ As long as you expect a very rough approximation of the original, there is some fun to be had with the altered maze layout.

+ Turn-based multiplayer mode is a great inclusion that enables two friends to battle for high score bragging rights.

- Rampant sprite flicker, making the last few moments of an energy pill nervy as it's tricky to tell when foes return to normal.

- Ghosts no longer have unique behaviours, which is a blow to strategic play for those who enjoy learning enemy patterns.

- Additionally, ghosts sometimes rush towards you instead of playing defensively when you have an energy pill.

- Has many graphical deviations from the Arcade, and all the charm and personality has been lost in translation.

Sentinel (Atari 2600 review)

Developer: Imagineering
Publisher: Atari
Released: 1990

Sentinel is a light-gun shooter that was re-released on the Atari 7800 in 1991.

+ Atari XG-1 light-gun performs admirably and being able to neutralise incoming bullets adds a defensive countermeasure.

+ Frantic action can be gripping, particularly in Stage 4 where enemies start to swarm and confuse with wavy movements.

+ Limited Super Shots help to level the playing field and it's clever how proficient shooting replenishes your orb's power.

- Long stages wear out their welcome and the unvaried enemy patterns make it a painfully slow march towards the boss.

- Not always obvious what's a threat or part of the scenery, so you can waste precious moments firing at innocuous objects.

- Bosses are a disappointment, as they're rather trivial to beat and the same fight occurs in every single stage.

- Levels offer minimal challenge and with no difficulty settings it's a breeze to see the ending, even on your first attempt.

Cosmic Ark (Atari 2600 review)

Developer: Imagic
Publisher: Imagic
Released: 1982

Cosmic Ark is a shooter that's exclusive to the Atari 2600 console.

Piloting the Cosmic Ark, your mission is to rescue creatures before the sun of Alpha Ro fades. There's two distinct gameplay scenes, with the first tasking you with pressing the joystick in the direction of incoming meteors to destroy them. The gameplay is seriously intense and it never allows you to take a moment to relax, resulting in a somewhat stressful experience that always errs on the right side of fun. A big part of this is that the difficulty curve is spot-on and it gently eases you in before unleashing an absolute onslaught of meteors your way! Being a stationary target adds to the anxiety and I love how the sound of meteors heading your way seems to increase in treble noise as the wave continues. The second scene tasks you with exiting the Ark in a shuttleship and rescuing two creatures using its tractor beam. Care must be taken to avoid the defence systems that move up/down and fire at intervals, and a warning sound will alert you if the Ark is in danger of incoming meteor attacks. It's very much a game of 'cat and mouse' and the most enjoyable aspect is the constant battle of trying to rescue as many creatures as possible, while giving yourself enough time to protect the Ark from impending doom. This multitasking feature gives the scene a real edge and the controls respond admirably throughout. A nice touch is how the creatures change their appearance after the first few waves, which includes separate animations; this provides incentive to keep playing in the hope that other species appear. Also, the scrolling backgrounds that twist and rotate are mightily impressive and perfectly suit the space theme.

Cosmic Ark is a terrific game and somewhat of a technical showcase for the console given its refined graphics and overall presentation. Thankfully the action is just as impressive and its solid controls, twitch-based gameplay and multi-screen approach result in an exceptional title that quickly gets your heart-rate pumping!

Random trivia: The awesome background effects were actually created due to a bug in the Atari 2600 hardware.

Tunnel Runner (Atari 2600 review)

Developer: Richard K. Balaska Jr.
Publisher: CBS Electronics
Released: 1983

Tunnel Runner is a 3D maze game that adopts a first-person perspective.

The object is to escape mazes by finding a hidden key and then locating the exit to the next room. Holding down the fire button displays a map, but it must be used sparingly as Maze Zots constantly roam around trying to eat you! Care must also be taken when exiting, as doors with a down arrow pull you back one room, sideways arrows transport you somewhere else in the maze, and single or double up arrows move you 1-2 rooms ahead. For such a graphically primitive title on an under-powered system, it's remarkable how intense the gameplay can be and it surprisingly evokes feelings of perpetual stress as if it were a survival-horror game. Part of this comes from the excellent SFX which alert you when you're in the vicinity of a Maze Zot, and I like how they become louder or quieter depending on your spatial distance to them. Also, the Maze Zot sprite scaling when you're captured is astounding for a late-1970s console, with the enemy taking up a large portion of the screen. The action could seem repetitive, but what keeps things interesting are the continual additions such as new enemy types and maps that begin hiding the exit. Amazingly, while the first game option keeps the same layouts every time you play, the second variation randomly generates mazes; this is incredible for replayability and it's a feature that's way ahead of its time. The 3D engine moves along at a good pace and a neat detail is that the floors exhibit a helpful flashing texture when you're near an exit. The only issue is the controls, as while they do a respectful job it can be hard to stop on a dime, or keep your momentum while turning corners.

Tunnel Runner is a real gem in the Atari 2600 library and it's hard to put into words how impressive the 3D engine is unless you've experienced it. What's great is that the top-notch gameplay compliments it perfectly and those looking for a unique Pac-Man (1980, Arcade) style title should certainly give this one a go.

Random trivia: The game will crash if you manage to reach Level 130.

Seaquest (Atari 2600 review)

Developer: Steve Cartwright
Publisher: Activision
Released: 1983

Seaquest is an action game that was programmed by the same developer as Barnstorming (1982, Atari 2600).

Your objective in each wave is to retrieve six treasure-divers and return to the surface before your oxygen runs out; the more oxygen you have left, the more points you receive. Enemy subs and killer sharks try to impede your progress, but your sub can fire torpedoes to destroy them. The controls are rock-solid with pin-point accuracy and I appreciate the ability to keep the fire button held down for rapid projectiles rather than having to continually tap it. I also like how, despite the static screen, enemy patterns are frequently changed to keep you on your toes and include single, double and triple sharks at once. The speed increases fairly quickly too, adding to the almost 'hide and seek' nature of the gameplay as you constantly strategise as to whether you have enough time to quickly duck down to the bottom to rescue a diver before the sharks drag them away. It's full of risk-reward and the enticing bonus of gaining an extra life for every 10,000 points almost goads you into taking chances to conserve oxygen and ultimately gain a high score. Speaking of which, my initial impression of the enemy sub patrol (which stalks the top of the screen from right-to-left) was not very positive, as while you're sitting patiently waiting for your oxygen tank to refill prior to each wave, these enemies continue to move and can crash into your vehicle while you're immobile; this can be seen as cheap, but actually the more you play the more this becomes an important part of the intense gameplay towards the end of each wave as you desperately try to keep distance from the sub while rising and avoiding incoming enemies.

Seaquest is an exceptional game that excels in the gameplay and control departments, and it's yet another Activision classic on the Atari 2600. It's full of technique and strategy too, making it an ideal title for players to return to in order to maximise their point total with its deceptively deep scoring mechanics.

Random trivia: Players could receive a special patch from Activision if they scored at least 50,000 points and sent in a picture of their TV screen as proof!

Wall Ball (Atari 2600 review)

Developer: Avalon Hill
Publisher: Avalon Hill
Released: 1983

Wall Ball is a 3D clone of Breakout (1976, Arcades) that's exclusive to the Atari 2600. 

Controlling a racket at one end of a rectangular room, your objective is to continually hit a ball to break 57 of the 72 bricks at the other end. The ball's direction of travel is dictated by where it hits the racket, but you can also hold the fire button to perform a straight shot. Each match consists of five sets (broken down again into four games) and if the ball lands behind you you'll lose one of your lives (ranging from 10-99 depending on the starting level). Upon starting a match, the most obvious problem is the lack of a floor shadow to indicate how close the ball is to your racket; this causes huge spatial distance issues and there will be many occasions where you unfairly miss the intended target. It's almost as if the developers knew this, which is likely why they provided so many spare lives. With repeated play you can become slightly more accustomed to the game's speed though (especially as the ball doesn't vary its momentum like in Breakout) allowing you to time racket hits with greater consistency. The most impressive aspect is the ball physics, as they're incredibly accurate and once you're familiar with how to direct shots to a particular part of the wall you'll start having a lot more fun. Also, the sense of depth created by the 3D effect is sensational for a 1983 game. The end of each set features an Eliminator game variation with five lives, a smaller racket, as well as jumping bricks; everything moves at a ridiculously fast rate and the reduced hit radius and lack of lives usually result in a quick and frustrating Game Over. Even if you do survive, the repetitive gameplay starts to wear out its welcome as you continue.

Wall Ball is definitely worth a play-through and it does an admirable job of updating the classic Breakout formula into a 3D world. However, there's no denying its shortcomings in the gameplay department (namely its lack of ball shadows) that hold it back from being anything other than a neat curiosity.

Random trivia: Avalon Hill released four other Atari 2600 games in 1983 called Death Trap, London Blitz, Out of Control, and Shuttle Orbiter.