One-on-One Basketball (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Man Development Corp.
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

One-on-One Basketball is a sports game that was originally released in 1983 on the Apple II.

+ Has a number of customisation options including difficulty level, scoring rules, as well as an excellent two-player mode.

+ Bird and Dr. J have different skill-sets and learning how to outwit opponents using their unique play styles is a blast.

+ Fatigue Bar persuades you to rely on strategy over brute force, and carefully using time-outs for recovery adds nuance.

+ Like Food Fight (1986, Atari 7800), the replay feature is phenomenal and the shattering backboard animation is amusing.

- Quick-tap button presses occasionally result in a shot instead of a spin, and the end of each match-up is anti-climactic.

- Far sides of the court can't be reached, which is problematic when an invisible wall stops you in your tracks.

- Presentation is dry, and the graphics are simple with nothing in the background despite the cheering crowd.

Impossible Mission (Atari 7800 review)

Developer: Man Development Corp.
Publisher: Atari Corporation
Released: 1987

Impossible Mission is an adventure / platform game that was first released on the Commodore 64 in 1984.

+ Replayability is enormous thanks to the randomly generated levels, and the inclusion of a timer creates urgency.

+ Each room is a mini puzzle and trying to discern the safest and most efficient path can be a very rewarding experience.

+ When searching an object, your progress doesn't reset if you bail to avoid a foe, allowing for a nifty game of cat and mouse.

- Jumping mechanics don't allow for precision platforming (despite some screens requiring it) and you can't adjust in mid-air.

- Lots of backtracking required and it would have been useful if the map showed the locations of uninspected items.

- Puzzle to discover the final password is horribly convoluted and it's a shame something less obtuse wasn't implemented.

- NTSC version has an unbeatable bug, the C64's iconic / campy speech clips are absent, and the SFX are dreadful.