Atari: Atari 2600 Reviews A

The minimal graphics are lousy, and calling this "3D" is a bit of a stretch. The basic strategy involves securing as many of the 16 "strong" squares as you can. But once the board has enough X's and O's, the game becomes a real headache. The computer offers eight skill levels, but at the higher levels the CPU can take as long as 20 minutes to make its move! Personally, I don't think this game is worth investing that kind of time into. 3D Tic-Tac-Toe was one of the first Atari games to be discontinued by the company, and that should hardly come as a surprise. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic. The instructions for 50 Shades state the game is intended to be experienced between two consenting adults, which makes no sense considering it's a one-player game. The object is to move the guy across the screen to the girl standing next to the pole on the right. Is that a blindfold she's wearing?! Inappropriate! The controls are deplorable, but in fairness it's not easy to walk with your pants around your ankles ( been there ). On his way over "Grey" can collect items like rope (oh dear) and duct-tape (shut the front door ). I'll spare further detail to avoid offending the sensibilities of my readers. Suffice to say 50 Shades of Grey is the most sexist, degrading video game ever conceived. It would have been subject to outright ban except an unlikely demographic has taken up its cause, namely book clubs comprised of middle-aged women. Apparently sex, books, and video games make for strange bedfellows. All I know is, this game is going to set the feminist movement back 30 years. Ms. Pac-Man is rolling in her grave as we speak. © Copyright 2015 The Video Game Critic. I'd be willing to write the entire thing off right there if Mr. T didn't look so damn good! It's an uncanny likeness, right down to his gold chain! The rest of the graphics are so abstract I had no idea what the [expletive] I was looking at. Fortunately I found a nifty web site called Atari Protos which shed some much needed-light on things. In the first screen you shoot pizza delivery guys while trying not to hit the occasional Murdock face. Apparently those delivery guys are actually building some kind of missile. It's hard to selectively shoot people, so I recommend the buck-wild approach. That green guy at the top of the screen is a real son of a [expletive], by the way. The second screen is completely incomprehensible as you dodge bouncing bullets while shooting electricity at a guy who deflects it towards the bottom of the screen. I'm glad this stage is short because it's utterly pointless. In the final screen Mr. T must shoot a spear at a helicopter that happens to be flying below him. This stage usually takes about two seconds to complete, at which time your efforts are rewarded with that distinctive A-Team music. That rousing theme is so good, it makes you wish Atari had actually officially released this game. No, not really! © Copyright 2016 The Video Game Critic. You view the action from behind your character, and not only is he rendered in large, multi-colored sprites, but he really does appear to be hauling ass! He's even got a realistic shadow for goodness sake! The second stage is less impressive, as your warrior scales the pyramid while sidestepping boulders that rain down. Unfortunately, once you get to the top, there's no payoff. Would it have been too much to ask to include a bloody sacrificial scene? The gameplay is very simplistic, and there's only one paltry difficulty level. The challenge doesn't truly kick in until waves 4 or 5. I also found the controls in the boulder stage to be a bit "sticky" at times. One thing that slightly elevates A-Tec's tepid gameplay is its amazing soundtrack. Composed by Paul Slocum, this complex symphony of layered beats and melodies perfectly complements the game's sense of urgency. Not only does the music totally rock, but it seems to "evolve" with each wave. A-VCS-Tec Challenge may come up short in terms of gameplay, but it certainly scores points for its technical prowess. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic. The world of Adventure features three castles (gold, white, and black), which contain even more areas. The castles look superb and even have working gates that can lock objects (or creatures) in or out. Objects scattered about this virtual world include a magnet, bridge, sword, and three castle keys. Your quest is fraught with peril in the form of three dragons: the slow yellow Yorgle, the nastier green Grundle, and the vicious red Rhindle. Granted, these creatures aren't much to look at - they look more like zombie ducks than dragons. You have to remember that Adventure was made when the programmers did their own artwork! The dragons often guard items, but won't hesitate to chase you around. I love how after a dragon eats you you appear in its hollow belly, where you can continue to struggle in vain. Add in an item-swapping bat that continuously redistributes items, and you have a very dynamic and unpredictable world. Variation #3, which randomizes the items, is a unique experience each time you play. If there was ever a good example of a sum being greater than its parts, it's Adventure. This was also the very first video game to feature an "Easter Egg" (hidden secret). © Copyright 2002 The Video Game Critic. At least the new screen layout is refreshing, rekindling the thrill of discovery I felt the first time I played the original game. The simple gameplay is timeless fun, and running from dragons is even more exciting when you don't know where the heck you're going. The label art is also quite good. I highly recommend this to fans of the original game. © Copyright 2003 The Video Game Critic. The four platforms are connected via a pair of elevators, but you can only use them alternately. Sparkling "bits" float along each level which can be snagged by jumping. Unfortunately the collision detection is so lousy that half the time they pass clear through you. Sigh. Collect them all and you can step into the center "I/O beam" to be whisked off to the next stage. Patrolling the platforms are magnets, dancing folding tables, and tanks. Obviously it's the tanks you need to worry about. It's difficult to leap over them, and when they're firing mortars, your best bet is to turn tail. Funny how the collision detection suddenly becomes pinpoint accurate when it comes to them hitting you. Enemies move in predictable patterns at least, dropping from one platform to the next so you can anticipate their arrival. The left difficulty switch serves two functions, with the right being unused. On A you can run fast but killer tanks appear from the git-go. It sure would be nice if you could run fast without getting thrown to the wolves! On B the game is slow and strategic, while on A it feels like a mad dash. Adventures of Tron is terribly uneven but there's enough challenge to keep you hitting that reset switch. © Copyright 2024 The Video Game Critic. I had read this game shares a lot of code with Space Jockey (Vidtek, 1982), and I believe it. Both games are simple shooters with large, colorful, chunky sprites. Instead of being a side-scroller, invaders descend from the top of the screen. They look like flying saucers, giant gray birds, and steampunk airship things. I can't figure out if you're supposed to be a cannon or a giant dude at the bottom, but you move side-to-side firing one shot at time. The default variation is a colossal bore. Enemies are so slow, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. I couldn't find a copy of the manual online, but I could ascertain that the game contains eight variations. When in doubt, just select the hardest (highest) variation. Well, that was a little too crazy, so I settled on a mid-ranged variation, 4. At a medium skill level the game is vaguely playable. Enemies sometimes move from side-to-side and their bombs drop quickly. You have guided shots which is both good and bad. Hitting enemies from the side is effective, but often you inadvertently veer into the path of their bombs. On occasion I noticed the action would pause briefly as the screen flashed red. It didn't seem to affect my score, but I did notice the buildings along the bottom suddenly appeared to be wrecked. Apparently this is what happens when a bomb strikes a building. And here I thought they were just for decoration! Apparently you're supposed to protect them. For this reason you can't just camp out in one spot the entire game. Technically, Air Raid is kind of a mess. Your missiles sometimes pass right through their intended targets, and enemy bombs can pass through you as well. Still, the action is fast and there's slightly more to it than meets the eye. That said, my general advice to you would be save your money. © Copyright 2025 The Video Game Critic. You begin in the cockpit looking down the runway. Pressing the fire button accelerates, and once you gain enough speed you pull back to ascend. The illusion of taking off is convincing. You'll engage hostile fighters almost immediately. They usually appear in threes, but as many as six enemy planes can appear on the screen at a time. It's satisfying to line them up in your crosshairs and blast away with your rapid-fire machine gun. The tight controls make it a breeze to ascend, descend, or bank. You also need to contend with ground fire called "flak". It's especially bad if you're in the flak zone, or as I refer to it "the DANGER zone" (cue Kenny Loggins). Absorbing too much flak will trigger a sudden drop in altitude, potentially causing you to crash. To avoid an abrupt demise, keep an eye on that altitude gauge. You really can't tell from the cockpit view if you're 40,000 above the ground or 1,000. What happens when your ammo or fuel gets low? Well, you can land! That's pretty ambitious for an Atari 2600 title! Landing involves reducing your altitude to zero and pushing up on the joystick when the landing strip appears. The one stipulation is that you mus