SECRET QUEST
(2600)
In Nolan Bushnell's first new game for the 2600, Secret
Quest, your mission is to destroy eight alien space
stations before they destroy the human race. To defeat
each station, you must find the pieces of a secret code
and use it to detonate the destruct mechanism, then
race to the teleporter before the station explodes.
Your quest is not easy; your oxygen and energy supplies
are limited, and the complex maze-like stations require
careful exploration.
Your
efforts don't go unnoticed. You'll face scores of odd
aliens, such as a potato man, bear trap, firecracker,
and dragon. You have three weapons to battle these creatures:
an energy sword for hand-to-hand combat, a sonic blaster
for stunning enemies at close range, and a particle
beam gun which fires a powerful fast moving beam. Your
gun should be used sparingly as it requires more energy
than the other weapons. And you'll need it as you get
deeper into the stations, where the aliens are stronger
and immune to your other weapons.
Destroying
all of the aliens in a room lets you pick up an oxygen
bottle or energy pod to replenish your supplies. Sonic
keys open sonic doors, which often lead to important
areas while stairways connect the different levels within
each station.
In
addition to the game screen, a status screen shows your
current location, the objects you are carrying, and
a re-entry code. At any point in the game, you can write
down the code which will enable you to start a new game
at the same station with your current energy and oxygen
levels, objects, and points. Thus if you reach a difficult
area, you won't have to play through several levels
to get to the same location every time you start a new
game. This innovative feature can save a great deal
of time and frustration, especially as you start to
explore the larger stations.
Fast-moving
arcade-style action, a complex challenge, terrific graphics
with no flickering, and a nifty range of sound effects
combine to make Secret Quest really stand out
from other adventure games. And don't forget in your
race against time that careful exploration and mapping
is crucial in the larger, more complex stations. This
super combination of action and adventure will have
you on the edge of your station. -Eric Reiner
TOWER TOPPLER (7800) by U.S.Gold
In this sensational sci-fi action/adventure game, your
mission is to prepare the planet Nebulous for human colonization.
Unfortunately, the water is being mysteriously poisoned
by eight enormous towers which you must destroy.
Your alter
ego is a "space pig" named Pogo—armed only with a
snowball gun—who, by running, jumping, shooting,
and careful timing, must work his way to the top of each
tower to topple it before the clock runs out. Steps ring
the outside of each tower, while elevators take him from
one platform to the next and doors open into passages
within the tower. Sound easy? Wait 'till you see the obstacles
along the way!
Graphically,
what makes this game really awesome is a unique perspective
which keeps Pogo in the center of the screen while the
tower rotates and moves as you guide him to the top.
The game
starts out with Pogo emerging from his BA-1 mini sub,
ready (or so he thinks) to take on the first tower. Suddenly,
the sub sinks back into the poison sea, and there he stands,
anxiously awaiting your help in guiding him through this
dangerous and puzzling adventure.
As you
guide Pogo to the top, timing your moves wisely and warily
avoiding the trap doors, you must either shoot or avoid
rolling cannonballs, relentlessly ruthless robots, erratic
eyeballs that enjoy wasting your valuable time by knocking
you part way down, and flashing blocks that eat away at
the clock. And then there are the "swirlers;" spinning
menaces that seem to appear just when you think you are
making some progress. Travelling horizontally, they speed
up as you try to escape onto an elevator or duck into
the nearest door.
When (and
if) you reach the top, Pogo is lowered back into his sub
for an underwater journey to the next tower. On the way
you can relax a bit as you rack up bonus points by netting
and gathering fish.
While
this game is chock-full of complex game action, it is
easy to understand and highly addictive! Each tower has
its own character, layout, and combination of enemies
and obstacles. I found no peace until I had figured out
the way to the top of the first tower, and then couldn't
wait to scale the next. The challenge increases with every
new tower, and you'll feel a real sense of accomplishment
when you figure out how to topple eash successive one
into the poison sea.
You'll
love the graphics and animation! The moving obstacles
jump out at you, the steps and bricks look totally real,
and Pogo quickly responds to each twitch of the joystick.
Tower
Toppler will challenge even the most proficient game
fanatics, yet there is plenty of great game play for casual
players as you learn, play, and eventually master this
exciting, entertaining and amusing game.
SUMMER GAMES (7800,
XE) by Epyx
The award-winning Summer Games licensed from Epyx
is a series of seven exciting competitive events—just
like the real international contest. Events vary from
head-to-head races like sprints, swimming, and relays,
to solo events like skeet shooting, diving, and gymnastics.
You win an event by scoring a faster time or more points
than your opponents.
Up to
eight players can enter, each choosing a country to represent,
such as the USA, USSR, Japan, or five others. You can
then practice a selected event or go right for the gold
in all eight events.
I
found the 100-meter dash a good event to start with. After
the runners line up on parallel tracks, you press the
fire button to begin a ready/set/go sequence and at go
(but not before) move the joystick as fast as you can
in any direction to make your runner sprint. Keep the
joystick moving as fast as you can until your runner reaches
the finish line. The fastest time wins—and if you
don't have a friend to play against, the computer is one
real tough competitor!
Like
the dash, swimming events begin with a ready/set/go sequence.
Press the joystick right to get a good start (but not
too early or you will fault). You can gain speed by pressing
the joystick on each stroke just as your swimmer's arm
reaches the water. To turn quickly at the end of the pool,
you tap the joystick left before you hit the wall. Get
into a good stroking rhythm and time your turns well,
and you'll splash home to victory.
Skeet
shooting is quite different from the other events. In
it, you shoot from eight different firing positions at
25 targets launched from the left or right of the firing
range. Move the joystick to sight the target, and shoot
by pressing the fire button. Hint: for top scores, along
with quick, accurate 'aiming, learn to compensate for
the effect of gravity.
As
in real life, gymnastics—specifically, the vaulting
horse—requires concentration and coordination. You
get points for your mount, somersaults, flips, and dismount.
It is not easy to stand on the dismount, but if you do,
you'll earn a significantly higher score.
Other
events—pole vaulting and diving on the XE, hurdles
and rowing on the 7800, and relays on both— have
their own special requirements for handling the joystick
controls in order to achieve winning scores.
From the
marvelous opening games ceremony with the lighting of
the torch and thousands of white doves flying away to
the honoring of the Grand Champion in a special end of
games ceremony, Summer Games has the same total
involvement as the real games. In the variety of individual
and head-to-head challenges, you'll experience the same
thrill of victory and agony of defeat as a real Olympian.
Are you ready to go for the gold? -Paul Pitman
CRIME BUSTER
(XE)
Talk about a crime wave! It's August 1931, the city
is hot and gun barrels are smoking. The commissioner
has had enough and you're the one he's appointed to
restore law and order. "Shoot to kill," he orders and
you jump right in with your trusty Atari light gun.
But it's not easy because word has leaked out that you're
on a cleanup mission and the mob is planning to rub
you out.
Mobsters
are all over: in warehouses, alleys, piers, and downtown.
At the harbor, gangsters crouch inside a boat tied up
at the pier. Downtown and in the alley they take cover
in doorways and windows. In warehouses, the most difficult
of the four scenarios, thugs hide behind boxes and crates.
Gangsters
aren't the only ones in the city; innocent bystanders
also pop up in windows, doorways, and other hiding places.
To clear out each crime area, you must shoot all of
the thugs before your supply of 80 bullets runs out.
Shoot 'em fast, because if you don't, they'll fire at
you, causing you to lose five bullets. Shooting innocent
people also costs you five bullets. And if you run out
of bullets, you lose one of your three lives.
Learn
to spot gangsters fast; some are disguised to look like
kids and old grannies. A sinister grin and a gun in
hand is a sure sign of a mobster.
As
soon as you clean out one crime area, you can move on
to another by choosing it from one of the 12 on the
map screen. The city map is different in every game.
If you select a distant section, you must drive to it.
Just one problem—the mobsters have a a bunch of
hit teams out to stop you. Sure, you can (and should)
take them out first, but it's a public road, and if
you hit an innocent driver you lose ten bullets from
your limited supply. You aim your shots by shooting
at five arrows at the bottom of the screen. This may
sound awkward but it's not; actually it adds challenge
and variety to the game play. Two other arrows can speed
or slow your car to avoid enemy slugs. Hit a car and
it rolls over and disintegrates in a fiery explosion.
Crime
Buster has great action and a novel storyline which
sets it well above other target shooting games. The
game graphics are simply sensational with colorful,
detailed backgrounds and characters while the animation
is lively and humorous (like when you shoot an innocent
person—heh, heh). Can you rid the city of these
thugs or will you wind up being just another statistic?
-Eric Reiner
KARATEKA (7800,
XE)
You are a Karateka, a fighting karate machine. The evil
Akuma has kidnapped your bride-to-be, the princess Mariko,
and your mission is to get her back, no matter what the
cost.
The game
takes place in Akuma's castle, and your challenge is to
defeat Akuma's highly trained guards, who are determined
to keep you separated from the princess. The first guards
you meet are relatively easy to defeat. Once you master
the combinations of joystick positions and button presses
(or keyboard on the XE) that control your kicks and punches,
you will find that strategy and skill rather than strength
will see you through the mission.
After
battling three or four guards, you finally enter the building
where your loved one is being held. But don't think the
challenge has ended; it has only begun. As you get closer
to the beautiful Mariko, the guards are more skilled and
difficult to defeat. And if that isn't enough to discourage
you, there's Akuma's pet eagle, which shares its master's
desire to do you in.
Both
you and your opponent have hit points—representing
the number of direct blows you can withstand—displayed
at the bottom of the screen. When either is struck by
a blow, a hit point is taken away. However, if no contact
takes place, you start to rejuvenate and your hit points
increase. As you progress through your mission, you will
find that you have less and less resistance to enemy blows
while the guards have higher and higher resistance to
your blows.
Your only
advantage is your intelligence. Experience will teach
you that using a kick to initiate a battle and following
it with a series of quick punches will give you the upper
hand. Knowing when to retreat will also improve your chances
of survival. Once you enter Akuma's chambers, however,
timing becomes the key as the battle heats up and fierce
eagle attacks intensify.
Finally,
your hard work pays off and you meet the big cheese himself.
His hit points outnumber yours 3 to 1, and he is smart—very
smart! But that doesn't mean he is invincible. Just be
very careful not to let him back you up against a wall.
When you
finally finish off the evil Akuma, you get your reward.
This beautiful princess of yours is quite attractive—a
pixelly version of Loni Anderson. But be very cautious
as you approach her, she's a little upset with you for
leaving her in a dark cold prison for so long!
The challenge
of Karateka is not an easy one, and can be made
even more difficult with the console switch. Sure, you
may have a few frustrating defeats at first, but you'll
soon find yourself addicted and determined to save your
lost love—if not for the mere challenge, then for
the satisfaction of a happy ending. -Jerry Hart
IMPOSSIBLE MISSION
(7800) by Epyx
In this awesome award-winning action/adventure game licensed
from Epyx, the evil Elvin Atombender is working to break
the launch codes of key military computers of major world
powers so he can trigger a missile attack that will destroy
the world. Your mission is to penetrate Elvin's underground
stronghold and stop him. To succeed you must evade the
robot guards, break Elvin's own security code, and find
his control center before time runs out.
Elvin's
stronghold has 32 rooms, accessible through elevators
and tunnels. Some are living quarters and others are computer
rooms. Each room has a series of floors, or catwalks,
which are connected by lifts. The catwalks often end quite
abruptly, dropping off into a bottomless pit. And, of
course, they are guarded by Elvin's nasty, human-seeking
robots.
Elvin,
who is rather absent-minded, hides the passwords for his
computers in furniture—the sofa, stereo, or bookshelf—around
his stronghold. When you rind the right password, you
can log onto a terminal and deactivate the robots or reset
the lifts for a room.
Also scattered
around are pieces of the password for the main computer
located in Elvin's control room. You need all the pieces
of this code to gain access to the control room.
In the
game, you have no weapons—no guns or lasers—only
your wits and your athletic ability, which lets you somersault
over the pesky robots.
In
the stronghold are two code rooms, each of which contains
a large checkerboard. A sequence of squares light up,
each with a musical tone. After the sequence, if you touch
the squares in ascending note order, you eirn additional
robot or lift control passwords—useful in rooms with
especially ornery robots.
The game
has many other aspects—a telephone, pocket computer,
and more—and each time you play, the puzzles are
different. Impossible Mission is a devilishly clever
game in which mental agility and logic count more than
joystick control and coordination. -Harrison Hanover
DOUBLE DUNK (2600) Double Dunk is a new, action-packed basketball
game that boasts exceptional graphics and realistic sound
effects. Game play is fast, so you must be quick to stay
in the action, but- your size doesn't matter on this court,
so you can challenge the biggest opponent you can find.
And if
you can't find a human opponent to challenge, your 2600
will take you on as often as you feel like donning your
high-tops. As you play, you look down toward the net at
about one half of the court, as though you were standing
on top of the dome of the stadium.
The
options available include virtually all the standard basketball
options, so you can design the type of game you enjoy
most. For example, your game may include 3-point shots,
a 3-second lane violation, a 10- second play clock, foul
penalties, or any combination of these options. You can
also limit a game to a certain number of points or a specific
period of time. And for added realism, you can select
your own uniform colors to give your team a realistic
NBA look.
The most
exciting part of the game for me was the "feel" of play.
You have two players under your control as does your opponent.
If your team has the ball, your joystick moves the player
whose hands are on it. If the other team has the ball,
your joystick moves the player who is guarding the man
with the ball.
You have
eight basic offensive and eight defensive plays from which
to choose, each of which is described in the manual. Although
the combinations of joystick positions and button presses
looks confusing at first, it really doesn't take much
time to master them. The manual also helps you get started
by offering several useful strategy tips.
Each of
your players has a different set of skills on the court.
The greater size of your inside man, for example, makes
him good at rebounding and blocking shots. Your outside
man, although smaller, is particularly adept at stealing
the ball from your opponent and makes a good percentage
of the long shots he attempts.
Double
Dunk is a dynamite basketball game that will delight
video gamers and basketball fans alike. Because it is
a game that allows you to improve your scores as you improve
your skills, you will find yourself reaching for this
cart again and again. I recommend it for your sports library.
-Jerry Hart
FIGHT NIGHT (7800,
XE) by Accolade
Strap on your boxing gloves, and step into the ring. As
you take on some of the world's toughest fighters in this
total action game licensed from Accolade, you can assume
the personality and skill of one of the five existing
contenders or you can create your own boxer and train
him in punching skills, foot- work, timing, and sparring.
From the opening bell to the final knockdown, whether
you're in the ring fighting a friend or the computer,
you'll be calling on all of your skills and instincts
to survive.
You start
by choosing from Training, Sparring, Tournament, Main
Event, or Boxing Construction.
Boxing
Construction allows you to create your own custom-designed
fighters, specifying their physical characteristics and
fighting style. I built a new fighter, Crazy Craven, with
a powerful punch, strong offense, and high intelligence.
In
Training, you use your joystick to practice punching,
footwork, and timing. With the fire button down your fighter
is on the offense throwing jabs and body blows. With the
button up, you can move right or left or guard your face
and chest.
In Sparring,
you practice what you've learned in training against another
fighter, while in the Main Event, you fight against a
series of five contenders—Dip Stick, Kid Kastro,
Hu Him, British Bulldog, and Bronx Bomber—each one
more powerful than the last.
Man, this
game is tense. I figured I could skip Dip Stick and start
with Kid Kastro. What a mistake! He throws so many punches,
I was always on guard. It took me a while to learn that
his punches lack real pop so that a few well-placed body
blows have real impact. Land a good blow, and his hat
flies right off too!
The object
to the fight is to knock out the contender by landing
blows to his face and body, while avoiding his punches.
Each time you land a blow, your score goes up and your
opponent's KO bar lengthens.
There
are three rounds to a match. Your points accumulate during
each three-minute round and, if neither fighter is KO'd
by the end of the match, the player with the highest number
of points wins by decision.
Don't
expect to KO British Bulldog or Hu Him the first or second
time out. It took me many hours to develop the speed,
stamina, strategy, and style to take them on. Hint: always
step into your punches against these guys. Before long
you'll be ready to challenge the reigning champ, the Bronx
Bomber. -Brad Butler
WATER SKI (7800) by Froggo Games
In Water Ski from Froggo Games, your challenge
is the treacherous Pharona River water ski course. You
must make split second decisions to increase or decrease
boat speed while turning left and right to avoid piers,
buoys, logs, speedboats, and other obstacles. Crash,
and you become a meal for an alligator.
Water
Ski has three levels to vex and challenge you, and
you must complete a level before you can go on to the
next. You start with four skiers, and every 200,000
points earns you an extra boat and skier. You earn points
in three ways: jumping a ramp (10,000 points), skiing
fast (variable points), and completing a level (50,000
points).
You
have separate controls for the boat and skier. Moving
the joystick right and left steers the boat, while moving
it forward speeds it up and moving it back slows it
down. Pressing the right and left joystick buttons moves
the skier back and forth subject to the limits of the
towrope.
As you
speed upstream, the current of the river will cause
you to drift and will affect the interaction of the
skier and boat. Sometimes it is necessary to speed up
to avoid obstacles; look ahead as much as possible to
anticipate dangers.
The
skier wipes out if he hits any object except a ramp.
Jumping a ramp earns 10,000 bonus points. The boat will
crash if it hits any object, including a ramp. Caution:
don't get too fancy around the shoreline—there
are hidden rocks and sandbars.
I've
skied the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh around coal
barges, piers, buoys, tree stumps, and islands. It seemed
hazardous at the time, but compared to this game it
was a piece of cake. This is a world-class course, and
you could live to a ripe old age without ever seeing
level three. - David H. Ahl
SUPER BASEBALL
(2600)
Short of the hot dogs at the ballpark, Super Baseball
offers all the flavor of the real game! It's an amazing
simulation, with realistic animation and sound coupled
with really excellent joystick control.
Consider:
how do you control an entire baseball game with a single
joystick? Think of all the variations of batting style,
pitching style, player position ... the mind boggles.
But Super Baseball makes it easy!
When
your team is at bat, you control (naturally), the batter.
By holding down the joystick button and pressing the stick
in various directions, you can choose ,to bunt, hit a
long ball or a short fly to either right or left. It's
a cinch to master, and before long, all you really have
to think about is timing your swing for best effect.
If you
get a hit, your player automatically heads for first,
as fast as he can. You can only hope that that the fielding
of the other team isn't too hot—which is definitely
not the case if you are playing against the 2600.
When you
take the field, things become a little more complicated,
since you have to control (get this!): the pitcher, the
catcher, the basemen, and the fielders. But again, Super
Baseball makes it easy. When the pitcher has the ball,
you have fine control of how he throws it to the plate,
using the joystick to select a fastball, intentional,
riser, sinker, or left/right curveball (no spitballs or
knuckle balls, unfortunately). Again, timing is everything—firing
off your pitch at the right moment can make the difference
between winging it past the batter or watching it disappear
in the bleachers.
When you
want to throw from one player to another, you select the
player (catcher, pitcher, baseman) with the joystick,
and press the fire button. The targeted player can then
be moved around with the joystick to pick up the throw,
though the actual mechanics of fielding are handled automatically.
By combining
just the right degree of player control with the right
amount of automatic control, Super Baseball really
makes you feel as if you're playing the game. Add super
sound effects (the sound of a fastball hitting the catcher's
glove is particularly effective), and a classic musical
theme ("The Old Ball Game," natch), and you've got a game
that will see you through many a rainy, summer afternoon.
Play ball! -John Jainschigg
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.