CRYSTAL CASTLES (2600, XE) If you liked Q*bert, you'll love Crystal Castles, "Bentley Bear's A-Maze-ing Adventures." In this game, Bentley dashes around 37 enchanted castles—each of a different design—collecting sparkling jewels and pots of honey in seemingly endless mazes of alleys, stairways, and elevators.
But Bentley is being chased by a mob of hungry gem guardians—Crystal Balls, Nasty Trees, Gem Eaters (which compete with Bentley for gems), Swarms of Bees (which protect the honey pots), Ghosts, and Skeletons. Scariest of all is Witch Berthilda with her steaming cauldron, ready to make Bentley into bear stew.
Bentley's best friend is a magic hat which protects him when he finds it in a castle and puts it on; enemies can't catch him, and he can run past them safely until the hat disappears. You'll know he is safe by the delightful tune that plays while he has the hat on.
Basically, speed is your main ally as you run up and down the stairs, behind walls, and through tunnels. Hint: clear all the jewels from each area you visit, so you don't have to go back for a few of them later. A creature is momentarily stunned when you jump over it, so use this time to good advantage to collect a few gems and make tracks!
When I first started to play Crystal Castles, I tried to avoid everything except the gems, honey pot, and magic hat. But as I got more confidence, I tried jumping over the creatures, and with more practice, I began to trap the Nasty Trees in corners and turn the Gem Eaters into dust by running over them as they sat down to eat a gem. I even found that, while wearing the magic hat, I could smash the witch for a big 3000-point bonus.
You get three lives to start and another with each 70,000 points. But you can also earn extra lives if you discover the secret warps in some of the castles, which not only give you another life and bonus points, but also let you escape to a higher level.
Sensational graphics, delightful music, and responsive control combine to make Crystal Castles fascinating, fun, and addictive! -Vicki Vorhees
DARK CHAMBERS (2600, 7800, XE)
The darkness is upon you. "You're on a dangerous treasure hunt, deep in the underground world of Dark Chambers. Wraiths, wizards, and moldering skeletons surround you. And as you move through this meandering maze, you are stalked by the grim reaper."
Thus begin the instructions for Dark Chambers. But, hey, believe me, it's not like that at all. The game is actually a fun, upbeat scavenger hunt. Your hero, dressed in green tweeds (7800 and XE versions), has a jaunty feather in his cap and—with your guidance as he trots along—seems almost to smile as he dispatches the ghouls and collects his rewards.
The screen (above) shows only a small portion of the level you are on (below), but it lets you see what
lies ahead.
Okay, so the game has an ominous underground motif. The way it really works is this. You are in this 26-level (A to Z) series of maze-like chambers—some of the walls are rock, some are brick, and some are trees!— and in the rooms and passages you find four types of things: ghouls, curses, weapons, and treasures.
Ghouls come in five flavors: zombies (which explode when you shoot them), skeletons, wraiths, wizards, and grim reapers (which will slice you down if you let them get too close). You get rid of a ghoul by shooting it—the only problem being that the higher forms mutate into lower forms, so you have to shoot them two, three, or four times.
"Curses" is a broad category that includes spawners which hatch new ghouls; poisons which drain your strength; and traps, which may look like good things, but actually sap vast gobs of your energy if you touch them.
Weapons include daggers which make your shots more powerful, shields, bombs which blow up all the nasties on the screen, and guns which increase your shooting speed.
You can also pick up food to increase your strength,keys to open locked doors, strongboxes, chalices (big points!), amulets, and hearts which restore the life of a friend in the 7800 and XE two-player games.
The game has three skill levels: beginner, standard, and advanced. I found "beginner" ideal for working through all 26 levels of chambers, making notes about the particularly nasty ones and working out a strategy for playing on the higher skill levels. For example, on Levels A, B, and C, you should arm yourself with all the weapons you can find while they are relatively easy to get. On Level X, however, it is particularly important to get food to bring your strength up before entering Level Y, where you will find yourself under immediate heavy attack. Having a few extra bombs doesn't hurt either.
The horizontal and vertical scrolling is silky smooth and lets you see what lies ahead in chambers you haven't yet entered. I also like the two-player option, which lets you and a friend play as a cooperative team while each collects his own points for finding treasures and defeating ghouls.
The 2600 version is slightly different in that you see less area on the screen so mapping becomes more important. Also, in this version, some of the spawners turn into treasures and food so you should pretty much shoot everything to make sure you don't bypass something important.
If you get through all 26 levels, the levels start to repeat but with more and tougher ghouls. Are you a match for them? -Brad Butler
SUPER FOOTBALL (2600)
Sports fans, you're not going to believe the fun, excitement, and playability of Super Football. It is more fun than virtually any other video football game I've ever played—high-end computer games included.
From far above the defensive endzone, you look downfield over the shoulder of your own quarterback, a viewing perspective that produces a very convincing 3-D effect.
On each down, you have a choice of nine different offensive and defensive plays. On the offense you can choose a long pass, short pass, run, motion, fake motion, punt, or field goal. The defense consists of appropriate plays to counter those of the offense, including a blitz.
In addition to the different plays, you can choose from four pattern selections, which determine the actions of the various players on your team. You control one player on your team, and the pattern selection determines what your other men do. If you throw a pass, you control the quarterback until the pass is released, after which control shifts to the pass receiver.
In Super Football, you can play against the computer or another person in a 5-, 10-, or 15-minute game. In the one-player mode, shorter play times are accompanied by somewhat less proficient computer teams, thus providing suitable opponents for both casual contenders and football fanatics.
A brief glance at the well written manual, complete with easy-to-understand play diagrams, will help you plot your playing strategy. After several games, I found that I knew all the plays and their respective numbers.
The scoreboard at the top center of the screen contains all game information, and the score areas turn into the play selection box between downs.
While Super Football doesn't have high-end computer graphics, the independent player movement, joystick control, and overall playability are simply outstanding. You actually can control exactly where a pass is thrown, a feature found in few other video football games!
"It's not whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game," was never more true than in Super Football. Win or lose, the game is addictive, exciting, and fun -Tom Gillen
When it first came out in 1986, Bob Whitehead's Hardball by Accolade was a major hit—and with good reason! Not only is the animation smooth and realistic, but no other game— before or since—is better at capturing the essence of the pitcher vs. batter action.
Playing against the computer or a friend, in Hardball you'll have the rare opportunity not only to play on a big-league baseball team, but to manage it. As in a real game, you can alter the lineup, shift the infield, or choose a designated hitter. But the real action takes place on the mound and at the plate.
Your perspective is over the pitcher's right shoulder with the infield diamond in the lower right. As the pitcher, you can select the pitch type (fastball, offspeed, curveball, sinker, slider, change-up, etc.) and direction (inside, low, etc.). When you are up to bat, you control when and how you want to swing. You can also try to steal a base.
Depending upon where the ball is hit, the view shifts to the infield or outfield. The fielder, controlled by the defending team, can be made to throw the ball to any base to cut off a runner. Multiple throws are allowed, but you've got to act fast.
In addition to regular play, Hardball allows stealing bases, changing the line-up, and time outs. For a final added touch of realism, the pitcher even gets tired. And if the game is tied at the ninth, it could be a long day—or night—at the ballpark. Play Ball! -Paul Pitman
CRACKED (7800) In this wacky, fast-paced game, your mission is to protect eggs that a rare South American Hornbill has laid in trees, sewers, and other weird locations. You've got to shoot fast to hit the various creatures that try to steal the eggs and, when you hit one, you have to catch the egg that it drops.
When the game starts, you see a tree with five nests in its branches. Each nest holds five eggs. A crafty little bluebird innocently flutters onto the screen...then all of a sudden swoops down and grabs an egg. Using your joystick to position crosshairs over the bird, you hit the left controller button. Blam! Feathers fly; no more bird.
If you hit a bird that is carrying an egg, the egg drops to the ground and splatters with a sickening crrrack...unless you're quick enough to catch it by moving the crosshairs to the egg and pressing the right button. Once you catch an egg, you must put it back in one of the nests.
In addition to the bluebirds at this nesting site, you also encounter ornery owls and slimey snakes. My advice is to shoot the raiders as soon as possible even though you can get more points by catching falling eggs and replacing them in the nests. If you do go for an egg-carrying bird, try to shoot it while it is over a nest so the egg drops back in. If it is not over a nest, shoot it while it is flying high so you have enough time to catch the egg before it splatters on the ground.
If you have at least one egg left at the end of a raid, you go on to the next nesting site. But as you go from one site to another, you must pass the rooster ranch. There you endure the indignity of being pelted by eggs unless you can hit the rooster first.
Take aim, press the button. Blam!
Feathers fly. No more bandit bird.
Aiming at a rooster is different from aiming at an egg thief; you use the joystick to slide pointers along the bottom and right side of the screen until both are lined up with your target. On this screen you lose points not only for each hit the rooster lands, but also for failing to throw an egg at a rooster when you have a chance.
Other nesting sites include a dungeon; a sewer, where you do battle with dunglings, rats, and dragonflies; the sea, which is crawling with nasty squid, anchovies, and bubbles; and the moon! So get out there to the ol' yolk tree and eggsercise your skills. -Wayne Wharton
BALLBLAZER (7800, XE) by Lucasfilms Games When the folks at Lucasfilms ("Star Wars," "The Empire Strikes Back,") decided to get into video games, they pulled out all the stops to make sure that their games would maintain their already excellent reputation—and they succeeded!
Lucasfilms' first game, Ballblazer, is a futuristic sports contest for one or two players. In the game, you guide your Rotofoil, a speedy one-person hovercraft, over a gigantic checkerboard playing field composed of 1155 squares. As you maneuver, you attempt to gain control of the Plasmorb, a floating ball, and fire it between a pair of moving goalposts.
The screen is split in half horizontally with one half showing your view and the other half showing your opponent's view. Of course, since you can see the whole screen, you can see yourself—and your opponent—from both viewpoints. This makes the game ideal for head-to-head play.
You use your joystick to maneuver and try to steal the ball from your opponent. Once you have the ball, you must move your Rotofoil quickly downfield toward the goalposts. But since the goalposts move, getting the ball between them can be a real challenge.
A goal is worth from one to three points. You get one point for a close-in shot, two points for a more distant shot, and three points for a successful shot when you can't see the goalposts—which is quick a trick!
The graphics and sound are really sensational. The moving checkerboard gives a realistic 3-D perspective and sense of motion, and the throbbing sound track and audio effects keep the excitement level high. Your adrenaline will really flow as you watch the clock wind down from three minutes to zero. And if you can't find a human opponent, no problem; the computer will test your mettle to the limit. This game belongs in your library!
-Wayne Wharton
SUPER SKATEBOARDIN' (7800) by Absolute Entertainment "Your afterschool job at a factory is totally rad—a skateboarder's dream come true. You cruise through miles of halls and tubes in the factory at the end of the day, shutting off all the machines and lights—and get paid to do it.
Naturally, there's a catch. Your pay depends on how much power you save. And you've got to be out by 5:15 p.m. to make that Skateboarding Championship tonight.
To get going, you run by pressing the joystick right or left, and hop on your board by pressing the button. Once on the board, you keep moving in the same direction unless you change course by tapping the stick the opposite way—like when you come to a wall—or get off by tapping down on the stick twice.
As you speed through the factory, passing a machine turns it off, but you have to jump (tap the stick up) to turn off the light bulbs. You also have to jump when you pass a machine that's already off; otherwise it goes back on.
The factory is one giant maze! Giant tubes are the only way to get from floor to floor. To ride a tube, just crouch (joystick down) when you come to it. Jumping on an assembly line will really max out your speed, but be careful, or the machine will flatten you like a road pizza. Hint: turn off the assembly lines early; they use the most power.
Look at the bottom of the screen to see how radical you truly are. The left meter shows the power consumption of the machines and equipment you haven't turned off yet. The middle meter shows how much power has been used since you started, while the right meter ticks away the time. Hint: forget about the meters and pay attention to your cruisin'. Remember, the faster you finish, the less power is used, and the more you get paid. So what are you waiting for, Dude—start cruisin'!
-Paul Pitman
BLUE MAX (XE) Blue Max, the award-winning hit licensed from Broderbund, was designed nearly seven years ago, but it is one of those classic games with an original concept that will keep you coming back to play again and again.
It's June 1915. World War I is raging. The Axis is cutting down the Royal Air Force. But one pilot, Max Chatsworth, vows to avenge the loss of his comrades and becomes the most effective fighter pilot of the war. In the game, as Max, you fly a biplane fighter over war-torn Europe, doing as much damage as possible with your guns and bombs. You see an angled view of your plane from above and to the right as you follow a river, along which are buildings, tanks, boats, bridges, anti-aircraft guns, cars, and trees. Occasionally enemy aircraft swoop down, seemingly from nowhere; you can try to avoid them or, if you have the courage of Blue Max, take them on in a dogfight to the death.
From time to time, you will see a friendly airstrip where you can land to refuel, re-arm, and repair damage. Except for the airstrips, river, and trees, almost everything else shoots back at you and the sky is constantly flashing with the explosions of enemy shells.
You are the Allies' most dangerous weapon — Blue Max, fighter-bomber pilot, out for revenge.
If you sustain too much damage, you will crash. You will also crash if you fly too low—below 20 feet—although you have to fly low for your guns to hit objects on the ground. You can gauge your altitude by the shadow of your plane on the ground or, more accurately, by a quick glance at your digital altimeter.
To drop a bomb, you have to climb a little, then dive, and press the joystick fire button. Bombs do a devastating job on buildings and bridges, which are fairly easy to hit. To earn 300 bonus points you can try sinking a ship with a bomb, a maneuver that requires precision timing and pinpoint accuracy.
Along the river lie three special targets which you must destroy before you can be considered a true ace. Can you live up to the legend of Blue Max! -Paul Pitman
CROSSBOW (2600, 7800, XE) by Exidy Over a scorching desert, through forboding caverns, past a firey volcano, and under the leafy cover of a steaming jungle, a small group of brave adventurers travel to reach the treasures hidden in a distant castle. As they venture into danger, one at a time, it is up to you and your trusty crossbow to protect them
along their treacherous path.
In this great conversion of the hot arcade title, you must shoot your arrows swiftly and accurately to save your companions from the dangerous attacks of the Evil Master's nasty creatures. If one adventurer succumbs to the scorpions, ants, bats, snakes, vultures, or man-eating plants, the next one arrives quickly to take his place.
Your adventure begins on the Paths screen which shows your first friend and the six Danger Zones through which you must pass to reach the treasure in the Evil Master's castle. You select a path—red or green (hint: start with green)—and press the fire button to enter a Danger Zone.
Once in a Danger Zone, the various creatures immediately begin to attack your friend. With your joystick (or lightgun on the 7800 or XE), you move the sight of your crossbow onto a target, then press the fire button (or trigger) to shoot. Once through a Danger Zone, you return to the Paths screen to choose a continuation of your path to another Danger Zone.
You start your trek with two friends. You gain a new friend the first time you make it safely through the Desert, Caverns, Volcano, and Jungle Zones (up to a maximum of four friends).
The six screens pose a wide variety of challenges. In the Desert, for example, your friends are attacked by deadly scorpions (worth 50 points), ants (50 points), vultures (100 points), and snakes (200 points) that briefly appear from their holes. In the Jungle, you face entirely different hazards: a monkey that scurries up and down the vines tossing coconuts at your friend while fast growing voracious plants spring from the ground in your friend's path.
For an extra challenge (and 1000 bonus points), you can try shooting the Evil Master's Eye that appears briefly on each screen. So grab your crossbow, and let the tale unfold.
-Wayne Wharton
BUMP 'N JUMP (2600) by Telegames Imagine a cross between bumper cars at the carnival and the Baja California off road race and you can see why Bump 'n Jump was such a hot arcade title. In this game, anything goes! Bump 'em...bash 'em...crash 'em off the road...before they bump you into the weeds. Jump over waterways and land on other cars to smash 'em!
Bump...swerve...jump...crash. Quick reflexes are crucial in this action-packed demolition derby.
You're at the wheel of a hot red number just cruisin' along. You spot action ahead. Floor it by pushing the joystick forward. You lay rubber and hit 100 in no time. Now you can jump (hit that button) or bump (joystick right or left). Watch for debris and divider strips; they're lethal if you hit em' at this speed.
Hear that tune? No, it's not the Beach Boys; it's a warning of water ahead. Don't panic. Just hit the button and you're airborne over the channel. Oh, sure, there might be a causeway alongside the water to save your butt—but don't count on it.
Your car will do from 20 to 220 mph; your speed is shown at the top left. But who looks at the speedo? Better to keep your eyes on the other vehicles and learn to recognize them. Then you'll know to avoid the tractor because it's so heavy and can't be bumped very far. On the other hand, the race cars can be bumped into the next county and the dump truck will explode on contact. (How cum? Has it picked up a load of illegal toxic waste or what?)
For survival and top scores, I recommend a few simple rules: keep in the center of the course at a speed of 100 mph plus, bump with the front of your car, avoid the skull-and- crossbone cars, and, if you are about to crash...jump! That may seem like a lot to keep in mind, but you'll quickly get the hang of it.
You have five cars to start and you get another each time you rack up 40,000 points. There are eight different road courses, all loaded with 4 x 4's, monster trucks, and bad dudes. Your mean machine is ready to lay rubber—are you? -Brad Butler
COMMANDO (2600, 7800, XE) Take no prisoners. Annihilate the enemy. Wipe out the fortress. As a one-man army facing overwhelming odds, you become part of the action—relentless and intense—in this mega arcade hit (2600 version licensed by Data East and distributed by Activision, 7800 and XE versions licensed by Atari from Data East).
In Commando, you control a soldier armed with an automatic rifle and a limited supply of hand grenades. As you move through enemy territory you'll encounter hostile soldiers, barricades, enemy convoys, grenade boxes, foxholes occupied by the enemy, and much more.
One reason Commando is such a great game is that the controls are easy to learn and use. The joystick lets you move in any of eight different directions, a short press of the control button press looses off a gunshot in the direction you're moving, and a longer press allows you to hurl a grenade (2600). But watch it—moving and firing in the same direction means you're open to attacks from the flanks and rear. Hint: move in a zigzag path and you'll be less vulnerable to these attacks.Your view of the battlefield is from overhead and just behind your commando. Because objects have a 3-D look, this perspective is more realistic than games in which the view is straight down.
In general, your objective is to destroy everything that moves—and even some things that don't, like trees, assuming you don't need them for cover. Barricades can't be destroyed so don't waste your grenades on them, but be sure to pick up spare grenades from enemy ammo boxes. The 7800 and XE versions have even more objects than the 2600 version—things like a knife and machine gun which really increase your destructive power.
Game versions for the different systems vary in the number of screens and skill levels, but on all three systems, Commando is tough, fast, and intense. Are you up to the challenge?
-Harrison Hanover
In this wacky, fast-paced game, your mission is to protect eggs that a rare South American Hornbill has laid in trees, sewers, and other weird locations. You've got to shoot fast to hit the various creatures that try to steal the eggs and, when you hit one, you have to catch the egg that it drops.
Over a scorching desert, through forboding caverns, past a firey volcano, and under the leafy cover of a steaming jungle, a small group of brave adventurers travel to reach the treasures hidden in a distant castle. As they venture into danger, one at a time, it is up to you and your trusty crossbow to protect them
along their treacherous path.
growing voracious plants spring from the ground in your friend's path. 
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.