Played as part of Atari 50.
This movie tie-in game is probably one of the best games in this collection. Twin stick shooters were still a pretty rare commodity in this time, and it's pretty innately fun to play for it. Very simple, but it's still fun to race against the bomb in the center of the screen.
This movie tie-in game is probably one of the best games in this collection. Twin stick shooters were still a pretty rare commodity in this time, and it's pretty innately fun to play for it. Very simple, but it's still fun to race against the bomb in the center of the screen.
Crazy good visuals, especially with the animation work during level transitions, but the game itself is a pretty simple arcade shooter, in design. I personally think it's just fine.
Kind of a gorgeous game but feels way more elaborate than it needs to be sometimes. There's a lot of pick ups and obstacles to consider and hectic to the point it almost feels a bit fruitless most of the time. The beginning screens and the level transition look nice along with the sound but that's really it here.
(played as part of Atari 50)
A simple, enjoyable gameplay structure overburdened with a lot of unnecessary ornamentation. Screens so busy and elaborate you'll sometimes take a death just trying to figure out what you're looking at.
A couple things do work quite well. The four-level cycle is satisfying in feel and the different sets of stages are quite diverse. Cute interstitial cutscenes between screens actually help instead of annoy, giving you just enough time to gather yourself. And a generous continue system lets you see the whole game if you're tenacious, essentially saving your progress after every group of stages.
In some of these later arcade games you can see designers straining to find new angles and eager to deploy all kinds of wacky ideas and technical advancements, but a lot of times less is more.
A simple, enjoyable gameplay structure overburdened with a lot of unnecessary ornamentation. Screens so busy and elaborate you'll sometimes take a death just trying to figure out what you're looking at.
A couple things do work quite well. The four-level cycle is satisfying in feel and the different sets of stages are quite diverse. Cute interstitial cutscenes between screens actually help instead of annoy, giving you just enough time to gather yourself. And a generous continue system lets you see the whole game if you're tenacious, essentially saving your progress after every group of stages.
In some of these later arcade games you can see designers straining to find new angles and eager to deploy all kinds of wacky ideas and technical advancements, but a lot of times less is more.
The Robotron conversion kit aspect of this game can be felt very quickly. A manic mess of color and sprites that you can mostly ignore if you want doesn't really make for good gameplay.
Cloaks and Dagger is a game that is overall a cool concept but also a mash of 4 games Atari couldn't agree on and it shows, still for what it's is, where you get from point A to B while trying to collect green... things (idk they're just green) and then getting to the next door before an enemy hits you or you touch a bomb. It's fine for what it is, but definitely feels like a game cobbled up to see if mixing 4 things into 1 works when there's no through line that brings it all together still its fine.
Played on Atari 50.
Played on Atari 50.
The visuals between levels are gorgeous for the time but the actual gameplay screens are a mess. Strange game.