(played as part of ATARI 50)
An okay SPACE INVADERS riff that is somewhat undone by the rate of fire for your little guy. It has the common only-one-bullet-on-the-screen thing, which always sucks, but it's made to feel even worse here (paradoxically) by the inclusion of rapid fire by holding the button. This tempts you to just spam to try to get the most shots off as quickly as possible and/or to destroy the multiple hit point having obstacles, but since the playfield is long and the main enemy starts at the way back and (sometimes quite slowly) makes its way forward, you can find yourself firing your bullet in a rush without thinking, missing everything, and then watching it take forever to leave the screen while you're helpless against the closer enemy type, or while the Centipede moves somewhere else completely. It's really only a half-second of useless time or whatever, but it makes for a gross herky-jerky rhythm to your attacks that is a constant frustration. It would actually be a lot better if holding the button regulated your shots to a slow and steady pace.
That niggling issue is a shame, because the general design is sound and the look is cool. It's different enough from its contemporaries without being overly complicated. Just wish the shooting could feel better.
P.S.: This is well-known as one of the early arcade successes with female players specifically, and this collection, at least, credits that to the accomplished art and the color choices (which are both excellent). But ... it's the dicks, right? The mushrooms! There's a bunch of dicks all over the screen! And the player ship or whatever is a little dick, too! That's definitely it.
An okay SPACE INVADERS riff that is somewhat undone by the rate of fire for your little guy. It has the common only-one-bullet-on-the-screen thing, which always sucks, but it's made to feel even worse here (paradoxically) by the inclusion of rapid fire by holding the button. This tempts you to just spam to try to get the most shots off as quickly as possible and/or to destroy the multiple hit point having obstacles, but since the playfield is long and the main enemy starts at the way back and (sometimes quite slowly) makes its way forward, you can find yourself firing your bullet in a rush without thinking, missing everything, and then watching it take forever to leave the screen while you're helpless against the closer enemy type, or while the Centipede moves somewhere else completely. It's really only a half-second of useless time or whatever, but it makes for a gross herky-jerky rhythm to your attacks that is a constant frustration. It would actually be a lot better if holding the button regulated your shots to a slow and steady pace.
That niggling issue is a shame, because the general design is sound and the look is cool. It's different enough from its contemporaries without being overly complicated. Just wish the shooting could feel better.
P.S.: This is well-known as one of the early arcade successes with female players specifically, and this collection, at least, credits that to the accomplished art and the color choices (which are both excellent). But ... it's the dicks, right? The mushrooms! There's a bunch of dicks all over the screen! And the player ship or whatever is a little dick, too! That's definitely it.