donproject
1981
Forget Space Invaders, Galaga is the best spaceship shooter!
Galaga is probably in my top "oh, is that game at this place? I'll put several quarters in there." games. Fast action, awesome soundtrack, solid graphics and just enough interesting gameplay features to keep you coming back for a few rounds. I never bought a port of this game, because the arcade version is precisely how I want to remember this game forever and slapping that button to shoot is the perfect way to experience eventually getting blown up because you forget the patterns.
More spaceships!!
Review from thedonproject.com
Galaga is probably in my top "oh, is that game at this place? I'll put several quarters in there." games. Fast action, awesome soundtrack, solid graphics and just enough interesting gameplay features to keep you coming back for a few rounds. I never bought a port of this game, because the arcade version is precisely how I want to remember this game forever and slapping that button to shoot is the perfect way to experience eventually getting blown up because you forget the patterns.
More spaceships!!
Review from thedonproject.com
1982
I was lucky enough to get to spend a week at a lake "resort" for early summer vacation as a youth. They had a little arcade that no one ever went to that was just a concrete box with a couple games in it and maybe even a laundry. Choplifter was one of the cabinets there.
Now, you'd think that a rowdy youth would be obsessed with a helicopter that can blow up jets and tanks, but for some reason this game didn't take up as much of my time as the other cabinet in that concrete box: Pac Man. Probably because we found a way to cram our grimy mitts into that machine and activate the coin counter...
At any rate, I recall the controls on Choplifter were also a bit tricky to master. I mean, helicopters are a crazy thing to fly around and people crash them all the time. Plus, rockets on helicopters that can shoot down jets? Bananas.
Now maybe if we'd figured out how to play for free...
Review from thedonproject.com
Now, you'd think that a rowdy youth would be obsessed with a helicopter that can blow up jets and tanks, but for some reason this game didn't take up as much of my time as the other cabinet in that concrete box: Pac Man. Probably because we found a way to cram our grimy mitts into that machine and activate the coin counter...
At any rate, I recall the controls on Choplifter were also a bit tricky to master. I mean, helicopters are a crazy thing to fly around and people crash them all the time. Plus, rockets on helicopters that can shoot down jets? Bananas.
Now maybe if we'd figured out how to play for free...
Review from thedonproject.com
1982
Nostalgia plays a heavy role in this review, for sure.
This game is incredibly important but very few folks have played it! My first RPG and probably the first console RPG of all time. I don't remember if I beat the game or not, maybe I got to the final battle, but I definitely played this a lot. It began my love of RPG's and RPG-like story-based games. It is annoying and grinding at times, and the graphics are nothing spectacular, but the introduction fo the menu-based mechanics and turn-based fighting was key to my enjoyment of the strategy of these types of games. Okay, the story isn't very clear or great (you're going to fight a dragon to get a piece of jewelry?), but like I said: revolutionary!
Plus, that name... DragonSTOMPER. Amazing.
Review from thedonproject.com
This game is incredibly important but very few folks have played it! My first RPG and probably the first console RPG of all time. I don't remember if I beat the game or not, maybe I got to the final battle, but I definitely played this a lot. It began my love of RPG's and RPG-like story-based games. It is annoying and grinding at times, and the graphics are nothing spectacular, but the introduction fo the menu-based mechanics and turn-based fighting was key to my enjoyment of the strategy of these types of games. Okay, the story isn't very clear or great (you're going to fight a dragon to get a piece of jewelry?), but like I said: revolutionary!
Plus, that name... DragonSTOMPER. Amazing.
Review from thedonproject.com
1981
USE ALL THE COLORS!
I'm not good at Defender. That might be because it is a pretty tough game. I remember it getting incredibly fast and always being very difficult to target enemies. Of course, arcade games are meant to eat your quarters, not be easy, so this makes sense!
The real draw of Defender is the very sweet graphics and colors. I can imagine this game was incredible in 1981. It uses literally all the colors as every font and UI element cycle through them at a pretty quick clip. The ship looks awesome and the lasers look incredible. Explosions use all the colors and do cool 1980's stuff. The alien ships are okay and the people are whatever, but your little defender ship is where the magic happens.
Add in the groundbreaking feature of a mini-map/radar thing and the classic synthesized sounds, and you've got yourself a fun few minutes for $0.25.
And then aggravation after you spend your whole lawn-mowing savings in 20 minutes...
Review from thedonproject.com
I'm not good at Defender. That might be because it is a pretty tough game. I remember it getting incredibly fast and always being very difficult to target enemies. Of course, arcade games are meant to eat your quarters, not be easy, so this makes sense!
The real draw of Defender is the very sweet graphics and colors. I can imagine this game was incredible in 1981. It uses literally all the colors as every font and UI element cycle through them at a pretty quick clip. The ship looks awesome and the lasers look incredible. Explosions use all the colors and do cool 1980's stuff. The alien ships are okay and the people are whatever, but your little defender ship is where the magic happens.
Add in the groundbreaking feature of a mini-map/radar thing and the classic synthesized sounds, and you've got yourself a fun few minutes for $0.25.
And then aggravation after you spend your whole lawn-mowing savings in 20 minutes...
Review from thedonproject.com
Coooooooooooool.
Actual steering wheels and pedals! This is what arcade games are all about: weird controllers!! However, the game itself is not super great, I'm afraid. It's a bit R.C. ProAm in the graphics and control and gameplay departments. I remember the wheel controller actually making it pretty tough to play, which is unfortunate, as it's a fine racer for the time, I suppose. Maybe that was just all the janky Chuck 'E' Cheese cabinets I played this game on. I do recall finding the game at a pizza place later on in life and still being bad at the game, though. It is unfortunate that if you don't finish first, you have to pay to continue, but that's capitalism, I guess.
Truuuuucks.
Review from thedonproject.com
Actual steering wheels and pedals! This is what arcade games are all about: weird controllers!! However, the game itself is not super great, I'm afraid. It's a bit R.C. ProAm in the graphics and control and gameplay departments. I remember the wheel controller actually making it pretty tough to play, which is unfortunate, as it's a fine racer for the time, I suppose. Maybe that was just all the janky Chuck 'E' Cheese cabinets I played this game on. I do recall finding the game at a pizza place later on in life and still being bad at the game, though. It is unfortunate that if you don't finish first, you have to pay to continue, but that's capitalism, I guess.
Truuuuucks.
Review from thedonproject.com
1990
Let's see, a game where you get to play a god and build towns of loyal followers as well as do a little light platforming as a knight or something with a sword and magic? Yes, please!
ActRaiser was definitely one of my favorite SNES games. Pretty sure I never owned it but just rented it from Hollywood Video several times. Dragon Warrior, also made by Enix, was one of my faves for the NES and a few of the callbacks to that JRPG style but in an action RPG/sim/platformer mix was entrancing. It's like a Castlevania/Sim-City mashup with the added benefit of god-like powers. Incredible.
The soundtrack absolutely rules with orchestral tunes, angelic melodies, and baroque-sounding vaguely-hymn-like jams. The graphics are classic 16-bit goodness with a couple Mode-7 tricks for funsies. Balanced difficulty and a decent pace made it fun and appropriately challenging for middle-school me.
Fantastic.
Review from thedonproject.com
ActRaiser was definitely one of my favorite SNES games. Pretty sure I never owned it but just rented it from Hollywood Video several times. Dragon Warrior, also made by Enix, was one of my faves for the NES and a few of the callbacks to that JRPG style but in an action RPG/sim/platformer mix was entrancing. It's like a Castlevania/Sim-City mashup with the added benefit of god-like powers. Incredible.
The soundtrack absolutely rules with orchestral tunes, angelic melodies, and baroque-sounding vaguely-hymn-like jams. The graphics are classic 16-bit goodness with a couple Mode-7 tricks for funsies. Balanced difficulty and a decent pace made it fun and appropriately challenging for middle-school me.
Fantastic.
Review from thedonproject.com
1989
Frantic bullet hell weirdo spaceship chaos!
Oh man, this game was tough. I definitely never got to the second top-down level. But I distinctly remember whiling away several hours attempting not to die by some stray bullet/laser I never saw coming. I probably used up most of my lifetime allotment of heartbeats getting pumped up by the manically fast synth music and an onslaught of floaty aliens trying to blow up my unstoppable spaceship. I mean, literally unstoppable. The choice to make the ship never stop moving, the million enemies and their bullets, the devastating maps to navigate, the annoying and constant shooting noises, and the bonkers music all combine to make this an unforgettable torture, for sure.
I'd probably play it again, though.
Review from thedonproject.com
Oh man, this game was tough. I definitely never got to the second top-down level. But I distinctly remember whiling away several hours attempting not to die by some stray bullet/laser I never saw coming. I probably used up most of my lifetime allotment of heartbeats getting pumped up by the manically fast synth music and an onslaught of floaty aliens trying to blow up my unstoppable spaceship. I mean, literally unstoppable. The choice to make the ship never stop moving, the million enemies and their bullets, the devastating maps to navigate, the annoying and constant shooting noises, and the bonkers music all combine to make this an unforgettable torture, for sure.
I'd probably play it again, though.
Review from thedonproject.com
At this point, the legend might have overshadowed my memory of this game!
Look, everybody knows this is the worst game of all time. I'm pretty sure we had it at our house at one point, but also I've watched so many documentaries and what not that I think memories have been implanted in my brain of having played this as a child. Probably because it was cheap to buy, I'm sure. I seem to recall moving lil' ol' E.T. around and not knowing what the hell was going on.
Which basically describes the game, am I right?
Review from thedonproject.com
Look, everybody knows this is the worst game of all time. I'm pretty sure we had it at our house at one point, but also I've watched so many documentaries and what not that I think memories have been implanted in my brain of having played this as a child. Probably because it was cheap to buy, I'm sure. I seem to recall moving lil' ol' E.T. around and not knowing what the hell was going on.
Which basically describes the game, am I right?
Review from thedonproject.com
Was this the first 3-D first-person "dungeon" game? Maybe?
I loved this game. Puzzles and traps and mazes all ensconced in first-person 3-D walls and hectic beeping signifying how close the one murderous monster is to you. Mini-games, as well, with amazing start/end jingles! It's a pretty intense and tough game, but I remember winning the game as a young one, though I can't find any complete playthroughs on the internet to verify my hazy memory (maybe I should make one?). At any rate, this tough little game was fun for a tiny nerd such as myself who liked to test memory and reflexes as well as a bit of strategy and stealth.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.
Review from thedonproject.com
I loved this game. Puzzles and traps and mazes all ensconced in first-person 3-D walls and hectic beeping signifying how close the one murderous monster is to you. Mini-games, as well, with amazing start/end jingles! It's a pretty intense and tough game, but I remember winning the game as a young one, though I can't find any complete playthroughs on the internet to verify my hazy memory (maybe I should make one?). At any rate, this tough little game was fun for a tiny nerd such as myself who liked to test memory and reflexes as well as a bit of strategy and stealth.
Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.
Review from thedonproject.com
1991
Oh dang, that awesome intro, am I right?
In my youth, I had a massive crush on JRPG's. Well, anything made by Squaresoft, really. The Final Fantasy series held my interest all the way until FFIX or FFX even though I never really understood the plot of a single one of them. I love turn-based battles, fantasy/sci-fi elements, and sweet, overpowering orchestral soundtracks, so I was hooked even if I didn't know what was going on. FFII (or IV in Japan, of course), has all my favorite elements, but playing it so many years later makes the game seem pretty slow-moving, but the battles are still fun and the game is generally still pretty great. Plus the fancy SNES graphics as you fly the airship around and the transitions between scenes and battles were a bump up from the hugely important NES debut. Overall, excellent.
And the final battle was great!
Review from thedonproject.com
In my youth, I had a massive crush on JRPG's. Well, anything made by Squaresoft, really. The Final Fantasy series held my interest all the way until FFIX or FFX even though I never really understood the plot of a single one of them. I love turn-based battles, fantasy/sci-fi elements, and sweet, overpowering orchestral soundtracks, so I was hooked even if I didn't know what was going on. FFII (or IV in Japan, of course), has all my favorite elements, but playing it so many years later makes the game seem pretty slow-moving, but the battles are still fun and the game is generally still pretty great. Plus the fancy SNES graphics as you fly the airship around and the transitions between scenes and battles were a bump up from the hugely important NES debut. Overall, excellent.
And the final battle was great!
Review from thedonproject.com
1981
This review is for the Starpath Atari 2600 version...
A solid port of a good arcade game!
The Starpath port of Frogger is pretty darn close to the arcade game, even though it is on the 2600. They do include the race car row speeding up pretty early, which makes this game slightly tougher. Also, you have to play it with the Atari joysticks, which are not as good as the arcade sticks. However, the music and graphics are pretty comparable and you don't have to blast quarters at it when you die, so... good job, programmers!
All the fun of a heart attack at home!
Review from thedonproject.com
A solid port of a good arcade game!
The Starpath port of Frogger is pretty darn close to the arcade game, even though it is on the 2600. They do include the race car row speeding up pretty early, which makes this game slightly tougher. Also, you have to play it with the Atari joysticks, which are not as good as the arcade sticks. However, the music and graphics are pretty comparable and you don't have to blast quarters at it when you die, so... good job, programmers!
All the fun of a heart attack at home!
Review from thedonproject.com
1983
Not as good as Defender, but not as hard!
Okay, Starpath, you gave it a shot, but you all definitely did not capture the magic of defender. This game is slower by a long shot, less graphically impressive, and actually a little less fun because of it. There are times in the early levels where you're just waiting for ships to appear and it gets a little boring, actually. The best graphic effect is when you get killed and the whole screen flashes. The addition of overheating weapons is a cool feature, but comes at the sacrifice of saving people and saving people is more exciting than limiting your shooting, for sure. This was probably one of the least played Starpath games we had, I'm afraid. It's not completely terrible, though!
... More like "Mildly Dangerous and Sort of Boring Satellites", am I right?
Review from thedonproject.com
Okay, Starpath, you gave it a shot, but you all definitely did not capture the magic of defender. This game is slower by a long shot, less graphically impressive, and actually a little less fun because of it. There are times in the early levels where you're just waiting for ships to appear and it gets a little boring, actually. The best graphic effect is when you get killed and the whole screen flashes. The addition of overheating weapons is a cool feature, but comes at the sacrifice of saving people and saving people is more exciting than limiting your shooting, for sure. This was probably one of the least played Starpath games we had, I'm afraid. It's not completely terrible, though!
... More like "Mildly Dangerous and Sort of Boring Satellites", am I right?
Review from thedonproject.com
1983
Is this maybe the original party game? Well, it's the first I played, at least!
This one is pretty weird, there's a medieval-themed tug-of-war game, a wizard shooting gallery game, a race of bees?, a race of old west train track pump cart things, and a factory game of putting packages on conveyor belts. It's old school couch co-op, so you need a friend or three to play... which explains why I didn't play this one all that much when we had the Atari and the Supercharger. You get the extra graphics and sounds of the Supercharger, so the graphics are pretty decent and the digitized public domain songs are solid. A few of the games are challenging to control, but the real competition is whoever you play against, so, you know, play against younger siblings and feel like a boss or play some gamers and get all shouty. Up to you.
Party party party!
Review from thedonproject.com
This one is pretty weird, there's a medieval-themed tug-of-war game, a wizard shooting gallery game, a race of bees?, a race of old west train track pump cart things, and a factory game of putting packages on conveyor belts. It's old school couch co-op, so you need a friend or three to play... which explains why I didn't play this one all that much when we had the Atari and the Supercharger. You get the extra graphics and sounds of the Supercharger, so the graphics are pretty decent and the digitized public domain songs are solid. A few of the games are challenging to control, but the real competition is whoever you play against, so, you know, play against younger siblings and feel like a boss or play some gamers and get all shouty. Up to you.
Party party party!
Review from thedonproject.com
1989
AAAAAAAH!
I don't think I ever owned this game, actually, but I might have rented it a few times or played the arcade version. The game could also be getting confused with tons of others that are like it where you have some side-scrolling, then the screen pauses and you fight some things, and then you are told to "GO!" to the next part where you fight some things and then you keep on doing that until you probably die. This one also has magic and a bunch of fighting moves. The sounds, though. Absolutely ridiculous. The music is fine. Every time you are injured or an enemy dies, though, the music pauses and there is an over-the-top static-y scream of pain. Silly.
AAAAAAAAAAH!
Review from thedonproject.com
I don't think I ever owned this game, actually, but I might have rented it a few times or played the arcade version. The game could also be getting confused with tons of others that are like it where you have some side-scrolling, then the screen pauses and you fight some things, and then you are told to "GO!" to the next part where you fight some things and then you keep on doing that until you probably die. This one also has magic and a bunch of fighting moves. The sounds, though. Absolutely ridiculous. The music is fine. Every time you are injured or an enemy dies, though, the music pauses and there is an over-the-top static-y scream of pain. Silly.
AAAAAAAAAAH!
Review from thedonproject.com
1990
Basic arithmetic and monsters, what could be better?
To be honest, though, there's a debate I've always had as an educator: Do educational games actually teach you anything that translates to real life or does the math learning just make the game less fun? That is, does the education wreck the game or does the game wreck the education?
I would posit that not a single person reading this mastered factoring or multiplication because of Number Munchers. The game itself could be played without math at all and it would be just fine (I mean, they made other "munchers" games...), so clearly the math part of this is not beneficial to the game. The converse statement is the one that is debatable: is the game beneficial to the math? My theory is that most of the time when you hit space bar on the wrong number it is because you made a mistake, not because you don't know the math. Since the game punishes you for your mistake, you're probably more likely to give up on the game and go play Oregon Trail instead of finding out why 9 is not a multiple of 2 or whatever. So, it's not really an educational game, it is an assessment game.
Playing it all those years ago on the green screen in the computer lab when we were supposed to be... doing something else felt like skipping school, though. Maybe that was the real draw for this game: it convinced parents and educators that learning was happening, but kids didn't care and just wanted to play games!
But it has monsters!
Review from thedonproject.com
To be honest, though, there's a debate I've always had as an educator: Do educational games actually teach you anything that translates to real life or does the math learning just make the game less fun? That is, does the education wreck the game or does the game wreck the education?
I would posit that not a single person reading this mastered factoring or multiplication because of Number Munchers. The game itself could be played without math at all and it would be just fine (I mean, they made other "munchers" games...), so clearly the math part of this is not beneficial to the game. The converse statement is the one that is debatable: is the game beneficial to the math? My theory is that most of the time when you hit space bar on the wrong number it is because you made a mistake, not because you don't know the math. Since the game punishes you for your mistake, you're probably more likely to give up on the game and go play Oregon Trail instead of finding out why 9 is not a multiple of 2 or whatever. So, it's not really an educational game, it is an assessment game.
Playing it all those years ago on the green screen in the computer lab when we were supposed to be... doing something else felt like skipping school, though. Maybe that was the real draw for this game: it convinced parents and educators that learning was happening, but kids didn't care and just wanted to play games!
But it has monsters!
Review from thedonproject.com