donproject
1977
Pew pew!
Do you like tanks and planes and shooting things, like any little boy who grew up socialized in the 80's? Well, this Atari game has all that and some sweet graphics and sounds.
I mean, look at that business. Multiple modes and fantastic sounds made this game a pleasure to play. It's not complex, so you won't be playing it for hours, but it will keep you going for a bit. Just shoot some things and revel in the simulated violence of modern warfare and target shooting and life.
Pew pew!
Review from thedonproject.com
Do you like tanks and planes and shooting things, like any little boy who grew up socialized in the 80's? Well, this Atari game has all that and some sweet graphics and sounds.
I mean, look at that business. Multiple modes and fantastic sounds made this game a pleasure to play. It's not complex, so you won't be playing it for hours, but it will keep you going for a bit. Just shoot some things and revel in the simulated violence of modern warfare and target shooting and life.
Pew pew!
Review from thedonproject.com
1982
I think I played this at my childhood friend, J's house. I don't actually remember owning the cartridge.
This game is like Air-Sea-Battle on steroids. Super fast and many colors. I can't believe so many rainbow spaceships want to blow up the lost underwater city of Atlantis! I think I remember the controls being pretty hard to master as well. You've got to press left/right AND the button to fire the side cannons. OOF.
The font for the score is pretty sick, though. The graphics are also pretty advanced for the Atari 2600. But it is just real annoying to try to play.
OOF!
Review from thedonproject.com
This game is like Air-Sea-Battle on steroids. Super fast and many colors. I can't believe so many rainbow spaceships want to blow up the lost underwater city of Atlantis! I think I remember the controls being pretty hard to master as well. You've got to press left/right AND the button to fire the side cannons. OOF.
The font for the score is pretty sick, though. The graphics are also pretty advanced for the Atari 2600. But it is just real annoying to try to play.
OOF!
Review from thedonproject.com
1977
Aw hell. It's math here mucking up my game time.
To be fair, the sounds are tremendous for this game where you simply do arithmetic. It definitely also has colors. But it's an educational game, and if I've learned one thing about education, it's that putting education in a game ruins the game AND ruins the education.
Just sayin'.
Review from thedonproject.com
To be fair, the sounds are tremendous for this game where you simply do arithmetic. It definitely also has colors. But it's an educational game, and if I've learned one thing about education, it's that putting education in a game ruins the game AND ruins the education.
Just sayin'.
Review from thedonproject.com
1979
I'm not going to hold back here: This is the best bowling game ever made.
Listen, bowling is just mastering a repetitive motion, right? You pick a ball off the rack, put on some old-timey shoes that 100 people put their stinky feet in, cram down some cheap food, walk up to the dots, and do exactly the same thing you did last time. Do the exact same thing 12 times and you get a perfect game.
Atari's Bowling game captures this perfectly. Boil yourself a hot dog and cook up some grocery-store brand fries, put on that pair of bowling shoes you stole that one time, and the atmosphere is basically complete. Your computer image shimmies up to the line and you try to do exactly the same thing you did last time. Do it right and you get a pretty stellar success animation. What more do you need?
Mark it a 4, dude.
Review from thedonproject.com
Listen, bowling is just mastering a repetitive motion, right? You pick a ball off the rack, put on some old-timey shoes that 100 people put their stinky feet in, cram down some cheap food, walk up to the dots, and do exactly the same thing you did last time. Do the exact same thing 12 times and you get a perfect game.
Atari's Bowling game captures this perfectly. Boil yourself a hot dog and cook up some grocery-store brand fries, put on that pair of bowling shoes you stole that one time, and the atmosphere is basically complete. Your computer image shimmies up to the line and you try to do exactly the same thing you did last time. Do it right and you get a pretty stellar success animation. What more do you need?
Mark it a 4, dude.
Review from thedonproject.com
1976
Ugh, paddle controller.
I mean, my paddle controllers always seemed to be slightly broken and maybe not turn quite right or send the right info to the console? Or maybe I'm just bad at games. It's a simple little jam where you just keep the ball from hitting the ground and it bounces up and hits bricks, getting faster and breaking the bricks... you've seen this before. It's been cloned a million times and usually the clones are better. SORRY.
Fun fact: Wikipedia says some dudes named Wozniak and Jobs worked on this game and then went on to make, you know, Apple computer happen.
Beep boop.
Review from thedonproject.com
I mean, my paddle controllers always seemed to be slightly broken and maybe not turn quite right or send the right info to the console? Or maybe I'm just bad at games. It's a simple little jam where you just keep the ball from hitting the ground and it bounces up and hits bricks, getting faster and breaking the bricks... you've seen this before. It's been cloned a million times and usually the clones are better. SORRY.
Fun fact: Wikipedia says some dudes named Wozniak and Jobs worked on this game and then went on to make, you know, Apple computer happen.
Beep boop.
Review from thedonproject.com
1977
The bad ass thing about having siblings is that this game becomes actually playable.
However, the best version of Combat is 100% the plane dogfights. Those two puffy clouds hanging out in the middle of the screen while you cruise around in a shapeshifting biplane or jet trying to blow your little brother's plane from existence the most times... family bliss, am I right?
For a game that came with the console and is as old as I am, it is pretty decent in a number of ways. The tank and plane sounds are pretty solid, the explosions are fine, and the shooting noise is... the same for every vehicle, but at least isn't a laser. The rotating tanks and planes are a little wonky, but the terrain is good and the colors are... classic Atari.
Cheap and fun, it's worth a SHOT. hahahahahahahahaha.
Review from thedonproject.com
However, the best version of Combat is 100% the plane dogfights. Those two puffy clouds hanging out in the middle of the screen while you cruise around in a shapeshifting biplane or jet trying to blow your little brother's plane from existence the most times... family bliss, am I right?
For a game that came with the console and is as old as I am, it is pretty decent in a number of ways. The tank and plane sounds are pretty solid, the explosions are fine, and the shooting noise is... the same for every vehicle, but at least isn't a laser. The rotating tanks and planes are a little wonky, but the terrain is good and the colors are... classic Atari.
Cheap and fun, it's worth a SHOT. hahahahahahahahaha.
Review from thedonproject.com
1980
I think this was our least used Atari game...
... because it isn't really that fun, I'm afraid. Look, you just go around the track and try not to crash into the other car. I mean, it's basically the NASCAR of racing games but the crashes aren't that fun to watch, the cars just kind of mush up. The two-player version gets a little extra sauce out of the game, but it gets pretty old pretty quick.
I guess they can't all be classics!
Review from thedonproject.com
... because it isn't really that fun, I'm afraid. Look, you just go around the track and try not to crash into the other car. I mean, it's basically the NASCAR of racing games but the crashes aren't that fun to watch, the cars just kind of mush up. The two-player version gets a little extra sauce out of the game, but it gets pretty old pretty quick.
I guess they can't all be classics!
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
1982
If there's a hierarchy of Pac Man games, I'm nearly 100% sure that this version is at the bottom.
Of course, I did play it for literally hours. So much so that the terrible sounds are embedded in my brain, from the wild siren that starts the level, and the "bok choi" sound of eating a ghost, to the weird "donk" sound when you eat a pellet (well, dash, really).
While the sounds are pretty bad compared the arcade, the tragedy does not end there. The map is different (the wraparound is at the top?), the colors are despicable, everything is square, there are only two ghosts, and THERE ARE ONLY TWO GHOSTS. Look, everybody agrees this version is vastly inferior to the arcade version and probably even the google doodle version. This isn't a hot take. However, I'm not going to give it 1 star because if I had an Atari hanging around and this cart appeared...
I'd probably still play it again.
Review from thedonproject.com
Of course, I did play it for literally hours. So much so that the terrible sounds are embedded in my brain, from the wild siren that starts the level, and the "bok choi" sound of eating a ghost, to the weird "donk" sound when you eat a pellet (well, dash, really).
While the sounds are pretty bad compared the arcade, the tragedy does not end there. The map is different (the wraparound is at the top?), the colors are despicable, everything is square, there are only two ghosts, and THERE ARE ONLY TWO GHOSTS. Look, everybody agrees this version is vastly inferior to the arcade version and probably even the google doodle version. This isn't a hot take. However, I'm not going to give it 1 star because if I had an Atari hanging around and this cart appeared...
I'd probably still play it again.
Review from thedonproject.com
1979
The neighbor across the street from me had an Asteroids cocktail arcade cabinet, I'm pretty sure. I think he also had a mustache.
Asteroids is definitely a game that has been copied a million times. Playing the arcade version on those vector graphics is an experience that is vastly different than the copies though. It just looks cooler and feels more correct.
The game is pretty simple: Don't die. Asteroids are headed for your ship from every direction and you've just got a little pea-shooter to blast those things into smaller bits which then head out randomly as well. Good reactions and timely trigger finger will let you live until you don't anymore. Apparently the current record holder played for 60 hours, which is... wow. I mean, the game is pretty fun for maybe 20 minutes, so I guess I'll never be setting a record.
1979, man. Crazy times.
Review from thedonproject.com
Asteroids is definitely a game that has been copied a million times. Playing the arcade version on those vector graphics is an experience that is vastly different than the copies though. It just looks cooler and feels more correct.
The game is pretty simple: Don't die. Asteroids are headed for your ship from every direction and you've just got a little pea-shooter to blast those things into smaller bits which then head out randomly as well. Good reactions and timely trigger finger will let you live until you don't anymore. Apparently the current record holder played for 60 hours, which is... wow. I mean, the game is pretty fun for maybe 20 minutes, so I guess I'll never be setting a record.
1979, man. Crazy times.
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
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
1981
Might it have the best soundtrack of the early 80's games? Yes, indeed!
I definitely played both the arcade and the ColecoVision version of this, maybe the ColecoVision version more, but since that was only at our babysitter's house, I'm going to keep this as the arcade version. The arcade version is superior to basically all the other ports anyways. Particularly those iconic sounds. The squeaky shoes on Mario as he walks on the beams, the objectively excellent walking soundtrack as you climb the tower, and the stupendous level beginning and ending jingles. A lot of the sounds and complexity of this game would launch Nintendo into the superstardom of the era and you can hear and see that style, for sure.
I only gave it a 3 because iIm not that good at Donkey Kong.
Review from thedonproject.com
I definitely played both the arcade and the ColecoVision version of this, maybe the ColecoVision version more, but since that was only at our babysitter's house, I'm going to keep this as the arcade version. The arcade version is superior to basically all the other ports anyways. Particularly those iconic sounds. The squeaky shoes on Mario as he walks on the beams, the objectively excellent walking soundtrack as you climb the tower, and the stupendous level beginning and ending jingles. A lot of the sounds and complexity of this game would launch Nintendo into the superstardom of the era and you can hear and see that style, for sure.
I only gave it a 3 because iIm not that good at Donkey Kong.
Review from thedonproject.com
1981
I'm just trying to get my frog friend home, calm down, world!
My local community pool had this classic as a cocktail cabinet and I would always enjoy throwing some quarters at it after my swim lesson or whatever. The music is instantly recognizable, probably because one of the songs is Yankee Doodle, which is weird, but whatever. Jumping between and around things while just trying to get home is pretty hectic as the speed increases on higher levels and the variation in obstacles makes things even more action-packed. Maybe I just get too greedy for points and always go for the flies and the lady frogs, but I'm not that stellar at this game, but it's still a good time.
Until I die of a heart attack from Frogger-related stress, that is!
Review from thedonproject.com
My local community pool had this classic as a cocktail cabinet and I would always enjoy throwing some quarters at it after my swim lesson or whatever. The music is instantly recognizable, probably because one of the songs is Yankee Doodle, which is weird, but whatever. Jumping between and around things while just trying to get home is pretty hectic as the speed increases on higher levels and the variation in obstacles makes things even more action-packed. Maybe I just get too greedy for points and always go for the flies and the lady frogs, but I'm not that stellar at this game, but it's still a good time.
Until I die of a heart attack from Frogger-related stress, that is!
Review from thedonproject.com
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