Gallery of things to Shoot
Shooting Gallery turns out to be the coolest game from the group of Shooting Gallery games. It uses a different cart (#10), which makes the playfield very different from the other three games (which use cart #9). This configuration gives you two paddles between which you deflect your target. The target, in this case, is a relatively HUGE square. I didn't know the Odyssey could produce such a large, er, "sprite"! (of course, they don't call them sprites yet.)
This large square Target Spot goes back and forth between the paddles and represents a member of whatever row it is traversing on the Überlay: plane, rabbit, duck or ship. The idea is to set up the target and let it go back and forth ten times before moving it down to the next group of objects to shoot. Player Two acts as an assistant, doing the manipulations of the controllers as well as the oscillation counting. Player One does the shootin'.
So, here, for the first time, is an automatic, console-controlled target. No, it only goes back and forth so it isn't like "console-controlled" means anything like "AI" but still, it is moving and another Player doesn't have to do anything after getting it setup in the appropriate row. To make it even more challenging, there is a speed control on the Odyssey which allows the speed of the Target Spot to be increased. It becomes capable of whizzing by at tremendous speeds. This makes it pretty darn hard to shoot.
I really had fun with this one. I'm not saying that I'll take it out and play it again, like, ever, but it was fun. The whole Shooting Gallery experience sweeps Ultraman. It should be important to note, however, that while I enjoyed each of the Shooting Gallery games, my son enjoyed them much less. He liked the ideas, but found it hard to use the rifle. I give it full points anyway, but thought it important to note that my son won't have any warm fuzzy feelings of nostalgia for this set of games like some people who might've played it when they were children.
The Score: Ultraman 6, Odyssey 9
Next entry starts the Extra Odyssey Games from 1972.
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