Lauren Tyler

Kaboom! Kaboom! is considered to be one of Activision's signature games, and it shows because it's simple but fun. You have the Mad Bomber, a guy decked out in classic prison garb, moving back and forth dropping bombs like crazy. You are in control of three buckets of water, which must catch each bomb. If you miss a bomb, any onscreen bombs (including the one you missed) will explode, you lose a bucket, and the Mad Bomber will smile at you. One might say this was the first case of 'someone setting them up the bomb!' Crackpots Crackpots has nothing to do with any type of illegal drugs in any way. Instead, you're given the task of defending an apartment building against mutant bugs that are crawling out of the sewers. As Potsy, a gardener, your only defense against these creepy crawly creatures is to drop flowerpots on them as they come out of the sewer and head for the windows. The patterns vary for each color of bug, and if six or more bugs get into the building, part of the building will be eaten away, and you will have to replay the level. It seems simple enough, but it gets very fast and fun in the later levels.

Plaque Attack Plaque Attack is truly a unique video game simply based on the theme of the game. You control a floating tube of toothpaste, and on the top and bottom of the screen (supposed to be the gumlines) are teeth, which are the targets of your 'enemies' if you will. Various foods, from hamburgers to ice cream cones to candy canes, will come at you from different angles. Your goal is to squirt them with a burst of toothpaste before they decay your teeth. If a tooth is touched, you still have a few seconds before it is decayed (in which case it vanishes) so you can shoot the food off. As you earn more points, you earn more teeth inside your mouth. Naturally, if all your teeth become decayed, the game is over and it's time for a trip to the dentist! If you earned at least 35,000 points and sent a photo of your achievement to Activision, you would get a 'No Plaque Pack' emblem.

Space Shuttle Space Shuttle was truly a technical achievement for the Atari 2600 in the sense that it pushed the gameplay style to the limit, and it required the user to make use of just about every switch on the Atari 2600 console (special overlays, one for the six switch model and one for the four switch model, were included with the game, as well as a reference sheet and a huge manual.) Simply put, the task of just taking off was a very big task in that the player had to monitor several things, make sure everything was set up properly, and then make sure they didn't make a mistake, otherwise the whole thing would be aborted. After that, the player would find themself in outer space, where the excellent graphics are really shown to the fullest. The goal would be to dock with a space station before returning to Earth, in which case the player would have to make sure they had their shuttle set up properly to avoid burning up in the atmosphere or crashing upon landing. A player who managed to complete four dockings and return with at least 4,500 units of fuel would earn a 'Space Shuttle Pilot' patch from Activision upon submitting a photo demonstrating said requirements were met. If a player was truly good enough, and completed 6 dockings and returned with at least 7,500 units of fuel, they would get a special message, and sending a photograph of that would allow them to receive a special 'Space Shuttle Commander' patch.

Moonsweeper Moonsweeper puts you in the role of a pilot of the USS Minesweeper, given the task of patrolling the various moons around Jupiter², rescuing stranded miners, destroying enemy fighters, and then returning to orbit to continue patrolling. The graphics in this game are rather simple, but they are drawn very well, even for an Atari 2600 game, complete with some 3-Dimensional effects on the planets. The gameplay is very unique and somewhat reminiscent of Solaris at times, and the difficulty factor is high, making it a very unique game. (Not to mention the only one that plays 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot' when you die!) Star Voyager Star Voyager is somewhat similar to Star Raiders and StarMaster, except that it is somewhat simpler and more straightforward in terms of gameplay. Your goal is to pilot your spaceship, the Astro-Cruiser Star Voyager, back to the Capital Starport from the evil Zakoran forces, who have violated a recent peace treaty by attacking. You can control the speed of the action with the left difficulty switch, and the right one toggles between lasers and torpedoes. The gameplay is pretty straightforward in that you simply shoot the enemies before they shoot you, then try to pilot your ship through the star portal. The ultimate goal is to get through all seven, but the difficulty of this game is very intense, making it harder than it sounds. When you have completed a mission, you receive a ranking based on how well you did. You can also play with two people, either cooperatively as pilot and weapons officer, or competitively, with another person controlling the enemy fighters.

Well, first score, and man this is a really unique game I must say.

Beamrider Beamrider is a unique take on the 'space ship shooter' theme that was common on the Atari 2600. Most notably is that the game is drawn to look 3-Dimensional, with objects that actually get bigger or smaller depending on how close to you they are. You are the pilot of a starship that must defeat evil aliens which have encased the Earth in a strange field of glowing beams. To do so, you must battle your way through 99 treacherous sectors, with the number of enemies and dangerous objects you must avoid increasing as you go. You have your blaster which can destroy most enemies, and your torpedoes which can destroy some objects, as well as destroy the enemy mothership at the end of each sector, giving you an opportunity to earn extra points. The game seems simple enough, but the challenge is very high, even in this day. Players who made it to Sector 14 or higher and scored at least 40,000 points were eligible to receive a special 'Beamriders' patch from Activision. Dolphin Dolphin is a unique style of game in that you need to use your ears as well as your eyes to be able to play the game fully. You are in control of a dolphin who needs your help in swimming through the ocean, through schools of seahorses, and being able to get the good currents (the arrows which are going in her direction) while dodging the hungry squid and the bad currents (the arrows going against her.) You will hear a set of beeps before each school of seahorses appears, this is the dolphin's sonar. You must listen to the pitch to determine where you can swim through. The higher tones mean you must swim closer to the surface, while the lower tones mean you have to swim closer to the ocean floor. Colliding with a seahorse slows your dolphin up and makes it easier for the squid to get to her, but she can protect herself by guiding the squid into currents that slow it up, and occasionally, a seagull will fly by overhead, and if the dolphin touches it, she will gain the ability to drive the squid off by ramming into it. It's a truly unique game and still remains fun to this day. If you got at least 80,000 points and sent a photo of your score to Activision, you would get a 'Friends of the Dolphins' patch, while getting a secret high score, which would reveal a secret message, and then sending a photo of it to Activision, would get you a 'Secret Society of Dolphins' patch. Double Dragon Double Dragon is Activision's attempt at porting the popular (at the time) arcade game to the Atari 2600. Naturally, a lot of sacrifices had to be made, most notably with the graphics, which means that the characters look very bizarre in terms of the colors used for them. In addition, with the one-button setup, they had to compress a lot of the fighting moves into the setup by combining the button presses with joystick movements, which can feel a little awkward at times, but this is usually due to the poor collision detection. The game can be played with one or two players simultaneously, and there is also a one-on-one fighting mode for two players.

These are a couple of descriptions I wrote up. I wasn't sure if you wanted them like an editorial or more like something you might read on the back of the game box, so I took the editorial style for now (not trying to rip you off Lord Helmet) but I can change if necessary. Commando Commando is a fairly decent port of the arcade game of the same name, even though a lot of sacrifices had to be made in order to fit it into an Atari 2600 cartridge. You are an elite soldierm given the task of defeating an evil army by advancing through the different areas, using your rifle and your grenades to destroy any opposition which may try to stop you. At the end of each level you will encounter an enemy base, at which point you must defeat a certain number of soldiers before you will be able to enter the base and blow it up, advancing to the next level. The sounds and gameplay are standard, and the graphics are above average, but the challenge is truly up to par with the original game, which was pretty difficult as it was. Kung-Fu Master Kung-Fu Master is a fair port of the arcade game of the same name. You are, as the name implies, a Kung-Fu Master, and have been given the task of rescuing the fair Princess Victoria from the clutches of an evil wizard. Your only means of defense against the grippers, knife throwers, and other traps and enemies that you will encounter are your repetoire of Kung Fu maneuvers. The characters pretty much look the same with minor color differences, although a few have been given unique, albeit blocky, designs. The controls were modified to fit a one-button joystick, and as a result, a few moves were taken out. The core gameplay element remains, along with the challenge of the original, meaning that even expert game players may get a run for their money.

I saw the preview, and it seems that the music and a few sounds are in a slightly higher pitch than normal. Hopefully they can fix that before the game is released. Also, I didn't hear any music in Rolling Thunder, but I'm hoping it was just a bug or something.

Two Pole Position machines? I envy you man!

I was scheduled to have the surgery last week, but it had to be canceled a few days before due to insurance changing. I'm working on it as fast as I can, and I hope to have the surgery rescheduled ASAP.

Here are a few of my thoughts: 3D Asteroids: Maybe they were going to make the asteroids appear like they were rotating on the Atari 7800 version? Choplifter: If they could figure out how to make the controls work (maybe holding down the button to turn and tapping it to shoot?) then I could possibly imagine it working, but I don't know if they could handle the graphics without a lot of flicker. Motor Psycho: I remember the Atari 7800 version allowed use of a second joystick to tune your motorcycle's performance to your liking. Don't know if it would work on the Atari 2600 version. Crack'ed: I knew there was a prototype, but what I want to know is would it have used the 2600 light gun if it were released?

Well, I myself didn't exactly get it. Rather, before I was born, my dad would constantly work late at night, and my mother would get very lonely without him. So for Christmas, either in 1978 or 1979, my dad got my mom a Sears Tele-Games Video Arcade (Revision B, the 4-switch version) and my mother was happy once again. Naturally, she enjoyed playing it even when she was pregnant with me. So those genes passed onto me, and I soon learned to play Atari, and became the video game player I am now! Of course even with all these fancy-schmancy lifelike games, I still enjoy a good game on my 2600! But I owe it all to my mom, for passing on her love of Atari to me, and my dad, for buying it for my mom!

I played this once at a classic gaming meet and I found out what it was you're supposed to do. Very difficult though, but fun. At any rate, it appears you get more points for beating the squirrel at his (her? I dunno!) own game. One tip: When you get powered-up, try to stun the squirrel when he's on the lowest level so there will be a greater chance of him being knocked off the screen.

I never did beat it alas. Although I remember one time I was at my dad's apartment shortly after my mom and dad had divorced, and I opened up a drawer in one of the shelves that was previously at our home, and inside was the ROTLA manual! I learned a lot from it!

Another score, I'll have more soon.

Just a random thought, but how about Kung-Fu Master?

I just got a DWL-122 Wireless USB Adapter tonight, and I installed it correctly, but it's saying that it's not connected. Do I need to configure my router/gateway somehow?

Better late than never. Rest In Peace, Mr. Leavens, and know that even your games were rare, many still play them to this day, and you will always be remembered for your contributions to the Atari 2600. You know, I've often wondered what would happen if a notable figure from the days of the Atari happened to die? Would it be on the homepage or just in the respective forum?

Argh, another paddle game! At least I'm not that sore from playing too much of last week's game, but I've got a lot of practice to get in. At any rate, here's my first score.

Nightmare on Elm Street - Sure it was rather difficult, but if you got the hang of it, it was pretty fun. Slalom - There weren't many winter sports games on the NES, and Slalom really gave you that feeling of speed. Friday the 13th - Sure very few people liked it, but it had a lot of randomness to it, and it was actually kind of fun, if not repetitive. Someone had once talked with me about an enhanced version for the SNES, and I think that would be interesting.

If there are any places in Massachusetts (preferably accessible by public transportation since I don't drive) let me know! I can only get my stuff when I go to New England Classic Gaming meets!

Beamrider, a meager 5...

This game sounds interesting. Especially for a Commodore game!

For some reason, Pole Position II only used one button (at least my copy did.) Both buttons accelerated, neither braked. Then again, as a professional like myself will tell you, you really don't need to brake. Just use high and low gear and/or let off of the accelerator!

Street Fighter II for the Vic-20?! As Heike Kagero would say, HOO HOO HOO HOO!! Seriously, who would try to port that to the Vic-20? I know there was a C64/128 port which was just plain awful, but a Vic-20 version?!