This is a really fun port of an arcade-like climbing game that should have come out on the 2600 in the 80s. I would give this 4-1/2 stars only because it's not quite like the Colecovision version (Squish em' Sam from 1984) which has some digitized speech and a nifty animation when he gets the bag of loot at the top of the building. But, this game looks and plays exactly like the Atari 800 version, which is still excellent. Seriously, Bob Montgomery did an amazing job recreating the sounds and especially the sprites for all the creatures in this game.
In the game, you play Sam, the climbing guy trying to get to the bag of money at the top of each building. On almost every level of the building, though, there is a creature moving around that you can either jump over or jump directly on with a squish. Once squished, the creature stays that way for a few seconds before turning white. When they are white, you can only jump over them. Some levels have a bonus item that you can grab for an extra guy. As you keep making your way up the buildings, you will start to encounter bricks falling from the top which you need to avoid, and faster and more unpredictable creatures moving around. If you've never played a version of Squish em', you really should. I highly recommend it.
It seems ridiculous - and too good to be true. Are there really suitcases full of money at the top of those unfinished buildings downtown? The ones still under construction? And those suitcases, they're just there for the taking? You would never have believed it except that the guy who told you about it, a regular union guy like you, just bought a brand new Corvette. You know that two weeks ago he didn't have that kind of money, so you guess he's telling the truth. When you asked him how come he didn't get the rest of the suitcases, he got an odd look on his face and wouldn't say another word. Strange...
Your objective in Squish 'Em is to climb those 48-floor buildings to grab the cash-filled suitcase at the top of each one. As if scaling the heights of the buildings was not dangerous enough, you have to be alert for falling bricks from above and watch for creepy critters who've made these buildings their home! Once you reach the top of each building, you can grab the suitcase and continue to the next building.
Along the way you'll encounter a wide range of critters that you must avoid or jump over. You can even squish the creatures with your feet, but you can only squish each creature once before they turn white with rage and pop back up, looking for revenge! Once a creature has turned white you cannot squish it again! In addition to the creatures, each building has a bonus item that you can collect to receive an extra man.
Squish 'Em was written by veteran Atari 2600 homebrew author Bob Montgomery, who has several previous 2600 homebrew games under his belt, including Go Fish!, Reindeer Rescue, and Elevators Amiss. Squish 'Em is a near flawless port of the old Atari 8-bit computer name of the same name--fans of the original game will be pleased to see this impressive and addictive incarnation of the game on the Atari 2600!
Includes cartridge and four-page, full-color manual. Available in both NTSC and PAL60 video formats (please specify above when ordering).
| Author | Bob Montgomery |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| Controller | Joystick |
| Cartridge Size | 4K |
| Label and Manual Artwork | Nathan Strum and David Dries |
| Manual Layout | Nathan Strum |
This Crazy Climber-a-like has some real depth to it! Love the vibrant colors and style of gameplay. only thing I might wish for, is to be able to turn that background siren off. :-)
I keep coming back to this game and playing it, tons of fun at a great price. Highly recommend!
Squish 'Em is a near-perfect port of a game originally written for the Atari 8-bit computers. In fact, comparing the two side-by-side, you'd find it difficult to detect any differences. Your goal is to climb up the girders of a building that's under construction, and either dodge or squish a variety of strange creatures which have infested it. The trick is in the timing - you have to time it just right in order to squish the creatures, but the payoff is higher scores. There are also bonus items to pick up along the way, and falling bricks to dodge.
The 2600 version of Squish 'Em is as much fun as the original in every way. All of the creatures are there, as are the bonus items, the sound effects, falling bricks, scoring, and most important - the game play. The controls are spot-on, and the creatures each have their own movements which keeps the game challenging and fun to come back to. Even a scoring exploit present in the original version managed to make its way over to the 2600. Back in the early 80's, a 2600 port of Squish 'Em was in the works, and although that one never materialized, we'll never miss it with this outstanding version. Highly recommended!
The 2600 version of Squish 'Em is as much fun as the original in every way. All of the creatures are there, as are the bonus items, the sound effects, falling bricks, scoring, and most important - the game play. The controls are spot-on, and the creatures each have their own movements which keeps the game challenging and fun to come back to. Even a scoring exploit present in the original version managed to make its way over to the 2600. Back in the early 80's, a 2600 port of Squish 'Em was in the works, and although that one never materialized, we'll never miss it with this outstanding version. Highly recommended!
I just received this today. What an incredibly addictive game. I got home from work, popped it into the Atari and an hour later I realized I hadn't even taken my shoes off yet. The graphics and sound effects are pleasing and the control is perfect, I died from my own ineptitude not bad controls. As a nice bonus, the cartridge and manual art is gorgeous. I'm awful at reviewing things so all I can say is that this is a great game and an absolute steal for $20. If you find your Atari collection overrun with shooters and you're yearning for something different, pick this one up.
Good version of the Squish Em Sam game that was available for other game systems and computers in the early 80's. Seems to have all the gameplay and action of the original. Has all the simple addictive fun, and easy to learn, tough to master qualities of a good Atari game! Makes you wonder why it never came out for the Atari 2600 back then...
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