RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.RF Generation.  The Classic and Modern Gaming Databases.




Posted on Feb 15th 2011 at 10:00:00 AM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Vanguard, Retro Gaming, 2600, Classic Gaming

VANGUARD

[img width=264 height=332]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4353036519_6418245b98.jpg[/img]

SPECS:

Game:  Vanguard
Year:  1982
Publisher:  Atari, Inc.
Developer:  SNK Corporation
Designer(s)/Programmer: David W. Payne
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 2 = common+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost:  $.50 - $2 loose, under $10 CIB
Also Available On:  Atari 5200, originally an arcade coin-op (Vanguard II later released, arcade only).

Tagline/Description:  "Join the Vanguard expedition on a thrilling space odyssey.  Through perilous tunnels you will fight your way to the fabulous City of Mystery and the great Gond."

Vanguard is a vertical and side-scrolling cave shooter for the Atari 2600. Your goal is to pilot your spaceship to the City of Mystery, which is located at the end of a heavily guarded tunnel, to battle the creature Gond. Your spaceship is equipped with lasers that can fire in four different directions, however your speed is decreased when firing. You will also need to keep an eye on your fuel gauge, a solid bar, located at the bottom of your screen.  Your fuel depletes at a rapid rate, and your ship will crash if it runs out; fuel is replenished by destroying enemies.  The tunnel is broken up into several different zones, called the mountain zone, rainbow zone, stick zone, stripe zone, bleak zone, and City of Mystery. Each zone features a variety of enemy spaceships to dispatch and earn points.  In the mountain and stripe zones, you will come across energy pods marked with an 'E'.  When you pilot through these pods, your ship temporarily becomes invincible to the deadly cave walls and enemies which are trying to stop you.  When you finally make it through all the various zones of the tunnel and defeat Gond, the game will repeat at a more difficult skill level.

Early 80's Atari commercial for Vanguard.  Every good video gaming home needs a Luther.


What makes Vanguard such a great game for the 2600 is it's concept.  As many of you already know, the majority of games produced for the Atari system (besides sports titles) have no real ending and were primarily points based.  Vanguard not only allowed the player to accumulate points, but also had one of the earliest defined endings in a video game, which also incorporated a boss.  Though Gond, the overlord of the City of Mystery, is a one-shot pushover, the ultimate goal and challenge of Vanguard is to successfully navigate the tunnel and make it to the boss.  Modern day gamers might be disappointed at such a lackluster boss battle.  However, and I speak as someone who grew up on the 2600, because I grew up with no preconceived expectations of what a "boss battle" was, this ending was quite epic.   

The fierce and all-powerful GOND!!!! (insert sarcasm here)
[img width=350 height=275]http://www.vgmpf.com/Wiki/images/thumb/7/73/Vanguard_-_A26_-_6.png/256px-Vanguard_-_A26_-_6.png[/img]

Vanguard is not the easiest game to finish and since the game repeats at a much quicker and more difficult skill level, one could argue that there is no strictly defined ending.  Before battling Gond, you must navigate through seven (7) zones (the rainbow zone is repeated a few times).  There are always a plethora of enemies on the screen: ones that shoot back at you, as well as those that attempt to ram your spaceship.  The developers of Vanguard made sure that players are never comfortable for long within the tunnel; in some zones, you travel from left to right, while at other times the game becomes a vertical shooter in which you must navigate from down to up, or up to down.  Since the game is a 4-way, multi-directional shooter, players must make full use of the joystick and fire button, since enemies approach from all directions.  Areas within the cavern can get very tight on occasion and my only complaint with the controls is that your ship may move slightly when trying to direct your fire with the joystick.  Since Atari controls are typically very stiff anyway, attempting to fire in a specific direction can cause you to lose control of your ship and plow into an enemy.       

Though the handling can be a little frustrating at times, Vanguard is an excellent port for the Atari 2600.  The graphics are superb under such limitations and the exceedingly vibrant use of color creates an other worldly atmosphere.  Though Vanguard lacks a soundtrack, it's omission is masked by the constant zinging of lasers and exploding enemy starcrafts.  The lone piece of music in the game occurs upon collecting an energy pod.  Fans of 1980's "Flash Gordon" and/or Queen may recognize a familiar tune entitled  "Vultan's Theme: Attack of the Hawkman" (http://www.the-top-tens.c...s-theme-attack-197148.asp).  Some dispute their similarities, but it's quite hard to brush it off as coincidence. 

Vanguard is one of a handful of tight scrolling shooters for the 2600, similar to Fantastic Voyage and Super Cobra (a Scrabble clone).  If you are a fan of early shmups, this title can easily be picked up at a great price either individually or in a large lot of 2600 commons.



**video courtesy of googoo11672

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 3
Graphics: 4
Sound Effects/Music: 3
Concept: 4
Replay Value: 3
Cart/Box Art:  2
Overall Score: 3.17




Posted on Feb 9th 2011 at 06:52:36 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Dark Cavern, 2600, Game Review, Retro, Classic Gaming

DARK CAVERN

[img width=291 height=400]http://www.bomberoza.net/data/collections/consoles/games/atari-2600-darkcavern.jpg[/img]

Specs:

Game:  Dark Cavern
Year:  1982
Publisher:  M-Network
Developer: APh Technology Consultants for Mattel Electronics
Designer(s)/Programmer: Hal Finney
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 2 = common+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1
Average Cost:  $1 - $3 loose, under $10 CIB
Also Available On:  Dark Cavern is exclusive to the 2600, its predecessor, Night Stalker is available on Intellivision, Mattel Aquarius, Apple II, and IBM PC.

Tagline/Description: "It's a battle for survival in an underground cavern!  You have five men.
They enter the cavern one at a time through the center trap door.  Once inside, blobs, spiders and robots begin to enter the left and right doors.  Direct your man down the tunnels.  Pick up ammunition as you go.  Keep clear of the creatures... avoid robot fire. Shoot to destroy!  Get hit by a robot's bullet... action stops.  Now bring out your next man... get them before they get you!!!"

As soon as you pop in a copy of Dark Cavern and hit the power switch, it may seem very familiar and rightfully so.  Dark Cavern was published by the M-Network, a subsidiary of Mattel Electronics.......hmmm.  Mattel Electronics?  The same company who developed the Intellivison, one of Atari's biggest competitors?  Yes.  So why would a company like Mattel Electronics create games for their more successful rival and undercut their own system?  Sure, money has a lot to do with it, but more interesting is the history behind it all. 

What the Mattel is Going on Here?*
(*a special thanks to IntellivisionLives.com for providing information used in this time-line)

-- Atari released in 1977, Richard Chang head of Design and Development for Mattel Toys looks to create game system to compete with the 2600.
-- Glenn Hightower of APh Technology Consulting is sought out to develop what would later become the Intellivision (1980).
-- Hightower soon realized that he had struck a bad deal with Mattel (his team was receiving less than $30k per developed game and no royalties) and asked his senior developers to take a leave of absence from Mattel and became private contractors employed by Hightower (not APh).
-- These private contractors reverse engineered programs for the 2600, and created working prototypes. 
-- Hightower negotiated with Mattel and told them of an outside group he knew who could program for the 2600 and presented the economically beneficial idea to them; the Atari 2600 had over 10 million consoles in U.S. homes, while the Intellivision had only 2 million.
-- Atari 2600 games were introduced under the guise of M-Network and even many of the titles of Intellivision counterparts were changed so they would not reflect badly on Mattel's graphically superior system (Night Stalker changed to Dark Cavern, Astrosmash/Astroblast, Frog Bog/Frogs 'n Flies, etc.).  Games like Burger Time, Lock 'n Chase, and Bump 'n Jump retained their titles since they were developed by Data East. 
-- Games for the 2600 were shaped almost identical to Intellivision cartridges; a special adapter was added to the end of each Atari cartridge to make it compatible with that system (see comparison below).

[img width=175 height=200]http://www.virtualatari.org/images/Dark_Cavern.jpg[/img][img width=175 height=200]http://i17.ebayimg.com/06/i/001/31/c1/d0d5_35.JPG[/img]

While Dark Cavern and Night Stalker are very similar on the surface, there are several features (both good and bad) that separate the former from the latter.  The first thing you will probably notice are the graphics.  Night Stalker looks much better and best exemplifies the setting of the game, which helps to create a more accurate atmosphere.  The walls of the cave are covered with stalactites and stalagmites, there is a large spiderweb in the upper left hand corner of the screen, enemies leave a lot less to the imagination, and your protagonist moves in a more fluid, human-like motion.  However, what makes Dark Cavern distinct, and in opinion better, is the game play.

Enemies and their traits play an important role in both the 2600 and Intellivision versions of this game.  In Dark Cavern (like Night Stalker), your goal is to destroy as may robots as possible by dispatching them with your laser.  Ammunition is in limited supply and can be collected by picking up a gun icon that appears on the screen.  Dispatching a robot in Dark Cavern earns you 1000 points, and if there are other robots on the screen, you are awarded an additional 1000 points for their eradication for destroying them before a robot is replaced (i.e. the first robot = 1000 pts., second = 2000 pts., third = 3000 pts., and so on).  Though robots look more like.......well, robots, in Night Stalker, an important difference in Dark Cavern is that the robots have eyes which point toward the direction of which they are moving (instead of remaining stationary).  This addition to Dark Cavern can be very helpful in determining an attack strategy and possibly even earning your character a kill by attacking safely from behind.

In Dark Cavern, blobs take the place of the immobilizing bats present in Night Stalker; though blobs and spiders are not worth any points if destroyed, they play an important part in the game play.  Running into a spider will not cause you to lose a life, but instead paralyzes your character for a few seconds and allows robots to get to them.  Blobs can be passed through without harm, however, by doing so you lose all of your bullets.  This additional challenge, though seemingly small, plays a big role in the gameplay of Dark Cavern and in a pinch, shooting or passing through a blob may be an important decision when it comes to saving a life.   

Another significant difference between Dark Cavern and Night Stalker are the controls.  While your character's movement might be best described as stop-and-go in the latter, in Dark Cavern, movement is continuous and can only be stopped by running into the cavern walls (similar to Pac-Man).  Not only does this present an added challenge to the game, but I would argue that it makes control of the game a lot better.  Since motion is fluid and what I would term "rounded," it eliminates the possibility of changing direction and getting stuck on overhanging walls, as can happen as a result of the precision you have to use with many stop-and-go titles.

The sound effects in Dark Cavern aren't anything special, but they are entertaining and efficient overall.  The replay value is high for such a simplistic game and the price point is outstanding.  If you are a fan of Night Stalker and are also collecting for the 2600 (or vice-versa), Dark Cavern is a cheap and worthy pickup.   

Dark Cavern (2600)


**video courtesy of AtariGuide.com

Night Stalker (Intellivision)


**video courtesy of Umma6umma

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 4
Graphics: 2
Sound Effects/Music: 3
Concept: 3
Replay Value: 3
Cart/Box Art:  2
Overall Score: 2.83




Posted on Feb 2nd 2011 at 10:00:00 AM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Tapper, 2600, Game Review, Classic Gaming

TAPPER

[img width=300 height=347]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-005/bf/U-005-S-04750-A.jpg[/img]

Specs:

Game:  Tapper
Year:  1984
Publisher:  Sega
Developer: Bally-Midway Manufacturing Co., Inc.
Designer(s): Marvin Glass
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 6 = rare+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2 (turn based)
Average Cost: currently, usually $10 - $30 loose, depending on condition
Also Available On: Arcade cabinet, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, PC, Mobile phone, Xbox 360 (XBLA); also released in the compilation "Midway Arcade Treasures" for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, and the PC.

Tagline/Description:
"Side-splitting, soda-flinging laughs and spills!
The Official Home Version of Bally/Midway's Arcade Sensation. 
Five belly-busting screens of Soda Fountain Fun, including:
-- Four mad-capped barrooms of soda-starved, clamoring cowboys, sports fans, punks, and space creatures.
-- Plus a head-spinning Soda Bandit Bonus Round
Awesome color-packed action graphics.
Just try to keep your cool as hot-headed, crazy customers blitz your bar for another cold one."

In Tapper, you control a beer tapper (bartender) and have to serve beer to demanding customers. Customers shuffle up the four bars toward your beer taps and you must slide them drinks in order to keep them satisfied and make them go away.  You start out with 5 lives and these lives are lost as follows:  (1) if a bar patron reaches the end of the bar without receiving their beer, (2) if you slide an extra beer when there is no customer and accidentally spill beer needlessly, and (3) if a patron throws you back an empty mug and you fail to catch it.  You can score additional points by competing in a bonus round between every few stages.  In these bonus rounds, a masked bandit creeps into the bar and shakes up all but one, of six available cans.  The cans then flip around in a shell-game fashion and you must keep your eye on the one that was not shaken.  You then select the can you deem undisturbed and the bartender opens it; if you are correct, you are awarded bonus points, if you are wrong, the tapper receives a heady bath.

Tapper was originally a coin-op machine marketed in conjunction with Budweiser and intended to be sold only to bars; many of the cabinets were designed to look like bars with a brass rail footrest and drink holders. The controller was designed to look like the tap handles on a real keg (see photos below).  It's also rumored that digitized belches were also recorded, but never used.  In order to broaden their target market (and to not lure the kiddies toward the "sauce"), Bally/Midway created coin-op cabinets and tabletops known as Root Beer Tapper.  The Atari 2600 version is simply called Tapper, which apparently leaves it up to the consumer, or pre-video game advisory warning parents, to determine which frothy beverage bar patrons are actually chugging in game.  However, in between clearing a few stages there is a bonus stage, brought to you courtesy of your good friends at Mountain Dew.  It's not clear whether or not Tapper on the 2600 was trying to "C.I.A." by employing the soda company's logo, but by doing so, the ad's presence resulted in one of the earliest examples of marketing within a video game.

[img width=300 height=347]http://ggdb.com/img/ggdb/vol2/3027_1_fs_cp[/img][img width=300 height=347]http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq134/Krajkerjak/Tapper/0132.jpg[/img]

Tapper is a great game and probably one of the best ports to the Atari 2600.  Not only is the concept original and the gameplay simple and attractive, but the sound effects and music (yes, actual music on a 2600 game) are wild west saloon-like and second to none.  The graphics are as good as they can be due to the limitations of the system and all characters and settings are well defined and recognizable.  My only real knock on this game is the controls.  You use the joystick to move the tapper up and down, while using the orange button to fire off brewskies.  Like many other 2600 games, Tapper is hampered by the rough and often rigorous directional tapping of the joystick.  Because the action is so fast paced, and gets even quicker as you progress through multiple stages, the 2600 joystick cannot keep up and it often results in a few misfired mugs.  One would do well in achieving higher scores by obtaining a European CX78 controller and popping this game into the ole 7800. 

Even though the controls can be a bit sticky, Tapper is still one of the best games for the 2600.  Though the rarity and price point make it a harder game to come by, you can easily snag a loose copy at a good deal with a last minute, no reserve auction bid.  No matter what price you pay due to condition or completeness, Tapper will be one of those games that you will be proud to own.



**video courtesy of Hairman9252

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 2
Graphics: 4
Sound Effects/Music: 4
Concept: 4
Replay Value: 3
Cart/Box Art:  4
Overall Score: 3.50




Posted on Jan 26th 2011 at 08:07:55 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, 2600, Game Review, Space Cavern

[img width=378 height=500]http://farm1.static.flickr.com/26/62617529_e9957554a6.jpg[/img]

SPECS:

Game:  Space Cavern
Year:  1981
Publisher:  Apollo, Inc.
Developer: Apollo, Inc.
Designer: Dan Oliver
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 3 = scarce
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 -2 (turn-based)
Average Cost: approx $1 - $5 loose
Also Available On: exclusive to the Atari 2600

Tagline/Description: "You command an intergalactic starcruiser that has landed on a mysterious planet riddled with smokey caverns and inhabited by savage Electrosauri whose horns generate deadly electro-molecular charges.  The Elecrosauri stalk you, their horns crackling and sizzling.  If even one blast of energy strikes you, your skeleton will glow as you disintegrate. Warning: Beware the shaggy marsupods [last sentence added for blue cartridge version only]."

Space Cavern is a very simple space shooter created by Apollo Games.  Apollo only officially released 10 games for the 2600, which does not include three (3) unreleased prototypes and an original (and very rare) version of Shark Attack called Lochjaw, that was removed early on from the shelves due to a lawsuit claiming that it's title was too similar to the movie "Jaws."  Two versions of Space Cavern exist, a red box/cartridge and a blue box/cartridge.  Neither version is more rare than the other, the blue version was released by Apollo later only as a means of cutting costs by using a simpler and more cost-effective color palate.     

[img width=331 height=260]http://www.atariage.com/2600/labels/l_ApolloNormal.jpg[/img]
[img width=333 height=259]http://www.atariage.com/2600/labels/l_ApolloBlue.jpg[/img]

Unlike the more popular Atari space shooters, in Space Cavern, you do not control a ship fending off enemy starships in outer space, but instead, command laser wielding astronauts who have crash landed on an alien planet.  Sounds cool right?  Well, that's certainly the draw.  Apollo was masterful in their marketing; if you don't believe me, take a look at the cover art for such super lackluster games as Lost Luggage, Infiltrate, or Final Approach (heck yeah a game about landing planes).  I mean what early 80's video game playing kid wouldn't want to buy Space Cavern after seeing it in the store?  Badass cover art - check!  Cool description - check!  Being hit by deadly "electro-molecular charges" and disintegrating - I don't even know what the hell those are, but DOUBLE CHECK!!!!  The reality is that Space Cavern isn't all that great, but for an Atari fiend like me, it isn't all that bad either.

[img width=225 height=225]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSww8HMNGeaF8ASX8LNB4IBSMrtSQGNmhPlSuqUzOR9rjm7YJI7&t=1[/img]
(Apparently someone took out their frustrations for being duped by this game.)

There are three (3) enemies that commonly fill the sky of Space Cavern and they are collectively called Electrosauri; however in my adolescence, they were affectionately named: egg beaters, toilets, and scissors -- I'll let you figure out which enemies fit these descriptions.  By pressing the orange button, your astronaut fires his laser into the sky and is awarded 115 points (wow, random) for each Electrosauri he/she shoots down.  These particular enemies are fairly colorful and typically either bounce in an up and down pattern or diagonally across the screen.  When you zap one, they change to a pale blue and actually fall from the sky, which is pretty creative.  After 20,000 points, smaller and much harder to hit versions of Electrosauri appear in the sky; at each 20,000 points you are also awarded an extra life.

The only other enemy in the game is the Marsupod (200 points each), which are dull gray in color and come out of the caves from the left and right corners of the screen.  Since the orange button only allows you to fire into the sky, your must press the joystick up or down (up = left: down = right) to fire at and dispense with Marsupods - pushing the orange button to fire left to right is not necessary.  Though you'll fire the wrong way several times, recovery time from firing is quick and becomes second nature after continued play.

There are 48 variations of gameplay, which can be set to adjust the number of participants, the number of Electrosauri that appear in  the sky at one time (4 max), the presence of Marsupods, the random angles of enemy lasers, and the difficulty (i.e. speed of the enemies).

Space Cavern is tough to review, since I get a bit nostalgic when returning to play it (**see eggbeater, toilet, scissor discussion above).  The controls are perfect for the 2600 system, since you only use the four (4) main directional positions on the joystick and the fire button.  The sound effects are pretty good: shooting down an Electrosauri sounds like R2-D2 speaking in tongues and blasting a Marsupod is rather blunt and effective.  There is really nothing that bad about this game, other than the replay value.  Let's face it, there's not a whole lot going on in this game, and after about three to four rounds, you'll probably want to put it away if you are playing it alone.  As far as Apollo releases are concerned, I'd put Space Cavern at the top with the Pac-Man clone, Shark Attack.  If you're a serious collector, or just a casual 2600 gamer, the small price tag makes Space Cavern worth picking up.   



**video courtesy of Highretrogamelord89 (this video does not represent the more difficult setting which includes Marsupods) **

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 4
Graphics: 2
Sound Effects/Music: 2
Concept: 3
Replay Value: 2
Cart/Box Art:  4
Overall Score: 2.83



Posted on Jan 24th 2011 at 06:55:32 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Atari, Entombed, 2600, game review, Classic Gaming

[img width=250 height=347]http://www.rfgeneration.com/images/games/U-005/bf/U-005-S-01590-A.jpg[/img]

Specs:

Game:  Entombed
Year:  1982
Publisher:  U.S. Games
Developer: Western Technologies
Designer(s): Jeff Corsiglia & Tom Sloper
Rarity (according to AtariAge): 4 = scarce+
Controls: Joystick
Number of Players: 1 - 2
Average Cost: approx $3 - $8 loose
Also Available On: 2600 only

Tagline/Description: "You and your team of archeologists have fallen into the "catacombs of the zombies."  There's no time to look around; these guys are after you, and they mean business!  Your only salvation is that you have discovered the secret to the "make-break."  Grab them, and you can break through walls when you get stuck, or create a wall  behind you - if you are being chased.  The longer you survive, the faster you have to move.  Explore alone, or two archeologists can work together or compete in a frenzied trek through the catacombs."

There was probably no more diverse or stranger catalog of games than the fourteen (14) titles released by U.S. Games, a subsidiary of Quaker Oats (uhhhh....yeah), for the Atari 2600.  Like several other companies (i.e. Purina, Johnson & Johnson, etc.), but with a larger volume than most, the Quaker Oats Company tried to cash in on the video gaming craze of the early 80's.  Titles released by U.S. Games include:

Entombed;
Sneak n' Peek (a game of hide and seek);
Space Jockey (a horizontal, UFO shooter);
Word Zapper (a spelling shooter);
Commando Raid (a parachuting android shooter);
Eggomania (a Kaboom clone where you can fire back);
Piece o' Cake (a cake decorating game);
Picnic (a fly shooter);
Raft Rider (a river rafting game);
Gopher (a vegetable protecting game, similar to Activision's Oink!);
Squeeze Box (a prisoner trying to escape a constantly closing Tron MCP Cone);
Towering Inferno (a firefighting/rescue game);
M.A.D. (an improved version of Atlantis); and
Name This Game (an octopus shooter).

[img width=299 height=208]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_tCCK5wYrFr4/TMWPms5g3lI/AAAAAAAACA0/J8idkdOHPB0/s1600/608quaker-oats1.jpg[/img]

While some believe that a few of these games are among the worst titles for the 2600, I'd have to say that the overall catalog is pretty creative and solid (and fairly cheap).  Where else can you fend off an octopus and fill your diving tank with air from a guy with long, flowing hair in a speed boat?

Entombed is another of these strange games in which you control an archeologist trying to escape a zombie-filled catacomb.  While navigating a random, vertically scrolling maze, your only defense from zombies and dead end walls is an item referred to as a "make-break."  A make-break allows you to knock down a square section of wall or place a similar section of wall in an open area to fend off zombies (similar to Lock n' Chase).  However, make-breaks are not abundant and are collected 3 at-a-time in the form of side-to-side moving rectangles, throughout the maze.  Scoring in Entombed, for the 1-player game, is determined by how deep into the maze your archeologist goes.  You are awarded one point for making it through an undefined section of the maze; there are no treasures to collect or points for killing zombies.  As you might have noticed, scoring is not one of the stronger features of this game.

Another poor feature of the game is it's graphics.  Zombies, which should be very cool, instead look like arachnids, your archeologist is merely a semi-mobile stick figure, and the make-breaks are, well, just blocks (a hammer, or some sort of device would have been cooler).  There is no music and the only sound effects are a series of extremely monotone beeps (only when zombies are near) and an electronic gurgle when you pick up a make-break.

With all of its faults, Entombed is a pretty good game (yeah, stick with me here).  I remember loving this game as a kid and playing it every time I went to my neighbor's house.  When I saw it in a pawn shop several months ago I grabbed it up quickly, even though it had a bit of label damage.  So what is it that I liked so much about this game?  Well for one, I enjoyed the pace of the game (how it continues to get faster as you complete every level) and the frantic dodging/escaping from zombies while collecting make-breaks to ensure mobility; you lose lives by either running into a zombie or by being forced into the top of the scrolling screen when you are out of make-breaks and are unable to escape a dead end.  The controls are adequate for a 2600 game, since your only movements through the maze are vertical and horizontal; however, setting make-breaks correctly in open areas to avoid zombies can sometimes present a challenge.

While the originality of the game is great, the best feature of Entombed has to be its 2-player option.  In two player mode, both participants play at the same time, instead of the Atari turn-based style that is typical with most 2600 games.  Two player mode can be played in two different ways (as determined by the participants): (1) you can battle against each other to see who can make it deeper into the maze (whoever dies first loses), or (2) you can work with each other, hoarding and best using make-breaks, to see how far you both can go.  Being somewhat of an a%$, and torturer of my wife and friends, I tend to prefer the former.

Though there is nothing particularly exceptional in terms of graphics and sound in Entombed, the gameplay is fairly solid and the cost of the game is typically low.  For a few bucks, Entombed should be worth heavy consideration if found in the wild.



**video courtesy of Highretrogamelord89**

RATINGS (on a scale of 1-4: 4 being the highest):

Controls: 3
Graphics:  2
Sound Effects/Music: 1
Concept:  3
Replay Value: 2
Cart/Box Art:  3
Overall Score: 2.34





Posted on Aug 13th 2003 at 11:00:00 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Test Station, CCAG

[img width=700 height=525]https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67309986_2446091822118146_7448261486482292736_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_oc=AQnYC4MCeSyOxfKsck8y8KiqmFMvNzV2sMXXCmrFKuw-1jM0LfvNh1Gy--tWen6BmAE&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=251921db29b0d0906544e40c9ff270a3&oe=5DEA8AA1[/img]

I promised an update about how the Cleveland Classic Console and Arcade Gaming Show (CCAG) inaugural Test Station went.


Continue reading The Test Was A Success



Posted on Aug 17th 2000 at 12:00:00 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under haul, unboxing, godzilla, japan

[img width=700 height=592]https://i.imgur.com/rDHvSoL.jpg[/img]

Last fall a coworker of mine named Sidd took a vacation to Japan. He had studied abroad there when he was younger and has a deep love for the country and its people. Knowing that my fandom of Japanese culture veers between low-key otaku and hardcore weeb depending on what day it is, Sidd asked me if I'd like him to bring anything back with him from the land of the rising sun. Of course I jumped at the chance to get some authentic souvenirs, but I didn't want to just give him a list of video games to bring back. I enlisted the help of Adam Bickman2k for some ideas. I'd like to thank Adam for his suggestions because without them my list of requests would have consisted of "Game Boy games" and "Godzilla stuff."


Continue reading Japan Haul 2019



Posted on Jan 4th 2000 at 01:00:00 PM by (singlebanana)
Posted under Review, Books, Game Art, Arcade Games, Typography

[img width=365 height=499]https://i.imgur.com/93GUoDO.jpg[/img]


I thought about doing a top 10 list this year, as I always try to do, but I'm just the latest in a seemingly endless string of writers saying 2020 was unlike any year I've seen in my lifetime. I feel like I have an excuse every year for why I didn't play as many games as I would have liked, but frankly, I feel less apologetic about it this time.

On the bright side, this was a great time to dip into the warm, fuzzy, comfort food of pixel art. I recently came across the book Arcade Game Typography: The Art of Pixel Type and hadn't seen anything like it before. As the name suggests, it highlights early gaming fonts and details the differences from the perspective of someone who is a trained typeface designer. Paging through it was just the kind of happy place I've been going to a lot this year, and I have a feeling it'll spark some interest with this group as well.



Continue reading Arcade Game Typography



Posted on by (singlebanana)
Posted under submissions, Pain Yourself, contest, 2017, July

[img width=700 height=467]http://i.imgur.com/2EOgvsH.jpg[/img]

Our yearly Pain Yourself With Submissions Contest kicks off tomorrow!  To enter, from July 1st until July 31st, you make as many submissions as you can. Our database staff will review the absurd amount of submissions, and at the end of it all, one of you gets an awesome prize package, which includes your choice of $60 worth of gaming goodness. Essentially, you win a shopping spree (not to exceed $60 and items have to be game related) on GameGavel, eBay, or Amazon, and we pick up the tab. Of course, you'll also be the coolest kid in town as you strut around in your new, official RF Generation Ringer T-shirt.  For official submission types and points and rules breakdown, see below. Best of luck to everyone!


Continue reading 2017 Pain Yourself With Submissions Contest Kickoff


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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