The Video Game Critic's
Atari 2600 Reviews T-Z

Last modified 10/2/2002.
NOTE: These games are rated in comparison to other Atari 2600 games. The main criteria is based on how fun the game is to play, although control, graphics, and sound also play a role.
Screen shots courtesy of Atari Age, Atari 2600 Landfill, Hozer Video Games.

Tac-Scan (Sega 1983) D
9/9/1999
This is a rather annoying paddle-controlled space shooter. You control five ships who move in unison, which gives you some pretty good fire power. To conquer each stage, you need to shoot ten enemies coming down the screen. The enemies drop bombs which gradually take out your ships. At the end of each stage, there is a very easy lunar-lander phase in which replacement ships can be guided back into your formation. When I first started played this game and saw the five ships firing at once, I thought it was the greatest. But after playing twice I was already sick of it. The gameplay is repetitive and mind numbing. Your ships can only fire at three angles, which defeats the purpose of using the precise paddle controllers. The action moves so fast in the later stages that luck plays a bigger part than skill. You just fire like a madman. There are no level or difficulty controls. This one may give you a headache.

Tanks But No Tanks (Zimag 1982) C+
4/5/2002
Despite the silly name, this game is no joke. What other Atari 2600 game lets you take on an army of 20 tanks? Okay, there are only five on the screen at a time, and they flicker terribly, but still! The action is pretty intense as the enemy tanks emerge from the top of the screen and approach your base at the bottom. Your tank is unusual looking, and its moving treads look cool. Too bad you can only shoot one missile at a time, and it’s so friggin’ SLOW. The pink enemy tanks flicker badly, but that’s okay. Their movements are very unpredictable. They only shoot one shot at a time, but they can ram you as well. The first stage is set in a maze, but the second stage is sparser, and the third stage is wide open. The graphics are blocky but make good use of color. Tanks But No Tanks is a fun little game. It combines the elements of a maze game and a shooter very nicely.
Recommended variation: 3
1 or 2 players

Tape Worm (Spectravision 1982) C
12/23/2001
This game looks a lot like Surround, that lame old Atari game where you move around a block with a growing tail. But Tape Worm adds enough original elements to make the gameplay interesting. In each level, your "worm" must collect a number of "beans" (gray squares). The beans appear one at a time in random parts of the screen. You have to eat each bean before a bug at the bottom of the screen makes it to the fruit on the right hand side. You die when you run into a wall, yourself, or one of the birds or spiders that occasionally move across the screen. Be sure to play the advanced variations (3&4) because the beginner variations are slow as molasses! The game requires some good reflexes, but make sure you have a good joystick. Control is tricky because you move much faster vertically than horizontally. Tape Worm's control and graphics leave something to be desired, but the appealing gameplay makes it worth a try.
1 or 2 players

Tapper (Sega 1984) A-
5/4/2000
This is an impressive adaption of the great arcade game. In the original Tapper, you were a bartender serving beer. Now it's Mountain Dew, so why are the glasses blue? Anyway, the characters and objects are extremely colorful and well animated. There's great music, dancing girls, and even the bonus stage. You remember the bonus stage - the one where the Hamburgalar shakes up all the beers but one - and you have to guess which one? What more could you ask for? The only problem with this game is that you can only serve two beers at a time. But that only puts a slight damper on the action. I recommend that you enjoy a fine beverage of your choice while partaking in this cool video game.
1 or 2 players

Target Fun (Sears/Atari 1983) D
1/29/2000
This is the Sears brand version of Air-Sea Battle. It's exactly the same game.

Task Force (Froggo 1983) F
8/19/2000
This is yet another sorry excuse for a game from Froggo. The graphics aren't bad, but where is the challenge? I can play this thing indefinitely on the hardest mode! Task Force looks and plays just like Gangster Alley. You shoot people who pop up in windows on the side of a building - but only shoot the ones with guns! You move around crown-shaped crosshair. The multi-colored people look good, but the collision detection is awful; some of my "hits" weren't even close! Gameplay is monotonous and entirely too easy.
1 player

Tax Avoiders (American 1982) D-
2/29/2000
How much fun can a game about taxes be? Not much. Tax Avoiders is an odd little game about accumulating as much money as you can over the course of a year. Each day is about 2 seconds long. Gameplay alternates between two screens of platform action. In one, you collect dollar signs while avoiding the red snakes (oh, that's supposed to be red tape). In the other screen, you have to run around in circles avoiding a guy in a trench coat. The graphics aren't too bad - they remind me of Porky's. But the gameplay is easy and repetitive. Control could be better too.

Taz (Atari 1983) D
4/29/2002
If you want to see some nice graphics on the Atari 2600, check out the Tasmanian Devil on the title screen on this game. Cool! Take a good look, because you won’t be seeing him again. In the game itself he’s just a little tornado. You zoom him around a multi-level platform while objects fly sideways across the screen. You try to catch delicious goodies like hamburgers, root beers, ice cream cones, and Popsicles, while avoiding the dynamite sticks. The simplistic gameplay might have been tolerable if the game wasn’t so easy. And there’s only one lousy skill level for Pete’s sake! Taz is one of those games where you intentionally start acting reckless just to offset the boredom that sets in. After about ten minutes of mind-numbing gameplay, you finally reach the challenging “Crazed Stage”. This frantic level forces you to concentrate just as much on avoiding dynamite as grabbing food. This is what the whole game should have been like! Kids might enjoy this.
1 player

Tempest (Prototype) (Atari 1983) NA
3/22/2002
Could the Atari 2600 handle a game like Tempest? If this prototype is any indication, the answer is a resounding NO! Tempest was a shooter known for its flashy, 3D vector graphics. This prototype features a single stage with extremely blocky lines. The blob-like aliens don’t scale well at all, and actually appear to change shape as they emerge. Neither your missiles nor the aliens can manage to stay within the lines, and the result is an ugly mess. Add in bad collision detection, and you can easily see why this project was shelved.
1 player

Tennis (Activision 1981) B
6/17/1999
This first tennis game for the 2600 doesn't have the fancy graphics that Realsports Tennis has, but it may be a bit more playable. You can't control the power of your shots, but you do seem to have better control of the angles, which makes the game more challenging and less monotonous.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Wizard 1983) F
4/19/2000
Boy oh boy is this game bad! You control Leatherface, who must kill as many people as he can with his chainsaw before running out of gas. This is one of the few games that let you be the bad guy! The screen scrolls sideways as you search for victims and avoid obstacles. The graphics are fair, but the sound and gameplay is a nightmare. Victims disappear before you can touch them. You're constantly getting stuck in the scenery. Tell me when it's over!
1 player

This Planet Sucks (Hozer 1998) B
6/1/1999
Here's a fairly new lunar-lander type game with outstanding graphics. After ejecting from the mother ship at the top of the screen, you must avoid asteroids and rescue the little guys on the planet below. The graphics are about as good as they get on the 2600; colorful, vibrant, and high resolution. Control is decent, but it's a bit too easy to accidentally crush the little guys you're trying to save. As you progress through the game, the asteroids begin to turn into aggressive aliens. This is challenging game that requires patience and precise control.

Threshold (Tigervision 1982) D
8/30/2001
This mediocre, bare-bones shooter steals elements from SO MANY other Atari 2600 games! First of all, your ship looks like a tank from Worm War I. The shooting style is 100% Gorf, where you can move around freely and abort any shot by just firing again. The first wave of "aliens" look like birds. They might remind you of Phoenix or Demon Attack, if only they didn't look so BAD. These single-colored, chunky graphics are a mess! Subsequent rounds feature other uninteresting aliens, like circles, which move in their own distinct patterns. That's when I realized this was just a really bad version of Megamania. If Threshold does one thing well, it makes you realize how much better these other games really are.
1 or 2 players

Thrust (Hozer 2000) A
12/23/2001
Thrust is a far cry from the simplistic shooters so common on the 2600. It's actually a conversion of an old Commodore 64 game. It not only provides great arcade shooting action, but also has surprising depth. Like Gravitar, you guide a triangle-shaped ship through winding underground caverns, destroying cannons and picking up fuel. Shooting nuclear reactors can temporarily disable the cannons, but too much damage can cause a meltdown. In later stages, there are switches on the cave walls that open new areas. Controlling your ship takes skill. You constantly need to thrust to counteract the effects of gravity. Pushing the joystick up will thrust, and pulling back activates a protective shield. Your ultimate goal is to pick up the pod at the end of each cavern and transport it out. When you finally locate the pod, the real challenge begins! It attaches to your ship with a cord, and swings precariously as you attempt to transport it through the narrow caverns without smashing it against a wall. It's a balancing act that requires excellent technique, but completing each mission is very satisfying. The crude graphics are large and blocky, but the animation is smooth and the control is flawless. The 24-level challenge is immense but rarely frustrating. There are even five levels of difficulty. Don't miss the best game to come along for the 2600 in a long time!
1 player

Thunderground (Sega 1983) D
3/22/2002
Here’s a marginal game with blocky graphics and dull colors. You control a tank on the bottom of the screen that eats away at dirt in a Dig-Dug fashion. Your goal in each stage is to shoot six enemy bases that look like stars across the top of the screen. Two tanks pursue you as you clear away the dirt between you and your targets. The main problem with Thunderground is that it’s much too easy at first and takes too long before the challenge kicks in. The enemy tanks initially move like snails, and their shots aren’t much faster. You can methodically shoot your way through the first few rounds with little resistance. Occasionally you uncover a pixelated object in the dirt that’s worth extra points. But it’s not until around stage nine that things start to get interesting, and you might have to start taking some evasive maneuvers. But you shouldn’t have to play through eight rounds to get to the fun! And unfortunately, Thunderground only has one skill level.
1 player

Time Pilot (Coleco 1983) C-
4/2/2000
I was initially surprised by how good this game looked. The graphics are not bad at all. The aircraft look great, even if they are only a single color. Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't quite as good. In the arcade, you could shoot several shots at once, spraying the enemy aircraft. In this version, you can only shoot one shot at a time, which lessens the fun quite a bit. There are some other differences between this and the arcade. There are no parachutists to pick up. The boss aircraft aren't any larger than the normal enemies, and only take one shot to destroy. This game is too easy, and doesn't feel like the Time Pilot I'm used to.
1 player.

Title Match Pro Wrestling (Absolute 1987) D
1/23/2002
This game looks good on paper. You have four distinct, nicely detailed wrestlers to choose from. You can play against the CPU or another player, and the matches can be tag team or one-on-one. The fighting moves are chained-together joystick/button combinations, allowing you to perform everything from elbow drops to body slams to airplane spins. Heck, you can even dive from the ropes! The number of moves is impressive. Unfortunately, once you start playing, the carefully designed control scheme goes out the window. The computer opponent is impossible to beat - he'll have you pinned in a heartbeat. On the other hand, when playing against another person, it's too hard to pin the other fighter, and the bouts go on long after the wrestlers have exhausted their strength. Still, I did have a good laugh watching the stiff-looking fighters toss each other around the ring. Title Match is an ambitious game, but it's not very fun to play.
1 or 2 players

Towering Inferno (US Games 1982) C+
6/17/1999
In Towering Inferno you must cross a series of burning floors in order to rescue people. You can douse the flames with an unlimited water supply, but people will begin to die if you take too long. The graphics are only fair. The beginning of each stage shows the building so you can see how many floors you have to climb. Each floor is a simple maze, and the flames look like flashing W's. There is very little in the way of detail. You never even see the people you are trying to rescue, only a white door. Control is good though, and it's fun putting out the unpredictable flames. Unfortunately, this game is a bit too easy, and it goes on for too long.

Trick Shot (Imagic 1982) B
12/17/1999
As the only pool game that I know of for the Atari 2600, this is actually very entertaining. The graphics are blocky but functional. A rack only has three balls, but the physics is surprisingly realistic. Not only can you control the power of the shot, but you can even add "English" (spin). To aim, you move a little dot around your ball. You only have a limited number of angles, but you can use the English to compensate. There are several modes of play including trick shot mode, pool, practice, and English billiards. The trick shot mode keeps score, so it's good for solo play. The pool mode is good for two-player competition. The English billiards is a more complicated two-player variation. This is a winner all the way.
1-2 players

Tron Deadly Discs (M-Network 1982) B-
9/24/1999
In the second video game inspired from the movie Tron, you run around an open room while avoiding disks thrown by three warriors. You can throw your own disks to kill these guys, but they constantly regenerate. What makes this game unique is the fact that after you throw your disk, you have to wait for it to hit a wall and bounce back to you. I thought this was a brilliant idea until I realized that the disk was NOT harmful to your enemies on the way back! I think the developers missed a golden opportunity here. The game is still pretty fun, as you run around frantically avoiding the flying disks. You can also enter openings on one side of the room and emerge on the other side, but you'll only need to use these in the more difficult levels.

Tunnel Runner (CBS 1983) B
6/29/1999
When this came out it must have been cutting edge. Like a first-person Pac-man, you try to escape from a maze while avoiding the evil "Zots". The illusion of movement is effective, and the sound cues of the approaching Zots make the game exciting and suspenseful. Unfortunately, with all the 3-D Doom games that have been released in the last 10 years, this game hasn't aged well, and it probably won't hold your attention for too long.

Turmoil (Fox 1982) A
3/8/2000
Here's a game few people have heard about, but those who have will tell you it's one of the best games for the system. I would describe Turmoil as a 2-D Tempest. Your ship can move sideways, but it mainly moves up and down in the center of the screen between seven rows. A variety of colorful aliens move across these rows, trying to ram your ship. Fortunately, you have rapid fire capability, and you can flood the rows with missiles. Some enemies however, like tanks, are invincible. One particular type of alien sits and waits at the end of a row. If you fly down the row and snag it before it starts moving, you'll score big points, but it's risky. Turmoil is a well-designed and challenging game. Quick thinking is required to keep up with the frantic action. There are 9 skill levels.
1 player.

Tutankham (Parker Bros 1983) D-
8/17/2002
I’m surprised just how bad this turned out for the 2600. King Tut would be rolling around in his sarcophagus if he ever saw these choppy graphics. It looks like Parker Bros put a junior programmer to work on this one, because technically it’s very sloppy. Your mission is to traverse four mazes while gathering treasures and exterminating wandering monsters. The minimal graphics do not impress. Although there are a nice variety of treasures and animated monsters, they are so small that it’s hard to tell what they represent. Your little explorer looks like a static stick figure, and he’s a nightmare to control. His movements are incredibly choppy and he can’t move diagonally, even in open spaces. Shooting is unnecessarily difficult, since you can only shoot sideways and only while pushing the joystick. When creatures get shot, they turn into asterisks, which looks pretty bad. Terrible collision detection adds to this game’s woes. Trying to dodge creatures coming from below is nearly impossible, so it’s a good thing the game provides you with a few smart bombs. There are practically no sound effects or music to speak of. This game should have been a lot better. For a more respectable version, try the Colecovision edition.
Recommended variation: 1
1 player

Up 'N Down (Sega 1984) B+
6/17/2002
Despite the ho-hum name, this was one of my arcade favorites way back in “the day”. The object is to navigate your “buggy” (which looks like a Volkswagen Bug) down some single-lane, zigzagging streets, collecting flags and avoiding collisions by jumping over (or onto) other cars. I was really looking forward to reliving the thrills of my youth through this 2600 cartridge. Imagine my dismay when I turned this thing on and saw some of the most horrific graphics I’ve ever seen. The blocky, jagged roads look more like steps, and those cars are pixelated blobs! Vehicles and flags flicker badly and often disappear completely. This is one of the worst looking games I’ve ever seen on the Atari 2600, and that’s saying something. After the initial shock, I started warming up to this game. The controls aren’t bad; you can easily change speeds, and I soon remembered that jumping is not only for squashing cars, but also for leaping from one road to the next. Once you collect all the flags, you’re off to a totally different course. The roads are poorly rendered, but you start to learn where the bridges and hills are by the color scheme. The game is seriously challenging and undeniably fun. I really couldn’t put it down once I started playing it. The background music is annoying, but at least it’s faithful to the original game. When all is said and done, I like Up ‘N Down. If you can stomach the graphics you’re in for some fun.
1 player

Vanguard (Atari 1982) C
7/14/2002
This shooter introduced a few original concepts to the world of arcade games. First of all, Vanguard featured distinct, multiple stages. Some scrolled vertically, some horizontally, and some diagonally. A second joystick was used to shoot in four directions around your ship. Touching special icons made your ship temporarily invincible. But the biggest innovation was the “continue” feature that let you pay another quarter and pick up where you left off. Unfortunately, the Atari 2600 version doesn’t do a great job of simulating the two joysticks. Pushing the joystick in any direction not only fires in that direction but slowly moves your ship as well. Holding down the fire button lets you move quicker but seizes fire. As a result of this scheme, players tend to rapidly rotate the joystick to maximize their firepower, but gradually meander to the front of the screen (since you always tend to fire forward). Atari addressed this problem by giving you the option of constant forward fire. While this saves some wear and tear on your joystick, it makes the game entirely too easy. The background graphics are terribly blocky, so Atari used their rainbow palette in an attempt to detract attention from them (nice try Atari, but we’re not impressed). The stages do provide some nice variety, as the zones scroll horizontally or vertically but not diagonally. The enemies vary in shape and behavior (although they often repeat) and the caverns vary from wide open to narrow. The “Bleak Zone” features floating snakes that you can dock with to score big. The best trick is to shoot them just before docking, so you can also collect points for killing them (that’s right – we bad!). The worst part of the game is the “Gond” (remember the commercial? “Luther kills the Gond!”). This rainbow snowman is allegedly supposed to be the “boss”. All you do in this screen is dodge slow missiles for a few seconds before shooting his face. It’s hardly a challenge and definitely anti-climactic. Vanguard was a pretty cool arcade game in its time, but it definitely lost something in the translation to the 2600.
Recommended variation: BA
1 or 2 players

Venture (Coleco 1982) D
11/19/2001
I really enjoyed the arcade version of Venture because of its simple, stripped-down gameplay. You enter rooms, shoot the monsters, and grab the treasure. But the Atari 2600 version is a little TOO plain. The monsters are terribly blocky and not animated at all. You arrows are nothing but dots. The shooting control is terrible. It's extremely hard to shoot in a certain direction, especially in close quarters. Unlike the Colecovision version, you can't stop to aim. The only thing that saves this game is the challenge provided by four skill levels. Otherwise, this is really weak!
1 player

Venture II The Abysmal Abyss (Hozer 2001) C
11/19/2001
Tim Snider has brought new life to the venerable adventure game, creating new monsters, treasures, and more complex dungeons. The dungeon layouts are basically the same, but now the rooms have extra walls. This is a double-edged sword. Although the rooms are more interesting and allow for more strategy, they can also cause frustration as you can easily get hung up on these extra walls. I found the new monsters to be pretty original. This time you'll encounter floating swords, swarms of bugs, and octopus among others. The monsters seem to be more aggressive this time. Venture II is a nice effort, but the flaws of the original game weigh it down.
1 player

Video Checkers (Atari 1980) F
10/17/2001
Checkers isn't the most exciting concept for a video game in the first place, and this game has other problems to boot. The awkward control scheme forces you to move the joystick diagonally, which is painful if you're using a standard 2600 joystick. In addition, although the computer response is fast during the easy levels, the wait can be unbearable (up to eight minutes!) in the advanced ones. And you'll have to stare at a black screen while the computer decides what to do next. There are 19 game variations, which is overkill if you ask me. Check out the artwork on this game. Is that Luke Skywalker?
1 or 2 players

Video Chess (Atari 1978) D
6/17/1999
This is the type of game that does not age well. The pieces are small and difficult to discern. The computer can take up to a few minutes to make a move in the advanced stages of a game. The computer AI is not bad, but I heard it's been known to cheat. Intermediate players such as myself could enjoy a decent game in theory, but for a game like Chess, there's no point in putting up with the bad graphics and slowness.

Video Olympics (Atari 1977) C
6/1/1999
Don't be fooled by the fancy name and cover illustration, this is a glorified pong game with tons of different variations. The best are the four player foozball-type games, which are undeniably fun. Other variations, such as the volleyball and basketball games, are ill-conceived and have little or no play value.

Video Pinball (Atari 1981) C+
4/29/2002
Here’s a game that succeeds in spite of itself. It has square bumpers and spinners that actually slow down the ball. The physics is questionable, and the ball bounces unpredictably. But like any good pinball game, it has an addictive quality that keeps you coming back, trying to top your high score. You control two flippers, and can activate them together or independently. You can slightly affect the movement of the ball by “nudging” it, but if you get carried away a “tilt” occurs, ending your game. I remember playing Video Pinball with my childhood friend Billy, who could keep one ball going seemingly forever (much to my chagrin). The best part is clearing the diamonds at the top of the screen, which increases the bumper values. The rollovers are pretty cheap because they are situated directly over the bumpers, and by using the nudge you can continuously bounce the ball over them, running up some huge scores. Maybe this game isn’t as good as I remembered, but it still entertains.
Recommended variation: 3A
1 or 2 players

Wabbit (Apollo 1982) D-
6/17/1999
Here's another Apollo game that looks good but comes up short in terms of gameplay. The well-drawn graphics feature a large carrot-filled garden with rabbit holes on both sides. Rabbits pop out of their holes, grab a carrot and run back. At the bottom of the screen you control a girl who throws eggs at them. The game ends when 100 carrots are stolen. The early levels are too easy, and the later levels are too hard! When the rabbits reach a certain speed, those slow eggs become ineffective.

Warlords (Atari 1981) B+
5/1/2001
This paddle game is fantastic with four players, but don't rely on the computer to provide any kind of challenge. The screen is arranged with a knight in each corner, protected by a layered brick wall. A fireball flies around the screen knocking blocks out of each player's wall. Players must deflect (or catch) the fireball with their moving shields. The last knight remaining wins the round. The first player to win five rounds is the victor. Warlords is a great concept that's never been duplicated. Why there hasn't been a 3D remake is beyond me. There are 23 options in this game, but only one or two are any good. For maximum enjoyment, you MUST play use the "catch" option with the "fast" fireball (games 1 or 2), and you'll need at least three players. With these settings, the ball can be controlled, and alliances can be formed to keep any one knight from getting too far ahead. The control is perfect, and the games are fiercely competitive and always exciting. And even after a player dies, his "ghost" can still deflect the fireball! It's too bad the computer is such an idiot. He usually does more damage to himself than anyone else! The graphics are plain, and the actual "knights" look like odd shapes! The graphics may suck, but those who've played four-player Warlords know this game is numero uno when it comes to multiplayer mayhem.
1 to 4 players

Warplock (Data Age 1982) C-
1/21/2001
This space shooter has sloppy graphics, unimaginative gameplay, and irritating sound effects. The amazing part is, I actually enjoyed playing it! Using the paddle controllers, you move your cannon across the screen, shooting at blocky invaders that bounce around and occasionally drop bombs. The graphics are minimal, and the constant beeping is annoying as hell. But the control is good, and the game actually provides a decent challenge. You only get one life. You score one point per each hit, and it's tough to score above 25. For some reason, shooting one invader in a group automatically kills the rest of them. It's a poor effort, but Warplock manages to be fun in spite of itself.
1 or 2 players

Winter Games (Epyx 1987) A
4/1/2001
I showed this game to a friend recently, and he gasped "THIS is the ATARI 2600??". It looks that good! The graphics are smooth and colorful, and the characters are detailed and well animated. Winter Games begins with a nice rendition of the Olympic theme. Up to eight players (!) can choose countries to represent. Each of the seven events requires its own technique, and all provide challenge without requiring you to abuse your controller. The action gets underway with a nice-looking but overly-difficult Slalom event. The second event, Bobsled, gives you an overhead view of a smoothly twisting track. The Ski Jump is another tough event that features a picture-in-picture close-up of your skier, whose body position you need maintain. The Biathlon looks like the Slalom, but you need to synchronize your joystick with a heartbeat in order to make good time. This event also features periodic "shooting range" screens that test your reflexes. Speed skating requires rhythmically moving the joystick, and is the only event that lets two people compete head-to-head. Hot Dog is a ski acrobatics event that lets you perform combinations of ten different tricks. The final event, the Luge, is similar to the Bobsled, but allows the player to control his speed by braking. At the end of the game, the top three players are listed, but there's little fanfare. Overall, Winter Games is fun, challenging, and a fine showcase of 2600 graphics. I've seen this game on many systems, but this may be the most impressive.
1 to 8 players

Wizard of Wor (CBS 1982) A-
4/29/2002
Oh yeah! This is THE GAME right here! Say what you want about the flickering graphics and the blocky, goofy-looking monsters! Wizard of Wor delivers some serious maze-shooting action. You can even play simultaneously with a friend! The object is to exterminate all the monsters in each dungeon. The dungeon mazes change in terms of layout and color as you progress, and a scanner on the bottom of the screen helps you track invisible monsters! There can be up to six creatures crawling around the dungeon at a time and they can even shoot! There are two “escape doors” on both sides of the maze. After you clear out the normal monsters, a winged beast called a “Worluk” flies towards an escape door. Blast him for bonus points. Once he’s gone, you engage the Wizard of Wor himself. This guy teleports himself all over the place, usually vanishing before you get a chance to pump some lead into him. Sometimes it takes a lucky shot to nail him, so keep shooting. This game is better than it looks. For best results, set the difficulty to A, and don’t forget to use the right joystick for the single-player game.
1 or 2 players

Word Zapper (Vidtec 1982) F
1/10/2000
At first I thought this was an educational game meant as learning tool for kids. But after playing it, I realized it's really not educational at all! The object is to spell out a given word by shooting letters that scroll by on the top of the screen. Based on the number of words you can spell out in 99 seconds (three max), you are given a rank. You are also supposed to avoid asteroids moving across the screen, but they're not really a factor because they just tend to push your ship to the side slightly. The rapid-fire shooting of your ship allows you to blast away at the letters, and there's no penalty for shooting the wrong ones. As a result, the game is extremely easy and no fun at all. Still, kids can learn a very important lesson from this game: Vidtec sucks!

Worm War I (Fox 1982) B+
10/2/2002
I remember back in 1982 when my friend Nicky brought Worm War I over to my house. I was not impressed. The blocky graphics and simplistic gameplay really turned me off. And those “pagoda gas stations” looked like utter crap. But had I really given this game a fair chance, I would have appreciated its challenging gameplay, rapid-fire shooting action, and excellent two player simultaneous modes. You move a little tank across the bottom of the screen, and can adjust your speed as worms, blocks, and gas stations approach from above. The worms slink quickly back and forth across the screen and splatter nicely when shot. The game ends when you run out of fuel, so keep an eye out for gas stations to replenish your supply. Worm War I’s graphics are simple but vivid with color. The sound effects are fun and surprisingly high in quality. You can hold down the fire button to shoot rapidly, but be careful not to accidentally blow up those precious gas stations. I like Worm War I. It’s a low budget shooter that works.
Recommended Variation: 1AA
1 or 2 players

Xevious (Prototype) (Atari 1983) NA
2/26/2002
I don’t rate prototype games, but it’s interesting to see how some of these were shaping up before they got the axe. In the arcade, Xevious was one of the most challenging and addictive shooters of the early 80s. With its vertical configuration and pseudo-3D graphics, you could shoot UFOs out of the air while bombing tanks and installations on the ground. This 2600 version does a fine job of emulating the distinct gameplay, and with a little more work this could have been a winner. The fire button shoots missiles and drops bombs at the same time. The circular UFOs look great, as do the flying rotating walls. The scenery below is blocky, but at least it includes the large bird symbol. The horizontal dashes that represent your bombs and bombsight were probably just placeholders for better graphics to be added later. The only land targets are some blocky, pathetic-looking, tanks, which don’t even fire at you. As it stands, Xevious is a playable game, but it’s pretty easy due to the lack of ground fire. I’d like to see somebody finish this one.
1 player

Yars' Revenge (Atari 1982) A-
5/4/1999
This is a very popular game, and for good reason. You control a galactic bug trying to destroy the evil Qotile, who hides behind a shield on the right side of the screen. You can shoot or eat away at the shield. Occasionally the Qotile turns into a swirl and lashes out at you. Shooting him in mid-air is worth big points. Throughout the whole game you are constantly being hounded around by an annoying "missile", so you can't sit still for long. There's some cool special effects including a rotating shield and screen-sized explosions. This game gets tough in a hurry; you won't be bored. My friend Greg has complained bitterly about the lack of a two-player simultaneous play option. To this day, Greg is hoping it will be included in Yars' Revenge 2.

Zaxxon (Coleco 1983) F
6/17/1999
Coleco should never have attempted this 3-D point-of-view shooter on the 2600. Realizing they could never reproduce the 3D graphics from the arcade version, they changed the game so the ship is viewed from behind, instead of from the side. It didn't work very well. The graphics are blocky and it's VERY difficult to tell your altitude with respect to the other objects. In addition, your shots don't seem to go where you think they should go. Zaxxon looks bad and plays worse.

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