various game cartridges by Atari










From: Michael Current (aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu)

Date: 02/11/92-11:59:38 PM Z









From: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
Subject: various game cartridges by Atari
Date: Tue Feb 11 23:59:38 1992


Reprinted from the A.C.E.C. BBS (614)-471-8559

Permission to reprint or excerpt is
granted only if the following lines
appear at the top of the article:

ANTIC PUBLISHING INC., (C) 1988
REPRINTED BY PERMISSION.

NEW XE GAME MACHINE CARTRIDGES
BY DAVID PLOTKIN

     BARNYARD BLASTER

     BARNYARD BLASTER is a superb
game that also brings some great news
-- the Atari Light Gun works just
fine!  Those aiming inaccuracies 
noted in my article, SHOOTOUT OF THE
VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS (ANTIC, March
1988) apparently should have been
attributed to the Bug Hunt software
included with the XE Game system.
     Barnyard Blaster's background
graphics are colorful and the target
animation is excellent.  Inanimate
objects explode convincingly, while
the animals disappear in a tasteful 
twinkle. Each of the three scenarios
has an introductory screen that you
can blast realistic holes into.
     You simultaneously blast away at
stationary objects -- pumpkins, 
bottles, watermelons -- and moving 
targets -- gophers, mice, chickens.  
Ammunition is limited and there's a 
bonus round where you shoot bottles
thrown into the air by "Gramps".
Sometimes a blank rectangle or
garbage appears on the screen instead
of the score, but this doesn't seem 
to affect the game.
     ARCHON is "the battle between
the dark and the light." On a
chessboard-like field, you control
various pieces that each have 
differing weaponry, movement,
distance, lifespan and other traits.
     In FIGHT NIGHT, your boxer can
climb into the ring with any of five
challengers, controlled either by
computer or by another player.  
Joystick and trigger combinations 
give you eight possible punch and 
block maneuvers.  You can build your
own fighter by choosing various body
parts from the available selections,
even deciding how resistant your
fighter will be to head and body
blows.
     In ONE ON ONE, you control
either Julius "Dr.  J" Erving or
Larry Bird in a game of one-on-one
basketball.  These two basketball
greats participated in the design of
the game, and their strengths and
weaknesses are well represented.  You
can play against another player or
the computer, using your joystick to
move, attempt steals, block or shoot.
     In BALLBLAZER, a futuristic
sports contest for one or two
players, you guide your "rotofoil" 
over a checkerboard playing surface,
attempting to gain control of a
floating ball and send it between two
goal posts.
     DAVID'S MIDNIGHT MAGIC is video
pinball, complete with bumpers, drop
targets, rollovers and flippers.  The
joystick starts the ball and flips
the flippers, although you must move
the stick (rather than pressing
buttons) for the flippers, so the
action takes little getting used to. 
You can even bump the table, but just
as in the real thing, you might TILT.
     In BLUE MAX you fly a World War
I biplane over enemy territory and do
as much damage as possible with guns
and bombs.  The three-quarter view
features a well-rendered, smooth-
scrolling landscape with buildings,
tanks, anti-aircraft guns, rivers,
boats, bridges, cars and trees. And
enemy aircraft -- better avoided if
possible -- do sometimes appear.
     In STAR RAIDERS II, the sequel
to the original Atari blockbuster
space game, the Zylons are again on
the attack and sending ships from a
neighboring star system.  You must
defend the Celos IV system's four
planets not only by destroying the
Zylon ships, but also by warping to
their star system and wiping out the
bases which are producing the
attacking fleets.  To accomplish 
this, you have a single star fighter.
     Imagine 150 screens -- some
devilishly clever -- for you to guide
the LODE RUNNER through, each 
containing platforms, ladders,
bricks, poles -- and guards. Your
goal is to pick up all the pots of
gold on a screen.  When you do, a
ladder appears which leads you to the
next screen.
     Adapted directly from the arcade
version, BATTLE ZONE places you in a
tank, battling enemy tanks and other
vehicles.  All the details are
rendered in line drawings. (The
original used vector graphics.) Your
radar screen spots enemies;  you must
line one up in your sights and blast
it.
     With HARDBALL, you can play
baseball on your XE Game System
against either a friend or the
computer.  You can change the lineup,
shift the infield or outfield or
choose a designated hitter.  Once the
game starts, you control the pitcher
or the hitter.
     From its animated launch
sequence to the realistic mountains
and valleys, RESCUE ON FRACTALUS is
an exciting and very playable game.
You pilot a spacecrspacecraft whose
mission is to rescue downed pilots on
the planet Fractalus. Your long-range
scanners tell you where the pilots
are, but you must deal with enemy
saucers and lasers as well.
     $19.95 to $22.95 each.  Atari
Corp., 1196 Borregas Avenue, 
Sunnyvale, CA 94086.  (408) 745-2000.


-- 
 Michael Current, Cleveland Free-Net 8-bit Atari SIGOp   -->>  go atari8  <<--
   The Cleveland Free-Net Atari SIG is the Central Atari Information Network
      Internet: currentm@carleton.edu / UUCP: ...!umn-cs!ccnfld!currentm
     BITNET: currentm%carleton.edu@{interbit} / Cleveland Free-Net: aa700









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