A look at Aquaventure from Atari (Atari 2600, originally unreleased 1983 prototype)

From the introduction of the Atari Video Computer System (later renamed the Atari 2600) in September 1977 through the 1980's, there were approximately 500 or so titles (games) released for the console. Atari launched the system with nine titles and, for the first three years or so, manufactured and released 38 in total. For the next three years, in addition to Atari continuing to make games, third party companies like Activision, Games by Apollo, Imagic and many, many more added to that count. And even after the now legendary video game crash of 1983, some new titles continued to make it to market. However, there were also games that, due to the crash and perhaps other factors as well, were never released. These prototypes have come to be known as "lost" games, due to the fact that their existence was unknown for many years, before many of them were finally discovered and released in one form or another. And of course, games thought of as "lost" are often of great interest to gamers and collectors alike. And with that in mind, I'll now be looking at the Atari 2600 prototype Aquaventure, a game with a copyright date of 1983 that never made it to market back then but was subsequently released in 2005 and has been made available on several retro collections since. 

Aquaventure box art as seen on the Atari Vault on the Steam network

The above picture is from the Atari Vault on the Steam gaming network, which is where I first discovered Aquaventure. According to the brief online manual, "you're a world-famous treasure hunter on the trail of Calico Blue's sunken pirate ship." In the game, your man dives into the depths, descending downward until you reach the treasure chest sitting on the ocean floor. You then bring it up to the surface and are rewarded with a whopping 10,000 points for your efforts. However, as is always the case, it's not that easy because there are many obstacles and enemies standing in the way that result in instant death (the loss of a man) upon contact. These include the razor-sharp coral reef adorning the sides of the trench (screen), as well as poisonous fish, seahorses and other odd-looking underwater creatures moving back and forth in your path. Additionally, you only have a limited amount of air which is constantly depleting, so you must complete your task before it runs out. Your "little buddy Trax the Sea Turtle", who is waiting up on the beach, dutifully marches from screen left to screen right to remind you to hurry up and get back to the surface before there is no more air. And as is also always the case, these various challenges get more challenging with each level completed. As the sequence repeats, you must travel farther down to get the treasure, enemies get faster and harder to avoid, and the air supply drains ever quicker.

Like many titles of this era (unreleased or otherwise), Aquaventure is a simple, straightforward game that is easily understandable and enjoyable to play from the get-go, without the absolute necessity for reading the instruction manual (although I personally believe in always reading the manual first). You descend downward, scoring points as you eliminate some enemies with your spear gun, avoid others, grab the treasure and head back up in the allotted time for that aforementioned big points haul. The choice immediately presented to the player, which continues to be a factor as the action proceeds, is how much time to take zapping the baddies before grabbing that sparkling chest and swimming back to the surface. In other words, it's how many extra points do you think you can add before the risk towards your limited number of lives gets too high. On second thought, it might be best to at least read how much each of those cantankerous fish are worth before hitting the start button.

The mysterious mermaid awaits to guide you to the surface (Atari Vault photo)

The graphics in Aquaventure are colorful and fun, with the coral reefs having an appropriate red / orange tint, and the color of the water changing as the diver descends further down into the depths. The underwater enemies are also varied enough in their appearance, as are your friends, adding to the overall visual appeal. And speaking of friends, besides the aforementioned trustworthy turtle, there is a mysterious mermaid who comes to your assistance when you get near the surface of the water. All of this keeps things interesting graphics-wise. Additionally, the various blips and bleeps are lively enough to compliment the onscreen action and add to the excitement. 

One notable thing missing from Aquaventure, which is found in most games of this era, is the granting of extra lives at certain point levels. This is probably due to the fact that the game was a prototype and that feature simply hadn't been added yet. Whatever the case, it makes things ever more challenging because mistakes become much more costly. And when a player reaches a certain level, one must play with near perfection to keep going. And this leads to great frustration as the enemies become increasingly (and deceptively) more difficult to hit. (Hint: eliminating one enemy with your spear gun gives you a brief reprieve before a faster and angrier one takes its place).

Buried treasure awaits at the bottom of the trench (Atari Vault photo)

Overall Aquaventure, despite being a prototype, is a very solid title for the Atari 2600 that in my opinion would have made a great release back in the day. As mentioned, the overall look of the game is appealing, with decent colors and complimentary sounds. And while it would have been nice to see some other screens, or at least some variations in the playfield, I still find the gameplay to be addicting enough to keep coming back to it from time to time. So, if you're looking for a decent undersea adventure, give this game with an admittedly mysterious history a try.

Note: Aquaventure was released as a physical cartridge as part of the Atari XP line in 2022. It was also released for the Atari Flashback 2 (2005) console, Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, and Atari Collection 1 for Evercade.

A look at Frostbite from Activision (Atari 2600)

Ah the 1980's, that "decade of decadence" I so enjoy reminiscing about... The pop culture during those years was like no other, and as a teenager and young adult I was very much immersed in it. With regards to music, the first few years of the decade were particularly interesting because the U.S. pop charts were populated by a smorgasbord of different styles, such as soft rock 1970's holdover sounding songs, pop-country crossovers, and the glorious emergence of the New Wave. And I've noticed only recently while listening to the various Sirius XM 80's channels, and studying my car infotainment screen, that many of my favorite pop songs were released (here in the U.S.) in the year 1983. These include The Safety Dance (by Men Without Hats), True (by Spandau Ballet), Living on Video (by Trans-X), and my go-to manifestation song Flashdance (What a Feeling) (by Irene Cara). And indirectly related to that quick trip down memory lane, and interesting enough, is the fact that a good many of my recent game reviews here have been for titles released that same year. (1983 was certainly a standout year in a standout decade). And this time around the game we're talking about also fits that bill. It's the Atari 2600 title Frostbite from third-party manufacturer Activision. Now let's have a look at it, shall we...

While Frostbite is not generally named in lists of Activision's most iconic early 1980's titles, it's simple gameplay is fun and very addicting. In this game designed by Steve Cartwright you control arctic denizen Frostbite Bailey as he tries to build an igloo by hopping across ice floes in the sea. Every time he jumps on a floating piece of white ice it changes to blue and a block is added to the structure. You must turn all four rows of ice blue, which immediately turns them all white again, before more blocks can be added to your arctic sanctuary. When the igloo is complete a door appears and Frostbite can scoot on inside, resulting in points being awarded for each block, as well as for any time remaining on the onscreen timer. And these points increase in value as the levels do. Bonus points are also awarded for scooping up fish (his only food) that swim by, and bonus lives are awarded at every 5,000 points. But of course, like with most games, dangers await as well...

A Frostbite game cartridge

Besides missing a jump and falling into the icy water, other obstacles in your quest which can result in the loss of a man include Alaskan King Crabs, snow geese, and killer clams, all of which will rudely push Mr. Bailey off the ice for a cold plunge. At level 4 the Polar Grizzlies come out of hibernation and guard the entrance to the igloo, pushing your man right off the screen if they can! Additionally, the aforementioned timer is really a thermometer, and if it the temperature reaches zero (Burr!) before you complete your task, it's curtains (for one man) also.

I liked this game immediately precisely because of its simplicity. That is, after a quick perusal of the manual (it's always best to read the manual IMHO) I understood what to do and quickly started playing. The graphics and sounds are fine, though perhaps a bit more basic than some other Activision titles (Megamania, another game designed by Mr. Cartwright, comes to mind). But the gameplay is what really works here, as it nicely combines elements of popular arcade hits Frogger and Q*bert, while still feeling unique and original enough.

The Frostbite playfield (with my current high score)

Like many early Atari 2600 games, Frostbite starts slowly and gradually increases in difficulty. In the opening stages without enemies, it's best to practice the jumps and try to get a feel for the flow of the ice and Frostbite's jumping capabilities (you can "hook" him around in midair to a great degree). After the enemies near the water appear, I've found the challenge is cranked up immediately even when they are (initially) moving at a slow pace. And when the grizzlies come out to stalk you on land, it gets really challenging because that darn bear hovers around your igloo entrance quite frequently. I haven't discovered any patterns yet that guarantee getting through a particular level without losing lives, but I have found that taking a few extra moments to catch some of the fish swimming near one another is worth the while. For me, Frostbite falls into that category of games where things often end frustratingly quickly on one play, but then I get "on a roll" the next time and rack up a high score. But beyond my score pictured above, it gets very difficult. The manual states you need to achieve a score of 40,000 points to become a part of the "ARCTIC ARCHITECTS". I suspect it may be a while before I join that illustrious club. 

Overall, I find Frostbite to be a lot of fun, and a game that has high replay value. The arctic setting is also interesting. Unlike some other games of the era that offered multiple screens, this one has just the one, but that is not to its detriment because the increasing speed of the ice flow and enemies provides enough challenge to keep it fresh. It will be interesting to see if I can top 20,000 points, and if so, if the game gets mind-numbingly difficult after that or not. The manual also mentions seeing a "magic fish" at a certain high score. Now that is something to look forward to! If you're looking to play a lesser-known Activision title you may have missed "back in the day", give Frostbite a try. But remember not to stay out in the cold too long. Burr!

Gen-X, Atari and "The World of Silence"

Over the years I've come to realize just how much pop culture history there is on the internet. Besides all the newest media constantly being produced, almost everything that came before the internet is routinely discussed, examined, chronicled and reviewed, including in video form. For example, when it comes to Atari and retrogames in general, it is almost certain one can find a YouTube video review, or at least a play-through, of most titles going back to the beginning of the "Golden Age of arcades" and the earliest successful home consoles. 

In my biography I mention being a Gen-Xer (in addition to being a retro-gamer). And lately I've been watching a lot of interesting videos from various "psychology" YouTube sites talking about the history of Gen-Xer's and how they think and act. A general discussion of my generation would, of course, fill countless web pages. But one common theme routinely emphasized in these videos is how Gen-Xer's, the generation between Baby Boomers and Millennials, have generally been successful in transitioning from what may be referred to as the "World of Silence" to the "World of Noise".

One of many Gen-X images - this one featuring kids playing in the street

Before today's world of the internet, instant communication devices, and various forms of buzzing, beeping, distracting notifications constantly bombarding us and clamoring for our attention at every moment, there was the "World of Silence". And this was the world that generations before mine, who were not "connected" the way people are today, lived in. While there was passive media to engage with when / if people chose to (radio, television, etc.), folks had lots of personal, face to face interactions with others (talking, playing, etc.), as well as quiet time for thinking uninterrupted by electronic interventions. As the pop psychology goes, past generations were therefore able to better relate to others, as well as their own internal thoughts and contemplations. They didn't need constant media stimulation and instant gratification like young people today have become accustomed or even addicted to. And Gen-Xer's were the last generation to fully grow up in this quieter environment, while at the same time still being young enough to easily adapt and transition to the emerging (at that time) "World of Noise". Put a different way, much of the psychology suggests that Gen-Xer's were strengthened from living for so many years in the "World of Silence", which has been to their benefit today.

Another Gen-X image - this one showing kids together and bike riding

The two images above obviously highlight some typical activities of Gen-X kids, emphasizing how much fun we all had playing outdoors and doing things together. And I do remember this well and have fond memories of those days. But being that this is a retrogaming blog, I'll also point out that when the weather wasn't as good as it is pictured in these photos, I would often keep myself entertained with my trusted Atari 2600. And the simple pixels and sounds coming from that very much "unconnected" (except for the wires) console were also sufficiently entertaining when there were a group of us together.

An Atari advertisement with a "fun for the whole family" theme

The Atari 2600 was very much a part of the "World of Silence" in the same way that board games were. That is, it was a simple activity that fostered fun, interpersonal communication and interaction all ages could enjoy. Or if someone was by themselves, it provided an enjoyable singular activity that you alone controlled the pace of, unlike the phones of today which pull at their owners with implied urgency. And it's interesting to note that, while the Atari of today has expanded into many of the new technology platforms (as would be expected for any tech company), their main focus is still on retrogaming. Indeed, many of their most advertised new consoles are updated versions of their classic systems. And this makes sense, since Gen-Xers grew up with these consoles and many still have such a strong connection to those days of playing them in the long ago "World of Silence".

A look at Krull from Atari (Atari 2600)

Happy 2026 everyone! In my first blog post of the new year, we head back to the early days of movie-video game adaptions to look at the 1983 release Krull for the Atari 2600. The 1983 Sci-Fi adventure movie of the same name concerns a prince named Colwyn (Ken Marshall) and a princess named Lyssa (Lysette Anthony) who were to be married in an alliance against an alien beast threatening their small world of Krull. However, hordes of the beast's unstoppable warriors known as Slayers kidnap the fair princess and whisk her away to the evil creature's Black Fortress. And it is up to the brave Colwyn and his group to undertake a seemingly suicidal rescue mission in order to save the planet. Exciting indeed! Now let's take a look at the game.

The wedding of Prince Colwyn and Princess Lyssa is rudely interrupted by slayers

The game consists of four screens, the first of which is the aforementioned wedding between your character Colwyn and the princess. After a very brief snippet of "Here Comes the Bride" music, the slayers descend from the top of the screen aiming to capture Lyssa who is below. One leading slayer at a time will display a bright weapon called a Neon Spear, which means death for you (the loss of a life) if touched. To kill the slayers, simply run into them, while avoiding making contact with a spear (whether still being held or thrown). This is by far the easiest and most straightforward of the screens, and I've found the best strategy for racking up points is to zip around eliminating all the slayers not carrying spears, then quickly taking out the remaining one as soon as the spear is thrown. However, even if one plays well here, the enemies will eventually get past you, capture the princess, and take her away to the beast's lair. Onward!

On the next screen you'll travel across the Iron Desert riding a Fire Mare in your quest to rescue your beloved Lyssa. As you traverse the territory, extra lives and / or glaives will appear on the terrain below. And when either is directly below you, they will flash momentarily. Here you must quickly push the controller button in order to pick them up. Picking up an extra life will add it to your count, and picking up glaives is essential in order to have the weapon necessary to defeat the beast in The Black Fortress. The very first time the Iron Desert screen appears, you're riding slowly, and it's not that difficult to pick up whatever appears. However, in subsequent screens the Fire Mares ride at a quick pace, and so far, I've found it to be rather difficult to snag the needed lives and weapons. I often think I'm hitting the button precisely when the objects flash, but nevertheless tend to miss most of them. I'm guessing this is a timing thing that I'll get the hang of as I play more, and soon instinctively know how to successfully pick up more of these essentials. But we'll see...

You are Prince Colwyn riding a Fire Mare through the Iron Desert in Atari's Krull

After your long trek through the desert (which actually goes quite quickly), you'll arrive at the Widow of the Web. This screen consists of a giant, moving spider web with a lethal arachnid walking about, and a cocoon (which looks like a white door) on the top of it. Your task is to jump over strands of the sticky web and make it to the cocoon, in order to learn the location of the Black Forest. A flashing indicator will appear when you make it to the top, revealing which way to move off the screen to proceed on your mission. (The indicator disappears when you move off the cocoon). But this must be done in a limited amount of time, before the sun sets, and before the hourglass indicator runs out and the killer spider makes a beeline towards you. Of the four screens, I've found this one to be the most difficult and frustrating, primarily because each jump and movement must be incredibly precise, otherwise you'll find yourself being endlessly stuck and/or pushed backwards. So far, I've struggled to make it to the top, even in earlier, slower stages, and often gotten endlessly stuck in the web once up there. In fact, several times, my prince has been stuck for so long, I've forgotten where the correct passageway is by the time I'm finally free of the web. It's also worth mentioning that, even having read the instructions, it was initially unclear what the "correct passageway" meant. Through trial and error, I finally realized it meant moving my man right across what looks like strands of web and off the screen where the flashing indicator appears. I think this could have been better articulated, since my natural inclination was to move through the clear spaces between the web strands because they more resemble a "passageway".

The nifty Krull box art

Upon leaving the Widow of the Web, you'll traverse the Iron Desert and hopefully pick up extra lives and / or glaives along the way. Then, if you've correctly identified the path to The Black Fortress in the time allotted, you'll battle the Beast. If not, you're sent riding back to the web minus one life or (if no lives remain) one glaive. The Beast moves back and forth, guarding a prison holding the captured princess. You must have a glaive to fight it, and the weapon is activated by pressing the joystick fire button and thrown by releasing it. It can be guided on the way to the wall by moving the controller and must be caught on the way back. Each time the glaive hits the wall a brick is removed (similar to Atari's classic Breakout), while your weapon is lost if it hits the beast or you fail to catch it upon return. If there are no more glaives, you must make a hasty retreat out the left or right side of the screen. Then it's back across the Iron Desert and to the web yet again. If, on the other hand, a hole is made in the wall, the princess will be released and turned into a deadly weapon which will destroy the Beast. And Krull will have been saved, at least until the game begins again at a faster, more difficult pace.

Destroying the Beast is a bit easier than the web or riding stages, and is mostly a matter of learning and / or anticipating the enemy movements in order to keep your glaives. I've found it's better to be strategic and concentrate on punching a hole in one section of the wall, rather than firing haphazardly as fast as possible and quickly losing glaives blocked by the Beast. Put another way, patience is key. And, I might note, The Beast itself is rather blobby and non-descript looking, reminding me a bit of the ape in the 2600 version of Donkey Kong. I would have liked to have seen a bit more definition here, although this is just a minor complaint.

I've dedicated an abundance of text describing gameplay in this post, due to the fact that Krull has a lot going on in each of its various stages. And this is a good thing which adds to the appeal and challenge of the game. And challenge really is the key word with Krull, because with the exception of the wedding stage, which is merely a matter of accumulating as many points as possible while avoiding making careless mistakes, the other stages are all heavily intertwined and dependent on one another. And mastering very detailed movements and skills (such as the web jumps) determines how well one does in terms of both getting to the next level and racking up higher scores. That is to say, it's not a game one can get a complete handle on after just a couple play throughs. At least, it hasn't been for me since I began playing. So, it may turn off some players who aren't willing to put in a bit of extra effort to get past what often seem like overly difficult spots in the game. But for those willing to keep at it, Krull presents some unique challenges that are satisfying when finally mastered. All in all, it's a well-made adventure game with mostly adequate graphics, inspired by a uniquely 1980's piece of fantastical cinema. As Prince Colwyn famously said, "The reward is freedom... and fame!"

A look at Bank Heist from 20th Century Fox Games of the Century (Atari 2600)

20th Century Fox produced a number of interesting titles for the Atari 2600 in their "Games of the Century" line during the early 1980's. And in November of last year, I looked at the fast-paced Beany Bopper, where the objective is to stop those "meany beanies from buzzing the city". This month I'll be discussing their 1983 release Bank Heist, a game that doesn't feel quite as frantic when compared to bopping beanies but nevertheless offers enough of a challenge to keep it interesting. 

Bank Heist is a maze game designed by Bill Aspromonte where you control a getaway car driving through various cities robbing banks for cash. (Why else would a thief rob a bank after all)? Four different cities are represented by mazes of different configurations, with all having two passageways on both the left and right side of the screen. Three of these are wraparound tunnels which simply bring your car to the opposite side of the screen, while the final tunnel (the one on the upper right) is an exit to the next town. When you rob a bank by running over it, you're awarded points, but a cop car also appears and begins pursuit. To disable them, your car can drop a stick of dynamite out of the back tailpipe. And once a police car is disabled, a new bank appears ripe for robbing. Up to three banks can be on screen at a time, as can three pursuing police cars. In addition, your car burns gas as time goes by, and as a result of dropping dynamite. If you run out of gas, are caught, or blow yourself up accidentally you'll lose a getaway car. If you can rob nine banks in a town, you're awarded an extra car upon leaving the town. After the four cities have been cleared, you'll loop back to the first city, but the pace of the game quickens. The objective of the game is to get as high a money score as possible before running out of getaway cars.

Bank Heist is a game where mazes represent cities full of banks to be robbed

Upon first look, Bank Heist is a straightforward maze game that harkens back to the early Atari 2600 release Maze Craze (which was billed as "A Game of Cops 'n Robbers"), as well as having some things in common with Pac-Man and other games like it. However, there are many enjoyable Pac-Man clones, so similarities like the wraparound tunnels aren't necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, I found Bank Heist to be a lot of fun and noticed the game does have its own unique style. So put on your pin-striped suit, hop in your antique car and read on to learn more...

The first plus is that Bank Heist doesn't have an overly steep learning curve, except for getting the hang of when to drop the dynamite sticks, which makes playing it enjoyable fairly quickly. Basically, in the beginning stages, when the pace is slower (I played on the easier difficulty level), the trick is to let the cop cars get fairly close to you before dropping the explosive. And only in later stages, when things have sped up quite a bit, should they be dropped a bit further ahead of time (but still not way ahead). It also takes a bit of practice to get out of the habit of making any abrupt about-face turns that result in your car running into the dynamite which was just dropped. That factor differs from many other maze games where the only danger in such turns is the possibility of running into a pursuer. And speaking of turns, making them accurately (even with the trusted Atari 2600 joystick) in the somewhat complex mazes can get very challenging as the pace quickens. And the better one is at it, the higher the score. Indeed, my latest high-score run ended primarily from losing getaway cars due to missing crucial turns.

The colorful box and cartridge art for Bank Heist

The graphics and sounds in the game are fine, and what one might expect from an Atari 2600 title of this era, with the siren sound of the cop cars adding to the anxious feeling of being chased. But the real challenge is balancing the quest to rack up points in each maze with eliminating the threat of running out of gas by quickly moving on to the next city. While it's fairly easy to rob the nine banks required for an extra getaway car, it's also desirable (especially in the early stages) to stay as long in each city as possible and rob additional banks which become worth the maximum 90 points each. And doing this to best effect before the gas gauge depletes requires mastering several things, such as the aforementioned skill in making turns, learning to use the tunnels to save time, memorizing where the banks appear (on the right difficulty switch B setting only) and of course being adept at using the explosives. All of this makes for some challenging gameplay.

Another Bank Heist screen (showing my current high-score)

Though not completely original, Bank Heist has just enough going for it to offer some fun, challenging gameplay. This is due mainly to the fact that with each game it's possible to get a little better at one or more of the aforementioned crucial aspects and inch up that high-score. Also, playing a bank robber being chased by the police (as opposed to the reverse) is a neat plot device which adds to the fun. So, while I doubt this title will ever make my top ten list, it's an enjoyable Atari 2600 game which I recommend.

A look at the Atari 2600/7800 visual compendium (book)

As mentioned in my very first For the Love of Atari blog post, Tim Lapetino's book Art of Atari rekindled my interest in the consoles and games from the classic company. His most excellent hardcover tells many stories of the unsung graphic artists who were responsible for some of the most iconic and memorable Atari artwork of years past. And like that book, the Atari 2600/7800 visual compendium (which only recently came back into print) is a must-read for any Atari fan.

The first section in this 528-page volume from Bitmap Books gives an extensive history of the company, detailing its inception all the way through to the "New Atari" of today. Along the way we learn about the many different people involved, from founder Nolan Bushnell to Ray Kassar, to the talented Atari programmers who would leave to form the first-ever third-party competitor Activision. And of course, there is much discussion about the development of two of Atari's most classic consoles, namely the 2600 VCS and the 7800 Pro System. Also discussed are technical and aesthetic details of these systems, release dates, marketing considerations, competitors, sales performance and much, much more. I've always found the story of this company, with its various ups and downs over the decades, to be fascinating. And although this information is available in pieces through many sources, both in print and online, having it here all in one place with such detailed discussion is great. This alone is worth the price of this fact-packed hardcover.

The Atari 2600/7800 visual compendium

The book also spotlights numerous notable games for both the 2600 VCS and the 7800 Pro System. Each title is featured in a colorful two-page layout with a screenshot showing what the game looks like along with information on the platform, release date, genre and publisher. And the folks writing about the various titles include games journalists, designers and programmers. I really liked these short write-ups which provide a nostalgic reminiscing on these classic games from Atari and various third-party companies. And additionally, there is also a section featuring some of the best cover artwork on video game boxes for both systems. These pages show photos of many memorable 2600 and 7800 video game boxes, with the text speaking about the mechanics of each game and the way the impressive cover art relates to it. Indeed, as is pointed out at the beginning of the section, at a time when game visuals were often fairly basic, it fell to the cover art to appeal to prospective players. And the folks who created these designs definitely delivered.

The colorful graphics of Yars' Revenge

The box art for Atari 2600 Space Invaders

Another impressive part of this book is the information provided through interviews with some true retrogaming luminaries including Dan Kitchen, Carol Shaw and Howard Scott Warshaw, among others. These folks give some truly unique perspectives into the state of the burgeoning video game industry at the time, as well as on their own significant contributions to it. And the conversations are all quite good, providing interesting stories and insights into how they started in the industry, their memories of working on early video games, and discussions of where their professional lives took them as the years went on. I found these interviews to be informative and enjoyable, to say the least.

The Atari 2600/7800 visual compendium includes a section on homebrew games

And finally, this compendium also contains sections on prototypes and homebrew games. The prototypes section has a lengthy listing of titles and some nice photos of the game screens, along with platform, genre and developer credits for each. Some titles receive a bit of informative discussion, while others simply get a small photo with the credits, presumably because more details are available about some of these prototypes than others. I have to admit, the only one I've played (as of yet) is Save Mary, which I found to be a lot of fun. But after reading about some of the others, I may seek out more of the ones that are available.

And I'm also still relatively new to homebrews, having collected only a small number of Atari 2600 releases (mostly from Champ Games) over the past few years. (See several of my past posts about some of those homebrews). But some of the titles for that system and the 7800 detailed here look quite impressive and only fueled my interest in perhaps looking into purchasing other games. Like the prototypes section some titles simply get a photo along with basic credits, while others get more coverage. Either way, it's a nice addition to this impressive book.

The Atari 2600/7800 visual compendium is just that - a visual, comprehensive guide that walks the reader through the fascinating history of Atari and their classic games and systems from the inception of the company to modern day. Packed with insightful information and brimming with colorful visuals, it's a must-read for any retrogaming enthusiast. Highly recommended.

A look at Subterranea from Imagic (Atari 2600)

The 1983 space shooter Subterranea is a hidden gem from an Atari 2600 third-party publisher that arguably released several of the most memorable titles during the heyday of the classic console. Imagic of course followed closely behind Activision (the first third-party publisher) in competing against Atari's own games and is best known for classic hits like Demon Attack and Atlantis, among others. Both of these well-known space shooters have solid, addicting gameplay, and the same can be said for Subterranea. So, with that in mind, let's take a look at this lesser-known game.

Subterranea is a horizontally scrolling space shooter similar to the arcade (and Atari 2600) classic defender, where your ship (called a ranger in the instructions) has the freedom of movement to travel and fire in either direction on the screen. And holding the joystick button down produces rapid-fire. The action starts as the monstrous Hexuplex, a spider-looking creature which guards the dark tunnels below, unleashes lethal Aerobots upwards to try and collide with you. As the beastie slides back and forth, the challenge is to anticipate when it will release these tracking projectiles so you're far enough away to maneuver and destroy them before they destroy you. This can get quite tricky considering how relatively close you are to the Hexuplex, and often requires quickly zipping to the opposite side of the screen, turning and blasting away before it's too late. It's engaging gameplay right from the start.

The monstrous Hexuplex releases Aerobots which you must destroy!

After destroying all the Aerobots a sparkling crystal appears on the bottom of the screen, which when picked up increases your point score and opens a tunnel that you descend through to the underworld. You'll then face more flying attackers, some of which (in later levels) can fire at you, that must also be destroyed. These enemies appear on either side of the screen and move horizontally. Destroying all attackers in a wave without being hit earns another ship. I find the best strategy here is to get behind them as they are exiting the screen and then shoot, thereby taking away the risk of a collision or being blasted (since they only fire forward). This gets more important as the skill levels increase, because the enemies often fire immediately as they appear on the screen, leaving little time for reaction. It should also be noted that touching the sides of the tunnels decreases your score more and more the longer the contact continues, while touching a skull costs a life. Conversely, if you're good enough to clear a wave of enemies without being hit, you're awarded a bonus ranger (up to a maximum of seven). Like the opening action, these battles are engaging and require getting a feel for the best way to deal with the different foes. 

After defeating all enemies in a tunnel, you'll encounter the Electro-Gates, which are narrow passageways with flash pulses you must descend through in order to advance to another tunnel. This is a matter of timing, which means waiting for each pulse to appear and disappear, then inching your ship past it to the next pulse, and so on until all are cleared. Unlike the frantic space battles, this requires precise, nuanced movements of the joystick which takes some getting used to. And it's also an exercise in tension, because touching the Electro-Gates or a flash pulse puts you back to the beginning again. And after three failed attempts you're sent back to the previous tunnel which must be replayed with no points awarded for destroying enemies. Conversely, taking too much time to descend through the Electro-Gates costs points. I think the cool thing about this stage is how the game shifts abruptly from fast-paced battle action to concentrated, calculated maneuvers. It's a very nice touch.

Your ranger must descend through the Electro-Gates in order to advance further

Following successful completion of the bottom tunnel, you fly through a transit port and enter another big cavern where... the Hexuplex is back! And now it's unleashing faster and smarter Aerobots at you! And the whole adventure starts all over again at a higher skill level. As the instruction manual says, "try to capture another crystal!"

Subterranea box art, featuring Imagic's distinctive silver and red coloring

Subterranea is a fun space shooter from a company known for some excellent space shooters, such as the titles mentioned above. Those two games put Imagic on the map and are still among my favorite Atari 2600 titles to this day. And this game is arguably even more accomplished, given its multiple screens, varying gameplay and different types of enemies. It's also got decent graphics and sounds, with a gradually increasing difficulty that will leave retro gamers eager to play again to top that current high score. Highly recommended.