Classic Look Back - My favorite arcade games - Part 3

Welcome to the third installment in my list of my favorites from the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". (See the June and July 2026 posts for Parts 1 and 2, respectively). Enjoy!

#9 - Centipede

The fixed shooter title Centipede developed and published by Atari in 1981 for arcades was a massive hit for the company and is also notable for being among the first games widely embraced by a female audience. Using a trackball controller, you navigate a small, insect-like "Bug Blaster" around the bottom section of a field of mushrooms, firing darts upward at a segmented centipede moving downward from the top of the screen. Destroying any segment other than the head of the creepy-crawly creature creates separate centipedes which move individually. Once they reach the bottom, they loop around the player area and new head segments appear periodically, making things more difficult until all are eliminated. Other enemies include Fleas, Spiders and Scorpions, all of which affect gameplay in different ways and all of which can also be destroyed for points. Your Bug Blaster is destroyed by a collision with any enemy, and an extra life is awarded every 12,000 points. With each centipede that is destroyed, the game gets faster and more difficult. The goal is to achieve the highest score possible before expending all lives.

Mushrooms are everywhere in Atari's arcade smash Centipede

Centipede is an action-packed, fast-moving game that is quite simply a lot of fun. It's appealing due to its colorful and unique playfield which makes gameplay interesting to say the least. So much is onscreen to fire at that there's never a dull moment, and at the same time, one can employ quite a bit of strategy. For example, rapidly clearing away mushrooms for breathing room (and a few extra points) brings Fleas divebombing down to replenish them, but ignoring the shrooms as they get progressively denser accelerates the arrival of the centipede to the bottom. And there is definitely an art to avoiding collisions with the Spider and also destroying as many as possible at close range for big points. This is of course all accomplished using the trackball, a controller which wasn't the most common and was only used in a handful of famous titles. But the feel and movement of this controller also add to the fun and unique rhythm of the game. For these reasons, Centipede was always among my go-to arcade games.

#8 - Moon Patrol

Moon Patrol is a side-scrolling space shooter game developed by Irem and published by Williams Electronics for arcades in America in 1982. The player takes the role of a Luna City police officer driving a lunar rover through hostile territory on the surface of the moon. Your vehicle travels over the bumpy surface from left to right and fires bullets simultaneously forward and upward to defend against obstacles and enemies in front of and above you. The flying combatants drop bombs, some of which create craters which must be jumped over in the same way boulders in your path can be avoided (in addition to firing on them). There are two courses divided into 26 checkpoints which are labeled with letters from the alphabet, and progress through these checkpoints is displayed in a timeline-style map at the top of the screen. Other items displayed are time elapsed, indicator lights signaling upcoming enemy attacks, and score. As you move along, a funky, upbeat electronic tune plays in the background. Points are awarded by destroying or avoiding obstacles, taking down enemies, and beating average times to clear courses. Extra rovers (lives) are awarded at 10,000, 30,000, and 50,000 points, and the game ends when your last patrol car is destroyed.

Riding across the surface of the moon in your lunar rover in Moon Patrol

As I've often mentioned, space shooter games were usually among my favorites back in the days of the arcades. And Moon Patrol was certainly a unique one, primarily because of its side-scrolling action. This game also always had a very user-friendly, inviting feel due to its overall look and fun background music, and it was one where you could immediately start playing and more or less know what to do. And I think the checkpoints were an especially nice touch because I always found them to be motivational. That is, passing one reminded me I was one step closer to completing the course. Combine those things with colorful graphics that "popped" and challenging gameplay and you've got a winner. And Moon Patrol certainly was a winner in my book, and another excellent release from the always reliable Williams Electronics.

#7 - Asteroids

Asteroids is a vector graphics space shooter developed and published by Atari for arcades in 1979. In the game the player controls a triangular shaped ship navigating an asteroid field seen in a two-dimensional view where all objects wrap around both screen axes, while an ominous and slowly accelerating pulsing sound is heard in the background. The ship can rotate left and right, thrust forward, and fire to destroy the asteroids for points. As these space rocks are shot, they break into smaller, faster moving asteroids which are more difficult to hit but are worth more points. Enemy saucers also appear to attack, with the large ones firing randomly and generally inaccurately, while the small ones are more precise and therefore more dangerous. Destroying these threats also increases a player's score, and bonus lives are earned at every 10,000 points. When a screen has been completely cleared, a new level begins with a new set of large asteroids. Additionally, the player can activate "hyperspace", which makes the ship disappear and reappear randomly in another spot of the playfield. This can be used to avoid imminent destruction from an asteroid hit or enemy fire, but the player runs the risk of being destroyed upon reappearing. And like most arcade games, play becomes increasingly difficult as more levels are cleared, more asteroids appear on screen, and enemy fire (only small saucers appear after 40,000 points) gets more and more accurate. The goal is to score as many points as possible before all lives are lost. 

The Asteroids arcade cabinet as pictured on Atari Vault on Steam

Asteroids was Atari's best-selling arcade title and with good reason. It was highly original when first introduced, and the gameplay is compelling, fast paced, intense, and challenging to say the least. The minimalist vector graphics with black background, combined with the unnerving drone sound compliment the theme of deep space isolation. But most of all, I've always found this game to be deceptively difficult. After a level or two the asteroids become really tough to avoid, and one cannot simply haphazardly fire at the larger ones (especially in close proximity) because of the unpredictability in the trajectory of the smaller sized rocks. And despite the aforementioned description of the large saucers not being accurate in targeting, I've found all saucer attacks after those initial stages to be tough to avoid. And yet despite the steep acceleration in difficulty, it's a game that begs the player to keep trying different strategies in order to reach higher scores. Is it best to stay in the center of the screen no matter what, take your chances thrusting around, or leave one asteroid floating in space and go up against the enemy ships one by one as they appear? Whatever approach I take, the point is that I keep hitting that reset button.

Watch my future posts where I will continue my "Best Of" arcade games list.

Classic Look Back - My favorite arcade games - Part 2

Welcome to the second installment in my list of my favorites from the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". (See the June 2026 post for Part 1.) Enjoy!

#12 - Joust

Joust is a unique arcade game from 1982 developed and published by the ever-reliable Williams Electronics (publisher of Defender, among other classics). It is an action-combat game where players control a knight seated atop an ostrich flying above a rock formation surrounded by lava. The goal is to defeat enemy knights riding buzzards by "jousting" with them. That is, your character collides with the enemies, and whoever has their lance higher wins. Defeated opponents become eggs you can collect for points, and after every fifth level (called waves), there is an egg stage where it's possible to rack up big points by collecting them before they hatch. Besides the enemy combatants, other foes include a pterodactyl and an indestructible Lava Troll that grabs all who fly too low on the screen. And as with most games, as the waves progress things get more and more challenging.

As mentioned, Joust definitely had one of the more unique premises among games from the "Golden Era". And while it was never what I'd call my "go-to" game, I did come back to this colorful cabinet quite often and always found it to be exciting and engaging. The mechanics of flying your ostrich higher or lower by pressing the button more or less rapidly was always the most challenging part of it, as it took a lot of practice to wind up in just the right spot to win those (constant) jousting battles. Also, it was very easy to find your ostrich suddenly zipping rapidly across the screen, only to realize you had to abruptly slow down in order to pick up an egg. The sound effect of "skidding" to a stop always made this a hair-raising experience. All in all, Joust was a solid arcade game which translated fairly well to many home consoles, including the Atari 5200 where I continue to play it to this day.

You battle enemy knights in Joust (arcade)

#11 - Robotron: 2084

Coming in next on my list is Robotron: 2084 (also known simply as Robotron), another Williams Electronics arcade hit from 1982. Developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar of Vid Kidz, this game is set in a dystopian future where Robots have risen up to destroy the human race. You play the role of a "super-powered genetically engineered mutant" tasked with destroying wave after wave of the mechanical beasties and saving human survivors in the process. The game employs a dual-joystick system, where the left stick controls movement and the right controls firing. Robotron is a frenetic, fast-paced experience which really tests your nerves and reflexes as you blast away at all forms of robot foes on an increasingly densely populated playfield. 

The fact that Robotron had a relatively unique (for the time) dual stick control system gave it high replay value. This is because using a second joystick for firing inherently made playing a more physical experience than on many other arcade cabinets, one where after only a couple waves the intensity level was very high. I always found myself quickly putting another quarter (or token) into the machine to continue the adrenaline rush. And I should note also that the Atari 5200 version of Robotron is quite good as well. It was one of only two 5200 releases (the other being the equally excellent Space Dungeon) which included a hard plastic dual controller holder used to replicate the arcade experience. If you have that console and can find one of these oversized boxes with the holder intact, it's a great collection pickup. 

Sensory overload in Robotron: 2084 (arcade)

#10 - Tempest

Tempest is a tube shooter vector graphics game developed and published by Atari for arcades in 1981. In it you control a "blaster" that looks a bit like a claw, moving around the edges of a three-dimensional playfield. Using a rotary knob, also called a "spinner" control, you fire at various types of enemies advancing up or moving around different playfield configurations. The enemies of course fire back and / or try to collide with or capture your blaster, which costs one life. After all the enemies have been cleared from a screen, you "warp" to the next screen which is more difficult than the last. There is also a "Superzapper" button which can be used once per level to destroy all enemies currently on the playfield. And as with most games, the more enemies blasted and levels cleared, the more your score increases. Besides employing vector technology, Tempest was also the first to let players start a new game at a higher level if they wished (through a system Atari called "SkillStep").

Be sure to Avoid the Spikes in Atari's Tempest (arcade)

Tempest was definitely one of the wildest looking arcade games I'd seen at the time, with its colorful vector graphics and seemingly endless parade of strange looking screen configurations. And while I probably didn't realize it then, the spinner control also made it inherently different than any other cabinet in the room. Much like Robotron, this was a game that felt intense right from the get-go, due to the varied array of enemies with their strange behavior patterns (Flippers, Pulsars, Fuseballs, Spikers and more), the frenetic way you moved around the edges of fields, and the jarring sounds employed. The look of the game always made it feel futuristic too, including the way you "warped" to the next screen upon completing the previous one. Basically, Tempest always provided a very unique gameplay experience with high replay value. 

Watch my future posts where I will continue my "Best Of" arcade games list.

Classic Look Back - My favorite arcade games - Part 1

Being a Gen-Xer, I was fortunate to have grown up during what is affectionately known as the "Golden Age of Arcade Games" in the late 1970's and early 1980's. I fondly remember always looking forward to Saturdays, which was usually the day when I'd do the most gaming at the local arcades. It was the most exciting day because I'd join my friends in a bowling league every Saturday morning, and then we'd either walk or be driven to the nearby mall. And the whole afternoon and early evening would consist of hitting the machines (there were two arcades side by side in our mall), eating at Papa Gino's Pizza, and occasionally meandering through stores (in that order). And in more recent days, I've been fortunate to revisit classic arcade games with trips to Robot City Games in Binghamton, NY, a place which has actual token-gobbling cabinets (and a ton of pinball machines too) all lined up standing side by side in an appropriately dark room. And it's these arcade cabinets I'll be discussing here, specifically my favorite games from that Golden Age.

#15 - Dig Dug

The maze game Dig Dug was developed and released by Namco in Japan and Europe in 1982, and released by Atari in the U.S. that same year to huge critical and commercial success. Home versions then followed for numerous platforms throughout the 1980's. In the game you control the title character who tunnels through dirt layers armed with an air pump used to inflate enemy Pookas and fire-breathing Fygars until they explode. Rocks can also be dislodged to fall on these beasties who can float through the dirt and will kill Dig Dug on contact (as does Fygar fire). Bonus items also appear, giving players the chance to rack up big points. 

This is a game I put in the "cutesy" category because it features animated characters and is not a shoot 'em up fight or space battle. As maze games go, I always found it to be highly addicting with good game play. It also has fun music and bright, colorful graphics which give the chase an energetic feel. And at heart it's really a fast-paced strategy game where you try to maximize points on each screen while avoiding losing lives. For example, when possible, it's good to try to take out multiple enemies with one falling rock by stunning several of them then strategically letting it fall (but not on you). And trying to get every bonus item helps that cause too. But of course, these things get more difficult as the levels progress and enemies speed up. All in all, Dig Dug is a fun game with high replay value.

The Dig Dug playfield

#14 - Arkanoid

The block-breaking game Arkanoid was developed by Taito and released in 1986, a few years after the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". Inspired by the 1976 Atari hit Breakout, it expands gameplay by offering an opening Sci-Fi backstory screen, multiple block configurations, indestructible blocks, power-ups, and an eventual "boss" screen (which I've yet to see unfortunately). According to Wikipedia (see link above), it was released for the Commodore 64 (computer), Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and mobile phones. And while it was ported for Atari home computers, it was (unfortunately) never released to any of their classic gaming consoles.

I've been playing this game quite a bit in recent years at Robot City Games retro arcade, and just like back in the day, I always kind of scratch my head at the backstory screen postulating that your paddle is a spaceship. It simply doesn't look like one to me. Nevertheless, it's an exciting game where you need to focus acutely (even more so than with its predecessor) on calculating where to angle every bounce in order to clear the intricate screens made up of various block configurations. And the power-ups greatly enhance things because trying to grab them while simultaneously avoiding missing the ball can be quite the challenge. Also, the weird looking enemies which resemble some kind of molecule configurations add to the fun. This one is highly recommended for those who haven't played it before (and for old-school Breakout aficionados).

One of many colorful screens in Arkanoid

 #13 - Time Pilot

Time Pilot is a 1982 multidirectional shooter game from Konami where you control a fighter plane battling enemy forces in five different time periods. The game starts in 1910 with enemy biplanes, and moves through 1940 WWII propeller planes, 1970 helicopter fighters, 1982 jet fighters, and finally 2001 enemy flying saucers. The view is centered on your craft, which can move and fire through a full 360 degrees of motion. Different enemies fire various weapons, from standard bullets to heat seeking missiles, and each stage ends with a showdown against a boss ship from each time period. After completing the flying saucer stage, the game warps back to the beginning and the action becomes faster and more challenging.

You battle enemy flying saucers in the final stage of Konami's Time Pilot (arcade)

Time Pilot is another game I play frequently these days on my trips to Robot City Games. In fact, I'm betting I've been playing it more today than back in the day, for the simple fact it wasn't as prevalent in our local arcades as many other games on my Best Of list. Simply put, this game is non-stop action from start to finish which will have you dropping in tokens in a quest to top a current high score. Spraying bullets and moving around the playfield in such a way as to avoid the hordes of enemies and falling missiles is a skill that only comes through practice, as I have yet to discover any definitive strategies or patterns. It's simply a matter of getting on a roll or being "in the zone" as I like to put it. With colorful backgrounds, dynamic sound effects and an unrelenting pace, Time Pilot will keep fans of arcade shoot 'em ups coming back for more time and again. For a more in-depth look at this game, as well as the Atari 2600 adaption, read my March 2005 For the Love of Atari blog post.

Watch my future posts where I will continue my "Best Of" arcade games list.

A look at Seaquest from Activision (Atari 2600)

During the heyday of the Atari 2600, pioneering third-party developer Activision released some stellar games for the system. Made up of former Atari employees unhappy with conditions at the company, they left and founded the fledgling startup, and all these years later their story is the stuff of retrogaming legend. And their most famous and successful titles, including Kaboom, River Raid and the extraordinary Pitfall, set them apart from competing developers in the business at the time. In addition to these widely known titles however, many of their other releases also had fantastic graphics and gameplay and are still well worth a look today. So, in keeping with the underwater adventure theme of my previous blog post on Aquaventure, this month I'll take a look at the similarly themed 1983 release Seaquest from Activision. 

While Aquaventure is about avoiding deadly fish and retrieving sunken treasure before your air runs out, in Seaquest your divers have already retrieved it and now your submarine (or sub for short) must rescue them. The air supply is a concern here too, because while underwater it is depleted at a constant rate and you must surface before it's gone or lose one sub. And because the goal is to rescue six divers for big points, surfacing before collecting them all costs you one. And perish the thought of surfacing with an empty vessel, because that costs one sub. Enemies in Seaquest include Killer Sharks, Enemy Subs (which fire torpedoes), and a patrol vessel that tries to move in on you on the surface while you're refueling. Collision with any of these results in the loss of a sub. (Those sharks must be massive great whites to be able to destroy a submarine on contact!) Extra subs (lives) are awarded for every 10,000 points, and like many games of this era, things speed up and point values increase as levels are completed.

The Seaquest playfield (and my current high score!)

The first thing that really stands out here is how nice looking and sounding Seaquest is. The graphics are well done, with Activision's impressive colorful horizon on top of appropriately blue water and nicely defined divers, sharks and vessels below. And the sounds of battle, air being replenished (refueling) and warning alarms give the game a sense of urgency and excitement. And apart from the graphics and sounds, the gameplay is very solid. Things have a nice flow and the game starts appropriately slowly, giving players a chance to get the feel of maneuvering the sub around underwater, which will be critical in later stages when precise control is essential. The instruction manual twice stresses the importance of "silent running", which means moving without firing. This makes sense, as does deciding whether manual firing or holding the button down for rapid fire works best for you.

A boxed copy of Seaquest from Activision

Put simply, I've found this game to be engaging and fun, with a real arcade-like feel that gives it high replay value. So, with that in mind, let me detail a few things I've learned from playing. The first is to always make the divers your main focus. That's because each time you surface with six in tow, it increases the points values of the enemies going forward. More than that however, the value of the rescued divers continues to increase each time you surface. They start out being worth 50 points each and go all the way up to 1000 points per rescue. Additionally, bonus points are awarded upon surfacing for any oxygen remaining. So as tempting as it can be to blast away with abandon at the enemy subs and sharks, always prioritize the divers.

Score 50,000 or more points to join the Activision Sub Club

I also recommend rescuing a diver(s) as soon as they appear and quickly blasting enemies as they emerge from the edges of the same row(s). While I can't say with certainty, it seems like the divers appear more frequently when rows are cleared. And related to this is the fact that, in general, it's safer to fire at enemies as they are moving away from you. This is because they can be more difficult than you think to hit in later rounds, and it's much better to miss when doing so won't cost you a sub (life). Additionally, I was surprised to learn through some frantic gameplay in faster rounds that it is possible to maneuver between rows of enemies. But your movements must be absolutely precise (hence the "silent running" practice), which isn't easy when things speed up. So, perhaps by keeping these things in mind, along with just a little luck and lots of practice, you too can join the illustrious ranks of the Activision Sub Club! Good luck underwater adventurers!

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".