"You are in command of a Mark XIV intergalactic star-cruiser in an uncharted quadrant of outer space. You land on a mysterious planet riddled with a subterranean maze of tunnels and caverns inhabited by savage Electrosauri whose horns generate electro-molecular charges capable of disintegrating you and your crew." Sound scary? This is the beginning of the storyline in the instructions booklet for Space Cavern, another space shooter from Games By Apollo for the Atari 2600, released in 1982 (a year after their debut Spacechase). The description then goes on to talk about controlling your weapons, the colorful way your man will disintegrate if hit by an enemy "electro-molecular blast", and the additional danger lurking around the corner in the form of "shaggy marsupods". My oh my, this strange planet just doesn't seem friendly at all!
First, it's worth noting that Space Cavern was heavily inspired (to put it kindly) by the classic Imagic space shooter Demon Attack. That game was a big hit for early third-party developer Imagic, and it surely inspired other Atari 2600 games of the era as well. However, according to the Wikipedia page linked above, Games By Apollo's president was impressed with Demon Attack and wanted a game like it. So, it's not surprising there is some similarity in look and gameplay between them (as well as backstory).
Having acknowledged the obvious, and also acknowledging my being a big fan of Demon Attack, let's take a look at this lesser-known space shooter.
Some very cool poster art for Space Cavern from Games By Apollo
I like the overall look of this game, particularly the colorful graphics. Now of course, the limited graphical capabilities of the Atari 2600 always factor in, and in this case the enemies that attack your guy aren't well defined in terms of their fine details. However, the multiple colors and odd shapes of the Electrosauri are visually appealing, and their movement erratic, making for a fun battle. And it's also a nice touch that when destroyed their "ghosts", which look like little faces, float down to the bottom of the screen.
There is also some nice attention to detail with regards to your on-screen galactic warrior, because when the joystick button is pressed, he points and fires a laser blast upward. This really does look like someone gripping a gun tightly with both hands and firing a single shot straight up into the sky. And when the joystick is pushed forward or pulled back, he turns left or right to fire a "disruptor" charge, which looks more like the video equivalent of buckshot, to either side to stop the advancing Marsupods (which kind of resemble a set of chattering teeth). So there is a differentiation in terms of weapons used against the enemies.
The Electrosauri attack in Space Cavern from Games By Apollo!
Complementing the colorful look of the game is the fun sound of the space battle, particularly when destroying the enemies. Hitting an Electrosauri makes a high-pitched, chirpy sound somewhat reminiscent of running water, while taking out a scurrying Marsupod has a much lower-pitched sound that is memorable and seems appropriate for that particular threat. Again, there is contrast and attention to detail here. And it's also worth mentioning that when your man is "electrified", he's really electrified both visually and audibly! It's shocking!
Additionally, this is another game that has a nicely balanced difficulty progression. It does of course depend on what level a player begins on, but generally speaking, the action starts with a moderate level of difficulty and slowly gets harder as the levels go by. I appreciate it's not one of those games that is so tough I'm defeated in thirty seconds the first dozen times I play. And it's also not so easy that it quickly gets boring. I suggest starting on a game variation with only two Electrosauri with Marsupods, then moving to a four-Electrosauri with Marsupods game. But naturally, players may want more or less challenge right from the get-go.
An appropriately aged blue variation Space Cavern game cartridge
And finally, it's worth mentioning that Space Cavern has some nifty box and cartridge artwork, with a particularly impressive red dragon creature (Electrosauri I'm guessing) prominently displayed on both the red and blue cartridge variations. Overall, Space Cavern from Games By Apollo is a fun and engaging early Atari 2600 space shooter with enough of its own uniqueness to make it worth a look.
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