A look at Ram It from Telesys

Telesys was one of many third-party developers of games for the Atari 2600 during the early 1980's. I recall playing Fast Food, one of their most well-known titles, back in the day. However, what I didn't know until beginning work on this post, was that title was one of only six the company released in its very short lifespan. According to the Telesys Wikipedia page, all their games were released in 1982, before the company folded during the video game crash of 1983. I recently started playing Ram It, a game I'd never heard of before, and really enjoyed it. So that is the topic I'll discuss here.

Telesys' Ram It is a colorful game in terms of graphics, sounds and gameplay. The goal is to "ram" a total of 32 color bars off the screen before they're able to block your "ramroid" from moving (the bars merge in the center and block your way), and before the 5000-count timer at the bottom runs down to zero. The bars start as being very short and lined up on both sides of the screen, with your ramroid in the middle moving up or down. It's similar to a shooter-style game where you blast enemies advancing towards you from both the left and right. Pushing the controller left or right will determine which direction you fire in. The bars advance towards the center incrementally and randomly, and as they are fired upon produce a "medley of musical mayhem". Also, flashing bars can be completely wiped off the screen with one shot for big points, although there is the chance they will then reappear on the other side (called a "Ram It") to cause trouble. But even when bars reach the center of the screen, it's possible to maneuver around them and continue playing, as long as you're not blocked from both sides. However, if you get trapped or the clock reaches zero in three rounds, the game ends.

Ram It gameplay

Ram It is a simple, straightforward game which nevertheless offers quite a bit of challenge. At first glance, the looks and sounds made me think of games from the distant past. Specifically, the bars themselves are reminiscent of the snake-like (albeit single color) bars in Surround, which was one of the original launch titles for the Atari 2600. And the vibrant sounds and colors combined made me recall the electronic game / device Simon, also from the 1970's. Both were games of strategy and skill, which is definitely the case here, but as mentioned there is also a shooter aspect as well since rapid fire is required to keep your enemies at bay.

I immediately had a blast (no pun intended) playing the game, particularly in trying to strategize the best way to eliminate and / or keep both rows of bars from reaching the middle. Luckily, a quick perusal of the manual gave some valuable tips. First, it's definitely a good strategy to eliminate one side at a time, rather than firing haphazardly back and forth. And second, learning to line up your ramroid in the precise position where shots knock back two bars simultaneously is a major time saver. However, this second skill is one that takes a while to master, and one I'm still working on. It requires a tiny, incremental movement of the joystick up and down, unlike many games where more aggressive joystick action is the norm. As the manual mentions, Ram It requires a "light touch". 

The Ram It cartridge from Telesys

This game is a frantic, race against time type of action shooter that initially seems simple but is actually deceptively challenging. Even without mastering the double-bar shooter trick, it's easy enough to eliminate one whole side, then feel like completing the round will be no problem. But those bars creep toward the center very fast, and before you know it, it's back to firing frantically just to keep up. Additionally, there's also the distraction of aiming for the big point flashing bars (in all but the first two game variations), while the rest make a beeline for the center. Needless to say, so far, I've had only limited success in completing more than a few rounds. But Ram It has good replay value, evidenced by the fact that I keep hitting that reset button.

Ram It from Telesys - back box art

Ram It from Telesys - title screen

While there are definitely more sophisticated games for the Atari 2600 in terms of graphics, gameplay and storylines, Ram It succeeds in being good, simple fun. The action is fast-paced and enjoyable, the screen is continuously colorful, and the constant musical sounds only add to the overall funness in playing. Telesys may have only been a blip in the history of video games, but with this title they hit the mark of their slogan "Fun in games".