ech (09/08/82)
#N:whuxlb:5300003:000:2432 whuxlb!ech Sep 8 01:03:00 1982 A second for the creation of net.games.atari, although I might suggest a broader category (net.games.video?) to cover the other home and/or arcade games. Early reviews of Colecovision are so positive that, with the promised Atari cartridge adapter, it sounds like a real winner. Moreover, it appears that the games manufacturers have finally figured out what King Gillette discovered ages ago: you can damn near give away the razors if you can sell 'em the blades...thus even Mattel making "System M" for the Atari. I recently won an Atari VCS, so I'm new at this mess, but some thumbnail reviews of a couple: Starmaster (Activision) -- A highly interactive version of the startrek game you've been playing for years. Shooting, warping, and getting hit all cost energy; a good hit may cost you any of your lasers, shield, long-range scanners, or cause warpdrive damage. Instant refuel and repairs at starbases, but the baddies can shoot them out on you. Four difficulty levels. A very high-tension game -- definitely satisfies the frustrated jet pilot in me... Tennis (Activision) -- played with joystick, not paddles: you can charge the net or run back to the baseline. Great for one or two players; purely a game of tennis STRATEGY, since you always hit the ball back in the court IF YOU GET TO IT. Chopper Command (Activision) -- a good, fast-paced, defender-style game. Donkey Kong (Coleco) -- good, addictive game for the whole family. It is not hard to get started, and is definitely cute and fun. Unlike the arcade game, there are only two games in the progression, which alternate, each round tougher than the previous one. A winner. In the catalog that came with Donkey Kong, Coleco claims to have Zaxxon for the Atari and Intellivision, as well as for the Colecovision; September GAMES has a Coleco ad claiming September availability. Anybody seen it? For sure, there is NO WAY they can match the Zaxxon arcade graphics on an Atari (I'm not convinced you could manage it with ANY game using the RF interface), but I suspect I'll part with my thirty bucks at the first opportunity. One parting shot: let me once again plug Ken Uston's "Guide to Buying and Beating the Home Video Games" (Signet $3.95). Only current through June, which is why we NEED net.games.video (at most one person burned!), but I have found his advice most valuable thus far -- haven't gotten a turkey yet. =Ned Horvath=