u/ZackZparrow

This game is creepy as fuck. I tried on Javatari and 5 minutes of it was enough to drive me insane

6- Spider Fighter - 1982

I like the graphics and theme. You're a spider and protecting your fruits from other bugs. Runs super fast for Atari. But that's the issue, it's so fast that you don't even know what you're doing. I just burst fired and hope to hit my targets.

5- Demon Attack - 1982

I thought this is the best. It was a mistake... Sure, it's a tough game but the problem is it's extremely repetitive. Demon Attack fans tricked me, they said this game has massive enemy variety. Yes, they look different. Hell, they even sound different. Yet, gameplay wise you always play the same way... I still think the box art is peak.

4- Phoenix - 1983

8 Kilobyte game with a boss and more enemy variety compared to Demon Attack. Not super interesting after the first loop but plays really well.

3- Space Invaders - 1980

Such a great port of a legendary game. It has co-op, extra difficulty settings such as zigzagging shields or bombs. Unfortunately, after you reach a certain skill level, it doesn't offer much challenge.

2- Beamrider - 1984

Another 8 Kilobyte game. A huge technical achievement with its stylistic graphics. What makes this special is the 5-lane map. It has plenty of content: there are extra lives that you shouldn't shoot, you have limited torpedoes which destroy anything, there's a boss...

Unfortunately this isn't my jam. Sounds and flashy effects are meh. And hit detection is weird. I couldn't adapt the sliding movement. Sometimes you can dodge the bullets when they are hitting both your lane and lanes next to you. Sometimes you can't. And sometimes the enemies right in front of you can kill you instantly. Nevertheless, this game has so many fans. Maybe Evercade helped with its popularity.

1- Megamania - 1982

Oh boy, at first i didn't care for this game. It looked boring. Pure black screen, enemies are random objects instead of aliens... But then i noticed it's all about gameplay. Megamania is hands down one of the most replayable games on the system. Each level is different thanks to changing enemy patterns. It's so satisfying to clear the screen. You can enable straight missiles but i like guided missiles better for this game.

So yes, less is more in Megamania. There are just army of weird hostile stuff, a timer which turns into extra score and your spaceship. It feels like an experimental project made by an edgy teenager. But everything works. Even the rock music commercial suits the game.

Not only the best fixed shooter, the best shooter in the whole Atari 2600 library imo. Because it's functional. Unlike other games like Berzerk which suffers from braindead AI and repetitive gameplay.

My Top 10 Atari 2600 list: https://www.reddit.com/r/Atari2600/comments/1s50kwo/top\_10\_atari\_2600\_games\_from\_gen\_z\_perspective/

Let's get back to early Arcades. In Frogger, you're crossing the dangerous road and the river to fill 5 homes with your frogs. It's as classic as Space Invaders or Asteroids, yet nobody plays it. I'm going to explain this with my own theory:

In my opinion, the game designs are opposing with each other. Check this out:

1- It's a patience game. You gotta wait, adapt to the rhythm of the stage and time your moves.

2- You have to play the same stage FOR 5 TIMES!

There you go, that's a terrible formula for replayability. Normally, i would expect a new stage when i complete just 1 run. But let's be generous, they could have made 3 replays at worst. Playing the same level over and over makes you impatient and boom, you suicide. That's why Crossy Road on mobile is so popular, it flows.

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