Meteoric Shower		Grade: D-
	Publisher: Bit Corp (1986) Reviewed: 2000/4/13

This game comes built into the DINA; a cheap, poorly-made Colecovision-compatible system. Meteoric Shower is a pretty basic Galaga-style shooter, but there's more freedom of movement and you can shoot both up and down. The background music is awful, and the graphics aren't anything to write home about either. The aliens are high-resolution, yet single-colored. They start out in formation; then break off into groups. Soon they're flying all over the place. It's tough to pick these guys off, especially when there's only one or two left; and they tend ram your cannon from below. Meteoric Shower is mildly amusing for a while, but non-DINA owners aren't missing anything. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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Miner 2049er		Grade: A
	Publisher: Micro Fun (1982) Reviewed: 2004/11/26

This cheesy-looking platform game is a slick combination of Donkey Kong and Pac-Man, and it's probably more fun than either one of those. The star of the game, Bounty Bob, looks like a complete dork, but moves with a swiftness rarely seen in this type of game. Each of Miner 2049er's eleven well-designed screens contains a series of girders connected by ladders. The girders are initially hollow, but solidify as Bob walks over them. To complete each stage, Bob must walk over every inch of girder on the screen. Slow-moving, blob-shaped "mutants" patrol the girders, but these are easy to avoid and far less dangerous than the running jumps you'll need to execute. Touching a floating tool lets Bob attack the mutants for points, just like Pac-Man. Yes it's all very derivative, but Miner's speedy pace and crisp graphics make it exceptionally fun and addictive. It's also intriguing to see what sort of imaginative challenge each new stage has in store. The second stage is clearly inspired by Chutes and Ladders, and the third has an elevator controlled by the numeric control pad. Miner 2049er is a whole lot better than it looks, and is regarded by many as a classic. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Mouse Trap		Grade: B
	Publisher: Coleco (1982) Reviewed: 2007/2/7

In this likeable arcade classic you are a mouse being pursued by cats through a maze full of cheese. What makes Mouse Trap unique is the ability to toggle red, blue, and yellow doors by pressing color-coded buttons on the keypad. This adds a nice element of strategy as you manipulate the maze to your advantage, creating escape routes and sometimes even trapping cats into confined spaces. Until you really get the hang of it however, you'll need to peek at the keypad a lot, and that can get you killed! Collecting scattered bones generates a cool "ruff" sound effect, and also lets transform into a dog (via the dog button) to turn the tables on those evil felines. Just remember to keep an eye out for the deadly hawk that constantly glides over the maze. Mouse Trap for the Colecovision is a nearly flawless translation with its crisp graphics, fast pacing, outstanding sound effects, and bouncy background music. The one thing that could be improved is the controls. Instead of easily lining up with corridors, your mouse has a tendency to "stuck" on corners. I struggled with the controller and it took its toll on my hands, putting a serious crimp in the fun. Other than that, this game is money. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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Recommended variation(s): 4 1 or 2 players

Nova Blast		Grade: D
	Publisher: Imagic (1984) Reviewed: 2001/11/18

This Defender clone has so-so graphics and mediocre gameplay. A side-scrolling space shooter, your ship can drop bombs as well as fire lasers. Your mission is to protect cities on a planetary surface, giving the game a Missile Command flavor. The cities are surrounded by shields, which weaken after sustaining enemy hits. You can recharge them by transporting energy from "energy depots". Although it's probably the most original aspect of Nova Blast, the process of transferring energy is tedious and not the least bit fun. The rapid-fire shooting action is better, but the bomb controls are weak and trying to hit your target can prove frustrating. Overall, Nova Blast is too generic to hold my interest. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Omega Race		Grade: B-
	Publisher: Midway (1983) Reviewed: 2006/6/25

In the early 80's my local 7-11 announced that they were building an arcade addition onto the store. It was pretty exciting to the kids in the neighborhood, but parents were up in arms, fearing drug dealers would somehow overrun the place and send the property values plummeting. When all was said and done however, that so-called "arcade" turned out to be about the size of a closet, only able to accommodate two machines. One of those was Omega Race, a poorly named shooter with sharp but colorless vector graphics. There's was no "racing" involved, although I suppose the rectangular arena vaguely resembles a "track" of sorts. The big gimmick is how your triangular ship can carom off the walls, allowing you to find just the right shooting angle while remaining a moving target. Staying in motion is key because your geometrically shaped adversaries are pretty good shots. Omega Race embodies the same reckless, halfway-out-of-control gameplay you get from thrusting around in Asteroids. This Colecovision edition not only duplicates the fun gameplay of the arcade, but spices things up with color, customization options, and even a two-player simultaneous mode. The "fast bounce" option makes the walls more elastic, but also makes your ship harder to control. The "tunnel" and "astro gate" options make the vanilla playfield slightly more interesting, but these passages are really too narrow to make much of a major difference. The two-player mode would have been fun had it been cooperative, but instead you just bounce around shooting at each other, which is kind of lame. For the single player however, Omega Race is a worthy challenge, if somewhat forgettable. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

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Recommended variation(s): 3 (tunnel and laser gates) 1 or 2 players

Pepper II		Grade: A-
	Publisher: Exidy (1983) Reviewed: 2000/6/14

Pepper II borrows heavily from both Pac-Man and Qix, but has enough originality to be interesting. You control an angel that moves around mazes, "zipping" up different areas. It's a bit like playing Qix -- on tracks. You are pursued by sets of eyes, which you can turn the tables on by zipping up an area containing a pitchfork. This causes you to become an invincible "demon" for a short period of time. One cool feature is the ability to move between four different maze screens, which you can complete in any order. Pepper II features good control and fun music ranging from the Alfred Hitchcock theme to Zip-a-dee-doo-da. It may be derivative, but Pepper II is definitely a good time. NOTE: No, there was not a Pepper I. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Pitfall		Grade: A-
	Publisher: Activision (1983) Reviewed: 2000/4/13

This is basically the same game as the classic Atari 2600 version, a few subtle differences aside. First of all, the sound effects are slightly improved. The trees and bushes in the background are more detailed, but the treasures actually look worse (what the heck IS that thing??). But the most noticeable change is Pitfall Harry himself! He definitely looks "thicker" in this version. Apparently he got lazy after his Atari success and let himself go a little. I'm not saying that the guy is overweight, but he's picked up at least 20 pounds! Otherwise, the game plays like every other version of Pitfall. Too bad they couldn't improve upon the graphics for this Colecovision edition. Even the scorpion looks exactly the same. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player.

Pitstop		Grade: B-
	Publisher: Epyx (1983) Reviewed: 2000/3/10

Here's a racing game with a cool gimmick - you need to stop every few laps to repair your car and also refuel. Your view is from overhead and slightly behind you car. You never see the horizon, just a winding road with green grass on both sides. The oncoming cars are large and detailed, and bumping into them wears out your tires, as does hitting the walls. Eventually your tires start to change color, and if you let them turn red, they can bust -- ending your game. That's where the strategy comes in - should you pull into the pitstop now, or can you squeeze in another lap?? The highlight of this game is the remarkable pitstop screen, with four members of the pit crew (two for tires, one fuel, one flag) which you control individually. It takes practice to get in and out as quickly as possible; it's a nice bit of realism. The game offers a plentiful number of tracks, but since there's no scenery, they all look the same. Pitstop really isn't very hard as long as you keep your wheels in good shape. The longer races (9 laps) can get pretty monotonous. You may also want to try playing this with the Colecovision steering wheel controller. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Popeye		Grade: B
	Publisher: Parker Bros (1983) Reviewed: 2000/3/26

In this likeable platform game, Popeye must collect floating objects thrown by Olive Oyl from the top of the screen while avoiding Bluto and other hazards. When Popeye eats his spinach, which appears once per round, he can turn the tables on Bluto -- sending him flying with one punch. This is a terrific version of the arcade hit, featuring all three screens (including the pirate ship). Although the scenery looks lovely, the characters aren't nearly as impressive. Popeye is solid white, and Bluto and Olive Oyl don't look so hot either. At least the excellent music and sound effects are arcade-perfect. Popeye is a blast to play, and with six different skill levels, it's always a challenge. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Q*bert		Grade: A-
	Publisher: Parker Bros. (1983) Reviewed: 2004/6/12

This is a good-looking adaptation of the likeable arcade hit. In Q*bert, you control a cute little round guy (with a long nose) traversing a pyramid, trying to turn its squares the same color. This edition is impressive, with all the elements of the arcade game including those squiggly green things that move across the pyramid sideways. There are even short "intros" to each level. I'm glad to see that the "escape disks" sport that cool swirl pattern, but I must say I'm disappointed Q*bert doesn't have any eyes. He's just not the same loveable freak without those big, white eyes. Also, when he "curses", it doesn't look like he really means it. I had difficulty with with the control, until I realized you need to turn the controller forty-five degrees and play it like that. It feels strange at first, but it's not bad once you get the hang of it. The characters are animated smoothly, and the sound effects are faithful to the arcade. Q*bert has three skill levels, and provides plenty of old-school fun. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

River Raid		Grade: A
	Publisher: Activision (1984) Reviewed: 2004/6/12

There's not a single bad thing I can say about this terrific version of River Raid. Unlike the Atari 5200 version, which bore a striking resemblance to its Atari 2600 cousin, Activision has given this version the royal treatment. All of the graphics have been completely redone, and the multi-colored ships, helicopters, and tanks look far more realistic. The riverbank winds in irregular patterns, and you'll have to squeeze through some very narrow openings. Numbered bridges allow you to track your progress, and it's always satisfying to blast a bridge to smithereens as a tank's rolling over it. This edition of River Raid even throws in a few extra challenges to ratchet up the difficulty. Special helicopters can fire missiles at you, and tanks line up and fire at you from the riverbank! Your plane is a pleasure to control, and your precision-guided missiles make it possible to obliterate everything in your path. Just make sure to keep an eye on that fuel supply, since fuel barges become more and more scarce as you progress. River Raid has four levels of difficulty. If you're getting tired of the Atari 2600 version, give this one a try. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Roc N Rope		Grade: C-
	Publisher: Coleco (1983) Reviewed: 2001/7/4

Roc N Rope was a minor arcade game that pushed the Donkey Kong formula a little too far. Instead of climbing ladders, your man shoots ropes diagonally between cliffs, then climbs them to higher ground. Monsters lurk in caves on the cliff faces, and they will either shake the rope, or climb down after you. To defend yourself, you have a flashlight that temporarily stuns them. If you make it to the top of the screen, you'll rescue a magic egg and move on to a tougher level. Subsequent levels include elevators and more complicated sets of platforms. I can see why Roc N Rope never really caught on. The controls have a steep learning curve and the game lacks personality. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Rocky		Grade: F
	Publisher: Coleco (1983) Reviewed: 2000/4/30

Here's a Coleco sports game with terrific graphics and horrendous gameplay. Based on the third film, this game pits Rocky Balboa against Mr. T. The graphics are stunning (for 1983, of course), with large, detailed boxers and even a functional referee. Using the Super Action Controllers, you can move your boxer around, punch high or low, block, and duck. Unfortunately, the unresponsive control and slow movement rules out any strategy, and the game usually degrades into a button-mashing contest. Rocky seems to have a very unfair advantage over Mr. T, and the knockdowns rarely correlate to your score. Sorry, but good graphics can't save a bad game. © Copyright 2000 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players