Football		Grade: F
	Publisher: Magnavox (1978) Reviewed: 2001/4/10

The graphics in this game are reminiscent of M-Network football for the 2600, except the entire field is only one screen wide (no scrolling). Each team has five players. There are eight plays on offense and defense, and you can also punt and kick field goals. The graphics aren't bad, but once the action gets underway, reality starts to set in. There are NO first downs! You can only throw passes at three angles, and you have NO control of your receiver until a reception is made. Timing a pattern is difficult, and the defender can easily pick off passes. There are no safeties -- when a player gets tackled in his own end zone, the other team simply gets the ball. There's not much to like about this bare-bones football game. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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2 players

Freedom Fighters		Grade: D+
	Publisher: Magnavox (1982) Reviewed: 2001/7/6

This space shooter was the Odyssey's answer to Defender. The graphics feature no planet surface or backgrounds, just mine-dropping asterisks. Besides shooting, you can also rescue people in purple boxes for big points. There are two ways to control your ship. The left joystick simply moves you ship around a single screen, while the right joystick scrolls left or right, Defender-style. The manual claims that two people can cooperate using this control scheme, though I have serious doubts about that. Freedom Fighters is playable, but it's the kind of game that leaves you with an empty feeling inside. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

Frogger		Grade: A
	Publisher: Parker Bros. (1982) Reviewed: 2007/8/9

Parker Bros. was forced to break this game into two separate screens for the Odyssey 2 (the street and the river), but does it matter? Not at all! This is the same Frogger we all know and love, and my friends were especially impressed with this one. A slick intro screen shows a large frog hopping across, spelling "Frogger", and mugging for the camera. This screen is also used to display high scores. Starting a new game, you view a congested city street with multi-colored vehicles moving smoothly in both directions. An equally impressive river screen consists of floating logs, crocodiles, and turtles that submerge every so often. Just remember to jump on the green squares on the riverbank - not the blue ones as you do in other versions. All the major elements of the arcade hit are here, including the sneaky crocodiles, those juicy flies, and that hottie of a lady frog. The controls are responsive, but your frog takes large hops, making it hard to move side-to-side on the river screen without falling into the water. It's especially challenging to reach the far left section of the riverbank. That flaw is probably the only thing preventing Frogger from getting an A+. Parker Bros. did a bang-up job of faithfully adapting this irresistible game to the Odyssey 2. Note: Frogger was not originally released in North American, but is included on the Odyssey 2 multi-cart. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Hockey/Soccer		Grade: F
	Publisher: Magnavox (1979) Reviewed: 2005/3/26

Hockey/Soccer is a weak effort that's virtually unplayable. The soccer variation is played on a green screen, and hockey is played on a white screen, but both are equally inept. Actually, this game could be whatever the hell you want it to be. If you like Rugby, it's Rugby. Water Polo? Sure. Adjust the tint, whatever. However, if you want it to be "fun", then you're sorely out of luck. The players are the usual suspects of generic stick figures, although in the hockey variation they sport blocky brown sticks. Hockey/Soccer's gameplay is slow, choppy, and generally repulsive. The players are controlled individually. They move erratically and often come to a screeching halt for no apparent reason. When you pass or shoot, ball/puck pixel comes to a dead stop, after moving about an inch. You know, it's perfectly normal to hate Odyssey 2 sports games. They suck so badly that my friend Scott was inspired to coin the phrase "Life is too short for Odyssey 2 sports games". How true that is. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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2 players

Invaders From Hyperspace		Grade: F
	Publisher: Magnavox (1978) Reviewed: 2001/7/6

The manual describes this game as "science fiction becomes science fact in a realistic war of the worlds!" Don't believe the hype. Invaders From Hyperspace is as generic as its namesake. In this hopelessly outdated game, you and another player fly around the screen, trying to be the first to shoot ten UFOs. These UFOs are aggressive shooters and the playfield is filled with floating "planets" (as big as your ship!) which provide cover. When you shoot a planet, it changes color. By making planets the color of your ship, you create spare lives for yourself. Although the manual offers some single player "challenges," this is unquestionably a two-player game. I found it to be shallow and absolutely devoid of fun. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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2 players

K.C. Munchkin!		Grade: A
	Publisher: Magnavox (1981) Reviewed: 2001/1/27

This thinly-veiled Pac-Man clone is superior in every way to the Atari 2600 game. The main character is a blue Pac-Man with antennae, and the pursuing "munchers" look like ghosts -- with antennae. This game was actually pulled from the shelves after Atari sued Magnavox for copyright infringement. Despite the corny name, this is a solid game. It plays just like Pac-Man, except you only get one life and the dots actually move around the maze. You have your choice of mazes, and can even create your own! The graphics are very nice. The main character is well animated, and the ghosts do NOT flicker at all. The control is perfect. I found K.C. Munchkin to be highly enjoyable and addicting. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

K.C.'s Krazy Chase		Grade: A
	Publisher: Magnavox (1982) Reviewed: 2001/2/7

After Magnavox was forced to pull K.C. Munchkin from the shelves as the result of a lawsuit, they went straight back to work on another Pac-Man style maze game. The result, K.C.'s Krazy Chase, is an impressive Pac-Man/Centipede hybrid. This time K.C. must pursue a "Dratapillar" around the maze and consume it segment by segment, from behind. The segments also function as power pills. K.C. can also consume green trees scattered around the maze, which look like the mushrooms from Centipede. There are some nice graphical touches in this game, like how K.C. rolls when he moves and "waves" goodbye when he dies. Krazy Chase is just as fun as K.C. Munchkin, and even features voice synthesis if you have the voice module. The voice is pretty annoying actually, imploring you to "run!" and "hurry up!" on a constant basis. It adds nothing to the actual gameplay. K.C.'s Krazy Chase provides five mazes and gives you the option of building your own. It's a lot of fun. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Kill The Attacking Aliens		Grade: A
	Publisher: Soren Gust (2003) Reviewed: 2006/5/14

Holy cow - this is an Odyssey 2 game? Soren Gust has managed to push the system far beyond what anyone previously thought was possible. Kill The Attacking Aliens (or KTAA, as the "cool kids" refer to it) is 50% Missile Command, 50% Defender, and 100% fun. You guide a triangular ship around the screen, attempting to protect structures on the ground below from bomb-dropping aliens. What's particularly amazing about KTAA is its colorful and distinct stages. The first features a simple house among trees, but subsequent stages include pyramids in a desert, a castle in the snow, a tropical island, and even a massive train. Each stage contains progressively larger objects to protect, providing larger targets for the alien onslaught. There are a nice variety of aliens that appear randomly in the sky, and some even feature nifty rotation effects! As you blast the attacking aliens and their bombs, you also have the opportunity to snag power-ups which can increase your shot speed, slow the aliens, or replenish your shield. The controls are perfectly responsive, and you can even fire diagonally in addition to upwards and sideways. Navigating the upper reaches of the screen provides an ideal shooting angle, but it also makes you susceptible to alien "respawns". I love how your bonuses are added to your score between waves, and "Perfect" is displayed after completing a flawless wave. Initially I suspected the lack of a difficulty select would be problematic, but the gameplay is nicely tuned so even if you breeze through the initial waves, the later stages are always a challenge. It's hard to find fault with KTAA, but I suppose one could argue that the amount of power-ups is overly generous, and the game does tend to run a bit long. But all in all, this is an absolutely stellar effort. If you're an Odyssey fan or a classic gaming enthusiast, do not hesitate to purchase Kill The Attacking Aliens (KTAA), now available from Packrat Video Games. 1 player © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

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Killer Bees		Grade: A
	Publisher: Magnavox (1983) Reviewed: 2001/5/10

This game rocks! It's not often that you find a game which is both completely original *and* fun, but Killer Bees fits the bill. The graphics, sound, and control are all exceptional. You control a swarm of bees that must destroy robots wandering around the screen. The more you touch a robot, the slower the robot moves. When the robot is dead, a gravestone rises up in its place. Your adversaries are green "killer" bees, which will slowly thin out your swarm. Besides avoiding the killer bees, you can also zap them with your special weapon. This game is easy to play, and addicting. The graphics are good, and the sound is wild if you have the voice synthesizer. Actually, the sound effects tend to be pretty bizarre, but that just makes the game that much more interesting. This is a must for all Odyssey fans. © Copyright 2001 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Las Vegas Blackjack		Grade: D
	Publisher: Magnavox (1978) Reviewed: 2005/3/26

With so many sophisticated casino games out there, playing this fossil might seem pointless. But when I gave Las Vegas Blackjack a chance, I got into a groove and enjoyed racking up some big winnings. Sure, the graphics are plain as can be, but at least the large cards are easy to read and the controls are intuitive. Using the keyboard, you simply type in your bid and use the "yes" and "no" keys to answer the prompts. Occasionally the dealer offers the option to "double down" or "buy insurance", but these seem to be random occurrences. There's not much substance to this game, but Blackjack is Blackjack and it's fun despite the shortcomings. © Copyright 2005 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players