Into The Vertical Blank15 Apr 2020
Pete, iits pretty good. It's good, and difficult with really clever puzzles, but I suck at it.
Pete Davison25 Feb 2019
Never heard of this before, but the gushing praise beneath suggests that I should definitely check it out! Gah, if only I hadn't literally JUST done the "A" entry for this cycle of my Atari A to Z series... next time, next time!
Sparkydav24 Feb 2019
Oh how I remember this game! I bought the tape version of it at a Fedco store in our area, when they had a small special computer counter for software near the checkout. I took it home and just couldn't get the hang of it. Very challenging, but amazingly fun! Finally it took my visiting younger brother John to successfully finish the entire game while I watched in amazement. He was always better at arcade games then me. You have to play this, great game!! It may have been the first commercial Atari game I ever bought for my 400.
Iain Mitchell20 Feb 2016
This was the first game I owned for my 600xl and it was fantastic! I never quite completed it as it was pretty fiendish. I would love to have it back on Android or pc for another go
GCM29 Jan 2016
Criminally overlooked classic. It's a puzzle game with action elements so maybe expectations are not met. Worth your time and effort to play. The more you play, the more you realize how well crafted it is. A true hidden gem of the Atari 800XL.
Greg B.17 Feb 2011
"I love the simple graphics, the dark screens and the SILENCE...very mysterious atmosphere."
EXACTLY. Well put, sir.
Jim H.19 Mar 2010
I absolutely love this game (still play it regularly on my 800.) I love the simple graphics, the dark screens and the SILENCE...very mysterious atmosphere. To Muffy St. Bernard...the secret to playing "Speedy Little Devils" is, first, before entering, aim your gun for a left hand shot, then enter, move straight up a bit then STOP...the speedies will line up with you...two quick side to side shots, then move up a little bit more and stop again, etc until you have the prize, then repeat the procedure in reverse.
Muffy St. Bernard30 Mar 2008
All that said, I think that "Speedy Little Devils" on Level 3 is too difficult.
Greg B.21 Oct 2007
This is among the first few games I ever owned (on cassette) for my Atari 800. The game is loosely based on the Venture coin-op but it's more of a puzzle game than an arcade contest, which is most welcome. And as someone else said, it was definitely worth waiting for the tape to load!
I logged many hours on this game back in '82, and to me, it represented what having a computer at home was all about. Instead of a simple shooter (which the arcades well full of), this game made you take the time to think your way through it. At the time, this was a new concept for a video game, especially for one that you could play at home! Pretty mind-blowing stuff, at the time...I wonder how many games of today were influenced by this title.
In sum, this still stands as a classic early piece of Atari 8-bit software.
And yes, the 2 sequels (Ghost Encounters and Journey to the Planets) are even better!
Muffy St. Bernard30 Apr 2007
A lot of creativity went into this game, which probably explains why I still enjoy it today. The puzzles are clever without being too frustrating, and it has just enough visual flair to hold your attention. Back when I only had a cassette storage device, this game was WORTH waiting for.
Norm Thomas6 Jan 2007
An entertaining, novel game. An excellent introduction and the first of a loose trilogy. A little less difficult than Ghost Encounters, the 2nd installment. Action Quest is nicely paced. The graphics are adequate. The sound is good with nice, brief, aural rewards for solving a puzzle. More importantly, the puzzles are logical and solveable. Sometimes, a room does not seem to contain a puzzle. It does. Throughout the trilogy the puzzles are consistent in that some have more than one solution, and that they are not usually sequential or linked. All are timed, and fairly. Some puzzles require a bit of dexterity and all require a bit of thought.
Are you going to shoot those bats, or see what they do when you light a torch?
Experiment, its not fatal. I mean it is, but if you have another quarter?
The wife and I solved Action Quest and it was fun.
1 / 5