Must for Atari Fans
The Good
A flawless port of the 1979 Atari 800 game, Raiders is not just a shooter but a first person simulation. Love the warp and map features. The little sound bite from Close Encounters is a class act.
The Bad
I suppose the graphics would be improved in a modern reboot.
The Bottom Line
The Atari 5200 is truly an under appreciated console. And Raiders is an excellent example of the console’s strengths! |
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Port of Classic Computer Game with Odd Addition
The Good
The 5200 version is an excellent game with solid animation and gameplay.
The Bad
Why does this version have gravity? A helicopter normally doesn’t behave this way. Makes the the game a bit tougher.
The Bottom Line
Regardless of the gravity addition, still a recommended game.
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Completed yet unreleased due to the 1984 Crash. Identical to the 800 version and that's where I know it best. It's a respectable translation of the arcade classic, spawning an entire genre that has murdered more joysticks than you could imagine. |
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5200 Choplifter differs slightly from its 800 cousin (which was itself imported from Apple II), offering analog steering and minor variations on graphics. It's an original premise, always challenging, always engaging. |
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Famously left incomplete upon Jack Tramiel's buyout in June 1984, Tempest was finally completed by programmer Keithen Hayenga. And what a fantastic translation of the arcade classic! This is one of the 5200's finest hours. Love it, love it, love it. |
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Absolute banger of a classic, wonderful colorful graphics and highly challenging gameplay. This 5200 version of Bounty Bob widens a number of those narrow pixel-perfect platforms, which makes a world of difference. This is the best version of a long-forgotten classic, a cruel victim of the 1984 Crash. |
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Highly oversensitive analog controls ruin what would otherwise be a mediocre experience. Gorf was never more than the sum of its parts, the videogame equivalent to a cover band, but this cheap and chintzy home cuts too many corners to even play the songs right. Hard pass. |
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Super Breakout is probably remembered best as the original 5200 pack-in game, a decision that almost certainly tanked the console as well as Atari's fortunes (Pac-Man was the obvious choice). In its defense, this game does offer colorful graphics (better than the green-hued Atari 800 version) and support for the trak-ball controller. That said, the Atari 2600 cartridge with paddle controllers will always be the better version. |
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Atari 5200 Galaxian is fairly faithful to the arcade classic, but offers analog steering, support for the trak-ball controller, and alien formations that are far more varied and challenging. I loved the 800 version, but this is the better take. |
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Come for the digitized voice samples, stay for the crushing difficulty. I was happy to see this game included on the Atari 400 Mini, everyone should get to play it on a rainy afternoon. Good luck lasting more than a couple minutes before being crushed by all those robots. |
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