Atari 5200

Vanguard

Vanguard is a superb shooter with great sound, a variety of enemy attacks and a very interesting color scheme. The 5200 version is an excellent port of the arcade sleeper, and the 2600 version, while still very good, loses the urgency and the detailed backdrops of the original. It feels a bit too sluggish, like piloting the River Raid jet through a molasses filled sky. Molasses reminds me of sugar, which reminds me of candy, which reminds me that I could really go for a SkyBar right about now, and, hey! Speaking of SkyBars, maybe I'll go plug another quarter into Vanguard while I'm at it!

This multi-directional-scrolling shooter lets you to shoot in four directions simultaneously, as you travel through a variety of "zones". I'm happy to say that Vanguard looks just like the arcade version. Unfortunately the gameplay begs for a real joystick, and the 5200 joystick just isn't up to the task. It feels extremely unresponsive, and it's difficult to get off a shot quickly in any particular direction. Fortunately, there's an option that will keep you shooting forward continuously (which helps a little bit). Another annoyance is the horrific carnival music that plays during the rainbow zone stages. Was that in the arcade version? It's appalling! Since when is carnival music cool? On a positive note, there are four selectable tunnels to keep the challenge high. But despite its good looks, poor control prevents Vanguard from being great.