Zaxxon

Overall Zaxxon is a fully deserved 5 points game for at least these two reasons: 1. Everyone knows it! Everyone loves it! 2. It was terribly revolutionary when it got released! (Compare yourself with other ‘84 games)

Before reviewing this Atari 8-bit version of Zaxxon, I did my homework by playing a few rounds of the Colecovision version, which set the standard for home versions of this arcade classic. I was amazed by how big the difference is. This Atari version is much smoother, cleaner, and faster. Compared to the Colecovision, its graphics look remarkably colorful and vibrant, and your ship is significantly larger and easier to control. In terms of speed, I'd estimate that this is twice as fast as the Colecovision version! I was shocked at how fast I could blow through the first stage. Zaxxon's one flaw is the same one I've mentioned about other versions of the game. In the open-space sections where you shoot incoming ships, it's too hard to gauge their position in respect to yours, and this frustrated me to no end. But if you can figure out how to handle those tough spots, I think you'll agree this is the best home version of Zaxxon.

One thing I don't like about this game are the "open space" sections where you have to shoot a series of approaching ships. Without the ground below as a point of reference, it can be awfully frustrating to determine if you're on a collision course with them. Otherwise Zaxxon is pure arcade shooting fun, and there's really never been another game like it.

This classic isometric shooter rocks on the 5200. The scenery is impressive as you fly through well-fortified space fortresses; blasting cannons, dodging missiles, scaling walls, and navigating electronic force fields. Judging the heights of the walls is tricky at first but once you get the hang of it, it's not very difficult. Zaxxon was one of the first games to feature an end-of-stage "boss". Compared to modern bosses however, this small, boxy robot looks kind of wimpy. The sprites in this game are slightly more pixilated than the Colecovision version, but the animation and scrolling are far smoother. As usual, the 5200 controller is an issue, but this time it's not the joystick at fault - in fact, the directional control is terrific. It's the mushy side buttons, which you need to press constantly to maintain your firepower. Your thumb will be exhausted after two or three plays. Still, when taken in small doses, this is very entertaining version of the groundbreaking shooter.

Zaxxon was never meant to be played on the 2600, but Coleco did the best with what they had. Flawed by playable, there's really not another game like this on the 2600.