Page 31 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #6

Sports Illustrated: Super Challenge Baseball, RealSports Football, and RealSports Baseball.

piece and the object is to find the single flag first. that it takes. The bombs that you fire can be pro- If you are at bat, you must either bunt, hit a
The flag is hidden somewhere within a grid of sixty- grammed to move in a straight line or turn at every grounder, or a home run. The results depend
four squares. Every time you land on a square, a curve. Slot Racers is a fast-paced game and may on the combination of what you and your oppo-
clue is revealed that gives the direction in which the seem confusing if you just move around and fire at nent program. As with the football games, it
flag can be found. You may also land on a bomb, will. The best way to play is to take command of the finally comes down to trying to outguess your
which will send you hurtling back to your original situation and plan your moves. opponent.
position. Even sports games, which can be considered as Even with the lack of a multitude of strategic
Flag Capture may be played head-to-head in two modern 'civilized' forms of warfare, can be played games for the 2600, the future still doesn't look
different ways, each offering its own type of strategy. strategically. Although some video sports for the 2600, bright for fans of this type of game. Most com-
In one variation, both you and your opponent move such as Atari's Basketball and the three versions of panies are releasing games for solo players
your pieces through the board at the same time. In Soccer involve certain types of strategic moves, it is and, as noted in the beginning of this article,
addition to paying attention to your own clues, you the three football games that make the best use of strategic situations only work when players
must watch for your opponent’s as they will also lead strategy. Atari's Football, Realsports Football, and M- compete head to head. Still, it isn't as bad as it
you to the flag. Time is an important factor here Network's Super Challenge Football all allow you to could be. One company, Avalon Hill, which is
since both players move at the same time. In the input plays that your on-screen characters will per- best known for its long line of strategic board
second variation the two players alternate turns in games (Diplomacy, Blitzkrieg), is now produc-
the search for the flag. Again, the person who dis- ing high-caliber videogames for the VCS. Al-
covers the flag will score the point. Although Flag though its initial games, Death Trap, London
Capture doesn't involve as much strategic skill as Blitz, and Wall Ball, are solid, playable games,
the previously mentioned games, its resemblance to they are all single-player games and don't lend
Stratego makes it worth mentioning. themselves to strategy, as we have defined the
U.S. Games' Entombed is the only game that is word here. However, using the company's
as much fun for one person to play as it is when two background as a guide, it is safe to say that if
people compete head-to-head. The two-player ver- any company will make strategic games for the
sion, however, is much more challenging and in- VCS, it will be Avalon Hill.
volves strategy. Parker Brothers is another company with a
The action in this game takes place in a maze, background of strategic board games that is
which continuously scrolls upwards. Each player Armor Ambush: not just combat. producing games for the 2600. As with Avalon
controls an on-screen explorer who must go into the Hill, no strategic games have been released
maze and head towards the bottom of the screen. yet. However, the company has translated one
Unfortunately, some trails lead to dead ends, which form. Of course, once the play is selected, the game of its best strategic board games, Risk, into a
cannot be seen until that portion of the playfield will depend upon your finger-skill. However, you can video version for the Atari computers. In the
scrolls onto the screen. By this time it may be too play strategically by inputting certain plays and trying works are other strategic games such as Mo-
late to back-track because the entrance to the pas- to guess how your opponent will respond. nopoly and Clue. It is just possible that adapta-
sage may have already scrolled off the screen. If Baseball for the 2600 is a different story. Atari's tions for the low-memory 2600 might also be in
your character stops moving, it will be dragged to- Home Run and M-Network's Super Challenge Base- the works if they are feasible.
wards the top of the screen as the maze scrolls up- ball offer simplified versions of the game in which you Unfortunately, the current trend in home
wards. Players lose a turn whenever their on-screen merely decide upon your pitch when you are in the videogames calls for single player arcade ad-
character scrolls off the top. Each player begins with outfield, and try to hit the pitch when you are at bat. aptations. The major selling point in games is
three turns, and the first player to lose all three lives No strategy is required. Super Challenge Baseball graphics flash. Not much programming remains
is the loser . goes a little beyond Home Run: you are given the to allow for strategic, head-to-head play. This is
Entombed strategy involves interfering with your option of whether you want your lead runner to steal a all well and good, but we can't help but yearn
opponent's ability to move through the maze. Initially base or not. for the day when the player's intelligence be-
each player begins with one 'make-break,' which Atari's Realsports Baseball, on the other hand, comes equally important as his/her reflexes,
allows you to blast a hole in a wall if you run into a gives you the opportunity to play strategically. As in and interaction is created be-
dead-end. However, you can also use 'make-breaks' the football games, you must first input information on tween people, rather than be-
to build walls. Occasionally you'll run into blinking what you plan to do. If you are playing the field, you tween man and machine.
blocks, which will award you additional 'make- must decide whether you want to pitch a ball or strike.
breaks.' By using your 'make-breaks' to build walls,
you can strategically plan to trap your opponent be-
hind some walls after (s)he runs out of his or her
own 'make-breaks.' The game becomes especially
agonizing when both players have the same number
of 'make-breaks' and are both on their last turn. Any
false move to try and hold back your opponent may
end disastrously for yourself!
Atari's Slot Racers is a head-to-head racing
game in which you must blow your opponent off the
road with a cannon that is mounted upon the hood of
your car. Each player's car travels in opposite direc-
tions within the maze and must avoid the bombs that
are fired from the opposing car. If you run into a London Blitz and Death Trap, from strategy-game king Avalon Hill
bomb, your opponent will score a point. You can
control the speed of your car as well as the routes
Classic Gamer Magazine Spring 2001 31