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Magneto Bugs (A8 Game)

Atari 5200 Guy

Entry posted by Atari 5200 Guy in A8 Software

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Magneto Bugs is a one player, dot munching, maze game.  The objective of the game is to get as many of the white dots as possible while avoiding the bugs in the maze.  As you move you leave behind red dots that can attract the bugs.  This game is played with a joystick controller.

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I have spent my weekend trying out this game along with two others I picked up.  I kept coming back to this one.  While it might look like a Pac-Man clone it is far from that game.  The back of the package mentions that there are two mazes but I don't think the publisher actually played the game beyond a short test run.   This game appears to generate mazes randomly as I have not seen two mazes look alike. And these mazes have dead ends and if a bug is chasing you it's curtains.  

One of the most interesting features has to be the magnifier box.  This box follows your player and is your view window to where you are.  I believe this is only game I have come across to use this feature this way.  I really like the opening tune that was used in a lot of Looney Tunes shorts.  And when you get caught the game says something that I have yet to figure out what it is saying.  You do get to rack up points as you progress and you are timed but this timer keeps track of how long you last.  Complete a maze and it's on to another maze.  You get one life.

Despite how simple it looks and sounds I found this game to be very addictive.  The real challenge of the game is trying to get all those dots without trapping yourself in a corner or dead end.  As many times as I have played this game I have managed to complete only one maze...just one!  My only gripe is I grabbed the Main Street Publishing version which was a budget title.  It shows as there are no instructions even when the package mentions full documentation and they put the disk inside the shell without a sleeve to protect it.  Then again you get what you pay for.  The game is fun and I would recommend it.  Oh...one more thing...this game was previously released as Tumble Bugs by Datasoft...the same people that made Pole Position, Dig Dug, Moon Shuttle, and others for the A8 computers.

 

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RickR

I love this game, but I always have a hard time remembering the name of it.  They should have called it "La Cucaracha", which is the part I remember. 

PS - they say "We Gotcha!" when you die. 

 

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Atari 5200 Guy
6 hours ago, RickR said:

I love this game, but I always have a hard time remembering the name of it.  They should have called it "La Cucaracha", which is the part I remember. 

PS - they say "We Gotcha!" when you die. 

 

Oh. That's what they say.  Much better than what I thought they were saying.

THAT'S the name of that starting tune!  I couldn't remember it.  Thank you.

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RickR

The main problem I have is that when I want to play this game from my UnoCart, I can't remember the name.  Bugs?  No.  La Cucaracha?  No.  Dang it!  Let's just play Moon Patrol instead. 

Hey, here's a good idea...I should rename the file on that cart to LaCucaracha.  BOOM.  Problem solved. 

 

 

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