Sabertooth

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many entries in The Game Cave. In this blog, I will share my thoughts and impressions on various games. The point of this exercise is to reacquaint myself with some of the lesser played titles in my collection.
 
The main focus of this blog will be Jaguar gaming. I have been playing Jaguar since late 1994 and have a complete retail collection, the majority of post-JTS releases and many homebrews. At last count, this equates to 82 Jaguar games! That said, from time to time I might throw in a non-Jaguar title.
 
A few notes:
 
1) I will not be playing the games in chronological order. Instead, games will be selected randomly using Excel.
 
2) I will play each game featured for at least two hours. I feel that this is sufficient to get a good impression of the game. I have no doubt that I'll play some of these for much longer.
 
3) I don't intend to get into the minutiae of a game's history, development and contemporary reviews. Other platforms do a fantastic job at that. This is just my personal take on these games from a player's perspective.
 
4) Feel free to comment and share your own gameplay impressions. I only ask that you've actually played the game on real hardware.
 
That's all for now. I hope that you check in from time to time!
 
The first game to be featured will be: Bubsy In Fractured Furry Tales
 

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many entries in The Game Cave. In this blog, I will share my thoughts and impressions on various games. The point of this exercise is to reacquaint myself with some of the lesser played titles in my collection.
 
The main focus of this blog will be Jaguar gaming. I have been playing Jaguar since late 1994 and have a complete retail collection, the majority of post-JTS releases and many homebrews. At last count, this equates to 82 Jaguar games! That said, from time to time I might throw in a non-Jaguar title.
 
A few notes:
 
1) I will not be playing the games in chronological order. Instead, games will be selected randomly using Excel.
 
2) I will play each game featured for at least two hours. I feel that this is sufficient to get a good impression of the game. I have no doubt that I'll play some of these for much longer.
 
3) I don't intend to get into the minutiae of a game's history, development and contemporary reviews. Other platforms do a fantastic job at that. This is just my personal take on these games from a player's perspective.
 
4) Feel free to comment and share your own gameplay impressions. I only ask that you've actually played the game on real hardware.
 
That's all for now. I hope that you check in from time to time!
 
The first game to be featured will be: Bubsy In Fractured Furry Tales
 

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many entries in The Game Cave. In this blog, I will share my thoughts and impressions on various games. The point of this exercise is to reacquaint myself with some of the lesser played titles in my collection.
 
The main focus of this blog will be Jaguar gaming. I have been playing Jaguar since late 1994 and have a complete retail collection, the majority of post-JTS releases and many homebrews. At last count, this equates to 82 Jaguar games! That said, from time to time I might throw in a non-Jaguar title.
 
A few notes:
 
1) I will not be playing the games in chronological order. Instead, games will be selected randomly using Excel.
 
2) I will play each game featured for at least two hours. I feel that this is sufficient to get a good impression of the game. I have no doubt that I'll play some of these for much longer.
 
3) I don't intend to get into the minutiae of a game's history, development and contemporary reviews. Other platforms do a fantastic job at that. This is just my personal take on these games from a player's perspective.
 
4) Feel free to comment and share your own gameplay impressions. I only ask that you've actually played the game on real hardware.
 
That's all for now. I hope that you check in from time to time!
 
The first game to be featured will be: Bubsy In Fractured Furry Tales
 

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many entries in The Game Cave. In this blog, I will share my thoughts and impressions on various games. The point of this exercise is to reacquaint myself with some of the lesser played titles in my collection.
 
The main focus of this blog will be Jaguar gaming. I have been playing Jaguar since late 1994 and have a complete retail collection, the majority of post-JTS releases and many homebrews. At last count, this equates to 82 Jaguar games! That said, from time to time I might throw in a non-Jaguar title.
 
A few notes:
 
1) I will not be playing the games in chronological order. Instead, games will be selected randomly using Excel.
 
2) I will play each game featured for at least two hours. I feel that this is sufficient to get a good impression of the game. I have no doubt that I'll play some of these for much longer.
 
3) I don't intend to get into the minutiae of a game's history, development and contemporary reviews. Other platforms do a fantastic job at that. This is just my personal take on these games from a player's perspective.
 
4) Feel free to comment and share your own gameplay impressions. I only ask that you've actually played the game on real hardware.
 
That's all for now. I hope that you check in from time to time!
 
The first game to be featured will be: Bubsy In Fractured Furry Tales
 

Welcome to what I hope is the first of many entries in The Game Cave. In this blog, I will share my thoughts and impressions on various games. The point of this exercise is to reacquaint myself with some of the lesser played titles in my collection.
 
The main focus of this blog will be Jaguar gaming. I have been playing Jaguar since late 1994 and have a complete retail collection, the majority of post-JTS releases and many homebrews. At last count, this equates to 82 Jaguar games! That said, from time to time I might throw in a non-Jaguar title.
 
A few notes:
 
1) I will not be playing the games in chronological order. Instead, games will be selected randomly using Excel.
 
2) I will play each game featured for at least two hours. I feel that this is sufficient to get a good impression of the game. I have no doubt that I'll play some of these for much longer.
 
3) I don't intend to get into the minutiae of a game's history, development and contemporary reviews. Other platforms do a fantastic job at that. This is just my personal take on these games from a player's perspective.
 
4) Feel free to comment and share your own gameplay impressions. I only ask that you've actually played the game on real hardware.
 
That's all for now. I hope that you check in from time to time!
 
The first game to be featured will be: Bubsy In Fractured Furry Tales
 

(Hums theme to Xevious). Xevious. A shoot 'em up game developed by Namco. I still have no clue as to what exactly the player is suppose to do other than destroy everything. As well it is unclear whether the game actually has a purpose or if the player is locked in an endurance mode lasting as long as they can. I never figured it out. But I believe I read somewhere that Xevious has 8 rounds. 
Xevious is a vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up game. The player gets no power ups and is equipped with a twin shooter and ground bombs. Difficulty switches on the front of the 7800 console can help the player select whether one fire button fires both simultaneously or if one button fires the twin shooter and another button fires the bombs. It has to be selected before starting the game though as you can't switch in the middle of a game.
 
With my best 7800 controller connected, I put Xevious in my 7800 and power it on. On my screen is the Atari logo (which is striking similar to the one used on the 1200 XL home computer). After a few seconds the Xevious title screen appears. I use the joystick to select a beginner skill level and press the fire button to start the game.
 




I do pretty well starting out having taken down a few flying enemies and bombing a few "tanks" and other ground enemies firing at me. Before too long I am zoned in to the action on my screen. Before long I come across these barriers that are flipping in mid air. These can not be shot down. Every shot I make that hits one is met with sudden death. 
As the game play continues it is not long until I am up against a rather large enemy. Surrounding this enemy are large black dots that turn into shots aimed at me. I have no clue as to what I'm suppose to do. After a minute the thing flies off the top of the screen and my mission continues on.
 
After a while I am up against more flying enemies and tanks that can run on top of water. I never knew they made such things. And before long I make a wrong move and lose a life. I finally find my trouble spot and lose life after life and before I know it I run out of extra lives. Game over.
 



Xevious, while it is a fun game, can make the player feel like they have no purpose to keep playing. Yet, at the same time, it can be difficult to put down. If any game shows what the 7800 is capable of I would have to say that Xevious is one of them. The graphics look really good, the characters are well done, and even the sounds are spot on. Controls work well but, as an issue with the 7800 standard controllers, my hands started cramping before I made it to that huge enemy. This is from the 7800 controllers being so uncomfortable to use for prolonged periods of time and not because of the game. 
Xevious is a good game that captures everything that makes the arcade exciting. It could also be considered a 7800 exclusive since no other Atari console every received it. Considering the 7800's rather short life span and game library I couldn't see a 7800 gamer without this game in their library of 7800 games. It's worth owning.

My first encounter with Mouse Trap, the video game and not the board game, was not until 2011 when I had, for a short time, a Colecovision console with some games. I ended up selling that off to help with holiday funds that same year. I would not see Mouse Trap again until about Spring 2016. This time the game would be for the granddaddy of all consoles...the Atari 2600.
 
Mouse Trap is a different take on the Pac-Man theme. The player controls a mouse that is hurrying to eat up all the cheese scattered about the house. Trying to keep our mouse from his rewards are three pesky cats who are hungry...and our mouse would make a perfect snack. To aid our mouse are "cheese enhancements" that can turn our mouse into a dog for a short amount of time, allowing the mouse to attack the cats. Sounds like a game that should have been called Tom and Jerry because it sounds like the game was based on those two cartoon mascots. So, in goes the game and on goes my 2600. The game starts instantly with a short tune.
 

Mouse Trap on the 2600 is actually OK. Moving around the "house" I manage to get all the "cheese" without being eaten by a cat. Next round...same thing. I spent a good hour on this game getting all the cheese, turning into a dog when needed, eating cats, collecting "bones" to change into a dog, racking up points. I stopped once just to see what would happen and, guess what? The cats only move a short distance in a continuous loop. They only relocate when my character, the mouse, moves. Try it sometime. There is an invisible mode by moving the TV Type switch from color to black and white (B/W) which is very challenging but the rest is the same. After an hour I'm still going with plenty of extra lives left. With each round advance the cats move faster but it's not enough to take me out completely. Tired of playing I put down the controller.
 

Mouse Trap is made well. I like the fact that I can alter the "house" design a bit by holding the fire button down. Areas in the maze can be moved to help alter the path the cats are taking. The colors in the game almost seem like those on the early computer systems that couldn't do graphics and had a monochrome monitor. Even with the cats being of a slight yellow color the game has that monochrome appearance. The only other color that is noticeable is when the mouse changes into a dog which changes the player from the same green as the maze to a brown color. The maze also changes to a pinkish-purple when the mouse is caught by a cat. The game does control well and sounds are not annoying.
 
Mouse Trap is a game that should be in a game library for a bit of a variety. However, once mastered it might not hold as much replay value as it did before being mastered. It is a fun game none the less and maintains an arcade feel that is easy to pick up and learn without instructions. I have the Atari release that Atari bought once Coleco left the video game market during the crash. And I am not sure if any changes were made during the ownership switch. Either way I recommend the game to offer a bit of variety in a 2600 collection.

Ahh. Missile Command. A game that reminds me of the ABC Network movie called The Day After. If you've never seen the movie I will share it on the forums here at Atari.IO. Watch it and you will see why I feel the two are almost connected. 
Missile Command is an arcade-style game where the player is protecting six cities from wave after wave of attacks. First a few missiles, then a few more missiles. These are soon joined with bi-planes, satellites, and more to increase the challenge as if there already wasn't enough. It's enough to make one pull their hair out.
 



Popping the cartridge in the 2600 I am greeted with a game screen where I can change skill levels and settings. I go with default settings. First wave of missiles I fend off easily. The next round introduces a few more missiles than before. By the third round I'm fending off bi-planes as well, by the fifth round there are these little, annoying, small triangles coming down that manage to avoid my shots. But I manage to save all six cities. I lose my first city by round eight. As the game progresses the speed at which things are coming out of the sky is overwhelming and by the tenth round it's game over.  



Being played on the 2600 Missile Command is a very well made port. But it is also a game where the player will lose, it's only a matter of how skilled a player is and how much time they are willing to spend playing it. The visuals of the game are not too different from the arcade. I didn't notice any flickering and the sounds are OK. Despite being a track-ball game the controls are very well done for the joystick controller.  
Missile Command appears to be about an era when worries of nuclear attacks were an everyday fear. I'm not so sure if those fears still exist or even if the underground facilities for such an event are still around either. Missile Command might have more to do with history, not video game history but actual history, in the fact that it portrays what would happen in an all-out missile attack anywhere in the world. Even with the most sophisticated technology to help protect against such an attack, cities would be wiped off the map, lives would be lost, civilizations destroyed. But, it is only a game and well made one at that. And the 2600 does a very decent job of bringing home the arcade that was once a hit.
 
Missile Command is one of those games you either like it or you don't. It is a very common 2600 title so it shouldn't be too difficult to find. No Atari 2600 would be the same without Missile Command in a game library. I'm just not too sure how often I would play it.

This post is the one I will be editing when I find more 2600 games. This list will only consist of games I physically have...it will not be based off of emulation. I have nothing against emulation and I think those are good for preservation but it's not the same as the real deal for me. So...below is my list so far. Be sure to keep an eye on it as it will be changing and will be added to frequently.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My List & Ranking of 2600 Games
Adventure Space Invaders Solaris Enduro Amidar Gravitar Warlords E.T. Atlantis Othello Breakout Jungle Hunt California Games Missile Command

NOTES
 
October 17, 2016: It's been a while since posting anything on the 2600 because I've working on reviewing things for the 5200. Jungle Hunt, while not a bad game, is not one I play very often on the 2600. Only at the time of this writing did I drag it out to play it for the first time in few months. It's not exactly one of my go-to games. And I managed to reach Lady P. the first time ever while playing the game to write the review. Jungle Hunt, while I might not play it that much, is a game I would play more than California Games but less than Breakout. So it holds #12 spot.
 
September 29, 2016: After writing my review on Missile Command I attempt to place it somewhere on this list. The truth is, while Missile Command is a good game, it is also one that not my particular favorite on any system. That doesn't mean I don't like it. On the contrary I use to play this game a lot on the 5200 when I was a kid. But, I don't feel that it has aged well with me...either that or I've moved away from this game over the years. I do like to play it every now and then ... and maybe if I can pick up a Trak-Ball controller for the 2600 it might encourage me to play the game some more. For now, though, I would play California Games more than Missile Command on any given day.
 
September 25, 2016: Adventure has been getting a LOT of playtime lately. And I managed to beat a Skill Level 3 game without too much difficulty. Well...believe it or not the bat helped. He grabbed all the keys I needed so I didn't have to hunt for them...but he was doing what he could to keep me from a gold key in another Skill Level 3 game. So much so that I can only see half of the Gold Key and the magnet is no where to be found. Come to think of it, I haven't seen a bridge in this round either. I can see why this game tops a lot of 2600 gamers' lists. It's fun to go hunting these items down and slaying a few dragons. So...Adventure has made it to the top of my list. It is now my number 1 favorite on the 2600.
 
September 3, 2016: Atlantis is a good game and that was almost always present with the many 2600 systems Mom and I would find at yard sales and second-hand stores. I have played it often and managed to get a nice copy that is complete in box. I really like the artwork and style of the box and labels the Imagic used. Those are very distinctive and attractive. As good as the game is it is not one that I play often. I would probably play E.T. - The Extra Terrestrial more than I would Atlantis. But I might pass up a game of Othello for Atlantis instead. So, Atlantis will fall between those two games for the time being.
 
August 28, 2016: I was blessed with a copy of Adventure from an Atari IO member (thank you very much!) and have spent most of my free time on it since it arrived in my mailbox. This is a very fun game if not the game that other adventure computer/console games came from. This is currently in my 2600 Woody and getting lots of play time. Of course it will get replaced when new games come along but I feel that it will get played often. There is a craving that Adventure satisfies...that sense of accomplishment and beating all the odds is what makes Adventure the awesome game that it is.
 
For that reason I would rank it as my new number one favorite game on the console. However, Space Invaders has more of a sentimental memory for me. With the 2600 receiving a more faithful Space Invaders port than any other console at that time it is for that simple reason I can not put Adventure in the number one spot. If it wasn't for Space Invaders I might not have ever wanted an Atari...or to play video games...in the first place. Usually when I play the 2600 hooked up in the living room I will go to the bedroom and grab some games from the shelf to bring back. Since Adventure has arrived it, and Space Invaders, along with about two or three other titles, have always made the journey between rooms. Both games sit on my 2600 under its dust cover waiting to be played.
 
I am personally taking the time to thank readers of my Atari.IO blog posts for their continued support. If it wasn't for Atari IO and its members I would not be here writing my thoughts and sharing my feelings about the one video game company that changed my way of life as well as gave me so many memories of time spent with family members no longer with me. And I enjoy reading every response I get in return. I don't think I will ever be able to thank you guys enough. You guys are the best!
 
Now...go play your Atari today.

Atlantis. The legendary city said to have mystical powers. Legend tells of this mythical city being attacked before sinking into the depths of the ocean. Whether this city still exists remains a mystery to this day. 
Imagic, one of two third-party game developers for the Atari 2600 started by ex-Atari employees, brings to the table a game based on the legendary city of Atlantis. The job at hand is to protect the city of Atlantis from wave after wave of attacks by Gorgon vessels. You have one Command Post and two Sentry Posts at your disposal to help ward off the waves of attacks. The city of Atlantis depends on you!
 



In the game of Atlantis you are responsible for trying to keep as much of the seven Atlantis bases alive for as long as possible. Lose all of them and the game will end. As ready as I'm going to be, I place this cart in my 2600 and...WOW! I'm immediately blown away by the colorful image on my screen. The artwork done to make up the city of Atlantis has lots of detail for a 2600 game. Generators are animated, too, to help give the city the sense of life. Very nice. 
I start a game and immediately the horde of Gorgon ships start to traverse across the screen; starting at the top and working their way closer to the city. MY city! "Take THAT!", I say as my Command Post takes down the first Gorgon ship. After a few more ships are destroyed I have managed to keep every base alive and well. Now it's time for the second wave of attacks. Ships are moving faster now and there is a new type of enemy called a Bandit Bomber. He's fast but very effective if you can score a direct hit on him as he will take all other ships on the screen with him. I managed to hit everything I was suppose to but I lose a couple of my bases.
 
Wave three. Enemies are moving a lot faster now, especially the bomber. Before I know it my city has lost two more bases. Just when I think I can't keep up the wave ends and I'm given back one of my bases. Fourth wave now. Holy cow! What did they give these guys? Within a blink of an eye I've lost my Command Post and another two bases. And before I start to attack with my Sentry Posts my last base is destroyed. The last image seen on the screen is a small ship flying off into outer space, thus marking the end of the game.
 



Atlantis is a well made game that brings part Missile Command (protecting structures at ground level) and Space Invaders (enemies traveling close to the ground) together. Imagic did a super job on creating interesting visuals with rainbow-colored Gorgon ships and detailing the city of Atlantis at the bottom of the screen. It's easy to distinguish what all the elements are by sight. Sounds are used not only to give game elements the effects they need to be believable but also as distinctive warning signs with the Morse-code like beeps at the end of each wave or the sound of the bomber when it appears. 


Controls in the game are simple; move the joystick handle left or right along with the fire button to use the relative Sentry Post or don't move the joystick handle at all while using the fire button to use the Command Post. Easy stuff. Difficulty switches are not used in this game. It does, however, offer four game variations to play including a unique co-op mode for two players where one player works the left Sentry and another player works the right Sentry. Pretty impressive for a 2600 game. The fourth setting is easier for those who are new to the game. 
The one thing that I like about Atlantis, as well as most of the original issue Imagic games, is not only the quality of the game but with the entire package the consumer received. I really wish that modern games would use materials to really make a game package more unique. The chrome box and label with a large, detailed artwork are none the less impressive...and something that is missing from today's game packages. The only games I've ever seen that came close are those made by Working Designs during the PlayStation craze in the mid to late 1990's. Just the carts, alone, are very nice when the labels have managed to avoid fading from extensive use, wear and tear, or neglect from lack of use or proper storing.
 
It's a good game but one that I'm not sure how often I would return to it. The copy I have has been sitting on the shelf for months before being pulled to play again. And that was just to help me write this review.

Before I start going into details I need to be clear about what this post is about. This is not a journalistic review of the console nor am I going to repeat, or try not to repeat, the memories of this console as I have already done that. Nope. This is more about the what and how that wood-grain console has worked its way into my heart in a short amount of time. So...here we go.
 
As mentioned in the post I made called 2600 Memories I never gave the 2600 a fair chance. My first console was the 5200 which I thought blew the 2600 out of water at the time. Then the NES came along and I was blown away. The poor 2600 never caught my attention for long when I would find one. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy the games I played it was the fact that they didn't hold my interest for very long. Of course, I've already mentioned that.
 
Since the arrival of a 4-switch Woody I have had a hard time not wanting to play the system. I've had a Junior model before I acquired the Woody model but it just didn't catch my interest as much for some reason. It wasn't the games. We all know the variations in the consoles is not going to change the games. But there is something about that 4-switch Woody that is appealing. From the insertion of the cartridge, plugging in the controller required for the game to be played, using those shinny chrome switches, to holding the joystick that only offered one fire button, there is a need to satisfy this video game crave. Sounds wild I know but that's the only way I know how to explain it.
 
The 2600 wood-grain design is distinctively associated with the "Atari" name. As is the letters V, C, and S and the number 2600. When you see the wood grain it's hard not to think of Atari, VCS or 2600 and vice versa. What has really captured me is the amount of good games that have made it to the 2600. Most of the games I never knew of simply because it was Nintendo's section or no video games at all for a while. I never knew the 2600 was still being produced for years after the NES became a hit. And even during the NES' popularity Atari was still making 2600 games that I would never hear of until long after Atari was sold off. Only one store in my hometown sold anything Atari and that's where I discovered the Junior model. But if you think about it, the Junior model was already no longer being produced by the time I found it so it might have been a store trying to help sell off some leftover stock for Atari. Who knows.
 
Since the arrival of the 4-switch Woody 2600 my interest in the console has grown so much that the 2600 has found a permanent home in the living room. Normally game systems get used for a bit and then put back in the bedroom on a shelf I have for storing consoles. The 2600 remains attached, plugged in, ready for use. Not a single day has went by where I didn't play a game on it even if it was at the end of the day. I am beginning to wonder if the 2600 has managed to surpass my feelings about the 5200 that has more sentimental value than the 2600 in any shape or form. I can not be certain just yet but I do know I am enjoying every game for the 2600 I have been blessed with.
 
My journey with the 2600, full-force, had only started about a year ago. I am discovering for the first time what this console was all about when it was top-dog. And I am liking everything about the system. The controller variations, arcade-style games, and a few days with Adventure really changed the way I thought about the 2600 years ago. This is a very capable, constantly able to change, piece of gaming hardware. It's no wonder why it has be crowned the king of all consoles. For me? It has become a number one favorite surpassing the NES and my beloved 5200. Since owning the 4-switch my 4-port 5200 has not been used hardly at all. I'm constantly wanting to see what other games are out there...although a bit too late in the game. Now I wish I would have held on to all the hardware, controllers, and games my Mother and I found decades ago. Oh well, live and learn.
 
I owe the Atari.IO members more thanks than I can ever give. Because of you guys I have been able to give the 2600 a much needed chance to show how much it could really entertain. So, thanks to StormSurge for the console and thanks to everyone here who has become my Atari family. The 2600 is truly a remarkable system. It just goes to show that graphics and sounds are not everything...it's all about the game play.

Before I get too far along, I had previously reviewed this game on this website here. So if you would like to read that first for a memory refresh, or if you haven't read it yet, the link to it is provided. Because this review is revisiting the game and adding to that review. Let's see how well Solaris still stands after a few months.
 
Without repeating myself too much, Solaris was an attempt at creating a Star Raiders-like title for the Atari 2600. Instead of a first-person flying perspective we get a third-person view behind our ship. And the galaxy map? Forget it! That is old school. Solaris has a large world that is really impressive. Seriously...every time I play this game I am overwhelmed by the sheer size and amount of maps that make up this fictional space. It's really good.
 

So, every time I plug Solaris in my 2600 I forget what I am playing this game on and, for a while, I am a spaceship captain and pilot out to find Solaris. I manage to take out a few Zylons, a Zylon Planet or two while rescuing a few Cadets along the way. It's not long before I find a wormhole where I can jump to another location on another map. After doing so, however, I find that the only way to advance is to attack some kind of space pirates where I get destroyed ... rather ... easily. Dang it! So I try again. And again ... and again. I finally give in and play something else.
 

After returning to reality I turn off the console, realizing that the game was on the Atari 2600 system. It's hard to believe that a system originally designed to play pong and tank games is capable of producing the game play I just witnessed. The graphics look really good for a 2600 game, the sounds don't seem 2-channel at times, and the controls are easy to use and master. Where Solaris' heart lies is within that large map the developer called a "Scanner". Solaris has 16 quadrants, or maps, with each quadrant made up of 48 sectors. All sectors combined create this space maze, if you will, where it is easy to get lost, trapped, attacked. At the same time the urge to explore the quadrants to see what all is out there remains a driving force that becomes an enemy itself because you simply don't have the time. In-game time that is.
 
Solaris will take you on a trip that is like no other on the 2600. If you love a good space action/adventure then Solaris on the 2600 will fill that bill. And quite easily I might add. This is one game I don't play very often. Why? Because of the time it takes to play it. When I don't have much time to play a 2600 I will pass on Solaris and grab a game I know will last only a few minutes...like 5 to 10 minutes tops. But, when I know I have plenty of time Solaris is my go-to title when I want to spend that time on the 2600. I still have not mastered this game but I know I will someday. I highly recommend this game for 2600 owners just as I did in my original review. It is a marvel of what could be done on the 2600. It will not disappoint. Might take some time to get use to but it will not leave you thinking it was a waste of money.

I'm stealing the bit from Retrogaming Times. "The Many Faces of" was one of my favorite articles. Comparisons of the same game for various systems. Ordered from worst to first. Here are the various versions of Pac Man for classic systems. No homebrews or hacks allowed. These are the versions I've played...please let me know if I missed any.
 
Last Place:
Atari 2600 - People like this version for nostalgia's sake...but it's not a good game. Main sins: Pac Man doesn't face up or down. No fruits. Weird colors. No intermissions. Sounds aren't even close to arcade.

 
The "also rans":
VIC-20: They tried. But it's too choppy to be fun. And the maze is way too small.

 
TI 99/4A - Looks GREAT. But way too slow and easy. And the lack of multi-channel sound hurts it.

 
Atari 8-Bit: The game is good. Great graphics, great sounds. But no intermissions. Game is easy.

 
Commodore 64: Almost identical to the Atari 8-bit version. No intermissions. Too slow and easy.

 
NES: It's really good. But Pac Man and the ghosts are way too big. Plus the game is slow.

 
5200: They took the 8-bit version, added intermissions, and ramped up the difficulty. It's great. But those controllers will cause you to die sometimes.

 
 
 
Medal Winners:
Bronze:
Intellivision: I'm giving this version a medal for technical achievement. it's amazing how good this version is, given the hardware. Control is no issue. Tight and fun. It has intermissions. The sounds and graphics are great. I love this version so much.

 
Silver:
Sega Game Gear - It's just about perfect. The screen scrolls, but that's ok.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKzZyAFqUNM
 
Gold:
Colecovision: It's a prototype. It should have been released because it is AWESOME. It's so fast. There are intermissions. Ghosts have eyes. Amazing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-3OOdjnTq4