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Homebreviews - part 4

Nathan Strum

Entry posted by Nathan Strum

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The last ones! (At least until I pick up some more games from the AA store.)

 

Thrust+
5/5

 

Thrust+ is one of the best games ever programmed for the 2600. It's a little more expensive than other homebrews, but it's worth every penny. The graphics are incredible, and the gameplay is absolutely flawless. Thrust+ is certainly a challenging game, but not unfairly so. The gravity and momentum that affects your ship feels just right, and even as the heavy Klystron pods you have to rescue cause you to careen into a canyon wall, you'll still marvel at the physics of the game. The sense of accomplishment you get when you master a new level is exhilarating. Emulators just don't do Thrust+ justice - this is a game that has to be played on real hardware to get the full impact of it. The fact that it comes in a box is the icing on the cake. It's been 20 years since I got to experience the anticipation that comes with opening up a brand new, boxed 2600 game, and this one didn't disappoint.

 


Okay, so this next one isn't a homebrew game...

 

Pick 'n Pile
4/5

 

I wasn't sure what to expect with Pick 'n Pile when I first played it on an emulator, since it didn't seem to make much sense at first glance. But after reading the instructions I had a better idea of what was going on, and it's turned out to be a very fun and original puzzle game. (The trick I missed was using the Select switch to drop in extra pieces needed to complete the levels.) The game requires strategy to make the most out of each level, but you're always up against the clock, so you can't take too long to plan out your next moves. The graphics are very good, and there's a lot going on onscreen with only minor flicker. A couple of tips: swap out the bottom piece in a column last, and you can build up a larger column for bigger points; use the square pieces to box-in the sides of columns that are otherwise unstable. The fact that Pick 'n Pile comes with the original box, PAL cartridge and instructions is a nice bonus. An interesting and unique game for the 2600 that's well worth having.

 


Finally, I actually purchased this next game at the same time as Star Fire, but I couldn't find anything nice to say about it. I decided to give it some time to grow on me. It never did, and my first pass at this review was pretty negative.

 

I've since gone back in and given the game another chance, and made some changes to the review. However, it doesn't merit a better score, since I just don't like it as much as any of the games I've given a 4/5.

 

Marble Craze
3/5

 

Well, I may be the lone dissenting voice about Marble Craze. It's a cool idea for a game, but it can get so frustrating that I can't whole-heartedly recommend it. The first obstacle you have to overcome is just figuring out how to use two paddles at once. You have to keep them stationary somehow, or the game is unplayable. I tried taping them to the tops and sides of various objects, but after a lot of trial and error (mostly error) what worked for me was just placing them on an upside-down mouse pad on a TV tray. The textured rubber on the bottom of the pad grips the paddles and keeps them from moving (rubber drawer liners from a hardware store would also work).

 

That solved, Marble Craze becomes playable, but is still extremely difficult. Often I'd find myself stuck somewhere in a maze, repeatedly running out of time or falling off the edge until the game finally, mercifully, came to an end. The game doesn't always play fair, either. When you lose a life, it will usually place you at a different location than where you died. So if you die right after getting through a particularly difficult section of a maze, you may have to repeat it all over again. Worse still, is if you go off the edge of the maze, you aren't given any extra time on your next life. So if you fall off with only a second or two remaining, you'll instantly lose another life as soon as you come back.

 

The graphics and original music are excellent, and the mazes are (generally) well designed. But the difficulty level may be a turn-off if you aren't prepared for it. For me, the game is more often frustrating than fun. Support for the 2600's Trak-Ball controller might have helped, but it's not an option.


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Cybergoth

Hehe, you can always send Marble Craze to StanJr and get your money back :thumbsup:

 

I can't play it either. As soon as the protective walls are gone I'm lost 8)

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Thomas Jentzsch

Thanks for the nice review, Nathan. How far did you get?

 

Regarding Marble Craze:

I had problems with it too. But after some extra training (and with a really good pair of paddles) you will be able to make substantial progress. So, don't give up too early (or at least play Thrust instead :thumbsup:).

 

BTW: The extra money for Thrust comes solely from the box. Those are pretty expensive to produce.

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Nathan Strum

Thanks for the nice review, Nathan. How far did you get?

Not very. I've been dividing my time between the other homebrews trying to get the reviews done. I think I got to the fourth planet, and died a horrible death. Horrible, but still fun. :thumbsup:

 

Regarding Marble Craze:

I had problems with it too. But after some extra training (and with a really good pair of paddles) you will be able to make substantial progress. So, don't give up too early (or at least play Thrust instead 8)).

Well, I bought the game almost two years ago, and played it a lot then (or as much as I could stand of it), and recently revisited it, but I just don't have the patience for it. But the Thrust suggestion sounds good. 8)

 

BTW: The extra money for Thrust comes solely from the box. Those are pretty expensive to produce.

I figured as much, and for this game it's worth it. But I think for most homebrews it's not necessary. Although I think someone came up with an interesting idea of using a generic blank box, and then slipping a printed sleeve over it. I read that in one of the forums, and that would be a nice (affordable) way to do boxes for more games.

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Cybergoth

I loved the box for Space Instigators. I think VHS boxes like that should be very affordable as well, especially since they should still be in mass production.

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Thomas Jentzsch

Not very. I've been dividing my time between the other homebrews trying to get the reviews done. I think I got to the fourth planet, and died a horrible death. Horrible, but still fun. ;)

Wait until you get to the "deadly something". :evil:

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Big Player

Hehe, you can always send Marble Craze to StanJr and get your money back :evil:

 

I had forgotten about that pledge. Hold Stan to it. Which reminds me that I need to have a Marble Craze rematch with him at the upcoming Cinciclassic.

 

I think part of the problem is how you hold the paddles. In a word--don't. The way to do it is lie both paddles flat on a table or floor, whichever you prefer.

 

Since I can't attach photos in a blog, here is a link.

 

Marble Craze Demo

 

Though you do want to make sure to not have the paddles turned to their sides. Try it with a bigger table than the AA booth.

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Nathan Strum

I think part of the problem is how you hold the paddles. In a word--don't. The way to do it is lie both paddles flat on a table or floor, whichever you prefer.

I've tried it a number of ways, with the paddles taped to the tops/sides of various surfaces. I've had some success getting the marble around the mazes, but the whole setup thing is more of a chore than I want to deal with when playing a game. Plus the difficulty of it just makes it not fun to play.

 

But to be (more than) fair, I'll give it a few more tries, and post its review in the store last.

 

Just don't blame me if the score goes down. :evil:

 

Edit: Okay, after some more time revisiting it, I've come up with a better solution for the paddles. They just don't stay put on their own, so I had been using tape to secure them (the "chore" part).

 

Anyway, I figured out a better way to hold them stationary - an upside-down mouse pad. The bottom is textured rubber which keeps the paddles from moving around, and the surface is large enough to hold both paddles side-by-side. (Rubber drawer liners from a hardware store would work too.) So setting up to play the game is easier now, and I'll update the review to reflect that.

 

As for gameplay, I'm still mulling that over. But I'll keep playing it for a couple of days to give it a fair shake.

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Nathan Strum

Well, I've been playing Marble Craze quite a bit since last night, and I'm getting better at it, but there are a couple of aspects to it that I really don't like now.

 

So I've revised the review, but its score remains the same. Without those two aspects (mentioned in the review) it might have gotten a 4/5.

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Thomas Jentzsch
I tried that, and it just never worked very well for me. Too awkward.

Maybe I prefer that setup because I had that marble game when I was a child.

 

Conditioning! :evil:

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