"Why play Spike's Peak? Because it's there!"

Spike's Diary, July 18, 1925:

''The mountain rises in the distance like a great monolith, its imposing presence dominating the land below. Once more shall I attempt its flanks and aim for that lofty summit, lonely and absolute, many miles away.''

...Oh wait a minute this is an Atari game, what was I thinking?! Despite being a relatively short game, Spike's Peak is one of the better ''adventure'' games out there. You assume the role of Spike, a mountaineer trying to reach the summit of a mountain. There are four levels in all. The first puts you at the base of the peak, dodging polar bears and eagles as you begin your ascent. It must be noted the bears make a cool sound as the tromp about! If you succeed avoiding the animal onslaught it's on to level 2. Here you attempt to climb some vertical ice while avoiding falling debris and bouncing boulders. Along the way there are gold nuggets for the greedy alpinist to collect to fatten his wallet.

Make it to the top here and it's on to level three. In one of the cooler game features, your man starts losing energy because of the low oxygen (just like in real
life!)You have to run up the upper slopes avoiding ice slicks that come down as well as looking out for the fearsome Yeti! The final screen is a mad dash for the summit; the only way to make it is to run and plant your flag before your oxygen totally runs out. (They never say if old Spike ever makes it back down.)

In my opinion, there are not enough mountain based games out there. Sure you have Ice Climber (which has nothing to do with Ice Climbing, rather whacking penguins
with a mallet.)There was an awesome board game called ''Go Climb a Mountain'' that was one of my favorites; it would have made a splendid video game.

RATINGS

Graphics = 8 Solid and colorful for the 2600. Spike’s Peak came out in 1983, right before the 8-bit revolution lead by the NES and Sega Master System thus it was one of
the more advanced Atari titles. The mountain has a good range of color and the overall effect is pleasing to the eyes.

Gameplay = 8 Moving Spike about is pretty easy. He jumps and climbs around with ease. The vertical climbing section is a little weird but you can at least figure out which
way to move. The only difficulty I have encountered is the occasional lack of responsiveness when trying to press DOWN to huddle into the shelters when avoiding the animals in the first section.

Story = 10!! Yes a mountaineering game it's about time! OK, I AM a little biased but it was an original title for the time—and you haven’t felt fear till you have encountered the brutal Yeti on level 3!

Sound = 7 There are a few little songs that play when you start up and finish the game (which is saying a lot for Atari!) The normal blips and bleeps are there and they
compliment the overall gaming experience.

Overall=8 A fun game for the ol' 2600. Also available on Commodore 64.

*BRU'S MUST GET OMETER*=8
Also see:
Everest Imax

Jon Krakauer's “Into Thin Air”

Anatoli Boukreev's “The Climb”

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/30/00, Updated 11/30/00