"Better Graphics, but NO SHIELD!!"

Intro
Like many Atari 7800 games, this is a remake of the classic arcade game with a few enhancements. Overall, the game itself does not live up to the standard for arcade conversions like Ms. Pac-Man or Centipede.

Game Play 5
The main goal of game is to destroy the asteroids and UFOs before they destroy you. The control is set up exactly life the 2600 version - with five simple commands. Rotate right or left, thrust, hyper space and fire. As the game progresses more asteroids appear and move faster and the UFOs become more challenging. Overall, the game while following all the interactive elements of the original is somewhat behind the 2600 version in two aspects. First, there is no shield option; the player is stuck with a hyper space capability that randomly vaporizes your craft upon reentry. This is a shameful omission because most gamers prefer the shield over the hyper space. Second of all, the 2600 version somehow (possibly because of its speed) has a superior feel to it. Other than, the options for two player competitive or cooperative play are welcome features that are hampered a bit because with two space craft simultaneously on screen, the ships do not fire missiles as rapidly as in the one player or regular two player mode.

Graphics/Sound 7
The title screen is nice, the asteroids look good and UFOs have more detail, but the player is still left with a triangle to control. Also there are stars that gleam in the background. The sound is on par with the arcade version with a few random “Extra Terrestrial” sounds added to it.

Replay Value 5
It is unfortunate that a reviewer can say, “I would have rated this game higher if I never played the 2600 version”. Atari would have been better off duplicating the original 2600 code and using the 7800 graphics mode. With that stated, this game still is a decent challenge.

Final Recommendation
Atari 7800 collectors should own this game simply because of the namesake. It is far from being the embarrassing disappointment that Karateka is. For those who just like to play classic games, it would be better and cheaper to simply stay with the 2600 version. It is a shame that Atari could not make one a worthy version of one of its better known titles for the ''Pro System''.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/02, Updated 12/08/02