Berzerk

"Nostalgia!"

Intro
Berzerk is a game which my brother had for his Atari when we were younger. I remember him playing it while I jumped on a trampoline. Anyway, it's one of the first Shoot 'em up games to hit homes...or rather it's part of the first generation of such games. Unlike most of those games, where you defend Earth, you're trying to escape an alien planet where even a brush against the walls is instant death.
Gameplay 10-10. You have to work your way through mazes, avoiding and shooting robots. Don't touch the walls, 'cuz they'll electrocute you and you'll die. Then there's also Evil Otto, the main bad guy. He's just a smily face, and you can get points for shooting him. Like most Atari games, Berzerk can go on indefinitely. Be warned though, it can get really frustrating.
Control 10-10. Move with the joystick and fire with the button. It couldn't get much simpler. Like I said though, don't touch the walls.
Audio 10-10. Atari's sound is some of the greatest in video gaming history. I say this because it's very memorable. Even after years of not playing an Atari, I still remembered the sound of such games as Adventure, Pac-Man and of course Berzerk. Primative it may be, but it was very fitting and still strikes a chord in my video gaming soul...oh yeah, I think I said that in another review. There's a sort of blum sound when you fire, a little sound for enemies firing and dying,, and an electricity sound when you die. It's quite cool if you ask me.
Story ??? I'm not entirely clear on it. All I know is you blow up robots and the occasional Evil Otto as you try to escape the mazes. I seem to remember seeing the story somewhere not too long ago, but I forget where. Anyway, blow up robots and Evil Ottos till you can't stand it anymore.
Overall 10-10. Even today, I find this game to be extremely fun and addicting. It's one of the games I like to dig out and play on a regular basis. Do yourself a favor if you have an Atari and haven't played Berzerk. Find yourself a copy. Maybe you'll like it and maybe not. The only way to know is to try. The gameplay, though frustrating at times, is nice and simple and fun, the controls are also simple and the sound, though a bit repetitive, is good.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/22/03