Challenge

"A fun Atari game that IS a challenge"

Sometimes a game comes along that's surprisingly simple, but very fun at the same time. A game that anyone can play yet is still a challenge. And what better game to be a challenge then a game aptly named Challenge. A game reminiscent of Frogger in some ways, this game is a lot of fun to play.

What exactly is Challenge? It's a game where you have to take this green duck --- yes, a green duck. Well, I think it's a duck anyway --- to the end of a stage by moving up and down like in a maze. You have to avoid the frogs as you're going there though. Yes, a duck has to avoid frogs to reach the end, and he “crosses the street” more than once per stage, unlike Frogger. (Challenge came before Frogger, by the way) Yes, the graphics are simple. A green duck thing (it could be a mouse or a snake too, come to think of it. I guess it could be whatever you want it to be), purple frogs (they could be green cars too, actually, or bugs. I guess those are whatever you want them to be too), and a track to go around with white flashing borders are the main objects in this game. Actually, these are great graphics for an Atari game. In a normal Atari game, it probably would've been a block trying to avoid other blocks.

Games are fun when you know what you're going in them, right? That's what really makes this game fun. After you complete the one stage, most Atari games end right there. Not this one. More frogs appear and the stages get harder as you work with all your might just to get that little duck thingy across the stage. How many stages there are, I wouldn't know. There could be 3, 5, or maybe infinite stages like Pac-Man. It doesn't really matter though as the pattern changes every time you move up a stage. Keep in mind that you only have 7 lives to work with and a time limit of 6 minutes, so if you want to get far in this game, you will need to be patient, but not too patient. As long as you keep improving, then you won't get bored of this game anytime soon.

As for minor things, the sound is passable. It's just music that hasn't been ruined by Atari's sound card, which is actually saying something. It actually fits in with the game in a way. It also helps that you only need to worry about moving the joystick in this game as well.

In conclusion, this is a simple fun game that doesn't need a long explanation to understand the enjoyment that can be gotten from this game. All this game needs are you at the controls and your imagination of a “duck” avoiding “bugs” on a “street”. The realism (or lack thereof) and the endless levels make for a high replay value. It's one of those games that you'll have to play for yourself at least once while Atari still exists.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/21/05