vintagegamecrazy
03-16-2008, 03:47 PM
Well I finally got a new one, I need to get into a schedule for these games as I love showing people new great games. This week's game is for the Atari 2600 by Avalon Hill. I will state that if you aren't patient then you may not like this game as it's definitely not realy fast paced. Anyway here goes
==REVIEW==
Shuttle Orbiter
Avalon Hill
Atari 2600
Adventure Sim
Overview- I recently found a copy of this at a resale store local to me and am happy to say that it’s my first Avalon Hill game, I jumped at the chance to own it and took it home and a few weeks later got around to playing it. It is one heck of an interesting game, it’s not an actual simulator, but a combo of genres from action flying to sim, to puzzle solving very similar to Tetris. It is one of the deepest games for the console and it has an actual end, your score is simply the timer. It’s a shame that it won’t get to be experienced by most gamers as I’ve played several or their games and Shuttle Orbiter is easliy their best game. Bear with me for the lengthy review and definitely give it a try afterwards as it’s quite rewarding with patience.
Game Play- The first time I popped this into my trusty console I immediately was turned off by the confusing game play and steep learning. As I turned it off in frustration I decided to grab the manual and give it a read, I started to finally get the concept of the game play but still couldn’t get over the learning curve. I grew more frustrated and finally went online and asked some questions on a few message boards and finally I was able to figure out how to actually accomplish something in the game for once and after several tries I finally completed the game even though it took over 30 minutes.
It may be a small and minute detail but you don’t have to press reset to start the game, you are treated to a scene with the Shuttle Challenger launching and then it shows a space view. Once in space you really have to plan strategy and timing to complete the mission. You have a meter which represents Earth orbiting height, the lower you are the faster you orbit and fly, the higher you are the slower you go. You have to first dock with a refueling satellite, then a manufacturing station to pick up parts, the space station that you are building is the highest object in orbit and along the way you have to fly through a debris field which is where the action comes in, upon every piece placed in the station the debris field grows bigger and tougher to navigate. You have to carefully navigate through the field, if you get hit the station pieces will become damaged and you have to return to pick another one up. When you are at the station you have to hold the fire button down to slow the rotation down and each piece has a specific spot to be placed between two tick marks, place it improperly and they become damaged. Many who have tried the game are immediately frustrated with trying to figure out how to place the pieces, be patient and practice it will become much easier over time. Practice getting into the same position of the satellites to dock to save fuel as well, it’s not an easy task at first but practice makes perfect and the game becomes much more enjoyable.
Graphics- Unfortunately graphics take a back seat here, the Challenger launching in the beginning is pretty but there is no rocket fuel or fire visible. The space view is actually pretty easy to decipher but Earth looks a bit strange. The Refueling satellite and the manufacturing station are very well done with visible rotating parts. Flicker is surprisingly minimal if it’s there at all which is a plus, when you place the tiny space station pieces you are easily able to see them and place them properly because graphics are crisp and sharp. My main issue here is that there just aren’t enough graphics to look at, they are few and far between but it is a space game afterall.
Sound- The sound is the biggest area that needs improvement, Challenger’s engines sound great but other than that there’s only one other sound during the game when you crash into an object. None are bad at all but the lack of sounds definitely make the game monotonous over long periods.
Conclusion- There is absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about Shuttle Orbiter’s release whatsoever, it’s an ordinary retail released Atari 2600 game by a company that never got a fair share of the market in 1983 so the game gets tossed into the category of all of the rare games that were released specially or as contests or mail order and that’s a shame since Avalon Hill’s games are decent and original and they will never be well known or get the recognition they deserve. Shuttle Orbiter is a highly original game that goes way beyond the norm of point scorers and goes straight for exploration and has an actual end. The game isn’t one of my favorites but I will never forget it, I am also very satisfied that I sat it out and gave it a chance. It’s not an easy game to get into but it is very rewarding to play so definitely give it a try. If you own it play it on a console, if not use an emulator, the results will still be satisfying but either way be sure to read the manual before playing or you won’t get far. My one and only big complaint with the game afterwards is that I don’t really want to replay it much more than maybe once.
Game Play 7
Graphics 7
Sound 5
Overall 7
==END OF REVIEW==
Hopefully you'll enjoy this one as most didn't like Treasure Master or so it seems.
The pics are in the order that they appear in the game.
==REVIEW==
Shuttle Orbiter
Avalon Hill
Atari 2600
Adventure Sim
Overview- I recently found a copy of this at a resale store local to me and am happy to say that it’s my first Avalon Hill game, I jumped at the chance to own it and took it home and a few weeks later got around to playing it. It is one heck of an interesting game, it’s not an actual simulator, but a combo of genres from action flying to sim, to puzzle solving very similar to Tetris. It is one of the deepest games for the console and it has an actual end, your score is simply the timer. It’s a shame that it won’t get to be experienced by most gamers as I’ve played several or their games and Shuttle Orbiter is easliy their best game. Bear with me for the lengthy review and definitely give it a try afterwards as it’s quite rewarding with patience.
Game Play- The first time I popped this into my trusty console I immediately was turned off by the confusing game play and steep learning. As I turned it off in frustration I decided to grab the manual and give it a read, I started to finally get the concept of the game play but still couldn’t get over the learning curve. I grew more frustrated and finally went online and asked some questions on a few message boards and finally I was able to figure out how to actually accomplish something in the game for once and after several tries I finally completed the game even though it took over 30 minutes.
It may be a small and minute detail but you don’t have to press reset to start the game, you are treated to a scene with the Shuttle Challenger launching and then it shows a space view. Once in space you really have to plan strategy and timing to complete the mission. You have a meter which represents Earth orbiting height, the lower you are the faster you orbit and fly, the higher you are the slower you go. You have to first dock with a refueling satellite, then a manufacturing station to pick up parts, the space station that you are building is the highest object in orbit and along the way you have to fly through a debris field which is where the action comes in, upon every piece placed in the station the debris field grows bigger and tougher to navigate. You have to carefully navigate through the field, if you get hit the station pieces will become damaged and you have to return to pick another one up. When you are at the station you have to hold the fire button down to slow the rotation down and each piece has a specific spot to be placed between two tick marks, place it improperly and they become damaged. Many who have tried the game are immediately frustrated with trying to figure out how to place the pieces, be patient and practice it will become much easier over time. Practice getting into the same position of the satellites to dock to save fuel as well, it’s not an easy task at first but practice makes perfect and the game becomes much more enjoyable.
Graphics- Unfortunately graphics take a back seat here, the Challenger launching in the beginning is pretty but there is no rocket fuel or fire visible. The space view is actually pretty easy to decipher but Earth looks a bit strange. The Refueling satellite and the manufacturing station are very well done with visible rotating parts. Flicker is surprisingly minimal if it’s there at all which is a plus, when you place the tiny space station pieces you are easily able to see them and place them properly because graphics are crisp and sharp. My main issue here is that there just aren’t enough graphics to look at, they are few and far between but it is a space game afterall.
Sound- The sound is the biggest area that needs improvement, Challenger’s engines sound great but other than that there’s only one other sound during the game when you crash into an object. None are bad at all but the lack of sounds definitely make the game monotonous over long periods.
Conclusion- There is absolutely nothing out of the ordinary about Shuttle Orbiter’s release whatsoever, it’s an ordinary retail released Atari 2600 game by a company that never got a fair share of the market in 1983 so the game gets tossed into the category of all of the rare games that were released specially or as contests or mail order and that’s a shame since Avalon Hill’s games are decent and original and they will never be well known or get the recognition they deserve. Shuttle Orbiter is a highly original game that goes way beyond the norm of point scorers and goes straight for exploration and has an actual end. The game isn’t one of my favorites but I will never forget it, I am also very satisfied that I sat it out and gave it a chance. It’s not an easy game to get into but it is very rewarding to play so definitely give it a try. If you own it play it on a console, if not use an emulator, the results will still be satisfying but either way be sure to read the manual before playing or you won’t get far. My one and only big complaint with the game afterwards is that I don’t really want to replay it much more than maybe once.
Game Play 7
Graphics 7
Sound 5
Overall 7
==END OF REVIEW==
Hopefully you'll enjoy this one as most didn't like Treasure Master or so it seems.
The pics are in the order that they appear in the game.