Video Game Collecting

Last year we celebrated the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda and the year before that Super Mario Bros.  But this year belongs to California Games for Atari 2600 and several other platforms.

California Games on the 2600 is significant for several reasons.  This game pushed the 2600 to the limit.  It is basically four minigames: hackysack, halfpipe, BMX, and surfing.  Each game could have been a blockbuster for the Atari had it been released several years earlier because each game had wonderful colors, fantastic animations, intuitive controls, and a huge replay factor.

Although your character is a bit stiff, the hackysack event really dances on the screen.  Several tricks and unpredictable elements make you believe the event can be mastered but I have yet to see someone play the entire event and not make a single mistake.  Small details like the drifting clouds and pinetrees are an excellent touch though palmtrees would have made more sense.

The half pipe has several tricks as well but they are the most difficult in the game to pull off.  There is also an element of speed to the skateboard which if you’re not careful you’ll smash your skull into the sky and come falling down to your presumed death.

BMX is my favorite because its the fastest of the four events.  Basically you roll down hill doing tricks and dodging rocks, stumps, cattle skulls, and mud.  Flags are check points and gives you more time to complete an event.  Although the track never changes, it’s long and difficult to master.

Surfing is very similar to the half pipe except the timing is a bit more liberal.  There are several tricks in this event as well.

Again, California Games for the Atari 2600 is an amazing piece of work and 25 years later still impresses the hell out of me.