If you've had your Atari for any length of time and you're at all interested in games, you won't have failed to notice two things. Firstly, a lot of games originate in America. Secondly, they cost a small fortune.

The two points aren't unrelated. It costs money to import software. In the past I've been sent free review copies of software from the States and been charged an arm and a leg in VAT, import duty and Post Office handling charges.

Of course, more games get written in America because the Atari market is bigger over there. Not fair, is it?

Fortunately, US Gold is in business to solve this problem. Basically, Gold "buy" a game from America in the form of a licence and sell it over here at less-than-Stateside prices. That way, we get American games at British prices.

The latest batch of games to be released by US Gold are Tapper, Up 'N Down, Spy Hunter and Zaxxon.

Previous Next

Tapper is one of those games which owes its existence to the old stage act of spinning plates on sticks. The idea is that you've got four soda counters to look after. You must slide sodas along to the customers and collect the empties. If you miss an empty glass it crashes to the ground and that's one of your "lives" gone.

The other way you fail is by being over-zealous and sliding a soda when there isn't a thirsty customer - not like any bar I've ever been in!

When you slide a soda the customer retreats and the way to complete a level is to satisfy all customers. On level 1 it's not too difficult.

Of course, things get harder as you work your way up the levels, with more customers and consequently more empties. There are also bonus rounds when you must watch carefully.

The Soda Bandit shakes five of the six soda cans on the bar and then shuffles them around. You've got to open the unshaken can. Success brings a big bonus, failure brings a faceful of soda!

It's a frantic game which has you leaping about while trying to develop strategies. It's also slightly unusual for an arcade game in that it's essentially non-violent. The worst that happens is that glasses get broken - no worse than the average home.

Previous Next

Up 'N Down is a bit hard to describe. It's a sort of car-driving game, but not in the Pole Position mould.

The road is a narrow latticework that scrolls down the screen and as soon as you press the joystick forward your car starts along the road. Every so often there are flags and as you pass them they turn white. Completing the "level" involves turning all the flags white. To hinder you there are trucks going in your direction. If you hit them you disintegrate.

There are also wrecks sliding back down the screen, and if they hit you it's curtains.

Because there isn't much of the road system on screen at any one time, you don't get any warning of either the trucks or the wrecks. Also, because the road system isn't very extensive, there's often no way of dodging either trucks or wedges.

However, the car is unusual in that it can jump. Landing on your opponents brings points, but you can also jump from one section of the road to another. You can jump off the road too, but that loses you a life.

Just to keep things moving, the whole game is timed, with different bonuses depending on how fast you complete the level.

It's one of those games which had me saying "silly game - I'll just have one more go!" It's challenging enough to be fun if you like that sort of thing.

Previous Next

Spy Hunter is another driving game, but more in the River Raid genre. You are a world class spy driving for your life. The road is crawling with enemy agents bent on your destruction and they'll stop at nothing, so neither can you.

What this means in practice is another vertically scrolling screen. The game starts with the weapons truck pulling over and your car sliding out of the back, armed with machine guns.

The road branches as you move forward and you've got to be careful to stay on the road. The enemy agents will soon have you crashing off so there's a fair bit of dodging as well as shooting.

Each time you enter a new terrain the weapons truck appears and you can get some more weapons. To do this you must let the truck pass you and then "dock" into the back of it.

It took me a bit of time to get the hang of Spy Hunter - I kept shooting innocent motorists and getting the "No Points" message. Once I got the hang of it, though, it was fun to play.

Previous Next

Finally, Zaxxon is one of the all-time classics. It was one of the first games to give the impression of 3D by using a sort of diagonal scroll. "Height" in the playfield is controlled by forward and backward joystick movement, with lateral movement being controlled correspondingly.

Since you're constantly moving forward, you don't have to worry about the third dimension.

However, you do have to worry about the many hazards, both passive and active. On the passive side there are all sorts of things into which you can fly, with the resulting loss of life. On the active side there are missile silos, enemy aircraft and lethal electronic barriers.

The chances are that you've seen Zaxxon in one of the many versions around. If you've ever played it you'll know that it is a great arcade game.

So there you have them. Four games which until recently would have cost considerably more. Without realising it, I've arranged them roughly in "violence" order, from Tapper with its broken glasses to Zaxxon with its full-scale shoot-'em-up destruction.

If you're an arcade fan, chances are one of them would suit you. As an arcade addict, I've been spoilt for choice.