Pitfall! High Score 100,963

My personal best at Pitfall! I was just 1 screen away from another diamond ring. Getting close to a 32/32 Treasure game. I was actually recording this game, so I'll have a video of it sometime.

Died once to a scorpion, and was pretty conservative with the jumps, thus my slow time. I also need to start going to the right at the beginning to pick up the first treasure; I'll never get a perfect game without perfecting that.

Enduro Atari Activision

Enduro is another Activision classic, and the best racing game on the Atari. Grand Prix is also pretty fun, and of course there is always Pole Position. Enduro is more like Outrun, you drive across varied scenes at high speed. 

Game features, ice, fog, day and night effects. Easy to pick-up and play, very impossible to master. A must have for any collector. Included in the Activision Antology for GBA and PS2. I own both versions, as they are excellent and have a nice virtual interface.

The main thing I like about Enduro is how long the races last, you'll be driving for minutes, instead of the seconds most other racing games of this era provided.

Atari Checkers Artwork

I've been hooked on Activision's checkers for the Atari 2600. But its packaging is total crap, so here is Atari's version. 

I know I'm strange, but this Activision Checkers thing started when I saw some book in the Library about advances in computer game theory (Chess, Blackjack, etc) and started reading. To my surprise it's entirely fascinating how smart programmers in the '70s & '80s were about games. As a sometimes game designer it's very informative.

I haven't actually played the Atari version, but Activision's checkers cart is tough as shit. Not sure why it's so hard, but I haven't beaten it yet. Back in 2003-2004 I was a checkers wizard and could stomp every computer I came across. Either I'm rusty or some super genius was programming for Activision. (both highly likely). People tend to be dismissive of checkers, but it test basically the same skills as Chess without being overly-complicated. True story: Edgar Allen Poe preferred checkers to chess for that exact reason.

Finally, look how fucking smug that kid looks in the Atari artwork. His female servant looks pleased with his move as well. Obviously girls can't play checkers. GG atari.

Play Kaboom Online and Kaboom Atari 2600 Box Scans

I found this really good port of Kaboom! today and I've been playing for the last 30 minutes :D

The Atari 2600 has some awesome paddle games, and Kaboom is one of the best. The concept is so simple, catch the bombs before the hit the ground and explode, but the challenge and fun are top-notch.

This was another masterpiece by Activision, and it would spawn countless other Arcade and TI-83 clones.

Freewebarcade has a really nice Kaboom flash game, and this makes me want to search for an Atari 2600 Web-based emulator. In any event, you can bide the time until then saving the city from the crazy person in Kaboom!

It might seem primitive, but anything that was actually fun to play in 1981 was a great game. Kaboom! truly stands the test of time, like dozens of other Atari 2600 masterpieces.

This port is flawless and uses the mouse very well. Check out the box scans on 8-Bit City before you get a high score! The servers are down (this game was ported in 2002), but I just scored a 775. The challenge increases quickly to truly test your reflexes and skill.