Robo-Squash
Robo-Squash by Atari Corp.
Players: 1-2
Stereo: No
Levels: 16, 4 difficulties
YOR: 1990
Experience the Ultimate Zero-G Futuresport
"Take the challenge of multi-dimesional competition. Control and aim your racquet to deflect the ball as it comes at you. Hit exploding bricks and special items for power ups. Miss the ball and you'll be splattered!"
"It is the 31st century. The President of the World has died unexpectedly at the young age of 281 after nearly 200 years of peaceful rule, leaving the United World Federation in chaos. The World Party has been in control for almost four centuries, but now the International Party wants to take over. Rumor's that the President's death was accidental can't be confirmed, but the World Party is on the defensive."
"Since the conventional warfare of the uncivilized past is now obsolete, the two parties are gearing up to settle the dispute in a more modern way--an all-or-nothing game of ROBO-SQUASH."
Robo-Squash is what happens when you combine Pong and Breakout, add a few new things, and then make it 3D. You control a paddle that can move anywhere on the screen, and your goal is to either splatter the ball on the opponent's side of the screen three times, or destroy this strange thing that crawls around the walls after you destroy all the bricks. In the end, after all the levels, the player with the most points wins.
There are four difficulty modes. The computer is really good on all of them. I usually just stick with Terrific though. I'd also love to play a game ComLynxed, but none of my friends that have Lynxes have this game yet. It's probably really fun though(like any ComLynxed game!).
There are some cool things you can get for your paddle. My personal favorite is fireball shooter. You get less points for destroying a brick, but I like explosions, and you get a really cool explosion every time. It can also screw your opponent up by distracting them for a second. You can also get a holder(holds the ball every time you touch it), an expander(gives you a bigger paddle), and a spotter(shows you where the balls heading to). These special items make it even cooler to play.
Other than that, you have to strategize to win. It's very addicting and like the old Atari saying goes "Takes five minutes to learn, but years to master." Robo-Squash fits perfectly into that category.
The Ratings!
Graphics- A - Lots of colors, lots of scaling, and nicely rendered sprites(such as the explosions) show off the Lynxes capapbilites nicely. There's even a little light sourcing!
Sound/Music- C+ - Not much here. A nice start up tune is all you get for music, but the sounds are pretty good.
Control- A - Doesn't get a whole lot better than this.
Fun Factor- A++ - Instantly addicting, especially for the retro-gamer. If you love Pong or Breakout, it'll be perfect for you...
By Adam Pratt