Beware The Spaceman
Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours

  • Atari Set 1.2 Quantum

    Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours

    This week’s Reaction is a gem I discovered later via the Atari 50 collection. Programmed by Betty Ryan (who later worked on the 2600 version of Pole Position), it’s set in space and it’s a high‑score chase. But that’s where the similarities to a lot of the other big hits end.

    The aim in this 1982 arcade game is to score points by drawing circles around particles. But if a particle or a baddie touches your line before the circle is complete, you lose a life. In the arcade, this was all done using a trackball controller.

    I never saw one of these machines out in the wild, and to my knowledge it didn’t receive a home port at the time — leaving it largely off the radar. Which is a shame, because I had a fun time playing this one.

    I have to wonder if that trackball setup was the reason home ports never happened. Drawing circles with the original 2600 joystick may not have been an easy task.

    It seems Atari are aware of its quality, as they released a remake — Quantum Recharged — playable on modern systems.

    To play Quantum today, it’s included in the Atari 50 Collection, with the remake also available on console and PC.

    But that word Quantum… we’re not done with it this week. Because over on the Off Page blog, we’re looking at Quantum — the comic from Time Bomb.

    Right here next time, it’s Food Fight for the Atari 7800 as the Atari Set rolls on.

  • Atari Set 1.1 Missile Command

    missile command cabinet

    The threat of nuclear war is maybe an odd concept for a video game. In Missile Command you’re trying to stop your bases being hit by incoming missiles. The year is 1981, and this is the 2600 version.

    In true 2600 fashion it’s a high‑score chaser. There’s a story about two opposing planets, it’s in the manual but really doesn’t matter in play. Let’s be honest — the game is a reflection of the Cold War.

    I’ve played the arcade version and found the controls awkward, probably because I used an Evercade and later a PS4 controller. The arcade cabinet really needed its trackball.

    The 2600 version, though… well, it’s not much to look at. The vector‑style graphics — especially the explosion when you die — remind me of the flashes of colour I get with migraines. The box art is fantastic, but in‑game your imagination is doing the heavy lifting. Look past that and you’ve got a very playable take on the arcade machine. My favourite, actually.

    Gameplay is simple: shoot down the missiles before they blow up your bases. They get faster and faster as the game goes on.

    Is this up there with Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, and Pac‑Man? I think so. It’s one I came to later in life rather than at release. It’s almost the reverse of Space Invaders — you’re defending your base instead of shooting down aliens.

    If you want to play this classic today, it’s easy to find: Evercade Atari 1 (now Legacy), Atari 50 on all major platforms, and the Antstream Arcade service.

  • First Party Atari

    Retro Reaction in ZX Spectrum colours

    The Atari 2600 was technically the second generation of video game consoles, but for many it was the first system they ever owned. Its importance in the history of video games can’t be overstated. It made video games mainstream and, more importantly, it was my favourite toy.

    Ours was the wood‑panelled machine in the kitchen, hooked up to a black‑and‑white TV. I had classics like Pac‑Man and Frostbite. But as my earliest memories were forming in the late ’80s and early ’90s, finding 2600 games “in the wild” was becoming difficult.

    Then one day we switched it on, there was a pop, and the smell of electrical burning. The 2600 was no more. That very same day, Blue Peter declared it a collector’s item.

    With Reaction back, we’re celebrating Atari across the blogs.
    Here’s what’s coming up as we look at first‑party Atari titles.
    All of these games are (thankfully) accessible today through a variety of modern systems.

    1.1 Mission Command — Atari 2600
    One of Atari’s more famous games. We take a look at the well‑received 2600 version.

    1.2 Quantum — Arcade
    A hidden gem I discovered through the Atari 50 compilation.

    1.3 Food Fight — Atari 7800
    Because the 7800 version is my favourite take on this classic.

    1.4 Adventure — Atari 2600
    Before Zelda, before The Witcher, we had Adventure. The bare‑bones foundations of the RPG genre have been here since 1980.

    1.5 Tempest 2000 — Atari Jaguar
    We’re with the Jaguar for the final two games. This one was arguably the system’s best first‑party title.

    1.6 Cybermorph — Atari Jaguar
    “Where did you learn to fly?” A technical showcase for the Jaguar — but is it much more?