Off the Wall - Atari 2600 Game Review

 

Off the Wall

Atari 2600

Publisher: Atari.Developer: Atari.

Genre: Ball-and-Paddle

1989

One of the last gamesreleased for the Atari 2600, Off the Wall takes the classic formula weall know from Breakout and spins it into something more detailed andfairly entertaining. The game puts you in the shoes of Kung Fu Lu, on a missionto smash through a mysterious and evil wall, brick by brick, with a bouncingball as your weapon of choice.

The game tosses in atwist with a mystical dragon perched atop the screen, guarding the wall. Tocomplete a level, you must demolish every brick or defeat the dragon itselfwith six strikes. Just when you think you've got a handle on things, enter theblackbird. This feisty creature appears after the first level, fluttering closeto the wall, ready to bounce your ball in the wrong direction and amp up thechallenge.

Periodically, the gamethrows you a bone with magical tokens that drop down. Catch one of these, andyou're rewarded with an Arkanoid -like special power. One makes thepaddle magnetic, allowing it to draw the ball to Lu. Another enlarges yourpaddle, making it easier to hit the ball. One turns your ball into a powerhousecapable of blasting a large chunk of bricks while another makes the ball travelin a zigzag pattern toward the bricks. There’s a mystery token as well thatwill provide any one of the four power-ups.

You begin the game as ahumble peasant, but your skill and determination will see you rise through theranks with every four waves of bricks you clear. But beware: losing a ball offthe bottom of the screen costs you a life, and with only five lives on hand,every move counts.

Now, here's huge bummerfor fans of classic Atari and retro gaming in general. Unlike Breakout, Offthe Wall doesn't work with the Atari paddle controllers – you must use thestandard joystick. It's a HUGE missed opportunity, especially considering howwell-suited the game's mechanics would be for that kind of precise and speedycontrol. I’m guessing that this late in the life of the 2600, Atari eitherdidn’t care or figured that consumers wouldn’t care. Even with this massiveoversight, the game manages to be more than just playable – it’s entertaining.

Overall, Off theWall is a largely forgotten title for the Atari 2600. While it shares the samegenre with Atari’s own 1991 arcade game of the same name, they are verydifferent. It’s not good enough to be called a hidden gem, and it’s certainlynot as good as Arkanoid, but it does offer some simple, old-school fun.There are certainly worse ways to kill half an hour than to play this game afew rounds.