The Atari 2600 wasn’t the first video game console, nor was it the first to take cartridges. Those honors go to the Magnavox Odyssey and Fairchild Channel F. However, it was the first to truly make a real impact on gaming, featuring classic hits like Pitfall! and Yars’ Revenge.
The console may have had great games like those, but considering their age, most Atari 2600 titles haven’t aged well. In fact, one can make the case that Atari 2600 games like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Sneak ‘N Peek are downright unplayable today.
King Kong Is a Pitiful Excuse for a Rip-off
King Kong is a video game based on the media franchise of the same name. Here, players must rescue a damsel who was kidnapped by King Kong and is at the top of the screen. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because King Kong is effectively a rip-off of Nintendo’s Donkey Kong, itself ironically seen as a rip-off of King Kong.
King Kong isn’t even that great of a rip-off though. A big problem is jumping, an important platforming mechanic and something that made Donkey Kong as popular as it was back then. It’s hard to maneuver over obstacles because jumps require precise timing, making it worthless to try and beat the game.
Tax Avoiders Doesn’t Make Economics Any More Fun
Tax Avoiders was released in 1986, a year after the NES and the same year the Atari 7800 debuted, making it a notably late Atari 2600 title. It has a novel concept, one rarely seen in today’s simulation games, that has players gradually build up wealth while avoiding the wrath of the IRS.
Despite its novel premise, Tax Avoiders was simply too complex for an Atari 2600 game; by this point, it could’ve easily been released on home computers and been a nifty edutainment tool. Instead, players have to conquer convoluted gameplay mechanics, such as confusing color-coded IRS agents, and unnecessarily clunky platforming mechanics.
Star Ship Is Too Obvious of a Launch Title to Be Enjoyed
Star Ship holds a significant place in the Atari 2600’s library as one of the console’s launch titles, releasing alongside Combat and Video Olympics in 1977. Even back when it came out, Star Ship was frowned upon for being unnecessarily hard, which largely had to do with the poor targeting system.
Today, Star Ship is outright unplayable. It is not an Atari 2600 gamers should come back to unless they are prepared to deal with eye-sore graphics and the aforementioned flight controls.
Swordquest Cannot Be Completed as Intended
Swordquest is not one game, but rather a series of games encompassing four titles: Earthworld, Fireworld, Waterworld, and Airworld, the latter of which was never released. Swordquest was released as part of a contest, the winners of which could receive real treasures.
Unfortunately, the Swordquest contest ended up being canceled before half the prizes were ever disbursed. Truth be told, it’s a wonder how gamers back then could’ve possibly been able to play the individual games. In addition to requiring supplemental materials, the games have unintuitive mechanics, including nonsensical item combinations.
Based on Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic film of the same name, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial isn’t quite as unplayable as some gamers make it out to be. The premise is actually comprehensible; here, players need to retrieve pieces of a telephone in order for E.T. to ring home. All the while, players must dodge government agents and scientists.
The game may sound simple, but it is all ruined by one thing: the pits. When E.T. falls into these pits, players have to levitate him out of them. This may sound simple until players realize that levitating will subtract E.T.’s ever descending health counter, which also happens when he simply moves. It’s no wonder the Atari 2600 gets such a bad rep with this as its most infamous game.
Sneak ‘n Peek Is Too Ridiculous to Take Seriously
Back in the Atari 2600 days, video games could be made out of anything. This is still technically the case today, given the variety of simulation and tycoon video games, but it’s highly unlikely that Sneak ‘n Peek would’ve been made today. For the uninitiated, Sneak ‘n Peek is based on the old game of hide-and-seek.
Sneak ‘n Peek is just too ridiculous to take seriously, and there are many other factors that render the game pointless. Mainly, the game requires other players to look away from the screen, which makes it reliant on trust and therefore impractical.
Skeet Shoot Is No Duck Hunt
Skeet Shoot is exactly what the title says. The game has players shooting at flying clay pigeons; in multiplayer, players compete to see who can shoot more. Truth be told, had the game been a light shooter title, it could’ve been well ahead of the likes of Duck Hunt, with Skeet Shoot coming about around four years before the former.
Unfortunately, Skeet Shoot isn’t nearly as clever as one would’ve hoped. Here, players have to painstakingly aim at the clay pigeons, which fly too fast for players to track. The only real way to score is to be lucky enough to spawn exactly where the skeets will fly, and that’s a long shot.
Pac-Man is the Worst Version of a Classic Game
Pac-Man made a splash when it first released in arcades in 1980. It ended up seeing releases on both home computers and, more relevantly, video game consoles. The Atari 2600 version, in particular, is the most famous console port, but for all the wrong reasons.
For those wondering what’s wrong with Pac-Man on the Atari 2600, they should sit through the game and try to endure the flashing ghosts and repulsive noises. The fact Atari produced more copies of the game than there were existing consoles is truly baffling, especially considering there are countless better ways to play Pac-Man on other platforms.
