Mattel has developed a “talking” and go inside a human body to eliminate game unit (about $69): It plugs into disease and cure illness. , and has a speech synthe­ has 20 games just for sizer that duplicates the human voice. Atari VCS. Among its more popular Another home video system, Odyssey 2, games are StarMaster, which simulates also has a voice module that will speak space flight, Ice Hockey, Stampede words you program onto the screen. and Chopper Command. , Many Improved Game Features from Mattel E lectron ics, has a growing selection o f games, such as Astroblast In addition to new games, major and Dark Cavern, designed for the companies have made numerous im­ Atari VCS. So does US Games, with provements, making games easier and Space Jockey, Towering Inferno and more fun to play. First, better color three other games for Atari’s system. THE LATEST IN graphics. For example, the Astrovision Some established toy companies and Arcade ($299) comes with 256 colors, movie producers have begun making HOME VIDEO GAMES (compared to 16 colors with most games) video games. For example, Parker Broth­ for brighter, more eye-appealing games. e r s , has introduced a game based By Robert L. Perry Second, ColecoVision, Atari Sys­ on The Empire Strikes Back. A player tem 5200, and Astrovision Arcade now combats a moving row of tank-like Im­ hristmas morning will resound with come with coiled cords. They retract perial Walkers. Cthe bleeps, blips, crashes and easily and store in a compartment on the Major movie companies, including crunches of the latest video games and video game; they replace the straight, 20th Century F o x , MGM and Lucas- home computers. loose wires which often were hard to Films (the maker of Star W a r s ) will Prices are at new lows, but colorful wind and caused a mess around many also join with home computer game action game challenges are better than home televisions. companies to produce video games for ever. Third, the new games come with uni­ Atari VCS. For example, Commodore, Inc. has versal controllers. In the past, you Many new games are based on pop­ introduced M A X , a $179 three-in-one played some games with “joysticks,” ular arcade games. ColecoVision has video game/home computer. It comes and others with game “paddles” with a home version o f Donkey K ong; the with 16 colors, a synthesizer that plays round knobs. ColecoVision’s new all- Atari System 5200’s first line includes real musical tones and a full-sized key­ in-one controller has a control knob that these very popular arcade games: Pac board. (The keyboard makes M AX a m oves in eigh t d irection s and a M an; ; G alaxian; home computer you can write your own 12-function calculator-like keypad. ; and Asteroids, to programs for.) Fourth, several games also serve as name a few. Among its more than a dozen new home computers. You can learn to If you plan to buy a home video game games and programs, Commodore has program-- write sets of instructions machine or computer, you have to select Mole Attack, a new type of target into-- the unit so you can make up your the brand carefully. In general, you shooting game, and Wizard of Wor, a own games. M A X , Astro Arcade, and cannot play games made for one brand fantasy adventure game where a player Mattel Intellivision offer home com­ machine on another brand machine. searches for hidden treasure through puter keyboard units. (For example, you cannot play games mazes, tunnels and dungeons while Wide Variety of Games for the Atari! VCS on Intellivision or fighting monsters and overcoming other Astro Arcade or even-- at least not yet-- obstacles. Many companies make video games, on the new Atari System 5200.) Video games and home computers for the Atari VCS and for In­ You should ask about the number and have come a long way since Atari tellivision. For example, types of games available for a game invented the simple, black and white has released seven new Atari games machine before you decide to buy it. Pong game in 1975. and five for Intellivision. Two games For 1982, Atari has added System are common to both: A tla n tis , an ad­ Games for Home Computers 5200, a colorful advanced video game venture game to save the Lost City of Beside video “ action” games there is a machine ($279). is introducing Atlantis, and Demon Attack, in which wide variety of other historical simula­ ColecoVision, a video game machine you fend off pulsating creatures. tion, science-fiction and fantasy adven­ ($279) with an add-on device that allows One exciting game concept is ture games available for home com­ you to play games originally made for Imagic’s Micro Surgeon, for In­ puters. the Atari VCS. tellivision. You act like a doctor For example, Avalon Hill Microcom­ puter Games offers more than 30 games for a variety of home computers, in­ cluding the Atari 400 and 800, Apple I I , Radio Shack TRS-80, Commo­ dore PET and IBM Personal Com­ puter. Avalon Hill has such challenging games as Midway Campaign, which simulates the decisive World War II sea battle. Another is Empire of the Over­ mind, in which you must destory a part-machine, part-spirit tyrant. A n ­ dromeda Conquest challenges you to colonize galaxies on a vast scale. Hundreds of such , ranging from simple games for young children to advanced strategy games for up to a dozen older players, are available for home computers from a variety of companies.

10 BOYS’ LIFE * DECEMBER 1982