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MAVERICK'S LIST OF BALLY ASTROCADE VIDEOGAMES

Unless you are a classic videogame fanatic,
the Bally Astrocade probably draws a blank.
The Astrocade came out shortly after the 2600.
Highlights included three built-in games (and a
calculator), a numeric keypad (later used to
allow basic programming), and controllers shaped
like the butt of a revolver with a knob on top
functioning as a combination paddle and joystick.
The Bally was no slouch and the best games for
the system give the 2600 a run for the money.
The BASIC cartridge and ability to save programs
to a cassette tape gave it potential beyond any
home videogame system of its time.  And most
importantly there is The Incredible Wizard,
the Astrocade version of the arcade game Wizard
of Wor, one of my all-time favorite cooperative
arcade games.

Some of my favorite titles are marked * and
have a brief commentary as to their merits.

B M O GAME 
-------------------------------------------------
X X - 280 ZZZAP, DODGEM
X X - AMAZING MAZE, TIC-TAC-TOE 
X X - ARTILLERY DUEL*
       It's the old stand-by artillery duel we all
       know and love (or hate?)  But the special 
       features in this version are worth a second
       look.  If only they had put in an option to
       skip the animation sequences...
X X - ASTRO BATTLE 
X X X ASTROCADE BASIC 
X X - ASTROCADE PINBALL 
X - X BALLY BASIC
X X - BIORHYTHM 
X . - BLACKJACK, POKER, AND ACEY-DEUCEY 
X X - BRICKYARD, CLOWNS 
. . - COSMIC RAIDERS*
X X - DOG PATCH 
. . - ELEMENTARY MATH AND BINGO MATH 
. . - FOOTBALL 
X X - GALACTIC INVASION 
X X - GRAND PRIX, DEMOLITION DERBY 
X X - THE INCREDIBLE WIZARD*
       Wizard of Wor!  This is definitely as good as,
       if not better than, the 5200 version.
. . - LETTER MATCH, SPELL 'N SCORE, CROSSWORDS 
X X - PANZER ATTACK AND RED BARON 
       Unfortunately this cart doesn't come close to
       Atari's classic Combat variations.  The potential
       uses of the paddle control in this game could
       have added some interesting variety to these
       otherwise disappointing combat games.
X X - SEAWOLF, MISSILE 
X X - SOLAR CONQUEROR 
X X - STAR BATTLE 
X X - TORNADO BASEBALL/TENNIS/HANDBALL/HOCKEY 



6/19/00

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