"Solaris" for the Atari 2600

So great it outshines almost every other game made for the Atari 2600

Rating:
5/5

Pros:
Outstanding visuals; great play control; truly replicates a 3D environment; substantial replay value

Cons:
It's hard to actually finish the game

The Bottom Line:
It might not be able to compare to today's games, but for an Atari 2600 game this is absolutely amazing.

There’s something very ironic about playing Solaris for the Atari 2600. It’s one of the most technologically-advanced games in the console’s library that plays like a game for a higher-powered system. That means any game ever made for the console had the ability to be just as good. Sure, the technology was limited but when a game can do so much with so little, it makes the others pale in comparison.

PRESS FIRE TO START

Solaris is a sequel to Star Raiders, one of the first space shooters that suffered from bad graphics, bad play-control and utilized a peripheral keypad (which was practically useless and never used by any other games). Everything that was wrong with Star Raiders has clearly been fixed with Solaris.

The game is still a space shooter, but this game has two basic objectives: to play through the fast-action shooting sequences, and to navigate a larger field of play in the form of various star charts. Each chart is a maze-like grid which contains both friendly and enemy territories as well as exits to surrounding chart screens. The ultimate goal is to find the planet Solaris while defending friendly “Federation” planets from enemy attacks.

Although the game does keep score the only way to earn 1-ups is by defeating all the enemies on the hostile planets. You must also keep an eye on your fuel and damage status as you’re able to gas up and repair on friendly and hostile planets.

PLAYER 1 – READY!

Solaris is one of the few games that I can honestly say has it all. It combines intense, fast-action stages with an overall strategic approach to reach the objective. Unlike most games of its time, it wasn’t a test of endurance to see how long you could survive in a Sisyphus-like environment. And the game doesn’t take you from beginning to end in a straight path – figuring out which way to go is up to you.

And as much as I appreciate the synthesis of action and strategy, what really makes Solaris great is the gameplay itself. You really do feel as if you’re flying through space, piloting a starfighter and blasting enemies in a three-dimensional world. I can recall many earlier games which attempted this type of gameplay but failed because their graphics were too choppy and/or their controls were too sloppy.

Many games of its generation were great tests of dexterity, but they were limited in their field of play. With Solaris, the sheer scope of the game puts to shame everything that came before it. Most individual stages involve dogfights in space, which are always challenging and unpredictable. There are also surface-skimming stages wherein you must simultaneously rescue the good guys and blast the bad guys. Even the mini-stages between the bigger stages have their own individual challenges (although I did feel these became a little tedious after a while).

JOYSTICKING

It’s quite obvious that Solaris is far more advanced than most games in the VCS catalog. However, just because a game looks great doesn’t mean it plays great. Perhaps that’s why this is such a great game – because it does play as great as it looks. For a fast-action game the controls are surprisingly tight and responsive. This is even more impressive considering just how fast the action is compared to most other space shooters of the era.

I always felt that the starfighter was going where I wanted it to go when I wanted. I didn’t feel as if I was just aimlessly flying through a void. Pulling back on the stick really feels like pitching up and not just moving higher up on the screen. Speeding up and slowing down on the surface-skimming scenes is also very responsive.

My only complaint is that you can only fire off two shots at a time. This is a game that is so action-intensive a turbo controller (or the ability to shoot more than two at a time) would really help. I also found the starfighter moved horizontally a bit “slippery,” but I was always able to right myself quickly.

SPRITES & PIXELS

If the average gamer was to simply look at a demo of Solaris they might be surprised to learn it was a 4-bit game because the visuals are so impressive. It’s not that the game has intricate or detailed graphics (although they are advanced considering the limits of the technology), but that it’s able to process them so well. There’s a real sense of motion as well as playing in a truly three-dimensional environment. There’s no stuttering, no screen flicker and no characters or images that would be described as “blocky.”

CHIPPED TUNES

Surprisingly, there isn’t a lot to comment on as far as sound. The game does not have ambient background music, but the sound effects it does have are above-average in quality for an Atari 2600 game. Many of them are a little familiar, but like everything else here they’re all improved versions of things that have come before it.

INSERT COIN TO CONTINUE

Solaris is definitely one of the most addictive games ever made for the Atari 2600. Its appeal is twofold: the fun action sequences, as well as the overall strategy to meet the final objective. Combined with the huge scope, this is a game that will make players want to come back for more. Its challenge is perfect since it never becomes too difficult or too easy no matter how many times it’s played.

GAME OVER

It’s easy to make a case for Solaris being the best game ever made for the Atari 2600. A few minor details aside, I really can’t think of anything wrong with it. It looks great, sounds great, plays great, and always makes you want to come back for more – that’s what I call a perfect game.

Recommended:
Yes

NOTE: This review was originally published at: http://www.epinions.com/content_458943925892

Used with permission. Copyright 2009 Chad Polenz.