Asterix (Atari 2600)

Whoa, some actual artwork on the Atari 2600.

I'm playing as Asterix's decapitated head, and I have to collect the brown cauldrons/boxing gloves while avoiding the lyres as they hurtle horizontally across the level.

When I grab a cauldron, it turns into a 50 points icon for a couple of seconds.

Once I grabbed 50 cauldrons, they were immediately replaced with helmets. I don't know why Asterix would want 50 helmets but I grabbed them too and now I'm collecting shields instead.

Somehow I feel like I've already seen everthing this game has to offer.


LATER.

And now I'm collecting... lamps? Cocktails? Either way I've grabbed enough of them to earn me two extra lives. For some reason though the fourth life isn't showing up.

Perhaps I've maxed out the Atari 2600's Asterix-head drawing capacity already.

Oh crap, somehow I get the feeling this isn't good news. It's ominous.

Oh crap I can't handle this any more, the enemies are moving too fast! Obelix mode must have doubled the speed.

Dammit! So close to getting a complete screen.

The stretched out face of failure. All my lives are lost. Obelix mode kicked my ass.

I was so close to getting my 50,000 point extra life too. I just needed three more apples!

Weirdly the US version of the game licences Taz from Looney Tunes instead. A creepy Taz with cracked lips and no teeth.

The gameplay is identical, but the sprites are different. Whirlwind Taz lacks some of the charm of Asterix-head, but avoiding dynamite makes more sense to me. Plus bright red objects are easier to see and avoid.

Weirdly Taz decides to wash his 50 burgers down with 50 beers.


LATER.

Hey, I think I've figured out how to survive Taz's version of Obelix Wave (Crazed Wave). The points take a couple of seconds to disappear after I collect an item, and while the points are up no enemies can appear on that rail. So all I have to do is stay on the rails with points on and I'm safe! For a few seconds.


But then I inevitably screwed it up and lost all my lives before even beating my Asterix score. Well I'm done with that then. It's as basic as you get but it's not bad for what it is. It's pure gameplay and no bullshit, it's just a shame the gameplay gets old after about 15 seconds.