Pac-Man

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Atari

Pac-Man on the Atari 2600 gets a bad rap…granted, as you can see from my score, much of it is deserved. However, this isn't the unplayable mess that some people would have you believe…it's just close to being a unplayable mess. In fact, if you look at publications of the time, the lowest score you'll see this game get is a 4 out of 10…with more than one publication giving it a 6 out of 10 or higher. The consumers, however, who were hoping for Atari to do their magic with Pac-Man like they did for Space Invaders and Asteroids, walked away feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. While the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man is playable, it's nowhere near the quality of the arcade original. A big complaint is that this game uses flickering for the ghosts. What I mean by that is that each of the four ghosts never appear in the same frame together…so, just for argument's sake I'll make up a number, Pac-Man is running at 40 frames per second. Each ghost would only appear in 10 of those 40 frames. The end result is that it looks like the ghosts are always on the screen at the same time…but they also look like they're flickering. The flickering isn't too terrible under normal circumstances. However, the maze background is blue…when Pac-Man eats a power pellet and is able to eat the ghosts, they can become difficult to see with that flickering. And since they're flickering, it doesn't feel like you get much of a warning for when they're about to become dangerous again. Another puzzling change is that Pac-Man can't look up or down…so, if you move up or down the maze, Pac-Man continues to look in whatever direction he had been facing prior to the change in direction. The game modes are also underwhelming, with no real changes to the formula aside from adjusting the difficulty…which, if this game was of better quality, would have probably been enough. Since it desperately needed something to help make playing this worthwhile, it's yet another bad decision for this game. Ultimately, if you played the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man in a vacuum, and never knew that any other variation of Pac-Man existed, you may find some fun playing this…but knowing what the game should be like…and then seeing what Atari gave us, (especially after they released a pretty accurate-for-the-hardware version of Ms. Pac-Man the following year, showing that if it hadn't been rushed to store shelves, this could have been a good game) you can't help but be disappointed by this game. It's not amongst the absolute worst of the worst, in my opinion, but it's not too far off, unfortunately.

Review added: 04/22/2026

Pele's Soccer

Also known as: Soccer (Sears), Championship Soccer (Before & After Pele license)

Developer: Atari

I have no idea who Pele is. I just know that he's a soccer fella and that he's got a fancy kick named after him. I do know that his little Atari soccer game isn't bad, but it's also not anything to write home about. Basically, each team has three players and a goalkeeper on the field at all times. The goalkeeper is always controlled by the computer, so you can focus on scoring a goal without having to worry…well, except for worrying if the computer-controlled goalie is gonna pull their weight or not. It has 54 different game variations in an attempt to keep you coming back for more, but many of the variations do very little different from the others…different speeds, game lengths, and goal sizes are basically what you get. While Pele's Soccer is passable, it's also pretty clunky-feeling at times. I have a feeling that if this Pele guy was this clunky on the field when he played, he wouldn't have a game named after him. I suppose it goes without saying that Pele's Soccer probably didn't live up to ol' Pele's name.

Review added: 04/13/2025

Pengo

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Coreland

Pengo was one of the last games released by Atari for the Atari 2600 until the console's short-lived "rebirth" in the late 80's, which is a shame because it's also one of the best games on the console. I’m convinced that if Pengo had been released just a year earlier, it may have helped consumers have a little more faith in the quality of games in the dying video game market. Pengo basically has you taking the roll of a penguin that shoves blocks of ice at enemies to crush them, with various levels to do the crushing on. It’s a very solid action-based puzzle game. It’s simple, fun, and even works very well with the limitations of the Atari 2600. Pengo is very fun, and is about as good of a port of the arcade original as you could ask for, considering the limitations of the Atari 2600 hardware. It’s well worth picking up if you're ever lucky enough to spot a copy.

Review added: 09/27/2019

Pepsi Invaders

Also known as: Coke Wins!

Developer: Atari

Pepsi Invaders (or "Coke Wins!" in some circles) is essentially just Space Invaders reprogrammed. The only major difference, aside from the visual aspect, is that Space Invaders had gameplay with limited lives, but unlimited time to play. Pepsi Invaders goes the opposite route, as you've got unlimited lives, but you're limited to a three-minute time limit...Which, I think helps the game rather than hurts it, as you're frantically trying to beat the score you got in the previous three-minute run. That time limit makes this a fun game to play with friends, with everyone taking turns to see if they can get the highest score. When the scores are close between everyone and the clock is reaching 0:00, it can be pretty entertaining to see if the previous high score can be passed or if the player will wind up just short of the record. Copies today can go for over $2,000 USD, as they are very rare and were only released at a 1983 sales convention where 125 CocaCola sales executives were given a copy.

Review added: 09/27/2019

Pete Rose Baseball

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Absolute Entertainment

Pete Rose Baseball is a very impressive baseball game considering the hardware that it runs on. It’s an impressive game regardless of genre on that hardware, honestly. Graphically speaking, it’s one of the best-looking games on the console. Graphics mean nothing if the gameplay isn’t there, though…Fortunately, the gameplay is very good for the limitations of the console, too. When pitching, you can throw different kinds of pitches and at different speeds. When batting, you can adjust where on the plate that you’ll be at when you swing. When a ball gets hit into the field, every player is controlled individually and you can switch between each fielder…which is awkward due to the controller limitations, but still impressive. If this game had come out in the early 80’s when the Atari 2600 was king, I’d consider it one of the greatest baseball games of all-time. Unfortunately, when this came out in 1988, R.B.I. Baseball had already been out for nearly a year and a half on the NES, with better gameplay and more features. Anyway, Pete Rose Baseball is a good game for the console that it’s on, I’d even gamble that it’s the best sports game on the Atari 2600. Gambling about it being the best overall baseball game for its time? Well, that’s not a bet that I’d take.

Review added: 02/22/2021

Philly Flasher

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Playaround

I enjoy bizarre concepts…but I also tend to not really care for adult-themed video games. So, while I find the poor nudity to be in poor taste and unnecessary, I can't help but admire the brain that decided that an adult video game needed to involve a nude witch…well nude aside from her hat, to let you know that she's a witch…if that big honker on her face wasn't hint enough. But they didn't stop there…at the bottom of the screen are two guys with their slim jims sticking out, which is why they're called "flashers," I assume. They're wearing what look like they're supposed to be tiger suits? The manual makes it sound like they're prisoners, since the witch is on the top of a jailhouse…but they'd either be in solid orange or black and white stripes…not orange and black stripes. Anyway, aside from the unnecessary nudity, the other thing that makes this game adult is the concept - the witch is milking herself at the top of the screen, and your goal is to move the tiger fellows back and forth to catch the milk droplets before they hit the street. The manual claims that the liquid is the witch's magic potion, but the magic potion drops seem to come from the big thing sticking out of her chest…so maybe milk and magic potion are one and the same. Anyway, if this concept sounds familiar, it's because Philly Flasher is essentially just Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em, but with gender rolls reversed and bizarre costumes added. And, Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em was just an adult version of Atari's Avalanche in arcades or Activision's Kaboom! On the Atari 2600, but designed for perverts. As far as the games put out by Mystique or Playaround go, Philly Flasher and Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em are probably the better ones…but again, unless you're a pervert, you'd probably just stick with Kaboom! instead of playing this. Or unless you love witches and blonde guys in tiger costumes. Anyway, Philly Flasher isn't that great, and the tasteless content is going to be a turn-off for most…but to their credit, the manual does state that their main goal is to make you laugh and smile a lot with this game…I can't say that the gameplay did that, but I have to admit that the ridiculous cast and concept did get a light chuckle out of me. Mission accomplished, Playaround.

Review added: 04/25/2026

Phoenix

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Centuri

In the arcades, Phoenix stood out as one of the best "space shooter" games to come out after Space Invaders. With a variety of enemies to shoot at and stages to shoot in, you eventually find yourself battling a giant UFO, chipping away at its defenses until you can get a shot at the alien piloting it to bring it down. I'm genuinely surprised at how well this port was made. It's not arcade-perfect - I don't think anyone would expect it to be…but I think it's about as perfect as you could get for what the limitations of the Atari 2600 would allow. Like the original arcade game, you've got multiple stages, leading to a showdown against the giant UFO. The first two stages have you firing at smaller phoenix birds. The next two stages have you firing at the larger phoenix birds…and just like in the arcade, the only way you can eliminate the birds is by shooting them in the center. Shooting them to the left or right will destroy one of their wings, but it will not clear them from the screen. After clearing out two stages of smaller phoenix birds and two stages or larger phoenix birds, you'll find yourself battling the big ol' UFO, which is just as fun to chip away at as it was in the arcades. Centuri even managed to sneak in the force field from the arcades, so when you're in a pinch and need some protection, you can pull down on the joystick and a force field will appear to soak up enemy fire. The only real unfortunate thing here is that unlike some other arcade ports, Phoenix didn't get any extra game modes tacked on to provide players with a unique experience - in fact, the manual even states that the game select switch has no usage in Phoenix, since it's just one, single game. Extra modes would have made me bump this score up higher, but honestly, the one game mode that Phoenix has is done so well that I really can't complain. If you loved Phoenix in the arcade but want a very good port to play at home, then you'll likely be happy with what this version of Phoenix provides.

Review added: 04/25/2026

Pitfall!

Also known as: Dschungel Boy (Europe)

Developer: Activision

Super Mario Bros. took the platformer genre to a whole new level in 1985, but in 1982, prior to that chunky Italian plumber setting the world on fire on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Activision released a multi-screen platformer of its own on the Atari 2600 (among other platforms) that was the king of the platformer genre for its time – Pitfall! Whether it be hopping over snakes, bouncing across alligator heads, or swinging on a vine across gaping holes within the Earth, it’s always fun in Pitfall! Plus, it has an exclamation point at the end of the name, so if I end a sentence with its name, it sounds like I’m really excited to talk about it. I love Pitfall! See? That’s good marketing strategy, I guess. But anyway, if you’re into 2D platformers, new or old, and you’ve never played Pitfall! before, do yourself a favor and give it a whirl. Even today, nearly 40 years later, it still holds its own as a solid platformer.

Review added: 09/25/2021

Pooyan

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Konami

One day, in the middle of a forest, a group of fierce wolves attacked the house where a mother pig (Mama) and her little piglets (Pooyans) were living together peacefully…so says the back of the Pooyan box on the Atari 2600. The back of the box also states that Mama is "full of hate for the wolves." So as a result, she uses arrows and bait to fight back. Anyway, as one might expect, the Atari 2600 port of Pooyan isn't nearly as fun or as polished as most of the other versions, like the arcade original, or the NES port. But, it's still a passable port for what it is and the hardware that it runs on. Maybe if Mama had less hatred in her heart and more tolerance, she could have mustered up the ability to provide us with a better game…hate never solves anything. Anyway, if you want a so-so shooter on the VCS, Pooyan would fit that bill…but honestly, you're better off playing this game on a different console for a better experience.

Review added: 04/13/2025

Porky's

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Dunhill Electronic Media Corp.

Fun fact: I’ve never seen Porky’s. I don’t really have any desire to, either. All I know about the movie is what I’ve seen on commercials on old wrestling footage that I’ve got access to - a bunch of pervs looking at ladies through holes in the wall. The Atari 2600 video game based on the movie isn’t too terrible, though. The game starts out like Frogger. Try to cross the street without being hit by traffic or pedestrians. Eventually, you wind up in the sewer. The goal down there is to pole vault from side to side, picking up rungs to build a ladder. Once the ladder is complete, you climb it and enter a shower room with a lady showering in the center of the room. The goal is to climb to the top of the room without the shower lady seeing you, and push the object located at the top of the room down to the sewer, then climbing back up and out of the room to enter another Frogger sequence. The goal is to repeat the process until all objects have been collected, eventually leading to an attempt to blow up Porky’s. It’s really not bad at all considering the hardware and the time it was released. I imagine that if I had any nostalgia or fond memories of the Porky’s movie, I’d like it even more. But even without any knowledge of the movie, I still found Porky’s to be an enjoyable game.

Review added: 02/22/2021