Joust

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Atari

It seems to be just me…but I didn't really enjoy this port of Joust as much as I have other ports of the game. I'm a big fan of Joust and usually spend way more time playing it than I had intended when I first began to play…however, there as something about the Atari 8-bit port, that I couldn't quite put my finger on, where rather than say, "One more time," after I reached the game over screen, I simply said, "That's enough of that." Compiling the average review, I definitely seem to be in the minority. That said, I did still like this port…it just feels like it's missing something. Anyway, if you're not familiar with Joust, the concept of the game is that you're controlling a knight who happens to be riding an alien ostrich in an alien world. Your goal is to "joust" with various other knights also riding alien ostriches. As the game progresses, lava pits open up and hands reach up from the lava to try to pull the knight and his feathered friend into the red pit below. Pterodactyls will also fly in from time to time to pose as another danger to avoid. As you knock out the other knights, an egg will sometimes appear. If you do not reach that egg and destroy it in time, another opponent will hatch…or on higher difficulty levels, a "more menacing" opponent will hatch. Again, I like this port well enough…but it just didn't do it for me like some other variations of the game have…and since I'm having a difficult time figuring out why, maybe I'll have to revisit this game down the road and give it another chance to see if I still feel that way.

Review added: 07/22/2026

Jumpman

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Epyx

When I was a wee lad, I had a Commodore 64…it was purchased "for school," however, nothing was ever purchased to allow me to do any actual school work on it. I did get a small number of games for it, however, with one of them being Jumpman Junior, which I fell in love with. It wasn't until I was older that I realized that the game was a Junior because it was the second game in a series. In some ways, I actually like the original Jumpman a little more…well, at least when it comes to the Atari 8-bit ports of those two games. The concept of the game is that you control a white guy who can jump (take THAT Wesley Snipes) and his goal is to collect the dots (bombs) on the screen while hopping across platforms, climbing ladders, sliding down ropes, and avoiding various enemies and hazards along the way. Unlike a lot of other platform games, however, while Jumpman can jump, he's also not immune to heights. If you miscalculate a jump, or fall too far, you will begin to tumble and you'll hear a funeral march play to signify your demise. There are thirty levels in total here, with each level providing new challenges, with the neat effect of the levels scrolling downward as you complete them, to make you feel like you're climbing a giant tower…which, according to the manual, is exactly what you're doing. As far as pre-Mario platformers go, Jumpman is one of my favorites, and universally seems to be seen as one of the best for its time.

Review added: 07/22/2026

Jumpman Junior

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Epyx

Jumpman Junior was a favorite of mine as a kid, but it wasn't until I was older that I realized that the name "Junior" wasn't just because it was the second game in the series, but because it's actually also smaller in size than the original Jumpman, too. Sporting twelve new levels, in comparison to the original game's thirty, resulted in a game that was a little quicker to beat, but also resulted in a game that was small enough to fit on a cartridge, which is why it found its way over to the Colecovision and the original did not. For computers like the Atari 8-bit, which had a cartridge slot, it also allowed players who did not have a disk drive to play this game. Randy Glover, creator of both Jumpman and Jumpman Junior, has said that he considers this game as more of an alternate version of the original Jumpman than as a true sequel. I said in my Jumpman review that I've found that I prefer the original Jumpman just slightly over Junior, but opinions on which game is better seems to be a coin-toss. I don't know if it's because of the smaller number of levels, or because it may have been played more often due to the format it was designed for, but while both games appear to be very popular, Jumpman Junior often gets the nod when both games are put side by side. Overall, Jumpman Junior feels like a more compact, simplified version of Jumpman that didn't sacrifice any of the fun when it was trimming down to fit on a cartridge…and since all twelve levels in this game are brand-new, even veterans of the original game will find something to like here.

Review added: 07/22/2026

Jungle Hunt

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Atari

Rumbling rhinoceri!....Sorry, that was how the Atari 8-bit manual for Jungle Hunt begins, so I felt it was appropriate to start this review off with that as well. The manual also really escalates the relationship from the fellow that you control in this game and the damsel that he's attempting to save. In the same paragraph, she goes from being a traveling companion, to being a lady friend, to being his sweetie. Sounds like one of those Hollywood couples that have a marriage that lasts 43 seconds. Why even bother saving that lady, then? Let the cannibals eat her!!Anyway, if you've never played Jungle Hunt, the concept here is to navigate several stages in an effort to rescue the lady that they've taken. The first stage has you swinging from vines in the jungle, followed by a swimming stage with crocodiles, and then a stage with you running uphill while avoiding boulders, climaxing with the need to hop over some spear-wielding cannibals and save the female from becoming a feast as she dangles by a rope over a boiling pot. Upon saving her, you'll repeat the levels again, but with new color schemes, increased difficulty, and some new obstacles in your way. I, personally, felt like this port of the game didn't control as tight as I would have like it to…but on the positive side, aside from the arcade original, this may be the best-looking version of Jungle Hunt that I've played. Anyway, if you're willing to forgive some stiff controls for nicer graphics, then you may like Atari's 8-bit port of Jungle Hunt.

Review added: 07/23/2026