Venture

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Mylstar

I've noticed that some of the younger folks don't see a whole lot in Venture…it's not getting very good user scores when I surf the web…but make no mistake about it, Venture was a very good game back when it was released in 1981. While some games of the time spanned across more than a single screen, most didn't. Venture takes it a step further and introduces a "main room" on each level, along with several side rooms…then as you advance on, all of those rooms continue to change, so you're not always seeing the exact same scenery and battling against the exact same monsters. The player controls a smiley face named Winky, and he's armed with a bow and arrow. The goal is to enter each room on each level and obtain the treasure in the room…and most rooms are filled with enemies there to stop you. These enemies all have their own intelligence and their own likelihood to dodge your arrows - for example, in the first area, skeletons and snakes seem to be easy targets…but goblins seem to do a better job at dodging your fire. It keeps things interesting, since each enemy is a little different and doesn't have the same logic with a different outer appearance. In most rooms, it's possible to get the treasure without having to defeat any enemies, though it's difficult, and you'll likely find yourself firing some arrows in hopes that you'll clear a way to nab that treasure. However, if you take too long, big ol' monsters known as Hallmonsters will break through the walls and come after you…when that happens, you need to take the treasure and run before they get ahold of you. These Hallmonsters also chase you around between your visits to each room, so getting each treasure as quickly as possible is the key to survival in Venture. While Venture is a solid arcade game, I kind of feel like it's better suited for consoles…but that doesn't stop me from popping in a few quarters to play when I'm lucky enough to find a Venture arcade cabinet in front of me.

Review added: 11/19/2025