After decades of mismanagement, Atari finally seems to get it. The company is greenlighting a lot of cool retro-themed projects lately, including the microgame compilation Atari Mania. In this minigame mash-up, you face Centipede with a Pong paddle, inspired enormously by WarioWare and NES Remix.
In spite of Nintendo’s impeccable series being critical darlings, the execution is a little sloppy, leaving little room for error and lacking that snappy sense of polish. You’ll solve puzzles between microgames as the 8-bit curator of Atari’s vault as you play microgames.
You’ll find some interesting puzzles here influenced by classic 2600 games. Even box art and game manuals from the original games can be inspected and observed in high-quality as you explore, adding a touch of nostalgia to your search.
Old-school 80s gamers will smile at the breezy writing and return to many of the microgames. It’s hard to imagine this appealing to younger players since it’s aimed squarely at those wearing rose-tinted glasses, but that’s not necessarily a criticism, and I like seeing these classic franchises mixed up in unexpected situations.
In order to achieve WarioWare’s addictive, rapid-fire feel, the execution needs a little more polish. Although it’s close, and another interesting Atari idea, unless you’re from the era of the 2600 and its ilk, you probably won’t be able to look beyond the sloppy feel of this otherwise enjoyable release.
Pros:
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Great idea overall.
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Microgames with puzzles.
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Collectors’ items.
Cons:
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A bit sloppy on microgames.
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Designed for retro fans.
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It’s not snappy.
Score is 6 over 10.