Others say...

"No Kaboom! = No Deal!"
Seriously, no Kaboom! How does this even make sense? It was the preeminent paddle game for the 2600.

"Gettin' Paddled"
I found the games on this particular TV Games plug-n-play console a mixed bag: about half the games were rather fun to play, and the other half were either kinda dull or downright frustrating.


The Good:

PONG- this unit has two versions of Pong, the arcade version, and the Atari console "Video Olympics" version. Both are fairly simple to play, although I'm more familiar with (and better at) the Video Olympics version, which was included in the original Atari joystick-edition TV Games unit (check it out at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000645DD/qid=1104131655/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/104-0299549-1691908?v=glance&s=toys&n=507846). I must admit, I found using a dial to move my "paddle" up and down was a bit more challenging than the using the stick control I'm so familiar with...

WARLORDS- Both the Atari console and arcade renditions are included here. While I enjoy playing both, I've got a weird dichotomy goin' with `em. Ya see, I almost always win in the console version, and I almost always lose in the arcade version. This is likely due to the fact that the computer adds fireballs to the arcade version after a few moments of play, as opposed to the single fireball that gets tossed about in the console version. Oh yes, and the arcade Warlords opponents are a fair sight more responsive than their console counterparts. In any case, this has become my fave game in the Atari Paddle TV Games system.

CIRCUS ATARI- Another carryover game from the Atari joystick TV games unit, I actually found it easier to play with the paddle controls than I did with the stick. Unfortunately, I'm still pretty lousy at Circus Atari... yet I keep comin' back for more abuse.


SUPER BREAKOUT- Thanks to the fairly wide array of game selections it offers, I found this "super" update much more fun than its predecessor, which is also included here.

DEMONS TO DIAMONDS: A weird combo of Centipede and Space Invaders. Even after all the time I've put into playing this, I'm still not very good at it...


The Bad:

BREAKOUT- After my exposure to Super Breakout, I've had little interest in playing the original version. Besides, I kinda burned out on it when I played it ad nauseam on the twice-aforementioned Atari joystick TV Games unit.

NIGHT DRIVER- Ya gotta stay within the sets of lights and not crash into the oncoming cars. I managed to skate through the easy & medium-skill levels without too much trouble. Ultimately, I found little excitement in playing this, although I do go back to it once in a blue moon, just to see if I missed somethin'...

CASINO- I've always been lousy at card games, and this mini-casino is no exception. Besides, this game doesn't hold a candle to most of the specialized casino plug-n-play units that've come out lately...

CANYON BOMBER- I've tried and I've tried, but I've yet to even come close to staying caught up with the score the computer opponent racks up.

STEEPLECHASE- Like Canyon Bombers, I've yet to come even close to winning this one.

STREET RACER- If this race game was a demolition derby, I'd be the undisputed champion. Unfortunately, the object of the game is to NOT crash into other cars, which I am not very good at...


The Other Stuff:

The controls were pretty responsive. Well, except for "dead zones" at the ends where the knob couldn't turn any further clockwise or counter-clockwise. Most of the games include a "Left/Right Difficulty" setting where you can adjust the knob's responsiveness for an extra challenge.

Overall, I found the Atari Paddle unit a decent entry in Jakks Pacific's TV Games plug-n-play games line. The only real drawbacks I encountered were a few games that I found nigh-unplayable. Fortunately, it contains a nice batch of good games that keep me comin' back...

`Late

"11 games and one Paddle! Jakks does it again!"

I thought this paddle edition of the Jakks retro Atari games was an improvement over their joystick edition. It's easier to control the game options thanks to a lot of interactivity on-screen that lets you know difficulty settings and such. And this one includes arcade versions of Pong and Warlords to boot! I found the control pretty easy to use, though not as great as I remember Atari paddles working (but I was so much younger then, and possibly better eye-hand coordination). This is a great collection of Atari games including Night Driver, Street Racer, Video Olympics (Pong), Warlords (Atari and arcade versions!), Steeple Chase, Circus Atari (also found on the joystick one), Demons to Diamonds, Breakout, Super Breakout, Casino, and Canyon Bomber. Nice mix of driving, tennis, arcade shooters, and breakout style games (pretty much what you want from a paddle!).

There is a two-player edition available that makes Pong a better game. But the computer is not unbeatable, and there are several settings to all of the games that make them what they always were - simple to play classics. I've enjoyed every edition of the TV GAMES so far (Atari, Activision and Namco -- no, I don't have Spongebob or Blue's Clues). The nice thing is they are portable and load quickly. I like not having to unpack and fire up my video game console every time I want a quick diversion. Overall this is a great addition to my growing collection of retro games.

"Missed the point of paddle controllers"
I am a fan of Jakks' Namco TV games, but they messed up with this one. The point of having a paddle (knob) controller is to have smooth control over your position on screen. With this unit, the paddle does not move smoothly on screen; it jumps from position to position as you turn the knob. Circus Atari was actually a much better game than what you get here; in this version you only get 8 discrete positions to play from, a limitation which often prevents you from achieving anything.

The other games don't suffer quite as much from this deficiency in Jakks' design, so there is still some fun to be had. You get many options for each game, such as difficulty and play variations. You even get arcade versions of Pong and Warlords.

Overall, this little unit worth having even though it is not as good as the original games. In what were originally two-player games, the computer's skill level is set very nicely. But I probably would have been happier if I had waited to get Jakks' other paddle TV game, which does let you play against another person.