reviewed by John K. Harvey for 2600 Connection
In late 2020/early 2021, Atari launched a new generation of console called the "Atari VCS". While its commercial success can be debated, it did succeed in carving out a niche market of its own. The games at the time were an interesting mix. Players now had the chance to purchase official ROMs from Atari for a subset of classic Atari titles as digital downloads for the system. Some of these classic titles were common games, but others were hard-to-find titles for the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, and arcade. The system also brought new content along with it as well; a mix of independent games have been made available alongside re-imagined Atari classics, and are still being developed and released today. Through a series of circumstances, I somehow managed to obtain my own Atari VCS. Then one strange day (May 5, 2023 to be exact), my attention was grabbed when a surprise title arrived in the online store. This new title, "Alien Abduction" seemed normal enough; it was a digital download and it was priced at a reasonable $8.99. The surprise, however, was that it was an Atari 2600 title programmed by none other than John Van Ryzin, the original author of the beloved classic Activision game "H.E.R.O." for the Atari 2600. There was no evidence of a physical release being available at the time; instead, it was an Atari VCS digital exclusive. So, of course, I had to buy it.
It has been just over a year since "Alien Abduction" launched on the Atari VCS, and during that time some developments have been underway. At the time of this writing, a physical release of "Alien Abduction" for the original Atari 2600 is imminent; it will arrive on the Audacity Games website on June 15, 2024 (
https://adgm.us/). It also appears that new features may have been added to the game itself, such as QR code support (just like Circus Convoy from Audacity Games utilizes). You can see a list of features here:
https://adgm.us/portal/guide04A.html. I'm sure we'll learn more as the physical release happens. But, you may be wondering-- what is the game like?
"The princess was abducted. Be a hero and save her!" The Atari VCS version of "Alien Abduction" starts with a title screen containing this pretty straightforward description alongside a fun little animation of a 3-pixel-across human being beamed aboard a little flying saucer. It must be the princess! There are 2 instructions listed on the title screen as well: "Up = fly. Down = land". This may seem simple enough, but I will admit that it takes some getting used to. 2600 Connection readers may be familiar with the controls of the original "H.E.R.O." being a little touchy. When I first started playing it decades ago, I would often accidentally ignite dynamite by bumping down on the controller when I was on land. Even a single tap would have disastrous consequences. "Alien Abduction" has similar, but different controls. Players can move the hero up and down between levels in a space station, but only if you're in what I'll call "flying mode". "Flying mode" can be quite dangerous if you're not careful. With gravity/momentum, you can start picking up speed fast! You can quickly find yourself near death if you don't pay close attention. Pressing down on the joystick while mid-flight will make your character land on the next platform below you instead of passing through it. Once you're on the ground, the hero can either stand or crouch. It takes a bit of time to get used to, but it works effectively.
Did I mention that this game is timed? In "H.E.R.O.", you had a "Power" bar, but in "Alien Abduction", you have an Energy bar (which is essentially your countdown timer) as well as a Health bar. Thankfully, the Energy and Heath bars both reset upon completion of a level. The good thing about the Health bar is that it allows you to absorb a small amount of damage before a death. If you touch a magma wall for a second or get shot by a bullet, it's really not a problem. However, touching other objects (such as aliens or robot guards) will often result in a quick death; sometimes almost instantly. When you die, the hero will restart on the same screen you died on with one less life, but full Health and Energy. The game is a fast-paced race where precision is needed to move around each level while avoiding the more deadly obstacles. Oh yeah-- there's one more thing. Did I mention that you only start with one life?
Level 1 is a good "teaching" level. It is just 2 screens long. Our hero starts at the top of the screen, and you'll need to press "up" to get started and enter "flying mode". If you don't touch anything else, you'll find your hero plummeting right into a robot guard or a piece of the spaceship to an instant death. You'll quickly learn to press down just before impact; this is a good screen to practice on. Level 1's first screen has a health power-up, magma walls, a large green skull. The second screen (there are only two screens on level 1, much like "H.E.R.O.") has our princess, a few magma walls, an enemy you can shoot, but who also shoots at you. There is also an extra life available. A tip for first-timers players would be that the game allows you to take your time at the start of any level. Your Energy bar does not start to deplete until you first move the joystick, so before you get a cheap death you have an opportunity to strategize. This can be helpful on later levels.
On level 2, you are introduced to 2 new features: an energy replenishing power-up, and dynamite which must be triggered by moving from a standing position to a crouching position that can destroy walls. And, Level 3 isn't so bad either.
However, I had a lot of trouble finishing the end of Level 4 the first time. If you're a casual gamer who only plays Atari games for a few minutes before switching off the power, I expect that this may be your stopping point. It's very easy to run out of lives here if you're not careful. And, if that happens, your only recourse is to start over from Level 1, with just that single life. While you can pick up lives as you progress through some levels, they start becoming sparse really quickly. This means that you're likely going to be doing a lot of replaying this game in order to get good at it. Once I figured out the trick to Level 4, it was on to Level 5. And, things seemed to get easier. But, there definitely was an initial learning curve to climb, and frankly it was worth it. I can now manage to get to Level 12 fairly consistently. According to Audacity Games, there are 20 levels in the main game. Maybe someday with perseverance, I'll be able to figure it out! I'm sure 2600 Connection Readers looking for a new, fun challenge will really enjoy this game. And, the fact that it's pretty much a spiritual sequel to "H.E.R.O." makes it even more special.
As I have played the game, I thought it might be helpful to share a few tips and tricks for new players. Note: some of these tips could be considered Spoilers for those who want to figure things out on their own. Feel free to skip this section unless you'd like to know more, or if you're getting stuck:
- On any screen where you're headed "down", always land on the bottom platform. The screen will automatically scroll, and generally you'll be safe from traps if you perform this simple move. If you fall through the bottom recklessly, you have a lot more chance of a quick death.
- There is an extra life available in each of the first 3 levels. Pick them up to ensure you have the best chance ever of continuing through the levels.
- Green aliens can be killed if you are patient enough
- Energy refills are almost always worth a stop, as they will buy you time later. But, sometimes it's best to avoid Health power-ups if you are running low on time
Note to our readers: I still have not found a good way to get past the Radioactive Floor! So, any tips would be appreciated.
I'm definitely looking forward to Audacity Games' release of "Alien Abduction". But, would I recommend the game? Well, the answer is yes. If you like the classic Atari 2600 game "H.E.R.O.", then this game would likely be something you will enjoy. The story may be simple and the graphics a little cute, but the game is a fun little race against time that's worth putting a little bit of effort into. It may take players a little while to get used to the "fly through platforms" mechanic and to get used to the controls, but I think it's worth the small amount of time to go through that learning curve. That said, if you're a player who gets frustrated easily and you aren't a fan of games that require you to play a level a few times in order to get better at them, well, this may not be a game for you. But, there's one thing we can't deny. Seeing an Activision alumni come out of retirement from Atari 2600 programming to make a new game is definitely something special, and we are thrilled to see these types of new releases still come out to this day, keeping the Atari 2600 relevant even fifty years after its release.
John K. Harvey is the programmer of Pressure Gauge and Mean Santa for the Atari 2600.
He can be reached at the email address of johnkharvey@gmail.com.
He is also an active member of the Atari Age forums and username there is propane13
