Homebrew of Month: Strat-o-Gems Deluxe

Strat-o-Gems Deluxe

Developer: John Payson

Available:Atariage.com

There just weren’t that many great puzzle games for the Atari 2600 back in the day.  I don’t know if puzzle games just weren’t a thing yet, or if people weren’t sure how to execute them on the system, but they just weren’t a thing.  It’s almost like once Tetris hit, everyone in the universe said, “hey, puzzle games have arrived, here’s Pipe Dream, and Puzznic, and Klax, enjoy!” But before that?  Not much.  So it’s really no surprise that a large body of homebrew efforts have been devoted to rectifying this void.  From Tetris 2600 and Edtris to more recent efforts like AStar and Assmebloids, the VCS library is starting to swell with puzzle games, as well it should. Turns out the Atari can handle time-sinking puzzle games just as well as any of the big boys.  Heck, after playing Tetris Party Deluxe on the Wii, I’m pretty sure puzzle games shine best on simpler systems.  Strat-o-Gems Deluxe is a top tier example of how good puzzle games can be on the Atari 2600 (I’m being paid for every time I say “puzzle game” in this review…)

What’s All This Then?

Strat-o-Gems is a falling block puzzler which requires you to match three or more of a given color to clear all of the blocks of that color.  A more standard puzzle game mechanic there isn’t.  Blocks drop in groups of three called “triples.” You can rotate the vertical order of the blocks in the triple as it falls by pressing the button. When you clear blocks, the remaining blocks drop down which can lead to massive, high scoring combos.  Blocks can be cleared vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.  Wild card triples will appear to help you clear up mistakes you make during play and once every 60 triples, you get a "clear all" block that will clear all the blocks of a given color.  You keep playing until the screen fills with blocks that reach the line at the top.  You play as long as you can to get the highest score possible and impress your friends.

How’s it Play?

Beautifully.  All you really want from a puzzle game is smooth piece movement, consistency in the rules, and steady difficulty ramping.  Strat-o-Gems Deluxe delivers on all counts.  It really is a shining example of how great puzzlers can be on a foundational system like the VCS.

Whistles and Bells?

You don’t call a game “Deluxe” unless you’ve packed it with dynamic special features.  The cart features 3 versions of the game:  an NTSC version, a PAL version, and a mini-game version.  The mini-game is a simpler version of the main game with fewer features and some might argue, increased difficulty.  The game also supports the AtariVox add-on which will display an instant replay any time you make a particularly spectacular combo.  AtariVox also allows you to save high scores.  Strat-o-Gems Deluxe has a swanky title screen and fantastic graphics as well as a full color manual that provides some behind-the-scenes insight into the development of the game.

Final Assessment

Strat-o-Gems Deluxe is a (ahem) gem in the VCS collection.  You can never have too many great puzzlers in a video game library and having one as good as this one is icing on the cake.  The game plays perfectly and unlike a lot of similar games, the difficulty wastes no time smacking you in the face.  This keeps the game challenging and engaging and guarantees lots of replay value.  Oh the hours I have spent playing “just one more” game.  If puzzle games aren’t your thing, then this one isn’t for you, otherwise, this is a “must-have” game in any VCS collection.

Tips and Tricks

I wish I had more to tell you here, but I’m not as good at Strat-o-Gems Deluxe as I would like.  However, I will pass along a few fundamentals that seem to help me along:

Don’t Forget the Swap:  I always get busy making combos and totally forget that I can swap the existing triple for the one on deck.  Using this feature early on can set you up for some incredibly high scoring combos and be the key to high scores before the action gets out of control.

Play the Diagonal:  I seem to do much better when I forego horizontal and vertical matches and work the diagonals.  This seems to open up more chain combos and create better opportunities later in the game.

Score Early:  Late in the game there will be little time for working big combos and making the huge scores.  Use the early levels to line up the complex combos that earn the major points.  This will allow you to focus on staying alive in the higher levels.

Keep it Clean:  While it’s important to line up big combos and rack up points, it is equally important to keep the play field as clear as possible.  Once the triples start dropping at faster rates, try to keep your stacks as close to the bottom as possible.  While you won’t score as much, you will have more room to maneuver and avoid mistakes.

Clear All Smartly:  When you get the "clear all" block, be sure you pick a color to clear that will clean up the most space and open up or create the maximum number of combos.  Used smartly, the "clear all" block can save you from certain ruin.

So there you have it!  Strat-o-Gems Deluxe is at the forefront of some great puzzle games for the Atari 2600.  Homebrewers are working hard to fill a long-standing gap in the 2600 library and as long as they are doing it with titles like this, we are all in good hands!