The Top 30 Vertical Shooters for the Atari 2600 #6

Demon Attack
Imagic

Here he goes again.  Demon Attack is clearly the best vertical shooter on this list.  It is the best game in the Imagic library (maybe some day I'll tackle that notion), and maybe the best game for the VCS.  Well, that may be true, but it don't wash around here.

Demon Attack is great.  Of that there is no doubt.  It is one of the best classic-style vertical shooters out there.  The enemies are diverse and difficult to battle.  The graphics, while minimalistic, are bright and interesting and Demon Attack provides all of the challenge you could ever want.  When I originally built this list, I had slotted Demon Attack all the way down at #15.  (GASP!)  But then I played it some more.  I think I was discounting it on the simplicity of its game play and not giving it enough credit for the level of complexity in the challenge and the diversity of the enemy targets.  So I moved it up to #10.  Then I played it some more and realized that I had underestimated just how much this game raises the bar for standard vertical shooters.  Games like Space Invaders, Phoenix (once rated higher than Demon Attack), and even Megamania come just a bit short of what Demon Attack offers.


Initially, Demon Attack may appear very standard, but play a few rounds and it begins to reveal its secrets.  The solid enemies split in half.  The smaller enemies dive bomb you when separated from their twin.  Later enemies are tiny and virtually impossible to hit.  When the lower enemies shoot, their missiles rain down upon you with little room to move.  The game is far more difficulty and has far more going for it than a cursory glance might reveal.  Early on you'll be able to stockpile extra lives.  You will need them because the game becomes mean.

It would be easy to get angry or frustrated with Demon Attack considering the challenge it presents, but you cannot because it also looks incredible.  The various demon enemies are extremely well drawn and colored.  They look like neon-colored nightmares blinking their way toward your demise.

After playing game after game, I realized my mistake.  Demon Attack is clearly one of the best vertical shooters out there.  It has everything you want in a great standard shooter and it makes the genre shine on the VCS.

My Top Demon Attack Score: 44,745 (the exact same as my Astroblast score, weird)

The Top 30 Vertical Shooters for the Atari 2600 #17

Shootin' Gallery
Imagic

"Ideal for Ages 9 and Under" says the sticker on the box. Proof that I am still in a prepubescent stage, or Imagic underestimating the fun and challenge of their version of a carnival shooter?  Who can tell.  What I can tell you is Shootin' Gallery looks awesome, has some depth and complexity and more challenge than the sticker on the box would lead you to believe.

Whereas Coleco's Carnival is a very simplistic interpretation of this sort of carnival game, Shootin' Gallery features more of the complexity and variety of those games of yore.  Multiple levels of targets with distinct movements and characteristics, a limited supply of bullets and a devilish Cuckoo Clock that wants to steal those bullets if you are not paying attention, Shootin' Gallery has a lot to like.  Actually, Carnival and Shootin' Gallery share a lot of characteristics, but Shootin' Gallery does them a lot better.  I am particularly fond of the train that runs along the second level.  You can shoot out each car, culminating with the locomotive, for big bonus points!  What a neat little touch.  I also like that the targets change from seals to kangaroos, from rabbits to frogs, as you do better and better and take out more advanced targets.

I'm trying to stay away from variations for this ranking, but the sharp shooter variation is really tricky and provides tons of challenge for even the most eagle-eyed 9 year old.

Speaking of challenge, Shootin' Gallery doesn't really have a ton of difficulty in the traditional sense.  What it does is force you to make the most of every bullet.  You have a limited supply and there are lots of ways to rack up points, but you have to make every single shot count to really post a top score.  I suppose that maxes out at some point, but I'm not 10 years old enough to have reached that point.

I guess I like Shootin' Gallery because it has a lot of charm, decent challenge, and enough complexity to warrant multiple plays in a single sitting.  Since the game is finite based on the number of bullets, there is a great incentive to play one more game to see if you can best your score.  As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to go play another game right now!

My Top Shootin' Gallery Score: 571000