Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Atari Smash Hits Volume 7 delivers a kaleidoscope of gameplay styles, each one reflecting the diverse catalog of the Atari 8-bit era. Elektraglide challenges players with high-speed, futuristic racing sequences where split-second maneuvering and weapon management are critical to survival. The controls feel tight and responsive, ensuring that every dodge and boost is rewarding even as the track layouts become increasingly elaborate.

Colossus Chess 3.0 provides a stark contrast, offering strategic depth for chess enthusiasts and newcomers alike. The game’s AI scales from beginner to advanced, making every match a worthwhile exercise in tactical thinking. Although turn-based in nature, loading times are minimal and the on-screen notation helps you track moves without interrupting the flow of the game.

Blue Max and Alley Cat round out the collection with a blend of action and platforming. Blue Max transports you to the skies of World War I, forcing you to juggle aerial dogfights, bombing runs, and fuel management. Alley Cat, on the other hand, is a lighter romp through suburban backyards, where timing and pattern recognition are your best friends. The compilation’s variety ensures that you’ll never grow bored—one moment you’re plotting a checkmate, the next you’re evading enemy planes or dodging neighborhood dogs.

Graphics

While Atari Smash Hits Volume 7 was built for hardware from the early 1980s, each title showcases the best of what the 8-bit platform could achieve. Elektraglide’s neon tracks and futuristic cityscapes pop with saturated colors against a dark backdrop, giving the sense of speed and danger. Despite sprite limitations, the game manages to feel modern thanks to smooth scrolling and a consistent frame rate.

Colossus Chess 3.0 adopts a minimalist aesthetic that works to its advantage: clear, well-defined squares and easily distinguishable pieces make each move intuitive. The board’s simple palette ensures there’s no visual clutter, letting you focus entirely on strategy. Even on a small CRT, the icons retain clarity, avoiding the bleeding pixels common to other early chess titles.

Blue Max’s side-scrolling dogfights benefit from richly colored landscapes and detailed enemy planes that stand out against varied sky hues. Meanwhile, Alley Cat leverages bright, cartoonish sprites that breathe life into everyday objects—a mailbox becomes a hurdle, a fish bony door. Together, these games underscore Atari’s knack for maximizing limited memory, delivering playful worlds that remain charming decades later.

Story

As a compilation, Atari Smash Hits Volume 7 doesn’t weave a single overarching narrative, but each game brings its own distinct storyline. Elektraglide thrusts you into a near-future tournament where only the best racers survive, hinting at underground betting rings and shadowy competitors behind every corner. While minimal in exposition, the sense of escalating stakes fuels your drive to cross the finish line first.

Colossus Chess 3.0 invites you to progress through a series of AI “opponents” who each boast a different playing style, effectively crafting a loose narrative of a chess championship. Though there are no cutscenes, the gradual increase in difficulty feels like ascending through tournament brackets, and winning against the highest-level AI offers a satisfying sense of closure.

Blue Max gives you the role of a daring WWI pilot on a one-man campaign across war-torn skies; every mission brief and enemy encounter builds toward an implied climax against a notorious ace. Alley Cat’s storyline is delightfully tongue-in-cheek: a hungry feline on a quest to raid backyards, evade feisty bulldogs, and score a tasty fish dinner. Both titles demonstrate Atari’s ability to instill character and purpose in just a few screens of text and pixel art.

Overall Experience

Atari Smash Hits Volume 7 is a love letter to retro gaming, offering a quartet of experiences that still feel fresh today. The compilation’s strength lies in its variety: whether you crave the cerebral challenge of chess, the adrenaline rush of high-speed combat, or the whimsical platform antics of Alley Cat, there’s something here to satisfy. Even if you only play each title for an hour, you’ll appreciate how well they complement one another.

For modern players, the simplicity of these games is a feature, not a drawback. They load quickly, they’re easy to pick up, and each one delivers a complete experience without the bloat of contemporary design. Nostalgia-seekers will relish revisiting these classics, while newcomers may be surprised at how addictive and polished early Atari software remains.

Ultimately, this Volume 7 collection stands out as an excellent value for both collectors and casual gamers. It preserves four distinct genres under a single cartridge, showcasing the Atari 8-bit’s versatility. Whether you’re exploring Elektraglide’s neon tunnels, outsmarting a digital grandmaster, reclaiming backyard territory as a mischievous feline, or jinking through dogfights in Blue Max, you’ll find a charming, accessible slice of gaming history here.

Retro Replay Score

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