Retro Replay Review

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Gameplay

Action 52 delivers an ambitious package of 52 distinct games on a single cartridge, spanning platformers, shooters, puzzles and sports mini-games. You navigate a color-coded menu where yellow signifies “expert”, purple is “intermediate”, green marks “beginner”, blue unlocks two-player modes, and white houses special bonus entries. This variety ensures there’s something for every skill level, whether you’re jumping through haunted hills, smashing bricks in “15 Puzzle,” or testing your aim in “Sharpshooter.”

While the sheer breadth of titles is impressive, quality varies drastically from one entry to the next. Some games, like “Air Command” or “Star Ball,” offer tight controls and clear objectives, while others—such as “Dyno Tennis” or “First Video Game (Pong)”—feel rushed, with stiff input and ambiguous collision detection. However, the inclusion of a randomizer mode spices things up by selecting a game at random, creating a surprise roulette that can be both thrilling and frustrating.

The cartridge also throws in a music demo screen that lets you sample the chiptune tracks for each mini-game, and a “Challenge” option that pulls the hardest levels from across the compilation. For players seeking endless variety, Action 52’s format can be endlessly replayable, but don’t expect every title to become a classic—many are mere footnotes to the more polished offerings.

Graphics

Visually, Action 52 is a mixed bag. Some entries, like “Depth Charge” and “Man at Arms,” showcase commendable sprite work and vibrant backdrops, while others suffer from muddy palettes and repetitive backgrounds. The decision to code each game title in a different color on the menu cleverly previews the palette you’ll encounter, but within many games you’ll notice flickering sprites, pop-in issues, and occasional slowdown when too many on-screen objects appear.

The individual game screens feel small by today’s standards, as many were clearly designed to squeeze into a limited memory budget. Characters can be blocky, animations jerky, and some levels will loop backgrounds to stretch content. On the flip side, titles like “Black Hole” and “Armor Battle” stand out with more detailed ship sprites and parallax scrolling that hints at what the cartridge hardware could have done in more focused projects.

Color schemes vary wildly—“Magic Bean” bursts with pastel hues while “Skirmish” sticks to stark army green and brown. The visual inconsistency can be jarring if you jump from one game to the next, yet it also gives Action 52 a quirky, patchwork-quilt charm. For retro collectors, spotting early or unique design touches in each of the 52 games can feel like discovering hidden Easter eggs.

Story

Action 52 does not offer a unified storyline; instead, each mini-game carries its own minimal narrative premise. You might be thwarting aliens in “Alien Attack,” delivering pizzas in “Sunday Drive,” or racing across snowy slopes in “Slalom.” Most plots are little more than flavor text attached to the title screen, designed to explain your basic objective rather than immerse you in a cohesive universe.

The stand-out narrative effort arrives with “The Cheetahmen,” which attempts a comic-book style origin story for its leopard-masked heroes. Though ambitious, it’s plagued by awkward dialogue and underdeveloped characters, transforming what could have been a series mascot into a curiosity rather than a legend. Even so, hardcore collectors love “The Cheetahmen” for its rare cameo of storytelling ambition amid 51 other quick-play diversions.

Because stories are so brief and game-specific, players seeking deep lore or character development may feel short-changed. However, the variety of premises—from puzzles based on apocalyptic prophecy in “Star Evil” to medieval jousts in “Knight” (listed as “Norman”)—ensures that each title has a distinct identity, worth sampling if only for its one-off concept.

Overall Experience

Action 52 is an authentic relic of gaming’s wild youth, trading polish for quantity in a way no modern compilation dare attempt. If you appreciate lo-fi charm, enjoy chasing hidden nuggets of retro design, or simply revel in the notion of 52 games for the price of one cartridge, this collection will charm you. However, if you demand professional-grade mechanics and consistent quality, you’ll find yourself switching off half the titles in frustration.

Performance issues—sprite flicker, inconsistent hitboxes, and occasional crashes—can hamper enjoyment, yet there remains a cottage-industry thrill in uncovering one unexpectedly solid gem after another. Multiplayer fans will enjoy the two-player options in games like “Blue Two Players” and “Spidey,” though the balance and depth here are minimal. Still, there’s genuine satisfaction in mastering even one or two well-crafted levels among the 52.

Ultimately, Action 52 is best viewed as a collector’s oddity rather than a polished product. It’s an entertaining time capsule for retro enthusiasts, party trick for group gatherings, or curiosity for game historians. For those who prize variety above all else, the gamble of sifting through dozens of middling titles just to find a hidden treasure may well be worth it. Just don’t expect a uniform experience from start to finish—this cartridge is a grab bag, and you’re the one drawing the ticket.

Retro Replay Score

3.9/10