Release Date: 1981
Publisher: Activision
Controller: Paddles
Players: 1 – 2
Genre: Arcade
Alternate Title: N/A
Model #: AX-010
Rarity: 2
Programmer: Larry Kaplan
This is one of the very few must own games if you had the paddle controllers.
Grab your water buckets because it’s time to face off against the Mad Bomber. This masked jailbird has reached his breaking point and is ready to unleash the full fury of his arsenal upon you. Perched atop his wall, he will throw bomb after bomb at you, and the only way to prevent them from detonating is to catch them.
The gameplay starts out at a leisurely pace, giving you a little time to get accustomed to the controls. Only ten slow moving explosives are thrown in your direction, making the task at hand simple. This goodwill on behalf of the criminal mastermind is short-lived however, as by round three you will be scrambling to prevent death and destruction.
By the forth or fifth wave a constant stream of munitions descend upon you, not only at a rapid pace but also all over the map. This is the point where most players go from being calm and calculating to employing a strategy turning the paddle controller as fast as they can back and forth and praying that everything is captured. For the most part this isn’t a terrible strategy, at least until you lose one of your buckets.
When a bomb reaches the ground it explodes with such force that it destroys the lowest water bucket you have remaining. This adds a lot of pressure since it gives you less time to catch the explosives. For most players, losing the bottom two buckets results in the controller being set down and letting your inevitable death take place.
Despite it’s simplicity, Kaboom! is one of the defining games on the 2600. The action is fast paced, challenging, and incredibly addictive. It really should be checked out by everyone.
More in the Atari 2600 Encyclopedia on great games like this! Plus subscribe to Old School Gamer for FREE by clicking here!
Derek began playing video games in the early 80s, cutting his teeth on every Atari 2600 game he could get his hands on. This kickstarted a lifelong love of games, which continues to this day. No matter how advanced the systems and games become, the love for Atari remains supreme, which is why the Atari 2600 Encyclopedia project was done. With this massive project completed, Derek looks to begin work on another system encyclopedia, hoping to pay tribute to the games that shaped his childhood.
