Publisher: Atari
Release: 1983
Controller: Joystick
Players: 1 – 2
Genre: Arcade
Alternate Title: N/A
Model: # CX26114
Rarity: 5
Programmer: Bill Aspromonte, Robert Zdybel, John Russell
This charming Muppets based game is great for younger gamers.
You are the legendary trio, the Pigs in Space. Led by the dashing Captain Link Hogthrob, First Mate Piggy and Dr. Strangepork battle across three mini-games in search points.
The first game is called Chickenvaders, and has Link Hoggthrob facing off against row after row of space chickens. He is at the bottom of the screen, using a finger gun to shoot the fowl out of the sky. The rows of chickens march back and forth, launching eggs towards our hero. With each vertical row that is removed, the chickens move that much further to the side, which is important because Link can’t turn around, so his gun can only reach so fart to the left. Occasionally the chicken’s leader, Gonzo, will appear as a spinning flying saucer that scrolls across the top of the screen. Rid the world of evil space chickens and it’s off to the next game.
First Mate Piggy is up in her game Pastaroids. This plays like a version of Freeway, however on certain levels it’s possible for her to fight back. As she attempts to reach her ship at the top of the screen, spaghetti and meatballs will block her path by moving from side to side. She is defenseless against the pasta, however with a well time karate chop she can defeat the meatballs. Making it to the ship will reward her with big points, and the chance to go on to the final game.
Escape From the Planet of the Gonzoids is Dr. Strangepork’s section, and it’s by far the most difficult of the three games. He must navigate a tight corridor that are filled with robotic Gonzoids that have taken up position on various rock faces. There is no direct way to shoot them, however the ship comes equipped with a Boomeray, which fires upwards before doing a U-turn. When you are in the proper position the shot will rain down on the robot’s head, destroying them. Escape the canyon and you’re home free!
The graphics are charming, however the gameplay is firmly on easy mode, which is to be expected given the target audience. It’s nice to be able to pick which order you want to play the levels in, however it doesn’t take long to finish any of them. If you are a fan of the Muppets it’s worth a look, however most will skip it due to the lack of challenge.
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.
