Looking for a long, in-depth game about naval battles, filled with strategy and action, all tucked away in a neat 4 bit package? Then keep on looking, because Air-Sea battle is not for you. No, this one is a simple game that has you shooting your ship's guns at passing planes, or bombing ships with your plane. It's all timing, there is no strategy involved, and there's no action, as the planes and ships don't fire back nor do you have any competition. Yeah, it's straight forward highscore gameplay that resembles a carnival game in some respects, but no enemies doesn't necessarily equal no fun, not for fans of simple games from back in the day.

Air-Sea Battle strongly resembles Frogs And Flies (a great game on the same system) graphically and in certain aspects of the gameplay, but it definitely is not the same game, nor does it quite live up to Frogs And Flies. There are some major differences, with the biggest being the lack of an opponent, which is actually quite a let down, really. Still, there is some fun to be had with Air-Sea Battle, and it does have some things to offer, but does it offer enough? We'll find that out during this review.


Graphics: 10/10
Incredible.

Air-Sea Battle puts on a nice show of colors, and uses those colors well. That's the first thing that I look for in a game on the 2600, and this little title definitely delivers in that area. I would dare say that it has some of the best graphics you'll find on the system as far as colors go, and you don't struggle to see what any of the sprites are supposed to be, from the planes, to the boats, to the helicopters, to the giant....flying...smilely faces... disturbing as it may be, no, I am not kidding. There are giant flying smilies in certain modes. I can see it now:
"Hey Fred, what is that thing?"
"I don't know, but it looks awful happy... shoot it."
And somehow this seemed like a good idea to the developers. Oddly enough, I couldn't agree more! That's one of the biggest problems with modern games in my opinion: they take themselves too seriously! I mean let's look at some the greatest games from back in the day:

Toejam & Earl: two Funk loving aliens crash land their ship on an extremely insane version of Earth, and run from crazy humans, boogeymen, and tomato launching geese! Their only allies being a goofy looking wizard, an opera singer in a Viking outfit, and a man dressed in a carrot suit. Where is that serious at all?

Haunting: A game where you play as a fun-loving ghost who simply gets his kicks from scaring a family.

Super Mario Bros: A game about a plumber that runs through a land filled with turtles, beetles, and snapping plants that live in pipes that lead to secret areas, all to save a princess and a bunch of mushroom headed people from a half dragon half turtle creature. Seriousness? Anyone? No, I can't find it either.

I could list so many more: PacMan, Kirby, Sonic, Splatterhouse -Wanpaku graffiti, and the list goes on and on. I for one, miss those old silly game ideas.

Next we have the background design. It's great! The way they use the colors to break the sky into parts, really gives it a great deal of an appearance of depth, and add a lot to the graphics. Much better than most games on this system that simply give you a flat screen with a few sprites on it.

Indeed, Air-Sea Battle more than lives up to the Atari gamer's expectations graphically, and gives us a good impression of the Atari 2600 and what it could really do.

Highlights:
-Incredible usage of colors make this one pop off of the screen

-The depth given by the sky coloration really make the game stand out

-Fun loving graphics that make you smile while shooting down smiles


Sound: 5/10
Average.

Nothing special here, folks, just run of the mill 2600 audio. A simple sound when you fire your weapon or drop a bomb, and an explosion when it hits. Of course there always has to be an explosion, it's the atari 2600! So with two or three sounds and no music, Air-Sea Battle not only offers us about the average quantity and quality of sound of a 2600 game, it also leaves me with nothing to talk about. Truly a reviewer's nightmare...help...me...

Highlights:
-Simple, but classic Atari 2600 sound effects

-Explosions! Same as above highlight, but worded in a cooler way


Story: N/A

You are a member of the Navy, and you have been notified of incoming bomber planes, helicopters, and inexplicable floating smiley faces. Your orders: shoot them all. Kill anything that moves! Shoot first, ask questions later! Et cetera! Yep, no story here, and the gameplay doesn't really fill you in on what the story could be. That's pretty normal for the 2600 really, "It's just a game. Why bother with a story. Make it fun, and make things blow up!" such seemed to be the conversation with most developers.


Depth: 8/10
Excellent.

Okay, so there's no computer opponent, but multiplay is available (and probably the game's purpose), there are several different "enemy" sprites, and twenty-three modes of play. Some modes introduce differnet "enemies" (targets) and some switch which way those enemies move, while others place you in the Air instead of on the Sea. Oh, and did I mention giant floating smiley faces? Yeah? How about birds, and what appear to be rubber duckies and hands? Strange doesn't begin to describe it, but I love the weirdness.

Highlights:
-Twenty-Six gameplay variations

-Floating Smilies!

-Multiplayer


Addictiveness: 7/10
Very Good.

While the single player mode probably won't keep you hooked, the multiplayer likely will. Nothing like trying to outscore your friends and enemies while shooting giant smiley faces out of the sky. And with all of the many variations available in the game, you'll have plenty of opportunities to change it up. So go ahead, grab a friend, start up the virtual Atari 2600, and have a blast with your friend shooting giant floating smilely....okay, I think I may need help...

Highlights:
-Good for friendly (or not-so-friendly) head-to-head gameplay

-Giant floating sm....no, I will not say it again...


Difficulty: 1/10
Cakewalk.

So easy that I seriously started to replace "Cakewalk" with "Oh, I didn't realize I was even trying". Yes, that easy. Why? Enemies never fire, and are nothing more than sitting ducks (sometimes literally). Well that and giant floating... you know. Couple that with the fact that if you don't play with a friend, you have no competition, and you have the easiest game possible, as you can't lose. Simple as that. I've heard some say that there is an AI opponent in the game, but I never found a way to face them, so I have to stick with this rating

Highlights:
-Anyone can play

-(this portion edited by Eirinn, for excessive reference to floating facial expressions)


Overall: 7.5/10
Very Good.

The number may not seem to be anything special, but the words "Very Good" are pretty much spot on. This is a really good game with a friend, and in ways, one of the better single player games for a quick round of time killing without worry of frustration if you do lousy, or a need to even focus. Have two minutes to wait on that download to finish? Play Air-Sea Battle. Done.


To sum it up, I can suggest the game to anyone looking for a simple multiplayer game to challenge a friend to, as well as fans of overly simple old school single player games. Friends, plus this game, equals a blast, but alone it doesn't offer much more than a few moments of entertainment. Still, it's worth a play if you enjoy games for the Atari 2600.

Excellent review. That was one of the best reviews I have ever read, and definitely the funniest and most interesting review. I am very glad that I read it. Keep up the great work and have fun shooting your giant floating smiley faces!