Retro Gaming Reviews: Demon Attack (Atari 2600)

Demon Attack is a game for the Atari 2600.  It is a very simple game to play and has a cycle.  Much like many games of their era, they did not necessarily have an ending.  For context, look at games for the NES as some would have endings like DuckTales or even the Super Mario Bros. games.

There is no story for the game.  The objective is to clear the board and defeat all the demons that are present.  You will proceed and continue to the next level after defeating the demons.

For the Atari 2600 games, the graphics are going to be what they are and nothing more.  To hold it to a standard of even the next generation of video game consoles would be unfair.  Because of the limitations, they did the best that they could do.

The gameplay is just using a ship moving to the left or the right.  Only one button is present on the Atari 2600 controller. Managing to complete the level without taking any hits will result in being awarded an additional life. There are two levels that have the same enemies, though they look different.  After completing that, you proceed to the next group.

If you complete the entire cycle on the first run, there will be another cycle. Doing so will mean all possible combinations of enemies have been seen.  It will be the same again.  Think of it like a game that doesn’t end until you lose. Just shoot the enemies and continue to avoid getting hit.

Once the game is done completely, it will act as if it’s a demo.  You can watch it for a little bit of time if you want.  When you start the game, then Demon Attack will begin immediately.

Demon Attack is a decent game if you want to go for the high score and just simply want to give it a try.  Granted, it’s not going to be able to compete with later games out there that are available today.  It’s a fun little game to pass the time.  You may be able to find this game at a retro gaming store or a convention if they happen to sell it.  It is also possible it may be on like Amazon or eBay. By shopping online, there is a better chance of finding the game.  You will need a working Atari 2600 or possibly a Retron77.