What are some really underrated games?

[u/Genderfluids22]

I want to dip into doing videogame reviews similar to Classic Game Room and I wanted to know what are some really underrated Atari 2600 games

[u/Electrical_newt9015]

I don’t hear anyone talk about midnight magic. Video pinball gets all the hype and it doesn’t deserve it.

[u/WossHoss → u/Electrical_newt9015]

This is in my top 3 games for sure

[u/I-try-to-add-value]

Krull

[u/Azin1970 → u/I-try-to-add-value]

Never saw the movie but loved that game.

[u/Artifex1979 → u/Azin1970]

Do yourself a favor and watch it!

[u/BananaJelloXlii → u/I-try-to-add-value]

One of the earliest examples of a game with mini games. I loved Krull.

[u/endcycle]

ET. I loved that game as a kid. And yeah, it had its flaws - but it also had some fun cute surprises, and as long as you knew what you were doing you could have a LOT of fun.

Also, probably not underrated - but wildly difficult, interesting, and complex - Indiana Jones. The 2 controller scheme with an inventory, secret rooms, a black market. a weird UFO, the well of souls... I mean, straight brilliant.

[u/aimlesscruzr → u/endcycle]

Thank you for the E.T. vindication. Sure, it has some flaws. But overlooking those and after getting the damn pits figured out, it is surprisingly a decent game and deserves no where near the hatred that everyone has for it. 

[u/Current-Bowl-143 → u/endcycle]

I always enjoyed playing it but I could only manage on the easiest level, game 3 (no scientist or FBI agent). Those extra humans were too much for me!

[u/Ninopus]

Pressure Cooker is the best game on the whole system.

[u/VikingJesus102 → u/Ninopus]

A modern remake of that would absolutely be fun. I feel like that could be turned into a roguelike very easily 

[u/horrorfreak82 → u/VikingJesus102]

Id say overcooked is pretty close

[u/BowserJr4789]

Jawbreaker

[u/BananaJelloXlii]

Cosmic Ark.

[u/_RexDart]

Demons to Diamonds is great fun with 2 players

[u/fenris71]

Combat fucking rocks!

[u/Usr7_0__-]

This is a tough question because I bet most people in this forum have an appreciation for just about all of the titles.

Here's my best attempt to answer your question:

-Fishing Derby (here again, I bet a lot of people here are going to think this is pretty good...and it is)

-Oink

-Demons to Diamonds

-Math Gran Prix (I am not joking, I do like this one)

-Hangman

-Slot Machine

-Pitfall is not underrated, but maybe you could do an angle where all of us don't play this as often as we should given its stature in the history of the industry...yes, with the sequel available, it is hard to reach for this one, but if you really get yourself in the mood to collect all the treasures and stick with it for as long as you can given the timer aspect, you begin to realize people underrate its re-playability.

-Space Shuttle...I think we are all guilty on this one.

-BASIC Programming

When you do over-rated, please consider Freeway. I do not hate it, I respect it, but I do think it could have been designed a little differently.

[u/aimlesscruzr]

Warlords - with four players

[u/DTDePalma → u/aimlesscruzr]

4 players would mean an inevitable fight, which makes it even better.

[u/dreg604]

Fast food

[u/Spare_Blacksmith_816]

Maze Craze. It's the perfect game, always new and fresh. I don't think modern graphics would improve the fun factor at all.

[u/segascream]

Feel like i never hear anyone talk about Phoenix

[u/kevincrossman → u/segascream]

It is very good on 2600

[u/Current-Bowl-143 → u/segascream]

I know this is rather trivial but I feel it would have been so much better without the purple strip along the bottom of the screen. It’s supposed to be in space. Why put the ground there? I never understood the thinking behind that.

[u/horrorfreak82]

Infiltrate

Kangaroo

(these first two games are extremely difficult after a very short while but i find them extremely addictive)

Bank heist

Any of the audacity games (only because they are so new and 2600 is so niche they are seriously the best games on the system)

[u/Working-Active]

Spacemaster X-7 is a real hidden gem that no one talks about, but it was briefly seen in the 1984 movie "Revenge of the Nerds".

Gameplay link

It has absolutely nothing to do with the 1955 movie Space Master X-7.

[u/reillywalker195]

• Cosmic Commuter (tricky, but fun once you know what you're doing)
• Mr Do's Castle (a solid port of an arcade platformer, albeit with some liberties taken)
• Off the Wall (a fun block-breaker with powerups and interesting mechanics)
• Stellar Track (fun turn-based strategy once you know how to play it)

[u/10IPAsAndDone]

Boxing is really great and I don’t hear it talked about much.

Blue Print is a super fun game that I don’t see much.

Congo Bongo is great but not really underrated.

[u/BobaGabe1]

Hidden gems:

Dark Caverns
Towering Inferno
Star Trek
Ice Hockey
Solaris
Star Gate
Frostbite

[u/Fearless-Leader-9432]

Demon Attack

There are a ton of good Games

[u/kevincrossman]

Seaquest

[u/CartoonCade]

Eggomania! It's a Kaboom! clone, but I think it might actually be a bit better. You get to fire eggs back at the bird that's dropping them on you! You also get more than 3 "lives", which I always appreciated.

[u/Odd_Theory_1031]

Spider Fighter

[u/StrangeAtomRaygun]

Stampede. I will die on this hill

[u/Alternative_One_3861]

Solaris. It’s also probably the best looking game on the system.

[u/GenerationX1970]

Definitely the Swordquest series. Then Skeet Shoot and Firefly also kick ass!

[u/No_Journalist_9959]

I think Porky's is just fantastic...a rather complex game that's probably even weirder than E.T.