STACY J. DUNKLE'S TOP TEN ATARI CONSOLE AND COMPUTER GAMES mezmaron@twd.net This was very hard to decide on, and I can't really say that the order means anything; the game in the #1 spot isn't necessarily my all-time favorite... 10. Adventure (2600/Atari) I remember playing this for the 1st time at a dept. store display. I remember thinking "What the hell is this? I'm walking a yellow dog, and being chased by ducks!" When a friend got it, and introduced me to game #3, and the magic dot, I was hooked! I would play this for hours, trying different things like getting all the items in the game together in 1 room--Especially the yellow castle, and then grabbing the Chalice by the side and entering, watching the screen flicker like crazy while the victory tune was playing! 9. Defender 2000 (Jaguar/Atari) (Licensed from Williams) Another great update by the great Jeff Minter. Like Tempest 2000, this one also has some trippin' effects! I just can't get enough of the music on the bonus level! And with the hidden "Plasma Pong" game...Wow! 8. Decathlon (2600/Activision) The infamous joystick breaker! I had loads of fun with this one back then, especially upon discovering the secrets, such as the added boost of power after continuing to wiggle the stick even after launching on the pole vault, and various other events. 7. Megamania (2600/Activision) If you liked the arcade game "Astro Blaster", this was as close as you could get for a home version. The variety of enemies made this one cool, as it was one of the earliest to have so many. Even when the enemies repeated, they had different patterns, adding a lot of replay value, 'cause you always wanted to see what they would do next time around! 6. Reactor (2600/Parker Brothers) (Licensed from D. Gottileb & Co.) I never played any other version of this game, but if they're any more fun than the 2600 version, they must be good! It gives you a great feeling when you master the big point strategies of this game, such as pushing the bad guys into the "prisons", and then getting rewarded with mega points for it when you die. I use to be able to play this one for hours when I was a Young'un. 5. Stargate (a.k.a. Defender II) (2600/Atari) (Licensed from Williams) I believe this is one of my favorites because of how close it is to the arcade, which is a rare feat on the 2600; It really makes you proud of the thing! 4. Robotron: 2084 (7800/Atari) (Liscensed from Williams) As with Joust, the 7800 version is very close to the arcade. The best way to play it is with 2 joysticks, especially with a Pro Play-at-Home Arcade! 3. Joust (7800/Atari) (Licensed from Williams) Another unique game, the 7800 version is as close as you can get to the arcade version over all the other ports. 2. Power Drive Rally (Jaguar/Time Warner Interactive) A Jag-only release, it could almost be called RC Pro-AM 2000! Sure, there are other titles like it, but the attention to detail really make it stand out; Such as the skid marks on the road, the lights on the car, etc.. 1. Tempest 2000 (Jaguar/Atari) A total acid trip of a game! No other game comes close in the originality department! This would have to be the most unique video game ever made. Honorable Mention Pitfall II: Lost Caverns (2600/Activision) I was simply awed by this game back then. I played the hell out of it until I finally beat it!