AGH Atari 2600 Review: BUGS by Data Age There HAS to be a reason why Bugs is such a piece of crap. Perhaps Data Age knew something that we don't? Perhaps the game used a programming technique that subconsciously lures gamers to purchase additional Data Age games? Or maybe an angry programmer swapped the code just as a game with the same name was going into production? Whatever the explanation, there's no mistaking Bugs as one of THE WORST videogames in HISTORY. The story of Bugs is as follows: you're looking into reports of a life form detected on another planet. Passing through the Cosmic Tunnel, you encounter the Super Bugs. These are giant insects which begin to slither from great subterranean colonies -- along with the Phylax, Super-Drones which can gnaw through any substance. Your job is to direct your gunsight across the long, common mouth of the colonies, blasting the bugs before any can fully emerge and destroy you. During the course of battle, you also draw the scuttling Phylax into your line of fire -- for to touch the mutant is to die. The graphics are awful, even by Data Age's standards. The projectiles are dull and the sound effects tired. Speaking of the projectiles, the gunsight and missiles are too fat. There's no streamlining here, no real precision work in the graphics or gameplay. If your shot is in the neighborhood, you'll nail the suckers. The Missile Command-like gunsight really strips the game of any challenge. The only risk element -- if you can call it that -- of the game are the Phylax mutants, and the anticipation of the attack is the only thing that comes close to providing any sort of suspense. Otherwise, it's an extremely poor clone of Space Cavern and numerous other shooting games on the VCS. Title Bugs Publisher Data Age System Atari 2600 (VCS) Graphics 2 Sound 1 Gameplay 1 Overall 1 Reviewer Keita Iida