Rocky And Baseball

The first two releases for the ColecoVision game system designed to make full use of the Super Action Controllers are excellent. Compared to the disastrous Buck Rogers game for the Adam, they are living proof of what Coleco do, they do darned well (and should perhaps have stuck to doing just that).

Rocky represents the fruits of a deal done between CBS and, one assumes, Sylvester Stallone. While the tar out of your computer! The graphics are excellent - even filmically pictorial - and if they don't actually move that much, who cares? Using the various buttons, triggers and so on, on the futuristic Super Action gizmo, manoeuvre your pugilist (i.e. Rocky) across the ring and slug the stuffing out of your opponent, who can be the computer or a "pal". You can advance, retire, let fly with a straight right, low left, or duck, or guard your mug. The machine keeps time and every now and again you hit the canvas. Excellent piece of work.

Even better is CBS's Baseball for the same system. Again, using the many options available on the Controller, you control not just a baseballer, but a whole team. Pitch! Hit! Run! Field! Buy popcorn! Well, actually, you can't do that but it feels as if you could. There's whistling from the crowd, "windows" to allow you to keep track of the field, and a choice of combinations for the pitcher to allow him to deliver a wide variety of balls. Graphics (as in Rocky) are excellent and pictorial - very American in style, very Coleco in execution.

All in all, these two games - used with the special Controller - represent the very pinnacle of the dedicated videogame art so far. Pricey but well worth it.