German Grab Bag
Mini-Reviews of Pac Nestor SE, Traveler 7800, Halloween Cartridge 2007

"Pfeffernusse" - German Pepper Balls or Nuts

There is a German fellow that hangs around the Atari Age forums that goes by the handle Gambler... but I'm sure his mother still calls him Walter. His love for the Atari 7800 can not only be measured in trolling for the system and slamming Atari 5200 fans, but also in the completed games, projects, hacks and demos for the Prosystem. Here is a section of the Froo-Froo I will throw up in honor of this man's hard work and to review some of his projects and score them on a scale of one to five Pfeffernusse (German pepper balls)








Pac Nestor SE

"Pac Nestor SE" Another Pac Hack!

Granny V gave Pac Pollux a favorable review a year or two ago, and this is the highly anticipated sequel to the French cartoon- Ms. Pac Man hack. Confused? Me too. I won't dive into the back story for the third time on this site, but Pac Nestor SE was a project Gambler did on his own. You play as the dog this go around (I think it's a dog... his name is Nestor), and this sequel features two different mazes. The graphics are quite a bit better than the Pac Pollux, mainly because of the color scheme. I'm sure there are a bunch of inside jokes floating around this game... but I have no idea what a Nestor, Pollux, or Dieu is. Bonus scenes feature inside humor, and it makes me feel stupid and alone because I just don't get it. Floating bonuses I'm sure have relevance to the French cartoon... but the uninitiated may mistake them for sexual innuendos and "toys". Basically, music and all... this is a Pac Man game. The most interesting aspect of this title is actually a very clever idea. Some of the dots that need to be eaten to clear the mazes go through the Ghost Box (That sounds like a great name for a band... hmmmmmmm...). It takes a some strategy to decide when is the best time to go for the kill... and at times it can be exhilarating. This game and Pac Pollux have some issues with collision detection and simply just running though the maze. Unlike Ms. Pac Man, it is possible to get “lost in space” and be off the rails at certain points. The paths at times are not clearly defined and it can be frustrating when you get off track, but this is a minor qualm, though. If you like the Pac-Nestor cartoon, this is a must have. If not... maybe one day he'll release a Homestar Runner or better yet, an Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Ms. Pac Man hack for us Yankees. Then, we'll laugh like hell when we see the Foreigner Belt bounce around the maze.

Cousin Vinnie verdict: 3 1/2 Pfeffernusse



Traveler 7800 (Game Cart)

"Traveler 7800 Game Cart" Now with 75% less sin!

Traveler 7800, or "Travi" is a 7800 cartridge that has been sent all around the world to the Atari 7800 community. Popping in the cartridge provided a broken English message and a picture of the world. You were supposed to look at all of the knick-knacks that the other Atarians put in the package, sign a ledger and take your picture with it at a locale you think is special. This thing crapped on my floor and tried to rape a girl, but after I mailed it off, I kind of miss the little fellow. Thankfully, Gambler felt our Post-partum-esque pain and made some fake "Travi's" for the rest of us. Like normal, there was some random loot that came in the package (a killer patch featuring Travi). The cool thing about this Travi is that it features a simple 2600-looking game inside. There is a title screen featuring Travi bouncing back and forth to some convoluted music. The game itself is very similar to Secret Collect from Homestar Runner. Secret Collect is a terrible game that was intended as a spoof on how lame some of the Atari 2600 titles were. This little guy is better, thankfully. You are charged with the task of guiding Travi around a tight maze to reach his destination. If Travi makes contact with a wall, your turn is done. Travi scoots along at a fast clip and cannot be stopped, so you have to have good reaction time to clear a maze. Gambler made most mazes simple in the beginning, and then threw in some heinous turns near the end of the board to cause you to swear at a smiling suitcase. You have three chances to clear a maze or your game is over. I have made it to the 5th board. While the game has a certain "just one more time" vibe, I wish the game featured some points and in-game music. Maze clearing bonuses and random bonus item pop-ups that would tempt you to go back for your point lust would have made this feel like a full fledged game. Regardless, we just like that demonic Travi being in the house again. We missed him. Now... where did I put that credit card? Travi? TRAVI!!!!!!!!

Cousin Vinnie verdict: 2 1/2 Pfeffernusse



Halloween Cartridge

"Halloween Cartridge" Starring Cousin Vinnie in his Video Game Debut!

The Halloween Cartridge looks cool as hell, but to anyone else besides a handful of certain people... this might have been the biggest rip-off ever. The demo was expensive, but the box and cartridge look great on a shelf (that's what I keep telling myself). The demo consists of a screaming jack-o-lantern with glowing eyes, crazy-ass Halloweenish music, and a Halloween message (complete with the European way to write a date: This is 31.10.2007!) Why do I not regret buying this 7800 cart? Because I'm not only mentioned on the box, jerk... I'm in the demo! At least my name is, fool! Suck on that Mitch! What was that? Mitch is mentioned too? Oh man.

Cousin Vinnie verdict: ˝ Pfeffernusse
Cousin Vinnie verdict if you are Cousin Vinnie: 5 Pfeffernusse