Granny Vinnie Reviews

7800 Rank: 28th Genre Rank: (Sports) 3rd Awards: None Hey! The Puck is That Way, Fellows! Pros: Fun mix of hockey and pong Cons: Quirky gameplay/ Serious lack of modes and features A Path Lay Before You, Young Adventurer... Choose Wisely

Overview: Hat Trick is a simple game of 2 on 2 hockey. From the blimp cam perspective, it resembles a game of table hockey. If you can't afford the $500 dollars for one of those, this is a good replacement.

Graphics: Just like the game itself, the graphics are simple, but very clean and bright. Again, the fixed bird's eye view camera gives you a feel of table hockey. The scoreboard, players, and rink all look good, except maybe for the center circle. I'm sure there is a hockey name for this circle, but hey...I'm an American, we just wanna see fights. But anyway, the graphics are modest but good.

Sound: Sound basically is limited to silly sound effects like wolf-whistles and da-da-da-DA-da-DA "Charge!". There also is the sound of random skating that doesn't coincide with the actual game. But, it's probably better to have this than not. Also, when you score a goal there is a big ole' whistle. Everyone within three blocks will know you scored a goal, because it's loud.

Gameplay: Any game on any system that features humans on ice have this delayed control feel to it, which is realistic, but annoying. You control two people at once, the goalie and the skater. The goalie moves up and down, and acts more like a pong paddle than a human goalie. The skater can steal, shoot, and hopefully score. There are no tricks to this game. Your skater basically just points and shoots. Because it is so simple and games are only 2 minutes long, it is hard to score on experienced players. And when you do score, sometimes you wonder how the puck went through the goalie.

Interpretation: I remember this was an arcade game, but I never played it. From what I remember, the 7800 version did a good job of looking like the arcade game.

Value: Since the games are only two minutes long, it's hard to imagine someone playing this for any length of time at all. In my first game back on Hat Trick ice in almost ten years, I beat the computer. Of course, the score was a 4-3 overtime win, but hey I won. After two or three games, I was scrambling to play another game. If I had a friend who wanted to play this, it would lengthen the game's life span. But in the new millennium, trying to find a second for a two on two hockey video game will be a rare find unless you are in Quebec.

Overall: This is a fun little game. I say little because there isn't much to it. Because this game is one button simplicity at its finest, this would good for little kids to play while their older brothers and sisters are destroying the Death Star or whooping it up with the latest game craze. The Atari 7800 absolutely stunk when it came to sports titles, and this is one of the only playable sports games on the system. I would grab this game if you liked hockey or table hockey, or had little kids and an extra 7800 for them to destroy. If you do pick up this 7800 classic, don't pay out the nose for it.



Other Reviews:
CV's Atari 7800 Panoramic Froo-Froo: 3.5 out of 5.0 (Good)
The Atari Times: 6 out of 10
Video Game Critic: D-


Additional Info: I would like to take this time to thank Mitch Orman, owner of The Atari 7800 Page for allowing the use of his screenshots for this review.

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