Game of the Week: UFO for Odyssey 2

If you sit down to play the video game UFO on a classic Magnavox Odyssey 2 home system, it's impossible not to make comparisons to the arcade hit from Atari, Asteroids.

Much like Asteroids, the player controls a ship that floats around in space while shooting at enemy spacecrafts. The first noticeable difference between UFO and Asteroids is that in UFO your ship has a force shield that not only can protect your ship from attacks, but can also be used to take out enemy ships by running into them.

Admittedly, the graphics aren't that great, but they're also not the worst there are, especially considering the time period when the Odyssey 2 was originally available, the early 1980s. Most of the enemies attacking you are simply circles or X's, and even the toughest bad guy, a flying saucer that comes by from time to time, isn't much more than a straight line.

Still, UFO is a challenging but fun game to play. Much like Asteroids, the longer you play, the tougher the game gets. One cool thing, or at least I though so, was that with a little practice you can fly your ship in one direction while shooting in another, allowing you to blow away the enemy while escaping.

Also, as with all Odyssey 2 games, the colors here are exceptional and the sound fair. Overall, I'd say the gameplay is a touch above decent, though not quite unique or extraordinary.

Retro gaming buffs will want this game for their collection.

If you are in or from Europe, you might remember the Odyssey 2 under a different name, the Philips Videopac.