DESCRIPTION

Gremlins for the Atari VCS pits players against masses of cute, fuzzy Mogwai. As noted in the movie that inspired the game, there are three rules to follow to care for Mogwai: don't get them wet (that's how they reproduce), don't expose them to bright light (which will stun them, and sunlight will kill them), and don't feed them after midnight. Breaking the third of these rules allows the Mogwai to mutate into murderous Gremlins. As Billy Pelzer, the movie's hero, players spent the game's first screen catching as many Mogwai as they possibly can to prevent them from reaching the hamburgers at the bottom of the screen. Any Mogwai who do eat a burger begin mutating. (The first screen is very reminiscent of Activision's Atari VCS hit Kaboom!) The second screen takes place in a snowy landscape, in which Billy must shoot an onslaught of Gremlins before they reach the bottom of the screen; if they do get past Billy, the Gremlins will attack him and cost him a life. In later levels, puddles of water appear on this screen, allowing one Gremlin to suddenly create a whole herd of enemies for Billy to deal with. Pulling back on the joystick fires off a flashcube (of which Billy only has a couple), stunning the Gremlins into standing still, giving the player a few moments to do away with large numbers of them. Nothing about the Gremlins video game is terribly original, but the graphics are decent for the Atari VCS, and it does still make for a nice session of fast-moving slide-and-catch/slide-and-shoot action. ~ Earl Green, All Game Guide