Bounty Bob Strikes Back! (Atari 5200) review "A true gaming masterpiece of the 80's"

This review is a tribute to the gaming brilliance of Bill Hogue the programmer of this wonderful game. This game is so well rounded and has so much depth and attention to detail for a game of its generation. Bounty Bob Strikes Back is the sequel to the acclaimed Miner 2049'er which was released on just about every console and computer of the time. The sequel improved on the original in every way but was unfortunately a victim of the great video game crash of 1984 and was not released until 1986 when the Atari 5200 was long forgotten making it one the rarest releases for the console.

I will admit that I was skeptical at first sight with playing this game. I am a big collector and needed this game for my collection and forked over $200 for this game off of Ebay and started playing it for the first time and was starting to get feel like I got in over my head with the game's difficulty. I loved Miner 2049er and was able to master that game but I couldn't get anywhere in this game even with my experience of the prequel. After a lot of practicing I started to get the hang of it. I just wasn't ready for the level of depth and incredible difficulty that this game has compared to the first one but once I figured that out I started enjoying the game for what it truly is.

Like the original, Bounty Bob Strikes Back plays like Donkey Kong crossed with Pac-Man. You play as Bounty Bob and have to climb through Donkey Kong style stages and run over all of the platforms changing them to a solid color. Along the way you can collect items which will turn the enemies green and make them vulnerable to run into them similar to Pac-Man. As you go you'll start encountering very challenging platforming, items that will kill you, warp doors, chutes, ladders and moving platforms across the game's twenty five (yes you read that right, twenty five stages). I still haven't made it to the end of this game and it will take me a lot longer I'm afraid.

Each stage is VERY HARD and requires a lot of fast thinking to beat the timer and clever jumping and good enemy dodging is only half of the battle. You have to plan out a path to take in order to complete each screen. This is a game of incredible trial and error; you'll die over and over but you'll get a bit further each time. The game helps you out by placing warps throughout the game which will allow you to skip stages but you'll need to consult a FAQ to find them as they are rather tricky to find. As you go you'll become mesmerized by the incredible stage design which was unseen for an early game.

Graphics aren't top notch but are still pretty to look at and the pallet swapped colors each time you lose a life is a nice touch. If I had to pick one thing to remotely call a flaw it's that Bounty Bob needs to look better and the stages and enemies could use more detail but it's understandable due to the sheer size of the game.

I wouldn't recommend this game for the faint of heart or if you get frustrated with hard games because it will take hours of playing to figure out this entire game. If Battletoads and Ghosts 'n Goblins are your type of games then this game is for you. If you're going to try and play this game then You'll need to invest in a good third party joystick for the Atari 5200. I'd recommend the Wico Command Control with the Wico Keypad. This game is going to be a nightmare to track down now as it's so viciously sought after by collectors since it's the rarest game for the console. If you plan on going after a copy of this game they you'll have to be ready to lay down a staggering $400 or more for this game (yes you read that right $400, it's that expensive) but if you do then you'll own one of the true gaming masterpieces of the 1980's and a game that's a true dream to play.

Community review by vgc2000 (February 05, 2017) vgc2000's more extensive backlog of reviews can be found on GameFaqs. But some now live here.