Atari 2600 #14/Atari 5200 #1: Keystone Kapers

 Atari 2600 #14/ Atari 5200 #1: Keystone Kapers

 

Developer: Activision

Publisher: Activision

Release Date: April 1983

 I always enjoy video games with very old IPs, and it doesn’t get much older than than the Keystone Cops. Their origins go back to 1912 right at the dawn of movies and modern pop culture. The Keystone Cops was one of the first popular comedy series in all of cinema. Many of the greats, including Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle spent time as Cops before breaking out on their own. They had such an impact on pop culture that although the original series ended in 1917, they are still commonly referenced today. That’s impressive, especially since their movies are very seldom seen and not all that good. It’s as if all the slapstick greats watched the Keystone Cops to learn what not to do in their own movies. Still, Americans love their icons and idioms, so bumblers are often still called Keystone Cops, and it makes perfect sense that a video game seventy years later would draw its inspiration from the bawdy comedy troupe.

 While the game does feature a cop, the character in this game is the opposite of your typical Keystone Cop. The cops in the movies were hopeless goons who usually ended up causing life-threatening disasters through their own incompetence. Keystone Kelly, on the other hand, is practically a superhero. He is super-fast, super nimble, and laser-focused on his task of catching Harry Hooligan. The game is a fast-paced early platformer that is set up like a multi-tiered Pitfall. There is only one task in the game, catching Harry Hooligan as he tries to escape a shopping mall. He starts on the floor above Keystone Kelly, but he is much slower. A timer counts down during the chase so it’s imperative to catch Harry Hooligan as quickly as possible. Almost all the points are gained by how much time is left. There are a few suitcases to pick up that are worth a few hundred points, but it’s really about the chasing and catching. There are also several types of obstacles to avoid. Some take away time while some will cause you to lose a life.

 

Keystone Kapers is a fast and exciting game. It has similarities to a racing game because points are earned by learning how to get around quickly. New and more difficult obstacles will appear in every level, so it’s also important to pay attention to the upper screens and learn the layout. The most important thing is getting to the elevator at just the right time. It is faster than taking the stairs, but it moves up and down automatically, so good timing in key. The 2600 version is the most well-known, and it’s certainly the one I have played the most. It is fast and precise, and I feel that I can always do a little better when I play. The graphics are good for the most part, but those radios look like glowing piles of money, so everyone always runs into them the first time playing. I also enjoy that there is a map at the bottom of the screen keeping track of the characters and elevator. It’s not the most useful map in history, but it’s a nice touch.

Characteristically, the 5200 version looks better but doesn’t play quite as well. The 5200 is remembered for its nice graphics but awful controls. It’s not egregious here, but obstacles can be harder to avoid, and jumping isn’t quite as precise. The worst part, however, is that the elevator moves very, very slow. This is supposed to be a game about speed, and it’s disappointing standing around for an elevator to slowly appear. It’s still faster and safer than taking the stairs most of the time, but it can get annoying. The elevator situation caused me to get lower scores per level, but I still ended up doing better than I did on the 2600. This is probably because the developers caught the elevator problem and threw in some extra lives to balance it out. In a strange way it’s both easier and more difficult at the same time. Confusion is fairly typical with 5200 games.

 

I feel a little bad introducing 5200 with a double review, but it just doesn’t have a lot of original games. About 2/3 of its library came from 2600, and many of them, like Keystone Kapers, are too similar to merit a separate review. Thankfully both versions are fun, so 5200 starts out with a winner. So far, I’ve been avoiding reviewing multiple versions of the same game, but it’s something I couldn’t avoid forever. Get ready to see many of the same games clumped together on the list. In fact, there are other versions of Keysone Kapers I have yet to review. As always, I will make them insightful and entertaining. Hey, it’s what I do. The two versions are numbers 44 and 45 on the overall list, and the 2600 version ranks as number three on the console list. Even though I have been an Atari fan all my life, it’s still surprising how much fun I’m having with the venerable system. Here’s to more good games in the future.

 

Atari 2600 Quality percentage: 8/14 or 57.14%

 

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