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Arkanoid & Athena retrospective: Big boxes, big pain

Two direct arcade ports hit the NES here, and boy golly are these things not necessarily created equal. About the only thing they have in common is that they're both incredibly difficult to complete. But Athena is a hot mess of a conversion, as is the Micronics way, while Arkanoid is a pretty spectacular adaptation. Of course, to be fair, Arkanoid has an advantage here: It came with its own pack-in controller, designed exclusive for use with this one game. But even without the Vaus paddle, it's still a far sight more fun than Athena. Which isn't to say Athena was necessarily a barebones package; in Japan, it came with a special bonus pack-in that Americans were denied...

English
  • Originally Aired May 8, 2019
  • Runtime 16 minutes
  • Network YouTube
  • Created October 20, 2022 by
    Paul Pinegar
  • Modified October 20, 2022 by
    Paul Pinegar