''Blue Max 2001'' is a diagonally-scrolling shooter written by Bob Polin (also credited as Rob Polin) for the

Atari 8-bit family The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE, ...

and published by

Synapse Software Synapse Software Corporation (marketed as SynSoft in the UK) was an American video game development and publishing company founded in 1981 by Ihor Wolosenko and Ken Grant. It initially focused on the Atari 8-bit family, then later developed for th ...

in 1984. A

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...

version was released the same year. ''Blue Max 2001'' is the sequel to 1983's '' Blue Max'', also by Polin, with the player piloting a futuristic

hovercraft A hovercraft, also known as an air-cushion vehicle or ACV, is an amphibious Craft (vehicle), craft capable of travelling over land, water, mud, ice, and other surfaces. Hovercraft use blowers to produce a large volume of air below the hull ...

instead of a World War I

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

. Critics found the game disappointing compared with the original, citing the indistinct graphics and confusing documentation.

Gameplay

Reception

In contrast to the positive reception given to ''Blue Max'', reviews of ''Blue Max 2001'' on both Atari and Commodore systems were mixed. ''

Ahoy! ''Ahoy!'' was a computer magazine published between January 1984 and January 1989 in the US, focusing on all Commodore color computers, but especially the Commodore 64 and Amiga. History The first issue of ''Ahoy!'' was published in January 198 ...

'' called the Commodore 64 release an "exciting sequel" which "extends and refines the elements which made the original game popular, while it introduces enough new challenges to generate fresh excitement." ''

Zzap!64 ''Zzap!64'' was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 (C64). It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact. The magazine ...

'' labeled it "one of the most disappointing sequels of all time". Reviewer

Julian Rignall Julian "Jaz" Rignall (born 6 March 1965, London, England) is a writer and editor. He has also produced content for corporate websites such as GamePro Media, publisher of ''GamePro'' magazine and ''GamePro.com'', marketing collateral and adverti ...

wrote, "The graphics are very poor", citing the " jelly mould" ship and "wonky" perspective. He mentioned the difficulty caused by use of the joystick diagonals. Atari magazine ''

Page 6 ''Page 6'' (subtitled ''Atari Users Magazine'' and later known as ''Page 6 Atari User'', then ''New Atari User'') was an independent British publication aimed at users of Atari home computers. It was published between 1982 and 1998. The magazi ...

'' also considered it a "disappointment" compared to its predecessor, remarking that the

Polo mint Polo is a brand of breath mint whose defining feature is the hole in the middle. The peppermint flavoured Polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom in 1948, by employee John Bargewell at the Rowntree's Factory, York, and a range of flavour ...

ship is "a nightmare to fly, far less operate the bombs and lasers, with any degree of accuracy." Bill Kunkel wrote in an ''Atari Explorer'' review, "this game is plagued with ridiculous terminology and some of the shoddiest documentation since the days when computer software was sold in baggies." ''

Antic Alphanumeric Television Interface Controller (ANTIC) is an LSI ASIC dedicated to generating 2D computer graphics to be shown on a television screen or computer display. Under the direction of Jay Miner, the chip was designed in 1977-1978 by ...

'' found the Atari version had "fairly good graphics with some interesting touches, but the manual is a poor introduction to the game:

References

External links

''Blue Max 2001''
at Atari Mania * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Max 2001 1984 video games Atari 8-bit family games Commodore 64 games Scrolling shooters Synapse Software games U.S. Gold games Video game sequels Video games developed in the United States Video games with oblique graphics