''Dishaster'' is an

action game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, and platform gam ...

released for the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...

in 1983 by

Zimag Zimag (stylized as ZiMAG) was the name used by Magnetic Tape International to market consumer products, including video games and blank audio cassette tape, cassettes, VHS tapes, and floppy disks. Magnetic Tape International was a wholly owned s ...

. Another version of the game was released by

Bit Corporation Bit Corporation () was a Taiwanese game developer and console manufacturer. Games Bit Corporation produced original software for the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision, which it released worldwide under both its own name and the Puzzy brand, as well a ...

under the name ''Dancing Plates'' which features oriental-themed graphics and adds eight game variations. ''Dishaster'' was inspired by the

circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...

tradition of keeping spinning plates suspended on poles. The player controls a girl attempting to keep a group of several spinning plates balanced on poles from falling. The game received negative reviews; criticism focused on the game's repetition and monotony.

Gameplay

The girl can stabilize wobbling dishes by pressing the button on the controller. If a plate falls, the player is able to capture it if the girl touches it before it hits the ground, and a new one appears at the top of the pole. The number of poles to spin varies between the selected skill level; there are six on the easiest setting, and ten on the hardest. The player loses if they let four dishes hit the ground.

Reception

The reviewer for ''TV Gamer'' magazine wrote, in 1983, "''Dishaster'' may be enjoyed by very young gamers, but it is not sophisticated enough for any battle-hardened arcade gamers." Non-contemporary reviews were negative. Author Brett Weiss stated that ''Dishaster'' was "as bad as its unfunny title implies" and that it was "a hopelessly repetitive game". While Weiss found the graphics "convincing," he remarked that "the plate-spinning action gets old in a hurry". Al Backiel, a reviewer for the newsletter and website ''Digital Press'', wrote: Another ''Digital Press'' writer, Kevin Oleniacz, included the game in his "The Worst of the Atari 2600" list, writing: "The lack of sound effects, details or any background whatsoever while maneuvering around one unchanging screen would surely claim this as a DISASTER".

References

External links

''Dishaster''
at Atari Mania {{Portal bar, Video games 1983 video games Action games Atari 2600 games Atari 2600-only games Video games featuring female protagonists Video games developed in Taiwan Single-player video games Zimag games