Gridlock by Andrew Davie is currently a Work in Progress that is focused on replicating the sliding puzzle game idea on Atari 2600. I have no idea how to program beyond “Hello World” so stuff like this is well beyond my capabilities. Based on what others have released on the Atari 2600, I would have guessed that something this complex was out of the question. Boy was I wrong.
A Simple Game That Fits Atari Perfectly
Gridlock is just like sliding puzzle games you may have played on your cell phone. There are countless versions of this genre available on mobile devices. I am not going to try and list any here, you know the genre and likely have your favorite.
Sliding puzzles is another genre that is newer than the Atari 2600. This fact makes it interesting to see a game in this genre on the venerable hardware.
What is even more interesting about Gridlock is the sheer number of different style cars that Davie has been able to include. While there are multiples of certain cars, at first glance you are probably not going to notice. That is great work on their part in creating unique and interesting graphics.
If you are interested in buying a copy of Gridlock, please check out Davie’s YouTube video. They mention wanting to put these on cartridge and make them available. I am sure this will happen if there is enough interest so if you want it, swing over and let them know. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AF2vOkhsqU
Puzzle Games Are a Great Match for the Atari 2600
While I doubt we will ever see a Bejeweled style game for the Atari 2600, it does seem that some puzzler subcategories work well on the classic hardware. There are many variations of Tetris and even an officially released, at least I think it is, version of Klax for the Atari 2600 even a Dr Mario Style game and a Sokoban clone.
The true power of the Atari 2600 is only held back by the imagination and talent of the person programming it. At least it seems that way.
Have you played your Atari today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMFy-Iw4CcA