M*A*S*H

[scotland]

Dave's Atari VCS review of MASH, from summer of 1999, has got to be one of his shortest.

This game, by 20th Century Fox - who also produced the hit television show, is like Choplifter Lite meets MicroSurgeon for Dummies. Its a middle of the pack game, easy to forget, like Dharma and Greg for the Dreamcast.

I have the 2600 version of M*A*S*H, and the TI99 version. There is also an unreleased Colecovision prototype, and a version for the Atari 8 bit lines. They are all the same game, with some minor gameplay differences, but stronger differences in graphics, scrolling, voice, insults, etc.

[Teddybear]

While this basically a forgettable game I will always remember the green M*A*S*H t-shirt that was packaged with the game!

And being called "Ferret Face" on the operation table screen!

[VideoGameCritic]

Ah the summer of 1999! That's when my site was first up and I was cranking out reviews as fast as I could. Those reviews were shallow but usually correct and definitely to-the-point.

The Tempest X3 review I just posted replaced one of those of 7/1999 reviews.

Maybe it's time to give MASH another look, and this time put a little more effort into it.

[scotland]

Maybe it's time to give MASH another look

Absolutely. Give it a re-review. The letter grade probably won't change, but it could use more decription.

Its a serviceable one or two player game, and oddly, the fire button is not used. Finally a game for that broken joystick where the button no longer works, or a lightpen or something. The helicopter physics are wonky, and whoever thought dropping men out of a plane without parachutes was a good idea has some Lucy Ricardo style explaining to do.

The helicopters, which should be on the same side are competing, and worse, interfering with each other. That can be part of the strategy to get more wounded or try to get the other copter shot down. That puts this with two player games like Wizard of Wor or Mario Bros.

Contradictory to your review, but the gameplay of collecting wounded with helicopters and removing shrapnel is kinda like the tv show. Unless you wanted the game to be about keeping an unauthorized still working, playing poker in the Swamp, dating nurses, getting a section 8 and playing practical jokes on Major Burns. Sounds like a good sandbox game.

The TI99 version is a B+ or A- game on that system as being a much better looking game, using the fire button to pick up wounded, rated against a weaker library, and best of all, having speech from its voice attachment. Unfortunately, they elected to not insult you verbally as "Ferret Face". If you botch up the surgery, to hear 'Win some, Lose some'. Gotta be on the list of things never to say in the operating room.