- atari •
- coleco •
- Mattel •
- NEC •
- nintendo •
- RCA •
- sega •
- SNK •
- sony •
- misc. •
- joystick •
- blog •
- reviews •
- videos •
- insight •
- Links •
- contact
Big Five Software Miner 2049er -Atari 5200
Retro Gaming Review
 |
| Title: | Miner 2049er |
| Manufacturer: | Big Five Software |
| Platform: | Atari 5200 |
| Release Date: | 1983 |
| Part #: | BF1912 |
| Rating: | 4 out of 5 |
| ESRB Rating: | N/A |
Rating: 
Big Five Software Miner 2049er Screenshot:
Bounty Bob is a Canadian Mounty who packs a refreshing video game punch. A platformer that goes above and beyond, Miner 2049er gives you 10 uniquely interesting screens to conquer. Most platformers had 3 or 4 screens and omitted a few of those on the home releases. Not Bounty Bob. Hell no! Big Five Software puts you at the helm of all 10 screens!
Having to traverse the entire screen like clearing a maze in Pac-Man and the platform style of Donkey Kong, 1983 was a good year to own an Atari 5200 and bask in the glory of a non-arcade release. We loved the classic arcade titles, but now and then we yearn for something we haven't dropped a ton of quarters into. It was time to have an original game that would draw us into a new 8-bit landscape full of new challenges.
Miner 2049er gave gamers a familiar, but new game. Borrowing from proven game scenarios, Bounty Bob came on the scene with a fresh experience for those who loved arcades.
Miner 2049er's Story Arc
Sent off by dogsled to find conniving Yukon Yoohan, a ruthless fur trapper from Sweden, Bounty Bob tracked him to Nuclear Ned's Uranium Mine. Being the heroic type Bounty Bob entered the mine determined to find the trapper. While deep in the cavernous mine, the entrance collapsed sealing Bounty Bob inside. Nuclear Ned was a survivalist and legend has it that Bob is still searching for Yukon Yohan surviving on the food stored in the mine by Ned. We can only hope he survives the radiation.
Miner 2049er's Game Play
You begin the game inside the mine as Bounty Bob. Each level must be thoroughly explored by leaving your trail on every path. Along the way you'll encounter deadly mutant organisms which you must avoid or hop over as you collect articles left behind by other miners. You'll gain points for the stuff you collect and some of the mutants will even become edible. A timer-bar at the top of the screen wil show you how much time you have to claim (step on every section of platform) the level. when it reaches zero, so do you!
Holy shit! Check this out...
The title 'Miner 2049er' is a play on the nickname 'Miner 49er' given to those who flocked to California during the gold rush of the mid-19th century. Under the name Big Five Software, Bill Hogue programmed commercial computer games in the late 1970s for Radio Shack's TRS-80 home computer. He learned to program while he was a clerk at Radio Shack. Hogue wrote Miner 2049er for the Atari 800 on which the player can key in the phone number on the title screen, followed by a level number to skip to that level. Miner 2049er made a comeback in the mobile gaming market with a re-release in 2007 by Magmic Inc. This version contains two forms of the game. One is a faithful recreation of Hogue's Atari 800 original; the second a modernized version with new graphics and ten new levels.
The title 'Miner 2049er' is a play on the nickname 'Miner 49er' given to those who flocked to California during the gold rush of the mid-19th century. Under the name Big Five Software, Bill Hogue programmed commercial computer games in the late 1970s for Radio Shack's TRS-80 home computer. He learned to program while he was a clerk at Radio Shack. Hogue wrote Miner 2049er for the Atari 800 on which the player can key in the phone number on the title screen, followed by a level number to skip to that level. Miner 2049er made a comeback in the mobile gaming market with a re-release in 2007 by Magmic Inc. This version contains two forms of the game. One is a faithful recreation of Hogue's Atari 800 original; the second a modernized version with new graphics and ten new levels.
Some stations will have a transformer that will let Bounty Bob "beam up" to any desired level. You can be assured that each level is a bit different and has a unique feature which keeps the game very fresh. You'll be challenged by slides, Lily pads, radioactive waste and a host of scenarios that will keep Bounty Bob on his feet in the various mine stations. There is a lift that will help him ascend to different platforms and a cannon that he must load with TNT to launch himself to another platform.
Covering every inch of the paths isn't as easy as it sounds. Very often the most obvious path isn't the best option. Some jumps are only a pixel away from possible - each such jump stealing another life from poor Bounty Bob. LIke many fast-paced games one tends to take a direction and run with it only to discover later that there was a better way. Don't think you've figured it out until you actually live to tell of it :)
The refreshing factor of Miner 2049er is its ability to introduce interesting new levels (stations). Most platformers had only a few different screens that would repeat visually albeit with higher difficulty settings. Miner 2049er keeps evolving. Once you finish a level, you advance without the feeling of deja vu. Hey, I've been here already dammit!
Final Judgement:
Big Five Software Miner 2049er
is a lot of fun with 10 screens of varied obstacles and scenarios. This game stays fresh longer than most. It's unique and well thought out, leaving behind the repeating-screen format of so many platformers.« Return to Retro Video Game Reviews
Printed: