Head On
Sometimes you find a game that is so simple that it can be
addictive. Head On is one of those games. At the core it is so
stinking simple you just laugh at it. Who would waste a quarter
on a lame game like this in 1979 when you had games like
Asteroids, Galaxian and one of my favorites Rip-Off? Well to be
honest that is how I thought of it when I saw the game. You are
a car that drives around in circles and collects dots, whoopee.
Fast forward to 2004 and I am going through MAME looking at
different games. I come across Head On and decide to try it. I
still chuckle at it. Then I start to play it and find that I
cannot stop playing it.
Head On like many
games of that era is a very simple concept. You drive around
and try to clear the level of dots. While you do this, there is
another car that is driving around and wants to run into you.
It is up to you to go down the path that he is not going down.
Pretty simple right? Well, this car has a nasty habit of
choosing the same path you do and once you are committed to it,
there is no turning back. You do have one advantage, you can
go fast or slow. Hit the fire button and you speed up. Take
your finger off it and you go normal speed. This can help out
but it can also get you in trouble that much quicker.
(Finish a level and
this is what you see, hardly worth the effort)
After a few games
you want to prove you can clear the level. It is harder than it
seems. Once you clear one, you want to show it was not a
fluke. And that is where you find yourself hooked. To be
honest, the game is not that great. In fact, it is pretty
mediocre. But it is the drive to beat it that will have you
coming back. And this is enough to make it worthwhile. It will
not become a favorite of yours, but try it and see if you can
stop before clearing a level or two. If you are at all
competitive, you will not be able to stop playing it.
This is just a review of the arcade machine.
If you are looking for the actual arcade machine, you may want
to check out ebay. Click below to see if you can find this
game.
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