Oink

Oink is a game based loosely on the famous Mother Goose tale, The Three Little Pigs. The player takes the role of the pig, and the big bad wolf is out to get you. He blows holes in your house, and you must try to fill in and "patch" these holes by dropping replacement blocks of straw, sticks, or bricks - depending on what type of house you are in. If the wolf's breath touches your pig, he will fall down towards the bottom of the screen. This costs precious time, because now you have to move your pig all the way to the top of the screen where the patch supply is located. Let the holes get big enough for a pig to fit through and the big bad wolf may suck a pig right through the hole and you lose a life. If the pig captures all three pigs, the game is over.

One of the cool features of this game is the role reversal feature in two-player mode (Select Game 3). One player controls the pig, while player two takes on the role of the wolf. (I wish this feature would have been added into Kaboom as well.) Points are only added to your score when you are playing the role of the pig. Points are earned for each object you successfully patch into the wall.

Oink, programmed by Mike Lorenzen, is a unique game on the 2600 that came out in 1983. It wasn't a very popular title. I know for myself, I was looking into upgrading to a home computer around this time. I ended up buying an Atari 800XL. But I vividly remember seeing Oink on the shelves along with Plaque Attack (by Activision) and Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoes (by Fox). I thought, "Just how many games are going to come out for this system?" It was not until 1989 that I became re-interested in the 2600 and I just had to get this game and see what it was like. I wasn't disappointed at all. Activision always comes through and delivers a solid game on the 2600.

This is another title that may be good to introduce a child to the 2600 with. Most children are familiar with the tale, and they all enjoy games. It does require a bit of coordination with the joystick, though.

Oink was the first game to include the rainbow-style Activision logo at the bottom left of the screen. It was used in all future Activision releases on the 2600.

Back in the 1980s, Activision used to give out embroidered game club patches if you got a high score, took a picture of your TV screen, and mailed it to them. Here is the high score to shoot for:

• Return to Spotlight on Activision main menu

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