Classic Game Room - FATHOM review for Atari 2600

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Classic Game Room reviews FATHOM for Atari 2600 from insane developer Imagic, released in 1983. Fathom is a wild game where players control a dolphin and a seagull in their quest to rescue a mermaid in a cage by building a giant fork!
CGR Fathom video review has Fathom Atari 2600 gameplay recorded from Atari 2600 Jr.

[@MetalJesusRocks]

I don’t know why KZbin recommended this video to me in 2020, but I’m better for it. Cheers Mark!

[@FrameRater]

Isn't the algorithm a funny thing?

[@0smundSaddler]

Those are some really good graphics for Atari. look at that freaking dolphin animation.

[@Drinkabeerandplayagameofficial]

It really is crazy how much stuff they fit into this cart, especially for the 2600. The graphics are great and there is so much gameplay. One we never heard of either, a definite must find now

[@CecilTheDarkKnight234]

Same here buddy, i really got pick up copy for my 2600 collection.

[@arcadeheroes_coinop]

Bizarre - I went to a local Gaming Con this past weekend and found this game. I hadn't heard of it before and it was only 1 of 2 games the seller had that I didn't so I bought it - then CGR reviews it the day after.

[@JohnSTF72]

I'm happy to say i had this as a kid.One of the most mesmerizing games of its time for the Atari 2600. Imagic really knew how to squeeze every bit out of 2600's limited resources.

[@shaolin95]

I played this game to death...even though I couldnt figure out how to beat it. Indeed the colors were one of the things that really wowed me back then and the animation.

[@powerpc127]

"It's like Ecco the Dolphin meets a 40 oz. bottle of absinthe." Well... I know what I'm doing next weekend.

[@8ByteBrian]

I'm really amazed at the extremely fast scrolling & graphics! Wow! That is really impressive for a 2660 game!

[@Pyovali]

Atari 2600*

[@CarozQH]

Scrolling? It's flipscreen, it doesn't even have any scrolling.

[@8ByteBrian]

Whatever. The game looks good, that's the point. Trolling over typing in "2660" & "scrolling" is nonsense.

[@RetroDawn]

@Kurt Angerdinger But the game does "scroll" when you're diving or climbing as a dolphin. It's a simple, but brilliant trick of vertically moving the sprites representing seaweed and jellyfish in the opposite direction of your dolphin, while keeping your dolphin on the same scanline. While not true *background* scrolling, it is scrolling of a virtual background made up of sprites. And he didn't say background scrolling, anyway, but wouldn't have been incorrect to say that even. Doing this vertically allowed for "reusing" the sprites on each scanline, while taking advantage of the sprite duplication feature for the 2 seaweeds.

[@RetroDawn]

@@8ByteBrian You were correct. The game does scroll. These other folks are not paying attention or don't realize what they're seeing. I'm a VCS game programmer.

[@WhatAboutTheGame]

Visually great for an 2600 game. Love your reviews Mark, keep them up. Not sure where the sudden criticism about your views have come from, not that it matters. You're great and my hero!

[@TheLwcollins]

CGR is the only place for Atari reviews. Totally worth patronage.

[@Thomaniac]

Loved this game as a child! I's still really good.

[@MELANIE1001]

Thumbs up for a lovely Stella shot...and an amazing review of course

[@paulwalsh2344]

That seagull was phenomenally realized for the 2600 IMH.

[@clockworkrazor]

I remember some of these crazy Atari games from the early 80s. It must have awesome to be a game developer back then. All the weed and free beer you wanted !

[@d.aardent9382]

Imagic had some really unique games that had a lot of detailed graphics for the time. I have the Fire Fighter and Cosmic Ark games and I always thought they had great look to them for what they were working with. Now I want to try and find some of the other Imagic games I missed out on back then when I quit playing the 2600.

[@sandbender1414]

This was one of my favorite games on the 2600, back in the day. You are playing it correctly, and that is a trident.

[@samusvikerness661]

I can't fathom how awesome this looks.

[@NYInfamous]

this game is crazy ambitious, and like others have stated, fantastic graphics/animation on the 2600

[@IgnatzKolisch]

I've... never even heard of this game before. Doesn't look half-bad!

[@Automatik234]

The graphics look amazing!

[@michaelwolfe9496]

This game has some really smooth animation. I feel like having the manual would help explain the game better, but they were probably high when they put that together too.

[@morphiuszx3438]

This should have been in the Mainstream Atari Lineup including Asteroids, Missile Command, Pitfall, Yar's Revenge, etc. ...!

[@patbrown911]

What a beautiful game for 2600, impressive. I believe that´s a trident or something like that.

[@wewyllenium]

Imagic. The Konami of Atari :D that's during the 80 I guess :D

[@LBFlowers32]

you could say no one could fathom this game expect imagic 😆

[@ferglius]

I see what you did there

[@AARON88STANG]

I will have to look for that game. It seems interesting and visually impressive for the 2600.

[@notyoursavior78]

Wow this game looks wild. I never heard of this one. Imagic really did make some games that were out there. It's commendable their ambition and creativity.

[@AustinGen]

You don't transform into a bird, they're 2 separate creatures

[@ccwalpha]

Oh God, I had this game back in Atari`s day! So much nostalgia!

[@friendkerrek]

I was watching classic classic game room when I got a notification for new classic game room

[@stashmerkin9576]

Holy crap! I had this game back then, I haven't thought of it in years. It was really fun!

[@KonjonoAwesome]

I was going to dig up my copy of this to send it to you to review. Such an awesome game.

[@dbpooper7512]

I slept on this game when I was putting together my 2600 collection cause it looked confusing as hell, but it seems great.

[@kamiboy]

All the so called bizarre elements are just cosmetic though, so the strangeness only exists in your mind. The game itself is pretty par for the course, eat things while avoiding other things.

[@hitachicordoba]

"This dolphin got some tail" heh heh

[@vanmennace]

I thought at first site this was a new game someone created for the Atari 2600, but after reading a few comments. I appears to be legit. Probably one of the most graphically impressive games on the Atari, but not really one that I could see myself playing much.

[@AzikiraFoxclaw]

Oh no, this month's Lord Karnage Club doesn't have an administrator!! Cue the sad trombone!!

[@Horzzo]

Wow I forgot about this game! I know I played it in the early 80s. It was so colorful and confusing. I had no idea what to do but it was entertaining.

[@Gamingpastime64]

lol it's more original than many games out now.

[@pentiummmx2294]

any way to plug a atari joystick into my pc, i have all the games on my atari emulator, but keyboard just isn't the same.

[@tschak909]

@Lord Karnage If you really want to know what they were smoking, I can point you to the game's author, Rob Fulop. ;)

[@MisterJogosX]

Never heard of this game and already love it

[@mosesarea51]

You should be Drinking a Ballast Point Fathom IPL while playing Atari's Fathom, just saying it may improve your gaming experience:) Friends, always drink good craft beer while playing nostalgic retro games!! accept no substitutes:)

[@dorekbregonzo]

This game looks awesome. I wish it had music though, mega drive style music with that chunky bass.

[@McD_James]

Never heard of this game before. Looks great.

[@andreschiriff4354]

I have to say I'm impressed with the graphics usually in Atari 2600 you have to imagine that what's on the screen represents what it really is but in this case it looks good enough

[@carlosfuno8144]

Never see this game before, is beatiful 😱

[@corkman111]

I think this was the first game I ever beat. A great game!

[@dekutony]

one of your best reviews this year!

[@chibiemo100]

That's saying a lot. on how shitty his reviews has been.

[@RA2Channel]

+Julian Ramos But yet here you are watching and commenting...

[@chibiemo100]

Mad Ape Productions TIL you can't criticize something you've watched.

[@RA2Channel]

Julian Ramos No, your more then welcome to do that. Just like I'm more than welcome to criticize you.

[@chibiemo100]

Mad Ape Productions ok fam cheers.

[@robertcampbell3501]

One of my favorite atari games.

[@MrHero624]

This game looks awesome!!

[@chibiemo100]

HOLYSHIT THE GRAPHICS

[@iluvgrapedrank]

This game looks very familiar. I might have played this game back in the day?

[@lemonslice2233]

You did. You sucked at it.

[@TobeyStarburst]

Game looks awesome.

[@zachary_attackery]

I see that $10,000 a month is really being put to good use

[@joeykeilholz925]

Absolutely!

[@joeykeilholz925]

+Joey Keilholz $9,119.95*

[@lemonslice2233]

Yes, that wallpaper is a Jupiter import, shipped via Saturn Express. Expensive stuff.

[@hitachicordoba]

By any chance are you Mark's accountant? You seem to be concerned about his budget.

[@xiaochicash]

You said tubular and for that I thank you.

[@stevenormandin2448]

This game looks fun.

[@JigglyPKMN]

Is that the same volcano as the Lord Karnage Club one? I think Mark ate a mermaid to get in there.

[@sentinelreturns2431]

Damn, Ecco 0 looks dopesauce

[@silviocinti]

Awesome game!

[@ZetZatar]

IMagic was the best!

[@iKarnageV]

Aquaventure is the cancelled sequel to this game, in which the mermaid forces you to collect treasure for the rest of your life for trying to eat her.

[@GeoExpansionify]

Is CGR undertow ever coming back?

[@only257]

Awesome 😈

[@RubenJDodds]

Hey mark, Great Wallpaper, that's all.

[@DehnusNorder]

Seems like Mark has a soft spot for Ecco after all *wiggles Eyebrows* :P

[@ferglius]

I don't know, Mark and Harry Johnson did say they ate more dolphins by 7am than most people do all day

[@DehnusNorder]

***** Yeah.... but since then he discoverd the magical world of Dolphins turning into Seagulls and the wonderful world of smoking things :P.

[@DavidJacksonphunman1]

it's MAGIC!!!

[@DavidJacksonphunman1]

amazing...

[@JasonVectrex_187]

I have 20 I magic games, never seen this one. :)

[@JohnnyMatherson]

It's about reiincarnation, duhh

[@leoallan2225]

Eating a Mermaid. Lol.

[@Naminenam22]

what were they smoking when they made this game i want some

[@kgh237]

They were prolly on LSD or some type of drug like that.

[@THISshowSUX]

I was never very good at Atari, too many buttons to get used to.

[@shawnsdservice]

One time I ate a potatoe

[@FRAMEINTOFOCUS]

Doooooooooooooooggggie!!!

[@Alpha-gk6hd]

fat

[@rpgymas7736]

this chanel is dead