T:ME Salvo - Atari 7800

I enjoy playing this game
Very fun

I find this game infuriating, a threat to my self-esteem and triggers fits of rage. But I still love it! Maybe it's because I'm old and the quick reflexes I had in the 80's are long gone or maybe because I'm too cheap to spend the money on a dual stick controller, but this game is HARD. The instruction manual says there is a bonus level after every two normal levels, and I was starting to wonder if I'd ever see it. But I persevered and finally made it to the bonus (only to get curb stomped immediately after). If you want some old school action with some even older school arcade challenge, this is your game. Just be warned, if you've become accustomed to modern gaming's difficulty levels "so everyone one can enjoy the story," prepare to be psychologically scarred.

I'm a huge fan of Robotron 2084, so when I heard this was another twin stick shooter I was sold immediately. T:me Salvo isn't just a Robotron clone however; it's a game that has its own style and identity. And I love the style and identity it has!
The only negative I have is that this game supports twin sticks (using both controller ports) and the atarivox peripheral. There isn't enough controller ports to do it all at once, so you either need to compromise on control (single stick isn't awful mind you but I prefer dual) or sound. So the only problem is that there's TOO MANY EXCELLENT FEATURES and not enough ports to enjoy all of them at once! Boy life isn't fair sometimes.
But I love everything else about T:me Salvo. Either method of control works well, the game and enemies have great personality, and the challenge to fun ratio is perfect. You can tell a lot of love went into creating this game. If your just getting into 7800 homebrew and aren't sure what game to start with, I recommend this one. It's something a little bit different from the maze games and famous arcade ports, and it will keep your attention for a long time. Oh and that label art and box art is just so incredibly awesome, a great package all around!

"Alert Alert! Time Worrior Detected!"

First quote you will hear if you start playing Time Salvo with the AtariVox accessory connected to a speaker. Time Salvo is an interesting concept where you Time Warrior patrol the town at night of any incoming robots and monsters that seek to kill or reprogram humans to build an indestructible Hulk.

The gameplay is solid where you patrol and rescue any human that comes out of the building from Morlock enemies and Robots from Robotron 2084. You will stay alive longer towards the bottom row of the map as there are less enemies surrounding you.

Opening music has a catchy tune to it, and the sound effects is spot on when you shoot, destroy and get shot by enemies. With addition the 80's style voice from the AtariVox accessory adds the fun to the game, few voice clips made me laugh quite a bit. Graphics is great that you see the Robotron, Berserk and two original enemies very close to their arcade counterpart.

Controls are great having the option for a one button fire in the direction you tilt the joystick and the twin stick where one stick moves and the other shoots in the direction towards the enemy.

It is really cool that there is a little Easter Egg where everything turns to Christmas theme of the game which those that to purchase this game will have to figure out how to unlock the Easter Egg within the game. Overall, a nice edition to the Atari 7800 owners out there for those that want the arcade style shooter experience without getting frustrated in any shape and form.

I had never heard of Crossfire, so this game represented a nice introduction for me, and it is refreshing to see a 7800 homebrew that isn't a well-known arcade game. The gameplay is very compelling and keeps you interested despite the single-screen. I mostly bought this to take advantage of the twin stick-y-ness. It is definitely a different experience using 2 controllers, but still very playable without.