Crackpots

Name:	Crackpots
Company:	Activision
Model #:	AX-029
Programmer:	Dan Kitchen
Year:	1983
Released?	Yes

Back in the 80's, the world was a kinder, gentler place.  Game companies were not allowed to put violent themes in videogames for fear of public outcry (as was the case with Halloween and Texas Chainsaw Massacre), so they resorted to other means to satisfy the players' bloodlust.  In Crackpots you must drop flowerpots on deadly spiders crawling up the side of your building; a nice non-violent game that the whole family can enjoy while getting their kicks by killing spiders.  In today's game market Crackpots would feature little Billy defending his turf by blowing away rival gang members scaling the walls of his building after being sold a bad batch of crack.  Ahh how times have changed.

Speaking of crack, you have to start to wonder what the guys at Activision were smoking when they came up with these game ideas.  Luckily for us, Crackpots is as fun as it is strange.  You play the role of Potsy, the rooftop gardener (I guess he had to find work after Happy Days ended), who must drop flowerpots on the spiders who are attempting to climb the building.  If too many bugs get into the windows at the top of the screen they'll eat through a level of the building (brick and all) causing it to get lower.  If the building gets too low the game will end and I assume you get devoured by a horde of rampaging insects.  Good clean family fun.

Crackpots is an fast paced twitch game which can really kicks into hyper drive after only a few levels.  While the learning curve may be a bit steep, it keeps the game from quickly becoming boring.  Activision always had a knack for making players want to come back for more, and Crackpots is no exception to that rule.  Hmm. Crack. Pot.  What's with all these drug references anyway?  Maybe the 80's weren't so innocent after all?

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