Le Geek - Retrogaming Reviews

Rating
Graphics:	5
Sound:	4
Control:	3
Depth:	3
Overall:	4

Barnstorming

By: Steve Cartwright
Published By: Activision
Released: 1982

Barnstorming is one of Activision's many slalom-styled, time trial games for the Atari and it's my favorite of the bunch. You fly a biplane as fast as you can through a set number of barns while avoiding obstacles that slow you down. The crisp, detailed and colorful graphics are still impressive on the Atari and the sense of speed is palpable.

These games are a mixture of reaction time and memorization; particularly if you want to "beat" the game with a good enough score to qualify for an Activision Patch. Barnstorming has just the right balance between control and speed, and the detailed landmarks keep the chore of memorization to a minimum.

- Ben Langberg

Game 1: Hedge Hopper (Fly through 10 barns, fixed course)
Game 2: Crop Duster (Fly through 15 barns, fixed course)
Game 3: Stunt Pilot (Fly through 15 barns, fixed course, different than Game 2)
Game 4: Flying Ace (Fly through 25 barns, a new course each time you select Game 4)

The LEFT difficulty switch in the A position will lower the clearance heights of the barns, the B position is normal. The RIGHT difficulty switch in the A position will add more geese, the B position is normal.

If you beat a time of 33.3 seconds on game 1, 51.0 seconds on game 2, or 54.0 seconds on game 3, you can join our Activision Flying Aces. Just send us a picture of your television screen, along with your name and address, and we will enroll you in this prestigious organization.