Caverns of Mars Recharged is an arcade shooter for Nintendo Switch. More precisely, this is a reimagined version of his 1981 classic Atari title. A lot has changed in his 40+ years from the original, but this 2023 iteration of him does a great job of introducing himself to a whole new audience.
Full disclosure: I never played the original Caverns of Mars. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of it before this review. However, thanks to YouTube, I was able to fully see the original action.
Similar to its 1981 release, Recharged lets you pilot a spaceship through caverns on Mars. Gameplay is handled vertically, as if you are traveling deep into the red planet. Rather than endlessly running through the center of Mars, the game is divided into several sections. Along the way there will be obstacles, from rock walls in the terrain itself to bombs and other enemies. The premise is simple. Go through the caves until you reach the end and proceed to the next section.
The ship automatically moves downward so you can focus on steering left or right to avoid anything in your path. Shooting slows you down, so you can use gunfire to give you some control over your descent. As a result, this consumes more fuel, so there’s a tactical need to balance things out while plummeting gracefully.
Of course, this means you should pay attention to the fuel gauge. Initially, it had two meters, but without descriptive labels, it wasn’t clear how to play. Suddenly it stopped shooting and crashed. It turns out that you need to collect fuel along the way to keep shooting. This is a useful tip. Once you get the hang of how it works, completing levels and earning those points will be easier.
Yes, the main objective is chasing the highest score. This is indicated by a leaderboard that appears at the end of the run. After some practice, I was pleasantly surprised to make it into the top 30. You can compare yourself to your friends and the world to give you an incentive to replay and beat your score and others’ scores. Other modes that extend the life of the game include local co-op and missions. There are 30 missions to keep you going, such as using specific weapons for the duration of the level. I would like to have an explanation of the goal, but it is addictive to start over until I succeed.
Visually, Caverns of Mars Recharged is very good. The ships and enemies all look like modern versions of their 1981 counterparts. The music is also a plus, with some great beats in the background.
One thing this version lacks is that you have to escape each cave before it explodes. In 2023, when you reach the end of a cave, simply proceed to the next cave. In 1981, flying the same level backwards for limited time, it exploded around. Today’s iteration has longer and more complex levels, so I understand why this component was left out. Still, it might have been interesting to try something new, like flipping everything 180 degrees and being able to control the speed at which you dodge in a short stretch to defeat the bomb. It also tells stories. What is our motive this time? Are we invading Earth or are we saving it? Not necessarily, but an interesting premise.
Other criticisms include occasional slowdowns while loading levels. Also, the screen may stay black for a long time and appear to be faulty. Just before you decide to reset, it always comes to life. User Her interface is a bit lackluster in terms of instructions and tutorials. This part could be tweaked a bit more to make it more usable, but it’s by no means a showstopper.
All in all, Caverns of Mars Recharged is a fun reimagining of the 1981 Atari classic. Rather than a rehash or a simple port, a lot of effort has gone into expanding on the original premise and letting players do more. Regardless, it has the potential to provide arcade fans with an addictive and engaging time.
