Bounty Bob Strikes Back

Bounty Bob Strikes Back was created by Big Five Software and released for the Atari 800 in 1984 as a direct sequel to the successful platformer Miner 2049er, one of the most popular titles of its genre on 8-bit-generation computers. The player again controls the miner Bounty Bob, who moves through a mining complex divided into dozens of screens full of platforms, elevators, and dangerous machinery, and must traverse the entire area of each level to "clear" it and advance to a harder, more extensive map. Along the way he dodges mutants and various moving obstacles, which behave differently in every level and require a different approach from the player, along with thorough memorization of their movement patterns.

Compared to the first game, this one offered more elaborate and visually more varied levels with new types of mechanisms, such as moving platforms, teleporters, or conveyor belts, forcing the player to adapt their approach to each individual screen. On the Atari 8-bit, the game benefited from colorful, clear graphics and smooth character movement, which the platform handled very well thanks to its hardware sprites. Difficulty rose steadily and demanded precise jump timing as well as thorough knowledge of enemy behavior on every single screen, where a single mistake often meant losing a life and returning to the start of the level.

Bounty Bob Strikes Back was praised in the mid-1980s as a worthy and, in many respects, improved sequel to one of the most beloved platformers of the 8-bit era. Its carefully designed levels and rising difficulty made it a challenge even for experienced genre players who knew the first game by heart and were looking for new challenges in the sequel. Today the game is interesting mainly for fans of classic platformers as an example of how a genre could advance within a single game series in a short time, offering players a more thoughtful and demanding level design.

Why play: For fans of classic platformers looking for a bigger challenge than the first game — thoughtfully designed, harder levels that will appeal especially to players who know the original by heart.