Video Game Meta

Birthday Mania

Birthday Mania

Console: Atari 2600
TV Standard: Region Not Set
Release Date: 1984-01-01
Players: 1
Co-op: No
ESRB: Not Rated
Type: Action, Shooter

Birthday Mania is a simple overhead shooter. Waves of candles come down from the top of the screen. Using the dial on a paddle controller, players move their character left and right and use the fire button to shoot them. Each wave features a set number of candles, and there are pauses between waves.

Birthday Mania's gimmick was its customizability. Players could order the game as a gift for another person; the developer would customize the title screen with the recipient's name and manufacture a custom copy for them. The manual and label also featured room for the recipient's name to be handwritten.