Save Mary

File:Save-mary-gameplay-Atari-2600.gif

Barnaby Black has placed Mary at the bottom of a steep canyon which is slowly filling with water. The player controls a crane to pick up various blocks that must be fit together to allow Mary to climb them to escape the rising water levels. Mary panics and moves back and forth climbing platforms near her. To progress, the player must move the crane left and right along its rails and lower the crane's hook and pick up objects such as bricks for Mary to traverse on, items to assist the player, and to pick up and rescue Mary herself.{{sfn|Atari SA|p=79|ref=manual}}

Items can be found that cause various effects for the player, ranging from controlling the water flow, moving the crane faster, stopping Mary from moving across the board and making her invulnerable to the bricks the player drops.{{sfn|Atari SA|p=79|ref=manual}}

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Save Mary was made by Tod Frye.{{sfn|Handley|2023}} Frye had a long history with Atari, joining the company in 1979 where he made the 1982 port of Pac-Man for the Atari 2600.{{sfn|Retro Gamer|2018|ref=RGPacMan|p=20}}{{sfn|Retro Gamer|2018|ref=RGPacMan|p=22}}{{sfn|Milne|2017|pp=74-75}} Following the release of the high-selling but poorly received game, Frye earned over $1.3 million in royalties but found most of his money had been depleted by 1985.{{sfn|Retro Gamer|2018|ref=RGPacMan|p=23}}

Upon Jack Tramiel's acquisition of the Atari consumer division and launch of the Atari ST computer line, Tramiel began focusing on reviving the Atari 2600, hiring Michael Katz from Epyx in November 1985 to take on the role of the president of Atari's new Entertainment Electronics Division.{{sfn|Hawken|2016|p=43|ref=Junior}} Frye had been working for Epyx porting computer games such as Summer Games to the Atari 2600 and then found himself next working for Nolan Bushnell's firm Axlon in 1989.{{sfn|Milne|2017|p=77}} While at Axlon, Frye worked on games like Shooting Gallery and Save Mary. These titles went unreleased as development on games had then shifted to the new system, the Atari Lynx.{{sfn|Hawken|2016|p=44|ref=Junior}}

File:Atari Flashback 2 on display.jpg.]]

Save Mary was one of eight prototype games cartridges that was discovered and made available onto the internet. Homebrew cartridges would later be sold unofficially using the prototype ROM.{{sfn|Handley|2023}}

It was first officially published in the Atari Flashback 2 dedicated console in August 2005.{{sfn|Carroll|p=6}}{{sfn|Reynolds|2023}}{{sfn|Ransom-Wiley|2005}} It was released alongside other unreleased prototypes for the Atari 2600 such as Aquaventure, Combat Two, Frog Pond and Wizard.{{sfn|Falcone|2006}} The Flashback 2 was discontinued in 2006, having sold over 860 thousand units.{{sfn|Cifaldi|2011}} The game was released in later Atari compilations such as Atari Flashback Classics Volume 1 (2018) and being added to the Atari 50 (2022) compilation in a free update in 2023.{{sfn|Atari SA|ref=AFC}}{{sfn|Reynolds|2023}}{{sfn|Bonthuys|2023}}

In 2023, Atari announced a limited edition cartridge of Save Mary for the Atari 2600. The item was sold out by October 2023.{{sfn|Handley|2023}}

Since its official release, the game has received positive reviews from publications such as Video Game Collector, NintendoLife, and Destructoid. Matt Reichert of Video Game Collector magazine stated in 2008 that Save Mary was an interesting Tetris-variant and that "Atari had a real winner on its hands."{{sfn|Reichert|2008|p=16}} Ollie Reynolds of NintendoLife commented on the game in the Atari 50 2023 update release, stating that the title was a slow, methodical game, but immensely fun.{{sfn|Reynolds|2023}} Zoey Handley of Destructoid stated that the game was a "pretty fantastic" Atari 2600 title.{{sfn|Handley|2023}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web|url=https://atari.com/products/atari-flashback-classics-vol-1|title=Atari Flashback Classics Vol 1|quote=Release date: December 2018|access-date=February 13, 2024|work=Atari SA|ref=AFC}}
• {{cite web|url=https://atari.com/products/save-mary-limited-edition|work=Atari|title=Save Mary - Limited Edition|quote=Publisher: Atari, Inc.|access-date=February 13, 2024|ref=limited}}
• {{cite book|title=Atari Flashback 2 Owner's Manual|id=CX-2600|publisher=Atari SA|chapter=Save Mary(TM) (1 Player)|ref=manual}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=Retro Gamer|title=The Story of...Pac-Man on Atari 2600|issue=179|ref=RGPacMan|ISSN=1742-3155|publisher=Future PLC|year=2018}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/atari-50-the-anniversary-celebration-gets-a-few-more-forgotten-classics-today/1100-6519699/|work=GameSpot|title=Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration Gets a Few More Forgotten Classics Today|last=Bonthuys|first=Darryn|date=December 5, 2023|access-date=December 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231205162812/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/atari-50-the-anniversary-celebration-gets-a-few-more-forgotten-classics-today/1100-6519699/|archive-date=December 5, 2023}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=Retro Gamer|title=Atari Flashes Back|ISSN=1742-3155|publisher=Live Publishing|editor-last=Carroll|editor-first=Martyn|volume=2|issue=6}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/bootleg-consoles-attract-lawsuit-from-atari|title=Bootleg Consoles Attract Lawsuit From Atari|last=Cifaldi|first=Frank|author-link=Frank Cifaldi|date=July 5, 2011|access-date=July 17, 2024|work=Game Developer|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022112831/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/bootleg-consoles-attract-lawsuit-from-atari|archivedate=October 22, 2021}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/reviews/atari-flashback-2-review/|work=CNet|title=Atari Flashback 2 Review: Atari Flashback 2|access-date=February 13, 2024|date=October 26, 2006|last=Falcone|first=John}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/atari-unearths-save-mary-and-slaps-it-on-a-2600-cartridge/|title=Atari Unearth Save Mary and Slaps it on a 2600 Cartridge|last=Handley|first=Zoey|date=October 6, 2023|work=Destructoid|access-date=February 13, 2024}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=Retro Gamer|title=Atari 2600 Jr.|last=Hawken|first=Kieren|issue=161|ref=Junior|year=2016|ISSN=1742-3155|publisher=Imagine Publishing}}
• {{cite magazine|magazine=Retro Gamer|title=40 Years of the Atari 2600|issue=174|last=Milne|first=Rory|ISSN=1742-3155|publisher=Future Publishing Ltd.|year=2017}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2005-07-12-atari-to-offer-plug-n-play-induced-retro-flashbacks.html|title=Atari to Offer Plug-n-play Induced Retro Flashbacks|last=Ransom-Wiley|first=James|date=July 12, 2005|access-date=February 14, 2024|work=Engadget|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804184920/https://www.engadget.com/2005-07-12-atari-to-offer-plug-n-play-induced-retro-flashbacks.html|archivedate=August 4, 2021}}
• {{cite magazine|title=Proto Patrol - Atari 2600 Unreleased Games|publisher=Kesco Publishing|last=Reichert|first=Matt|magazine=Video Game Collector|issue=10|year=2008}}
• {{cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/features/hands-on-atari-50-gets-even-better-with-adventure-ii-warbirds-and-more|work=Nintendolife|title=Hands On: Atari 50 Gets Even Better with Adventure II, Warbirds, and More|last=Reynolds|first=Ollie|date=December 5, 2023|access-date=February 13, 2024}}

• [http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/savemary/artwork.jpg Prototype Artwork image]

Category:2005 video games

Category:Atari 2600-only games

Category:Video games developed in the United States

Category:Single-player video games

Category:Atari 2600 games