When Atari Corp dropped support for all 8bit systems in 1992, they had only produced a couple dozen official game cartridges for the XEGs console. But Atari UK and Germany  produced or were in the middle of producing a number of high quality semi-budget games that could have been used to fuel the next set of XEGS cartridge titles

These are not Vaporware or “hope to’s” all of these games were either released or completed to a level that Atari had a nice pipeline of great games to put out on cartridge if they had kept giving it a shot with the XEGS.  

Here is volume one of our examination of the cartridges that Atari could have easily produced for XEGS

Black Lamp 

Atari Mania 7.5/10 http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-black-lamp_652.html

Atari User: Worthy of the highest possible accolade

Moby Games: https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-8-bit/black-lamp

Our INVB Evaluation: The controls are twitchy and jumping diagonal is difficult. The outdoor regions are supposed to be full scrolling and not flip screen, but I never made it there. I think Atari should have released the XEGS with the 2 button game pad like the 7800 in the UK. That would enable the carts to map the up to the second button also and would make this much more playable. As you can see in the video I struggle to control the game. That being said, this had  A LOT of promise as an XEGS title.  The music, animation and graphics are top notch! 8/10

Cavelord 

Started out as a German title. Was so good that it was ported to the UK, but never officially released in English.

Atari Mania  7.6/10: http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-cavelord_6893.html

Moby Games has an English Language Description of the games:
https://www.mobygames.com/game/cavelord

Happy Computer: Particularly Appealing!

Translated  German to English Happy Computer Review:

In the team variant, there is also the fact that both players have to learn to coordinate their actions, which is particularly appealing. While one steers, the other takes over the defense against the attacking birds. In any case, it is more entertaining to play at the same time than having to watch the other person do nothing. Even if there is occasional abuse from each other.

Our INVB Evaluation: Just a beautifully crafted all around action adventure in the mold of Synapse classics. A complete triumph. It has action, adventure, blasting, puzzle solving and EVERYTHING you could want in an Atari 8bit game! You can even set the

This absolutely should have been an XEGS cart!  It’s easy to pick up and play but also deep enough to keep you coming back for more. It rivals NES classics, it’s that good. 10/10

Contagion

Never officially release. But it should have been

Atari Mania 6.9 /10 : http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-contagion_1330.html

Atari User: Should have been a full price game!

Our INVB Evaluation: Contagion certainly LOOKs the part. It is a beautifully rendered game, similar to a Russ Wetmore classic in style. It boils down to being a little like the classic star castle on a grid. The controls take a little getting used to, but there is good action here. I had a lot of problems dying at first, but I did get the hang of it. It would have made a nice addition to the XEGS Library. 8/10 

Slingshot  

Atari Mania 7.3/10 http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-400-800-xl-xe-slingshot_4724.html

Atari User: Excellent Graphics and sound! 

Our INVB Evaluation: Another absolutely fantastic gem of a game. It’s Miniature golf mixed with Arkanoid with a construction  set thrown in. Atari Absolutely should have made this into a cartridge for the XEGS: 9/10

XEGS Carts that Should Have been Vol 2