title: Crackpots
text: Crackpots is an Atari 2600 game designed by Dan Kitchen and published by Activision in 1983. It was Kitchen's first game for Activision; he later did a number of ports to the 2600, including the arcade games Kung Fu Master and Double Dragon.
  
  In Crackpots, the player controls Potsy, a gardener. Potsy's Brooklyn building is being overrun by bugs trying to climb inside six windows. The player moves Potsy back and forth along the roof to drop pots on the bugs before they can get close enough to enter the windows.
  
  Gameplay
  Each level consists of four waves of twelve bugs each; defeat all four waves and the player will move on to a more difficult and faster-paced level. Play then resumes until the building crumbles to the ground. If six or more bugs enter through the open windows, part of the building will be eaten away, and you will have to replay the level. The patterns vary for different colored bugs. Black bugs will move straight up the building, blue bugs wiggle from left to right, red bugs move diagonally, and green bugs zig-zag between windows.
  
  Reception
  A review in the November 1983 issue of Videogaming and Computer Gaming Illustrated stated, "I think Activision has finally  reached the point of saturation with the Kaboom! theme of having to catch or toss objects," but still gave the game a letter grade of B.
  
  In a retrospective look, the Video Game Critic gave a letter grade of C: "It's a shame Crackpots only has one skill level because once you get the hang of it, the game tends to run long. Still, sharp graphics and thoughtful gameplay make this one worth a look."
  
  Legacy
  Crackpots was included in the compilation packages Activision Classics (1998) for the PlayStation and the Activision Anthology (2002) for the PlayStation 2.
  
  See also
  
  List of Atari 2600 games
  List of Activision games: 1980–1999
  
  References
  
  External links
  Crackpots at Atari Mania
  Crackpots at AtariAge
  
  1983 video games
  Activision games
  Atari 2600 games
  Atari 2600-only games
  Fixed shooters
  Video games about insects
  Video games developed in the United States
  Multiplayer and single-player video games