How to play Basic Math online
- Count the digit up (0 to 9) or down (9 to 0): up and down arrow keys
- Move the answer line to another digit: left and right arrow keys
- Enter your answer (or your chosen top number): Space bar
- Choose one of the eight games: F11 (the console’s Select switch)
- Start: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Timer on or off: F9 (the right difficulty switch; A = timed, B = no time limit)
- Change the time limit: F4 (the left difficulty switch)
How it works
A problem appears on a blackboard-style screen. You build your answer one digit at a time, pushing the joystick up or down until the right number shows, and press the button when the last digit is lined up with the answer line. A correct answer gets a beep and a short tune; a wrong one plays a different sound and shows the right answer. Each round has ten problems, and you get one point for each correct answer.
There are eight games. In games 1 to 4 (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, in that order) you pick the top number yourself, which is handy for practising one times table at a time. Games 5 to 8 cover the same four operations, but the computer chooses all the numbers at random.
With the timer on, you have either 12 or 24 seconds for each answer. Which one you get depends on the left difficulty switch and on the game you picked.
Tips
- Count down for big digits. For an 8 or 9, pressing down from 0 gets there faster than pressing up.
- Start without the timer. Entering digits with the joystick takes time. Get used to it with the right switch on B before you race the clock.
History
Sears sold the cartridge under the name Math, and in January 1980 Atari reissued it as Fun with Numbers. Reviews have been poor, both at the time and since. Critics pointed to the plain graphics, the fiddly controls and the limited teaching value, and several said a number keypad would have suited the game better than a joystick.
Similar games to play next
- Math Gran Prix – Atari’s later maths game, with a race to make the sums more fun
- Hangman – another early Atari learning cartridge, for spelling
- Blackjack – another of the 2600’s 1977 launch games, and a lesson in adding to 21
- Air-Sea Battle – a shooting game from the same launch line-up