Play Mangia' Online

Mangia' came out for the Atari 2600 in 1983, published by Spectravision. It was one of those quirky, food-themed games that showed up late in the console's life, trying something a little different with the hardware. You don't see many games about competitive eating, especially not from that era.

You control a character sitting at a dinner table, and your goal is to eat more than your opponent. You shovel food into your mouth by mashing the joystick button, but you have to be careful; eat too fast and you'll choke, slowing you down. Meanwhile, a dog and a cat wander around trying to steal food from your plate, and you can optionally feed them to clear your space. The pace is frantic, and the difficulty comes from managing your own speed while dealing with the pets and your rival eater. It feels silly and chaotic, like a race against your own appetite.