Early 8o's Arcade Games
Frank E Seipel
>So it's a decade old. Where's the shame in that? I don't think any new
>game in the last decade can hold a candle to the all-time greats. Case in
>point: the Pitt arcade just installed a "Robotron" machine. It's 27 times
>
>(OK, OK, TETRIS is a classic too...)
>
>Personally, I would maim baby ducks for a chance to play Real Defender again,
>or even Tailgunner or Missile Command.
>
Yes, there's nothing like Tempest and Defender/Stargate.. Unique controls
and fast action.
How's come nobody does vector graphics games anymore? I like the look of
vector graphics myself. Tailgunner? That was another great vector game.
And Missile Command also had a unique control system; few new games use
track balls. I always loved Centipede. Being able to control position as well
as velocity adds another dimension to a game. I think Atari first started
using Trak Balls in some sports game in 1980. Galaga is a neat game; I
remember turning it over about 6 years ago. I liked the way they used
different animations for the various 'Challenging Stages', and the volume
went way up when you hit all 40 :) {I couldn't do that any more!}
sm00sh
Star Wars is one of my favorite games of all time.
The only game out now that I love playing as much as I did that one is
Cyberball. But it is too easy against the computer... my best game, which
came after not playing it for 4 months was 127 to 0. Talk about an amazing
event! Has anyone ever done better than that? I would think that the maximum
possible would be about 150-160 points for one side when playing the comupter.
BTW, the gam,e os much more difficult against peope only because the stupid
things that people do sometimes really mess you up.
They have a Cyberball II now which has ssome improvements as far as the end of
the game goes bvy giving you sttat such as number of sacks, completion
percentages, and whatnot... they also added a half-back option (the halfback
can pass the ball as well as run/receive).
sm00sh
Particle Man
complete it is, but I have it if anyone wants it.
|-Ian Novack (Stupendous Man, Clown on fire)-------...@lerch.jpl.nasa.gov-|
| "I'm in my underwear and I want to talk about DEATH!" Jet Propulsion Lab |
| -- some comedian on KLOS's 5 O'clock Funnies Pasadena, CA |
|-Disclaimer: They might be fake, they might be lies. -- They Might Be Giants-|
Mike Albaugh
> Yes, there's nothing like Tempest and Defender/Stargate.. Unique controls
> and fast action.
> How's come nobody does vector graphics games anymore? I like the look of
> vector graphics myself. Tailgunner? That was another great vector game.
As an aside, nobody makes vector games anymore because nobody _buys_
vector games anymore.
> And Missile Command also had a unique control system; few new games use
> track balls.
Similar problem.
> I always loved Centipede. Being able to control position as well
> as velocity adds another dimension to a game. I think Atari first started
> using Trak Balls in some sports game in 1980.
Atari Football, 1978. How do I know? My game, with some help from
Ed Logg (Asteroids, Centipede, Millipede, Gauntlet, Xybots ...), and I had
to bitch and moan to get management to let me use them. The great Nolan
Bushnell didn't like them. Anyway, while this was probably the first track
ball game in the U.S., my argument was helped a bit by the fact that Sega
had made a soccer game with a track ball about six months before.
Mike
| Mike Albaugh (alb...@dms.UUCP || {...decwrl!pyramid!}weitek!dms!albaugh)
| Atari Games Corp (Arcade Games, no relation to the makers of the ST)
| 675 Sycamore Dr. Milpitas, CA 95035 voice: (408)434-1709
| The opinions expressed are my own (Boy, are they ever)
jon
STAR WARS!
the original vector graphics version was great. One summer a friend
and I would go to an arcade with a sit-down and a stand up, and play
on the avergae of 4 hours a day, every day...
I was so good at one point, that I went to an arcade and there was a
version with the right handle broken off. I wanted to feed my addiction
anyways, and started to play....after starting on the hardest difficulty
and finising 4 or 5 waves with no right cannons, manuvering with my wrong
hand, i started to amaze a few people....
On a good sitdown, with the 'easy' settings (you could inc/decrement
starting shields to rip people off..) I could play on the average of
2 hours on a token. my best game ever was closer to 4.
but back on the subject, when you compare this to Jedi, with similar
game bases, but different graphics, Star Wars comes way ahead, IMHO.
Jedi's perspective made it less precise, and the screen seemed cluttered
and 'cheezy'. Too bad I cant find either anymore...
-j
----
Jon Konrath, Consultant jkon...@silver.ucs.indiana.edu
IUSB Computing Services jkon...@rose.ucs.indiana.edu
Howard Ship
Tailgunner). Some games HURT to play!
My vote for most abusive game of all time is Sinistar ... you develop a painful
Siniblister(tm) in 10 to 15 minutes. Even RoboElbow (tm) took a couple of hours!
A friend of mine has some Time Warriors game. It has the special joystick that
you can also turn to aim. Its a good game, but the one he has is not in its
original cabinet. I believe its a tempest cabinet, with the side extensions.
This means that the left player has to sort of bend around the side extensions to
work the stick, which leads to a complete physical breakdown (everything hurts!)
after about half an hour of frustrating play.
BTW, has anyone noticed that at video game auctions, the best games (if they are
not well known) will go for the least money? My friends and I have bought (and
sometimes resold) about eight games in the last year, and the best games went for
less than $100 dollars. We've also made a profit on every game resold! You really
have to know your games!
--
+-----------------------------------------------------+
| Hi Tech Howie "Nature Rewards Arrogance" |
| "Fortune Favors "No particular hurry, Officer, |
| the Bold" why do you ask?" |
+-- Howar...@vos.stratus.com --------------------+
Mike
The new machine in Babbages (I wish I could recall the name)
boasts of "300 Megs of power!" Upon further investigation,
it means their cartriges can be as large as 300 megabits, which
is about 40MB! Of course, their largest game now is 60megabits,
or 7.5MB. Other than that, I wasn't too impressed.
Mike Stangel
m-st...@uiuc.edu
Tsokkinen Mikko
> You forgot one of my all time fave vactor graphics games....
> STAR WARS!
> the original vector graphics version was great. One summer a friend
> and I would go to an arcade with a sit-down and a stand up, and play
> on the avergae of 4 hours a day, every day...
> On a good sitdown, with the 'easy' settings (you could inc/decrement
> starting shields to rip people off..) I could play on the average of
> 2 hours on a token. my best game ever was closer to 4.
IMHO Star Wars was also one of the best games ever, but how did you
manage to die in it after 2 or 4 hours. The game stops getting more
diffucult after 1 hour or so. I have played a single game in Star Wars
more than 14 hours, my game was stopped when the place closed. I also
know plenty of other people who can play it as long as they want. It
does not matter are you having 4 or 8 shields in the beginning after
you have learned the game.
MIT
MB: This arcticle is actually quite useless :)
--
Bubble Bobble
Lig Lury Jr.
>hs...@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship) writes:
>>I think "Star Wars" was the ultimate hand-cramper (previous honors went to
>>Tailgunner). Some games HURT to play!
>I still have a tiny scar on the first knuckle, third finger, left hand: my
>Defender Badge of Courage...
I get pain sometimes when I play Ms. Pac-man in a table-top form. They
don't leave much space for your hand, and your knuckles rub up against the
underside of the glass. Gets kinda painful during a long, good game.
(All this time, I still haven't mastered the game... best game was on one
that gave 5 lives per quarter.)
>--
> David M. Tate | "Your telegram has been sent, sir. You should be
> dt...@unix.cis.pitt.edu | receiving it in about an hour. We've sent your
> Motto: | bags ahead to your hotel. Where will you be
> Gramen artificiosum odi | staying?" --Firesign Theater.
--
/// ____ \\\ |"What? What's going on? Who's this?... Ladies and
| |/ / \ \| | | Gentlemen, a big hand please for the Great Prophet Zarquon."
\\_|\____/|_// |"Uh, thank you, sorry I'm late, so many things cropping up at
greg \_\\\/ hoss | the last moment. How are we for time? Have I just got a min
sm00sh
>I think the sequel to Cyberball is more challenging. If you're one of those
>people who can beat the computer 150 to 0, could you post some tips on how to
>score on it easily or defend against its scoring?
You are right, the sequal is more challenging. Also more expensive if you
believe in upgrading your players at the end of every period.
Some helpful hints:
OFFENSE:
--------
*Pass the Ball. Running takes too long, and is too easy to defend against.
When playing a person, running can be very effective, but again, even then it
is easy to defend against. The computer does a good job against the run.
*Best Plays:
+ Mail Drop: Throw to the receiver on your left just after he does his
little jig to lose the defender. This usually gives him a step on the
defender and with the proper move after the catch, the defender will miss
and won't see you for another 80 yards.
+ Jack Knife: Effective against both players and the computer because of
the movement and criss-crossing pattern. Be careful whom you throw to
when playing against a person. If the person guesses right, could be an
interception. Against the computer, throw to the guy in motion.
+ Run-and-Gun: Best play when going for extra points. Just sit in the
pocket, wait and throw. Requires no movement of the joystick, except to
direct the throw.
+ When in short yardage situations (inside the 10), go with a play that has
the running back or the tightends in motion. This is the only time I
recommend throwing to a tight end as a primary receiver. Also try Point
Blank in these situations.
DEFENSE:
--------
Easy... cornerback blitz, every play. As soon as the ball is snapped, get a
bead on the QB and turbo. He's sacked. If he is in a shotgun, there is NO
excuse for missing him other than you messed up. If he is under center, check
first against the hand-off to a running-back that's on his side. Cover
whichever side has the running-back if there is only one. If there are two of
them in the backfield on both sides of the QB, take your pick, whichever side
you are more comfortable with. If one is behind the QB and the other off to
the side, take the side WITHOUT the running-back. The trail running-back will
either... go to your side immediately or the hand-off will be delayed enough
for you to get the QB while the trailing running-back is waiting for the
leading running-back to set up blocking.
Until you get real good at blitzing... don't do it every down. Let the
computer blitz occasionally (the comp is good against the run) and hangout in
the secondary and try to pick off passes.
On kickoffs, there is stratgy too.
KICKOFF:
--------
take the far left or far right guy... vary your side and point of attack as
the computer updates its plays according to what you've done (weights are
placed most heavily on the last kickoff, and decreasing as you go back to the
first one).
Two places to attack... (X's are defenders, B is the guy with the ball)
B
X X
X X
/
/ X X
/ /
/ X X
------/
The / lines represent you turboing into the squad. Take a beam that will
have you hit him about the 12 yard line... sometimes you can get him at the 8,
but if you miss, he goes to the 20.
If you manage to hit him on the 8-11 yard line. If you don't have a safety in
2 plays, you need more practice.
Ideally the game goes like this:
Kickoff to you: 2 plays later you score.
Kickoff: 2 plays later, safety!
Receive: 2 plays later you score.
Kickoff: 2 plays later safety!
It isn't that unbelievable for it to happen like this.
That's how my game went when I scored 127 points. The reason I figure the max
is about 150 is because I blew 4 touchdown conversions, and let him get a play
off on offense. So instead of being a two down defensive stint, it took 7
plays, but at least I drove him back to his 4 yard line and didn't sack him on
purpose, because i knew I would score 6 on my next play, anyway.
On receiving kickoffs, run up, at about the 5 or so, go right a little bit,
back up real quickly, then back right... I usually get nailed about the 26.
If anyone knows how to do better on kickoff returns, help would be much
appreciated.
Hope this helps,
sm00sh
pate...@nhtima.enet.dec.com
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------]
[ Coin-Ops-A-Poppin' March 1990 ]
[ ]
[ Original list compiled by Mike Hughey, with extensive mods by Jeff Hansen ]
[ and tons of people on USENET (I weighed 'em!). ]
[----------------------------------------------------------------------------]
Below are game entry parameter examples for the list, which follows this
posting.
Ninja FallinBlox [x<y/z '39, 3D, Pinball, Vector, Laser, BnW, 17P, 2900 pro]
The first laserdisc vector pinball game! You (represented by blocks)
catch stuff (represented by blocks) until your arms (more blocks) are
full, you can't see (lack of blocks), and bump into a Ninja-type person
(represented by Cher).
x<y Company x licensed the game from company y.
y/z Game created jointly between y and z, or unknown licensing agreement.
3D Three-D graphics. My criteria for this feature is the musical
question:
"Does the game have to do any type of 3D computation?" I'm
going to
stiff on this parameter a lot, because I haven't seen all these
very
crazy games!
Pinball Actually a pinball/video game hybrid.
Vector Vector graphics.
Laser Laser disc images used for background (Star Fire) or entire
game
(Dragon's Lair).
BnW Black 'n White screen. I've stretched the definition a bit,
because
certain vector games are color, but just one color - like
Tailgunner
(blue), Battlezone (green), and Red Baron (blue). Maybe these
are
color plastic overlays that I haven't noticed. Maybe not.
2P, 4P Simultaneous play for two players, four players, etc.
# pro Number of games produced.
I'll get rid of the three Homeboy Dan Level 5 "coin-op systems" in this post:
Super Select System [Arcadia]
An arcade cabinet with an Amiga inside. Some of the games are improved
home versions (hot dog!). Six selections on each machine.
PlayChoice [Nintendo '88, 2P]
An arcade cabinet with a Nintendo inside! Also PlayChoice CounterTop
(with joysticks that appear amazingly fragile considering the locations
of most of these models: bars). Up to ten games. Give it a
quarter and
get three _big_ minutes of playing time.
Hotdogletmeatitwhatabargin!
TurboGrafix-16 [United Amusements<NEC '90]
An arcade cabinet...with a TurboGrafix-16 inside! Hot Doggies!
========================================================================
=========
Action Fighter [Sega]
Similar to Spy Hunter. Motorcycle/car combo.
The Adventures of Major Havoc [Atari, Vector]
Sideways roller control and a button. Astronaut floats through mazes.
Aeroboto [Williams]
Man/robot who can fly.
AfterBurner [Sega '87, 3D]
Cockpit. Jet flight simulator. Steering yoke shakes violently during
crash!
AfterBurner II [Sega, 3D]
Airwolf [Hokkadio/United Amusement '87]
A-Jax [Konami]
Aladdin [Atari]
Storybook game; spell out letters "ALADDIN" to go to next screen.
Alien Syndrome [Sega, 2P]
Shoot-em-up with top-view pseudo-3D graphics. Pick up kids.
All-American Football [Leland '89, 4P]
Alpha Mission []
Contruct-your-ship game.
Alpine Ski [Taito]
Actual skis with some cabinets.
Altered Beast [Sega '88]
Big, fancy graphics - kill alien, mutating creatures.
American Football [Tecmo '87]
Amidar [Stern<Konami]
Paint boxes in grid while avoiding four or five enemies a'la Pac-Man.
Anti-Aircraft [Atari]
Apache 3 [Tatsumi]
Similar to Thunderblade.
APB [Atari]
Hand out speeding tickets, pull over reckless drivers, etc. Speech:
"Sure could use a donut," "Car 54 return to station," "Who, me?"
"Hey you, pull over," etc.
Aqua Jack [Taito]
Arabian [Atari '83]
Arcade Driver [Atari]
Arch Rivals [Midway]
Area 88 [Capcom, 2P]
The Japanese version of U.N. Squadron.
Arkanoid [Taito]
Breakout-type game with monsters, special features. Sequel: Revenge of
Doh.
Armor Attack [Cinematronics, BnW, Vector, 2P]
Plastic overlay. Shoot helicopters and tanks from a jeep.
Armored Car [Stern]
Total scrolling screen.
Assault [Atari<Namco '88]
Tank shoot-em-up. Graphics scroll to meet you, twisting at any angle.
Asuka 'N' Asuka [Taito]
Two, two, TWO Asukas in one!
Asteroids [Atari '79, Vector, BnW, 70000 pro]
Destroy asteroids, spaceships.
Asteroids Deluxe [Atari, Vector, BnW]
Mirrored-in screen. Harder version of Asteroids. Rotating asteroids.
Astro Blaster [Sega<Gremlin]
An n-event game where n > 30. Space shoot-em-up. Limited ship energy.
Speech: "Astro Blaster!" "Fuel status marginal/critical," etc.
Astro Fighter [Sega<Gremlin]
Five-event game. Prequel: Astro Blaster.
Astron Belt [Sega '83, Laser]
First laserdisc game.
Atari Baseball [Atari, BnW]
Mirrored-in screen.
Football [Atari '78, BnW, 2P]
The first trackball game. Trackball-controlled quarterback or receiver
and one defender.
Atomic Castle [LDCS '84, Laser]
Avalanche [Atari, BnW]
Catch falling rocks in progressively-smaller paddles.
Avengers [Capcom]
Baby Pac-Man [Midway, Pinball]
Earn energizers, fruit, and super-speed in shortened pinball portion.
Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja [Data East '88, 2P]
Chop-socky. These dudes are BAD!
Badlands [Centuri/Konami, Laser]
Apparently one-button control.
Badlands [Atari '89, 2P]
Sprint racing gone BAD! Eight track layouts. Conversion kit.
BagMan [Stern]
Convict stealing gold from mines.
Bandito [Exidy]
Bank Panic [Midway]
Baseball Season II []
Basketball [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Trackball control.
BattleTech [ESP Productions '89, 8P, 3D]
Two monitors, networked cockpits, communication with teammates via
radio. First BattleTech center was scheduled to open March 1990 in
Chicago.
Battlewings []
Battlezone [Atari, BnW, Vector, 3D, 75000 pro]
First-person viewing. Your tank against other tanks, missiles, flying
saucers. No hidden-line removal. U.S. Army ordered specially-modified
version to train troops on.
Barracuda [Coinex]
Rip-off of Pac-Man.
Bazooka [, BnW]
Swivel-type bazooka. Orange screen. Shoot tanks, trucks, motorcycles.
Avoid ambulances and people carrying stretchers. One-player version
called U.N. Command.
Beast Busters [SNK '90]
Bega's Battle [Data East, Laser]
Japanese animation. Bega's a robot who has to collect super-powered
humans to fight alien invaders.
Berzerk [Stern]
You try to go through rooms avoiding enemy robots and their fire, and
"Evil Otto" - a evil smiley face that bounces after you if you dawdle.
Speech: "Coin detected in pocket," "Intruder alert," "Stop the
intruder."
Big Event Golf [Taito]
Big Run [Jaleco '90]
Bionic Commando [Capcom]
Has bionic arm that stretches and lets him grab things from afar/swing
like Tarzan.
Birdie King [Taito]
Golf.
Birdie King 2 [Monroe]
Black Tiger [Capcom]
Death-themed.
Black Widow [Atari, Vector]
Conversion of Gravitar. You're a spider, killing other bugs.
Blasted [Midway, 2P]
You are situated in one building, moving from room to room to shoot
directly across at the other building where your friend/opponent is.
Hit the alien's "light-bulbs" without injuring innocent civilians.
Blaster [Williams]
Go through twenty waves of various formats, including a time tunnel,
vampire bats, etc. until reaching Paradise. Prequel: Robotron 2084.
Blasteroids [Atari, 2P, 3D]
Must go through different sectors, blasting asteroids and picking up
energy, then warping out. Prequel: Asteroids.
Blades of Steel [Konami '87]
Hockey game with fighting.
Block Out [Cal Games '90, 3D]
Tetris with a BONUS dimension - the dimension of DEPTH.
Blue Print [Midway]
Use a blue print to construct a machine before time runs out.
Blue Shark []
You're a shark, merrily chomping divers.
Body Slam [Sega<Sun]
Women's wrestling.
Bomb Jack [Tehkan]
Bomb Jack flies around picking up things and avoiding bombs.
Boot Hill [Midway, 2P, BnW]
Mirrored-in screen. Prequel: Gun Fight.
Boomer Rang'r [Data East]
Bosconian [Midway<Namco '81]
Space Rally-X! Bases scattered in a large area, destroyed by
taking out
all six turrets or by firing a shot up the middle while it's
open.
Speech: "Battle stations!" "Alert! Alert!" "Condition Red!"
Bottom of the Ninth [Konami, 2P]
Boxing Bugs [Cinematronics, Vector]
The SKILL of boxing combined with the KILL of bugs.
Bowling Alley [Midway '78, BnW]
Trackball.
Breakout [Atari '76]
Designed by Steve Jobs. Use a paddle to knock bricks out of a
wall.
BreakThru [Data East '86]
Cockpit.
Bubble Bobble [Taito, 2P]
Cute dragons shoot bubbles at bad guys. Jump on bubbles to kill
bad
guys, get points.
Bubbles [Williams]
Soap bubble runs around a sink, cleaning off dirt, gunk and
ants.
Buck Rogers and the Planet of Zoom [Sega, 3D]
Cockpit.
Buggy Challenge [Data East]
Bull's Eye [Sega '88]
Bump 'n' Jump [Midway, 3D]
Hit cars to knock them out of the race. Can also jump.
BurgerTime [Midway<Data East]
Ladder-climbing game in which the goal is to make hamburgers by
walking
over various hamburger parts until assembled.
Buster Bros. [Capcom, 2P]
Shoot bouncing balloons.
Cabal [Fabtek<TAD '88, 2P]
Trackball. Death-themed.
Calypso []
Canyon Bomber [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Clear out a rock-filled canyon by dropping bombs from planes.
Capcom Bowling [Capcom '88]
Carnival [Exidy]
Carnival shooting gallery. Can toggle music by shooting a
musical note.
Castlevania [Konami]
Run through Dracula's castle.
Caveman [Gottlieb, Pinball]
Pac-Man clone video game near backglass.
Centipede [Atari '81]
Trackball. First video game programmed by a woman. Shoot
centipedes a
piece at a time.
Challenger []
Button shifts you from floor to ceiling.
Champion Baseball [Sega]
Champion Baseball II [Sega]
Championship Sprint [Atari, 2P]
Change Lanes [Taito '83]
Chase H.Q. [Taito '88, 3D]
Driving game.
Cheyenne [Exidy]
Part of the Exidy Alliterative Shooting Series. Western
format.
Chiller [Exidy]
Part of the Exidy Alliterative Shooting Series.
Execution/torture/body-
part themed; _very_ disgusting/gory.
China Gate [Kitcorp/Romstar '88]
Chinese Hero [Kitcorp]
Choplifter [Midway '82]
Cockpit. Helicopter used to rescue people behind enemy lines.
Originally a home computer game by Broderbund.
Circus [Exidy]
Paddle. Pair of clowns bounce off teeter-totter to pop
balloons.
Circus Charlie [Midway]
Six-event game: riding lion through rings, walking tightrope,
etc.
Chopper I [SNK '88]
Clash Road [Status]
Bicycle race with a vicious twist - knock opponents down, etc.
Cliff Hanger [Stern, Laser]
Japanese-type animation from the French. Specific storyline.
Game
gives hints whenever you die.
Cloak & Dagger [Atari, 5000 pro]
Conversion kit for four Williams' games: Defender, Stargate,
Joust,
and Robotron. Spy defuse-a-bomb-motif game; tie-in with movie
of same
name.
Cobra Command [Data East, Laser]
Japanese-type animation. Copter shoot-em-up with six different
locations. Another version of this game was later released
with
computer-generated graphics instead of laserdisc.
Cocoon [Williams(?)]
Colony 7 []
Shoot-em-up. Protect city/energy field.
Combat [Exidy]
Part of the Exidy Alliterative Shooting Series.
Commando [Data East]
Death-themed.
Compugraph Foto [Atari]
Computer Space [Nutting Associates '72, 1500 pro, BnW]
Fiberglass cabinet. The first video game - ever! A clone of
Spacewar,
a PDP-11 computer game created in 1962 by MIT student Steve
Russell.
Congo Bongo [Sega]
Journey through a jungle.
Congorilla []
The black-market version of Donkey Kong, and much better.
Bizarre
ladder construction, higher resolution.
Continental Circus [Taito, 3D]
Flicker-glasses driving game.
Continental Circuit [Taito]
Fancy driving game.
Contra [Konami, 2P]
Death-themed. Varying points of view. Sequel: Super Contra.
Cops 'n Robbers [Atari]
Cosmic Avenger [Universal]
Cosmic Chasm [Cinematronics '83]
Cosmic Encounter [Midway, BnW]
Color plastic overlay. Steering yoke. Death Star trench game.
Bad.
Crackdown [Sega]
Crackshot [Exidy]
Part of the Exidy Alliterative Shooting Series.
Crash [, BnW]
Car "eats" dots around a square track, drone car drives opposite
way.
Crash 'n Score [Atari]
Crater Raider [Midway, 3D]
Dodge in and out of craters trying to capture flags. Peculiar
view.
Crazy Climber [Nichibutsu/Taito]
Two joysticks. Climb up the outside of skyscrapers. Evil
doctors drop
flowerpots at you, signs fall, windows close, etc. Speech:
"Ouch!"
Crime City [Taito]
Crime Fighters [Konami '89, 4P]
Street-fighting.
Crossbow [Exidy]
The first of the Exidy Alliterative Shooting Series.
Speech: "AAAAIIGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!" "WuuuhhHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Crossfire [Atari]
Crowns Golf [SNK<Kitkorp '84]
Crowns Golf in Hawaii [Sega<Kitkorp]
Cute golf.
Crystal Castles [Atari, 3D]
Glowing trackball control. Bear picks up jewels. Many warp
areas.
Cube Quest [, 3D, Laser]
3D video overlayed on laserdisc graphics.
Cyberball [Atari '88]
Futuristic football with cyborg players. Sequel: Tournament
Cyberball
2072.
Dangar []
Based on Voltron - after getting three ship parts, you transform
into
a really powerful robot. Similar to Xevious.
Danger Zone [Cinematronics '86]
Plane shoot-em-up with bizarre pivoting screen on a universal
joint.
Darius [Taito]
Sideways Scramble-like shoot-em-up using a projection system to
make
the playfield three screens wide.
Dark Adventure [Konami]
Cross between Gauntlet and Indiana Jones.
Dark Planet [Stern, 3D]
Poor attempt at 3-D. Had a fake lunar landscape in front of
game.
Dead Angle [Fabtek<Seibu Kaihatsu Inc '88]
Aim gun with the target sight. See through your on-screen
character.
Death Race 2000 [Exidy '76, 2P, BnW]
Go around running over people with your car. One of the most
controversial games of all time - it was eventually pulled from
the
market. Earlier version (possibly playtest-only) was called
Pedestrian.
Sequel: Super Death Chase.
Deep Scan []
Select between space game, and sub-hunt game.
Defender [Williams '80]
Fly around destroying aliens and protecting your astronauts on
the
surface of the planet. Sequel: Stargate.
Deluxe Space Invaders [Midway<Taito '81, BnW]
Color plastic overlay. Features doubling inavders when shot.
Demolition Derby [Midway, 4P]
Drive around a dirt track smashing other cars to bits. Reverse
gear.
Depthcharge [Gremlin]
Drop depth charges on subs while avoiding their missiles.
Destroyer [Atari]
Drop depth charges on subs while avoiding their missiles.
Devastators [Konami '89, 3D]
Head-first death-themed game.
Devil Zone [Nichibutsu]
Dig-Dug [Atari<Namco]
Pumpin', pumpin', pumpin'!!! Dig tunnels underground, use an
air pump
to pump/blow up enemies. Or drop rocks on 'em. The lyrical
255th
round finds you with a Pooka on your head before game play
begins.
Dirtbike [Atari]
Dirt Fox [Namco]
Discs of Tron [Midway, 3D]
Generally in booth form. Battle against enemy "programs" using
discs,
much as in the movie. Speech.
Dodgem [Atari]
Domino Man [Midway]
Try to set up a chain of dominos so you can knock them down
(pointless,
isn't it?). Maneuver pedestrians so they don't ruin your work.
Dominos [Atari]
Donkey Kong [Nintendo '81]
Four-event game - introduction of the omnipresent Mario
character.
Try to rescue the "girl" from Donkey Kong. Barrel jumping,
rivet
popping, elevator hopping, and cement-avoiding is necessary.
Donkey Kong Jr. [Nintendo '82]
This sequel involves a role reversal - try to rescue the
American
public, I mean Donkey Kong, from Mario. Another four-event
game.
There's also a two-player technique to allow one player to play
forever.
Donkey Kong III [Nintendo]
Four-event game. As the gardener, you use a sprayer to try to
drive
off insects and such.
Do Run-Run [Universal]
Prequel: Mr. Do.
Double Dragon [Taito, 2P]
Street fighting game. Can recover weapons from enemies and use
them
yourself.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge [Technos<Romstar '88, 2P]
Double Dribble [Konami]
Uninteresting basketball game.
Dr. Pong [Atari]
Dragon Breed [Irem '89, 2P, 3D]
Semi-sequel to R-Type. You ride a dragon using the beast as
offense/defense. Can whip his tail around you for protection.
Dragon's Lair [Cinematronics '83, Laser]
A four-way joystick and a button control the sequence of
events.
Animation from Ex-Disney animator Don Bluth. Excellent attract
mode
with cheesy announcer.
Dragon Spirit []
Similar to Xevious.
Drag Race [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Dungeons & Dragons(?) []
Dynamite Duke [Fabtek]
Dynamite Dux [Sega]
These dux are DYNAMITE!
Eagle [Centuri]
Similar to Moon Cresta.
'88 Games [Konami '88, 2P]
Track and Field ripoff.
Elevator Action [Taito]
Spy must go from top of enemy embassy to bottom, collecting
secret
documents along the way. Simple game and graphics, lots of fun
for
some obscure reason.
Elimination [Kee Games '73, 4P]
Pong-like table-model game, and Kee's first video game.
Eliminator [Sega]
Try to drive bad guys into the Eliminator or shoot down the
Eliminator's entrance.
Empire City 1931 [Romstar]
Empire Strikes Back [Atari, Vector]
Conversion kit for Star Wars. Weak game in comparison.
The End [Stern]
Enduro Racer [Sega, 3D]
Front view race game, similar to Hang On.
Escape from the Planet of the Robot Monsters [Atari '89]
Speech.
ESWAT [Sega, 2P]
From shoot-em-up to street-fight.
Exerion [Taito<Jaleco, 3D]
Similar to Galaxian.
Exterminator [Gottlieb '89]
COULD this be the sequel to Reactor? COULD it?
Eyes [Rock-Ola]
Fantasy [Rock-Ola]
Cute game with really bizarre graphics and music.
Fast Freddie [Atari]
Fighting Hawk [Taito]
Prequel: Flying Shark.
Final Blow [Taito/Romstar]
Boxing.
Final Fight [Capcom '90]
Boxing. This is the LAST fighting video game ever to be MADE!!!
Right?
Final Lap [Atari<Tengen<Namco '88, 2P]
Cockpit. Screen for each person; networking up to four units
(eight
people).
The Final Round [Konami '89, 2P]
Boxing.
Firefox [Atari '83, Laser]
Cockpit, head-phone jack. One of the first laserdisc games and
so far,
the only laserdisc game from Atari. Based upon the movie.
Fire Truck [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Two steering wheels; one person sits (cab), one stands (hook &
ladder).
Drive a firetruck through suburban streets avoiding stuff in
road,
crashing. Had fun siren and bell buttons. One-player version
called
Smokey Joe.
Flashpoint [Sega]
Flicky []
Help Mama bird recover her chicks while watching out for nasty
cats.
Flying Shark [Taito]
Sequel: Flying Hawk.
Flying Tiger [Taito]
F-1 [Atari]
F-1 Dream [Romstar]
Food Fight [Atari]
Instant replay feature.
Forgotten Worlds [Capcom '88]
Forumla K [Kee '74, BnW]
Copy of Trak 10.
Fourtrax [Atari/Namco '89, 2P]
ATV sit-down (motorcycle). Screen for each person; networking
up to
four units (eight people).
Frenzy [Atari]
Frenzy [Stern]
Walls can be shot out in this game, etc. Prequel: Berzerk.
Frogger [Sega<Gremlin '81]
Try to get a frog across a road and a stream. The music will
not leave
my brain...ever.
Front Line [Taito]
Joystick and click wheel fire. Precursor to slew of
death-themed games.
Maneuver a soldier and tank through enemy lines and get to the
end.
Crude graphics.
Future Spy [Midway]
World war setting.
Galaga [Midway<Namco '81]
Allows capture of a ship to give double firepower. Prequel:
Galaxian.
Galaga '88 [Atari '88]
Galaga III [Midway]
Galaxian [Midway<Namco '80, 50000 pro]
Space Invaders hybrid with diving aliens. First color machine.
Galaxy Force [Sega]
Rotating cockpit.
Galaxy Force II [Sega '89]
Galaxy Ranger [Sega/Midway, Laser]
Gang Wars [SNK]
Gaplus [Midway]
Allows capture of more than one extra ship. Prequel: Galaga.
Gauntlet [Atari '85, 4P]
Sort of a graphics version of Dungeons & Dragons.
Speech: "Wizard is about to die," "Warrior shot the food," etc.
Gauntlet II [Atari, 4P]
Contains assorted secret rooms. Speech.
Gemini Wings [Tecmo]
Ghosts 'n Goblins [Taito]
Knight must fight demons and ghosts in order to rescue the
princess.
Ghouls 'n Ghosts [Capcom '88]
Descent into Hell. Terrific art of huge demons. Prequel:
Ghosts 'n
Goblins.
Gladiator [Taito]
Big graphics.
Goal To Go [Stern '83, Laser]
Goalie Ghost [Sente]
Gold Medalist [Romstar]
Track and Field-type game.
Golden Axe [Sega]
Adventure game.
Golf [Atari]
GondoMania [Data East]
Screen scrolls down.
The Goonies [Nintendo]
Adventure climbing game.
Gorf [Midway '81]
A five-stage game including Space Invaders and Galaxian. Rather
fancy
joystick. Fire a shot, and your previous one dissappears
("Quark
laser")! Speech: "Gribble flub gurbor-plag Gorrrffff bop bop
bop."
Gotcha [Atari]
Pong-Like.
Gradius [Konami]
Also appeared as Nemesis.
Gradius III [Konami '90]
Grand Champion [Taito]
Similar to Monaco GP. Finish in top three of race to continue.
Granny and the Gators [Midway, Pinball]
Shortened pinball-video combination. Three buttons for video
portion
(paddle left/right, shoot various gud).
Gran Trak 20 [Atari '74, 2P, BnW]
Gravitar [Atari]
Fly around planet. Features tractor beams and anti-gravity.
Great Guns [Stern]
Gridiron Fight [Tecmo '85, 2P]
Football.
Guerilla War [Tradewest<SNK '87, 2P]
Guided Missile [, 2P]
Guide missiles to hit various goo on their way down.
Gun Fight [Midway, 2P, BnW]
Gun controls, yellow screen. Midway's first game. Sequel: Boot
Hill.
Gunsmoke [Romstar<Capcom '85]
You control a bounty hunter/sheriff who is going to get his
reward
for getting baddies (dead or alive).
Guzzler [Centuri '83]
Maze game. Bubbly guy vs. fireballs.
Gyruss [Centuri, 3D]
Uses rock version of Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" as
soundtrack. Circular motion variation on Galaxian.
Halley's Comet []
Shoot-em-up similar to Nemesis/Gradius.
Hang On [Sega '85, 3D]
Sit-down. Motorcycle race game. Sequel: Super Hang On.
Hard Drivin' [Atari '89, 3D]
Cockpit. Excellent driving simulator. Speed track and stunt
track.
Saves exact course manueverings of best player so you can
compete
against his "phantom." Instant replay of crashes.
Hat Trick [Midway<Sente '84, 2P]
One-on-one hockey (each team gets a goalie and a player).
Haunted Castle [Konami]
Head On [Gremlin]
Similar to Crash.
Heavy Barrel [Data East<Tradewest '88, 2P]
Death-themed. Must infiltrate an island and shoot your way to
various
machine parts. Assemble the parts to build the "heavy barrel",
some
sort of super gun - supposed to be good for you.
Hit 'n Miss [Exidy]
Holey Moley [Tai]
Nine-button "whack-a-mole." Sign me up!
Hot Chase []
Similar to Roadblasters, but in a Porsche. Better graphics.
Hot Rod [Sega]
Like Super Sprint you build up the car, but you get money
depending on
how you finish in each race.
Hypersports [Centuri<Konami, 2P]
New set of sports. Fun out-of-breath sound:
"kipperkipperkipper."
Prequel: Track and Field.
Ikari Warriors [Tradewest<SNK '86]
Rotating joystick control. Death-themed.
Ikari Warriors III [SNK]
Huge blown-up version of Ikari. Same resolution, bigger
pixels.
Image Fight [Irem]
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom [Atari/Lucasfilm '85]
Indy [Atari, BnW]
Indy 500 [Atari, BnW]
Indy 800 [Atari '75, 8P]
Inferno [Williams, 3D]
Sort of like a 3-D Wizard of Wor.
Inter Stellar Fantasy [Funai, Laser]
Computer-generated superpositions. A really bizarre game.
I, Robot [Atari, 3D]
The first real-time generated 3D solid graphics game. Also
included a
non-game graphics drawing option.
Iron Horse [Konami]
Jack the Giant Killer [Cinematronics '82]
Jack must climb beanstalk, get harp from giant.
Jail Break [Konami]
Stop the prison escapees. Shoot the bad guys, rescue hostages.
Jaws [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Dive for loot, but watch out for those pixel-thirsty sharks.
Jet Fighter [Kee '74]
John Elway's Team Quarterback [Leland '88, 4P]
Journey [Midway '83]
Members of the 70's rock group Journey go on a Tron-like
adventure.
Journey IS pure video game satisfaction!
Joust [Williams, 2P]
Ride on bird attempting to hit enemies with lance higher than
theirs.
Original game allowed indefinite play if you sat on the lower
ledge
letting pterodactycls run into your lance.
Joust II - Survival of the Fittest [Williams, 2P]
Various minor additions to the game.
JumpBug [Rock-Ola]
Manuever your super VW Bug through a number of scenes (which
included
a town with clouds and a pyramid with a geyser) by jumping over
and
firing at enemies.
Jump Cycle [Atari, BnW]
Plastic overlays. Jump line of buses, do wheelies.
Jungle Hunt [Taito]
Same as Jungle King, but with slightly better graphics. Jungle
King
became Jungle Hunt after a lawsuit threat by the Estate of Edgar
Rice
Burroughs.
Jungle King [Taito]
Jungle exploration; four different sections.
Jr. Pac-Man [Midway '83]
Pac-Man's kid goes on his own. Sideways-scrolling maze,
galloping
prizes that destroy energizers (there are six), and the usual
business
with the ghosts.
Juno First [Konami '83]
Shoot-em-up.
Kageki [Romstar '88]
Kangaroo [Atari]
Another cute graphics game with four screens. Rather infamous
for
poorly-executed graphics (many bugs).
Karate Champ [Data East]
Could be first chop-socky game. Complex combinations of
movements
with two joysticks.
Karate Master [Data East, 2P]
Karnov [Data East]
Fire-breathing fat bald Russian wanders through landscape in
search of
adventure and fun.
Kick [Midway]
Same as KickMan.
Kicker [Konami]
KickMan [Midway '81]
Trackball. Man on a unicycle catchs balloons, Pac-Mans and
ghosts,
but not bombs.
Kid Niki: Radical Ninja [Data East]
Similar to Golden Boy.
King and Balloon []
Speech: "Help!" "Bye-bye!"
KLAX [Atari '89, 2P]
Catch colored tiles with paddle, flip them into same-colored
stacks.
Konami GT [Konami, 3D]
Driving game.
Kozmik Krooz'r [Midway, '83]
Co-released with Wacko but much rarer. Shoot-em-up.
Krull [Mylstar/Gottlieb]
Based on the movie. A five-event game.
Kuri Kinton [Taito]
Chop-socky.
Kung Fu Master [Data East]
Chop-socky.
Ladybug [Universal]
Interesting Pac-Man variant which uses revolving doors to modify
the
maze. Free credits earning potential.
Laguna Racer [Midway, BnW]
Laser Grand Prix [Taito '83, Laser]
The Laser Shuffle [, Laser]
Last Duel [Capcom '88]
Space shoot-em-up with screen scrolling to you.
Last Mission [Data East]
Multi-direction scrolling space shoot-em-up; various power pills
to
give extra abilities.
Lee Trevino's Fighting Golf [SNK '88]
Legend of Hero Tonma [Irem '89, 2P]
The Legend of Kage [Taito]
Another Ninja-fighting game. Interesting twist: Kage is a
female Ninja
hero.
Legion [Nichibutsu]
LeMans [Atari '76]
Liberator [Atari '81]
A nuclear war game with a rotating globe and ICBM launchers
located at
the four corners of the screen. Sort of a Missile Command
extension
(space-based nukes!).
Life Force [Konami '86, 2P]
Prequel: Nemesis.
Lock n' Chase [Sega '83]
Pac-Man/Mousetrap variant in which you can lock doors behind
pursuers.
Lock-On [Data East<Tatsumi '86]
Flying/dogfight game.
Locomotion [Centuri '82]
"Eight's puzzle" with a moving train.
Looping [Venture Line '82]
Bach two-part invention ("the little virtuoso piece") as the
soundtrack.
Maneuver a plane through obstacles.
Lost Tomb [Stern '83]
Explore a pyramid top to bottom with an Indiana Jones-type
character.
Had "bargain" sales at the end of each level where you could buy
500
whips for a quarter and such.
Lunar Lander [Atari '79, BnW, Vector]
Thrust handle and rotate buttons. Atari's first vector video
game,
produced at the same time as Asteroids. Try to land a ship on
the moon.
Copy of PDP-11 computer game of the same name.
Lunar Rescue [Taito]
Leave mother ship, land on landing pad while avoiding asteroids.
Pick
up astronauts, and go back up to mother ship while avoiding
UFOs.
M.A.C.H. III [Mylstar '83, Laser]
Realistic air force shoot-em-up.
Mad Planets [Gottlieb '83]
Joystick and rotating knob. Flying spaceship must shoot down
"living
planets" out to get you.
Magmax [Nichibutsu]
Mah Jongg Summer Story [Video System '89]
The Main Event [Konami '88, 4P]
Wrestling game, with tag-team option.
Make Trax [Williams]
You are a paint roller out to cover the floors of a maze.
Critters
come out and spoil your nice work -- nail 'em.
Mania Challenge [Memetron<Taito, 2P]
Wrestling. Speech.
Mappy [Midway]
Policeman mouse must bust up burgular cats. Run and jump
(trampolines!)
through a multiple-story house, getting the stolen loot.
Marble Madness [Atari '84, 2P]
Six-event trackball game in which you roll a marble through a
maze.
Fun "wacky stage" in which "everything you know is wrong."
Excellent
concept and background ambience.
Mario Bros. [Nintendo '83, 2P]
Mario and his homeboy brother Luigi avoid stuff.
Marvin's Maze [SNK, 3D]
Pac-Man type game.
Mat Mania [Memetron]
Wrestling.
Max RPM [Midway]
Mazer Blazer [Williams]
Mechanized Attack [SNK, 2P]
Gun control.
Megazone [Konami<Kosuka '83]
Mermaid [Rock-Ola '83]
Metalhawk [Namco]
Helicopter.
Midnight Assistance [Data East '89, 2P]
Millipede [Atari '84, 2P]
Trackball. Prequel: Centipede.
Missile Command [Atari '80]
Trackball. Fire from three different bases to protect cities
from a
nuclear attack.
Mission: XX []
Jet fighter Xevious-type game.
Mr. Do [Universal]
Game vaguely similar to Dig-Dug. Free credit availability.
Mr. Do [Electron]
Same concept as Universal's Mr. Do, but revamped and better
graphics.
Mr. Do's Castle [Universal]
Sequel to Mr. Do with only character in common. Knock out
blocks in
the floor to trap and kill monsters.
Mr. Do's Wild Ride [Universal]
Roller-coaster theme.
Mr. Heli [Irem]
Ms. Pac-Man [Midway '81]
Similar to Pac-Man, but with no memorizable patterns.
Monaco GP [Sega]
Cockpit. Overhead view. First one with a tunnel.
Monster Bash [Sega '82]
Monte Carlo [Atari]
Driving game.
Moon Cresta [Mitsubishi]
Space shoot-em-up, one of the earliest. Your ship has three
parts,
survive long enough and you can dock them together for more
firepower.
Sequel: Terra Cresta.
Moon Patrol [Williams]
Buggy on the moon jumps over craters/runaway boulders, shoots
at
enemies.
Moon Shuttle [Nichibutsu]
Astronauts are stranded on the moon. Fly a shuttle down, dodge
asteroids, pick them up, dodge the same asteroids, and get them
home.
Moon Wars [Stern]
Motorace USA [Williams]
Motorcycle racing across America. Overhead views, get gas on
the way
and jump over the rivers.
Mousetrap [Exidy]
Joystick, three buttons. Another Pac-Man copy. Mouse desires
cheese,
shuns cats. Change the maze shape by opening/closing doors.
Munch Mobile [SNK<Centuri '83]
Four-way joystick and left-right joystick for car's
goodie-grabbing
arms. Overhead view.
MX5000 []
My Hero [Sega]
Cheap cute game.
Mystic Marathon [Williams]
Run a marathon race against six other characters; far-out
graphics.
Naughty Boy []
NARC [Williams '88, 4P]
Williams re-entry into the arcade. Amazingly high resolution
and color.
You are fighting against the drug syndicate. Doesn't wimp out
with the
gore. Terrific digitizations.
Nemesis [Konami]
Also appeared as Gradius.
N. Y. Captor [Taito]
New York, New York []
BAD Japanese import. Similar to Galaxians. Speech: digitized
Japanese
voice.
The New Zealand Story [Taito]
You're Joey Kiwi, out to rescue your buddies from the evil Wally
Walrus.
NFL Football [Midway, Laser]
Game using real NFL footage.
Nibbler [Rock-Ola]
Pac-Man clone.
Night Driver [Atari '76]
Drive sports car at night.
Night Stocker [Midway<Sente]
Drive car at night, grab crystals, shoot spaceships with light
gun.
Night Striker [Taito]
Cockpit.
Nile Flyer(?) [Atari]
Was this ever put into production?
1942 [Capcom '84]
Airplane flying game, similar to Xevious.
1943: The Battle of Midway [Capcom '87, 2P]
Ninja Emaki [Nichibutsu]
Cheap shoot-em-up.
Ninja Gaiden [Tecmo '88, 2P]
You're a Ninja green thumb, tending to your little plants and
such,
protecting your veggies from evil dragon-like...oh - nevermind.
The Ninja Warriors [Romstar<Taito]
Chop-socky.
N-Sub []
OffRoad [Leland, 3P]
Race ORV's. Similar to Super Sprint.
Omega Race [Midway, BnW, Vector]
Fly ship around a rectangular track. Bounce off the walls
whilst
shooting various enemies.
Operation Thunderbolt [Taito, 2P]
Gun controls. Rescue a hostage plane from terrorists.
Prequel:
Operation Wolf.
Operation Wolf [Taito '87]
Death-themed.
Orbit [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Tons of Missile-Command-type buttons on oddly-angled surface.
Raster
rip-off of Space Wars.
Outlaw [Atari, BnW]
Quickest draw (you against on-screen figure); gun in holster.
OutRun [Sega '86, 3D]
Modern driving game; features a shaking steering wheel (or a
sitdown
version with complete moving car shell) and a radio with station
select.
Pac Land [Midway]
Based on Pac-Man and the Pac-Man TV cartoon. Move Pac-Man
through his
home town. Cartoon-like graphics.
Pac-Man [Midway '80]
The single most popular game of all time. Pac-Man eats dots,
avoiding
ghosts. Bugs include: ability to travel through ghosts and
infamous
"half-screen" split on the 256th board.
Pac-Man '88 [Midway '88]
Pac-Mania [Atari<Namco '87, 3D]
Modern version of Pac-Man; 3D maze with the ability to jump
over
enemies.
Pac-Man Plus [Midway]
Modifier chip for Pac-Man. New goodies to eat, new twists like
invisible mazes.
Paperboy [Atari '85, 3D]
Bike handlebar control. Deliver newspapers to homes without
causing
property damage -- unless they're not subscribers.
Passing Shot [Sega]
Tennis.
Pengo [Sega<Gremlin '82]
Penguin pushes ice blocks to CRUSH insanely cute Sno-bees. One
of the
earliest games to give bonuses based on how fast you play.
Sequel:
Pingo.
Pepper II [Exidy '82]
Similar to Amidar.
Peter Packrat [Atari '84]
P-47 [Jaleco '88, 2P]
Left-to-right scrolling phantom fighter destruction.
Phoenix [Centuri<Amstar '80]
Spaceship shoot-em-up against killer birds from space.
Pinball Action [Tehkan '86]
Typical pinball controls, with two "nudge" buttons. Advance to
new
playfields by knocking down targets. Was I playing this while
asleep?
Pin Pong [Atari]
Pingo [Sega]
Prequel: Pengo.
Pioneer Balloon [Rock-Ola]
Pirate Pete [Taito]
Jungle King...Jungle Hunt...Pirate Pete!
The Pit [Centuri<Konami]
Small graphics; run around collecting jewels.
Pleiades [Midway]
Space shoot-em-up. Defend a moon base, fight killer birds,
destroy the
mother ship, and fly back to station.
Plotting ['89, 2P]
You're a glob, stacking blocks in some kind of order.
Pole Position [Atari<Namco '82, 3D]
Cockpit. Horizon-driving game. Speech: "Prepare to qualify."
Pole Position II [Atari, 3D]
Conversion kit for Pole Position. Cockpit. Four tracks to
choose from.
Pong [Atari '72, BnW, 8000 pro]
Atari's first game.
Pong Doubles [Atari '73, BnW, 2P]
Ponpoko [Venture Line<Sigma '82]
Looked like BurgerTime, but the hell if I was going to play it.
Pooyan [Stern]
Three little pigs in a video game. Shoot arrows to stop the
wolves from
biting you and your brothers.
Popeye [Nintendo]
Catch Olive's hearts/notes/help, while dodging Bluto and the Sea
Hag.
Grab spinach for temporary invulnerability.
Pop Flamer [Stern '83]
Pot Shot [Atari '88]
Powerdrift [Sega '88]
Power Drive [Midway]
P. O. W. Prisoners of War [SNK '88, 2P]
Left-to-right scrolling chop-socky.
Pro Quarterback [Konami]
Psychic Five []
Running jumping game; scrolling.
Psycho Soldier []
Death-themed. Speech: Japanese female singer belting out a tune
about
blowing up your enemies with mighty force.
Punch Out [Nintendo '83, 3D]
Boxing game pits you against large 3D opponents. Speech:
"Uppercut!
Uppercut!" "Left hook. Left hook." "Knock him out!"
Pursuit [Atari]
Pyros [Taito '87]
Cute game. Shop between levels to buy better weapons.
Q*bert [Gottlieb, 3D]
Cabinet has electro-mechanical thumper mechanism. Convert
blocks to
proper color by jumping on them. Speech: "Aaaaaahhh!"
Q*bert's Qubes [Mylstar, 3D]
Qix [Taito, 2P]
Draw boxes on the screen, but don't get zapped by the flying
Qix.
Simple, but addicting.
Quadrapong [Atari '73, 4P]
Copy of Elimination.
Quantum [Atari, Vector]
Trackball. Based loosely upon quantum physics. Game where you
loop
the enemies with your trail to destroy them. As the levels
progress,
the decay rate on the trail gets faster and faster. Actually
quite fun.
Quarterback [Leland '87, 2P]
Quartet [Sega<Sun '86, 4P]
Space game, a ripoff of Gauntlet.
Quartet 2 [Sega<Sun, 4P]
Quasar(?) [, Vector]
Lasso items for points.
Quiz Show [Atari]
Qwak! [Atari]
Rifle in holster.
Rabbit Punch [Taito]
You're a flying rabbit fighting for his life in outer space.
Radarscope [Nintendo]
Radical Radial [Nichibutsu '82]
You're a tire, doing tire-like stuff tires tend to do.
Rally Bike [Taito '88]
Rally-X [Midway '80]
Off-road Bosconian! Drive a buggy on an overhead scrolling
maze. Grab
flags, avoid collisions with rocks, and other buggies. Fun
smoke screen
noise: "poofpoofpoof."
Rampage [Midway '86, 3P]
You're a monster stompin' and a-smashin' through cities. Watch
out for
Army forces and other city-type dangers.
Rastan [Taito '87]
Barbarian goes on adventure.
Reactor [Gottlieb '82]
Trackball game with terrific soundtrack.
The Real Ghostbusters [Data East '87]
Rear Guard [Exidy, Vector]
You are the turret gunner for a space-ship.
Red Alert [Irem]
Avoid MIRV.
Red Baron [Atari, BnW, Vector, 3D]
Cockpit. Dogfight.
Renegade [Taito]
Rescue [Stern '83, 3D]
Helicopter game with Robotron-style joysticks.
Return of the Jedi [Atari]
Raster sequel to Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back. Four
different
adventures, all involving flying up a scrolling screen and
shooting/
dodging things.
Revenge of Doh [Taito]
Prequel: Arkanoid.
Ripoff [Cinematronics, 2P, BnW, Vector]
Protect your fuel pods from invading enemies. Unlimited lives,
game
ends when all your pods are gone. Intense game-play/background
noise.
River Patrol [Kersten]
Drive your boat down a river while patrolling for stuff.
Roadblasters [Atari '87, 3D]
Futuristic driving game, shoot cars and other obstacles. Watch
out
for dwindling fuel and return fire. For some reason, women
like
this game a lot. 50 levels.
Road Runner [Atari]
Based on the cartoon. Run around, eat birdseed, and watch for
the
coyote's tricks from ACME corp.
Robocop [Data East<Ocean '88]
Based on the movie character. Death-themed. Speech.
Robotron 2084 [Williams '82, 20000 pro]
Two joysticks. You against hundreds of others.
Rocket Race [Rock-Ola '83]
Rolling Thunder [Atari<Namco]
Root Beer Tapper [Midway]
Dispense root beer to masses of patrons. Originally called
Tapper,
and endorsed by Budweiser.
Rough Ranger [Sharp Image<Capcom]
R-Type [Nintendo '87]
Scrolling spaceship combat game.
R-Type II [Irem '90]
Rush 'n Attack [Konami]
Invade the Communist Russian stronghold and free the POWs.
Rygar [Tecmo '86]
Barbarian rampage adventure.
Sarge [Midway]
Satan's Hollow [Midway]
Spaceship vs. the prince of darkness. Build a bridge, avoid
demons.
SCI [Taito '90]
Scramble [Stern]
Guns, bombs, fuel, and scrolling screen. Sequel: Super Cobra.
Scramble Spirits []
Sea Wolf [Midway '75, 10000 pro]
Periscope control. Early sub-hunt game. Endearingly obnoxious
speed
boat noise.
Sea Wolf II [Midway, 2P]
Sebring [Atari]
Section Z [Capcom]
Progressive scrolling shoot-em-up, similar to R-Type, except
each
section is based upon a letter, up to "Z."
720 [Atari, 3D]
Skateboarding game. Speech: "Skate or DIE!"
Shadow Dancer [Sega '90]
Prequel: Shinobi.
Shadow Warrior [Tecmo]
Chop-socky.
Shark Attack [, 2P]
Dive for treasure. Skulls indicate level number.
Shinobi [Sega '87]
Ninja vs. street mobsters. Ninja magic and Uzis (tough
choice).
Sequel: Shadow Dancer.
Shooting Gallery []
Shooting Master [Sega '85]
Shootout [Data East]
Showdown [Exidy '88]
Sidearms [Capcom]
Seicross []
Motorcycle riding - grab buddies and supplies.
The Shanghai Kid [Memetron<Data East '85]
Kick boxing.
SilkWorm [Tecmo '88, 2P]
Fly/ride in a helicopter/jeep over a landscape of enemies.
Terrific
graphics.
Sinbad 7(?) []
Was this ever put into production?
Sinistar [Williams '82]
Spaceship mines rocks for crystals ("Sinibombs"). Use Sinibombs
against
the Sinistar, a killer death-mask. SiniAWESOME!
Speech: "Beware, I live!" "Run, coward, run!" "I hunger," "I
am
Sinistar," "GRARRRRRRRR!"
Skate or Die []
Pirate copy of 720.
Skull & Crossbones [Atari '90]
You're a pirate. There are other pirates that aren't you.
Sensing
this, they attack.
Sky Adventure [SNK]
Sky Diver [Atari]
Sky Raider [Atari, BnW]
Jet pilot mission to bomb planes, oil refineries and other
various
military-industrial structures.
Sky Rider []
Sky Shark [Romstar<Taito '83, 2P]
Sky Soldiers [Romstar '88]
Slither [GDI]
Trackball-driven snake-fighting game.
Sly Spy [Data East]
Smokey Joe [Atari, BnW]
One-player version of Fire Truck.
Snack Attack [Midway<Sente]
Snake Pit [Sente '84]
Trackball control. Sente's first entry into the games market.
Whip
the snakes in the pit so you can escape to another pit with more
snakes.
Soccer [Atari]
Solar Fox [Midway]
Spaceship flies through grid collecting cubes.
Solar Quest [Cinematronics]
Solar War [Atari]
Solar Warrior [Memetron]
Son Son []
Two, two, TWO sons in one!
Space Ace [Cinematronics '83, Laser]
Space hero rescues scantily-clad helpless space heroine. Ace
turns
into wimp and into superman back and forth...
Space Duel [Atari '81, Vector, 2P]
Ships can be hooked together or separated. Weird-looking
asteroids
(cubes, swirls, hexagons, etc).
Space Dungeon [Taito]
Robotron-style joysticks. Sixty-four room 8x8 dungeon.
Space Firebird [Sega<Gremlin]
Another space combat game. Similar to Moon Cresta and Galaxian,
but
preceded them by several years.
Space Fury [Sega '81, Vector]
Build-your-ship game. Speech: "Ah, another creature for my
amusement.
Prepare for battle!"
Space Harrier [Sega]
Sit-down. Flying kid wields big guns against assorted space
villians.
Nice music.
Space Hawk [Cinematronics]
Space Invaders [Taito<Midway '78, BnW, 350000 pro (world)]
Color plastic overlay. The video game emerges as a concept;
caused
coin shortage in Japan until yen suppy was quadrupled. Space
Invaders
arcades opened in Japan.
Space Odyssey []
Shoot-em-up with side-view/top-view. Shoot various things,
avoid black
holes.
Space Panic [Universal]
Run through a space station. Dig holes to trap aliens, smash
them with
your little shovel. Oxygen (time) limit. A laff riot, as all
Universal games are. Sequel: Zero Hour.
Space Race [Atari '73]
Pong-like.
Space Tactics [Sega]
Cockpit. Homely "side laser" screen effects.
Space Wars [Cinematronics '78, 2P, BnW, Vector]
First vector video game, and still one of the best. One of a
few games
_requiring_ two players (see Orbit, Gunfight, Boot Hill). Many
player-
selected options.
Space Zap [Midway, BnW]
Color plastic overlay, Four-button control. This game says to
me "Take
me home and beat me senseless with a crowbar." I hear you,
Space Zap.
Spectar [Exidy]
Prequel: Targ.
Speed Buggy [Data East]
Five-course selection. Jump ramps, drive on two wheels, get
flags.
Speed Freak [, BnW, Vector]
Avoid crudely-drawn cows, cars, nasty curves.
Spiker [Midway<Sente]
Volleyball game.
Splatter House [Tecmo/Sharp/Namco '88, 2P]
Death-themed.
Sprint [Atari '75]
Sprint 2 [Atari '76, 2P, BnW]
Overhead racing game, similar to Indy 500.
Sprint 8 [Atari, 8P]
Made from converted Tank 8 electronics. Limited edition.
Spy Hunter [Midway '83]
Cockpit. Drive an armored and armed car/boat against enemies.
Avoid
blasting uninvolved motorists, watch for ice slicks and
hydrofoils.
Spy Hunter II [Midway, 2P]
Two screens. World's _lamest_ sequel. Bluk. Ptui!
Star Base Omega ['88]
Star Castle [Cinematronics, BnW, Vector]
Color plastic overlay. Shoot out the walls surrounding the
space
cannon, then dodge the killer shots while trying to hit it.
Star Fire [Exidy, Laser]
Cockpit view. Shoot tie-fighters/star destroyer.
Star Force [Tehkan]
Space shoot-em-up similar to Last Mission.
Stargate [Williams '81]
Prequel: Defender.
Star Hawk [Cinematronics]
Star Rider [Williams, Laser]
Motorcycle seat. Motorcycle vs. four drones. Drive a
motorcycle set
against futuristic scenes.
Starship I [Atari '77, BnW]
The first of the cockpit space games. Steering yoke with firing
stud
on the top of one of the handles which gave you some lateral
control,
also could tilt it up/down or push it in/out for altitude
control.
Timed game.
Star Trek [Sega, Vector]
Fly the Enterprise against assorted enemies and dangers. Watch
out for
depleting fuel, phaser, and shield energy. Speech: "Be the
captain of
the Starship Enterprise!"
Star Wars [Atari '83, Vector, 3D]
Three-event game based on the movie. Terrific space-flying game
against
the Death Star.
Steeple Chase [Atari]
Stocker [Sente]
Storming Party []
Vertically-scrolling death-themed game. Hop in vechicles for
better
firepower/protection.
Stratavox [Taito]
Try to keep aliens from stealing your ten astronauts. Speech:
"Lucky,
Lucky, Lucky...we'll be back" and "Help me."
Street Fighter [Capcom]
Street Football [Midway<Sente]
Football without stadiums or crowds. Watch for manholes and
cars.
Street Smart [SNK '89, 2P]
Strider [Capcom '89]
Defy gravity as you walk over the city roof tops.
Strike Zone Baseball [Leland '88, 2P]
S.T.U.N. Runner [Atari '89, 3D]
Cockpit. Futuristic driving game. T-shirt offer.
Subroc-3D [Sega<Gremlin '82, 3D]
Cockpit, viewfinder. Failed attempt at true 3-D game.
Submarine/boat
tackles flying and sailing enemies in day or night.
Subs [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Stand-up submarine warfare game using two aesthetically-correct
radar
screens, positioned at a ninety-degree angle.
Superbug [Atari]
Superman [Taito]
SuperPong [Atari '73]
Super Basketball [Konami]
Super Breakout [Atari]
Advanced version of Breakout. Multiple balls in hidden pockets,
etc.
Super Cobra [Stern]
A quarter-pumper. Prequel: Scramble.
Super Contra [Konami]
Prequel: Contra.
Super Death Chase [Exidy, 2P, BnW]
Chase skeletons and a bonus ghost. Prequel: Death Race 2000.
Super Dodge Ball [Leland]
Super Flipper [Chicago Coin '75, BnW]
Plastic overlay. Video pinball with Pong resolution!
Super Galaxian [Midway]
Fast; many aliens diving at once.
Super Hang On [Sega, 3D]
Similar to Enduro Racer. Prequel: Hang On.
Super Mario Bros. [Nintendo]
Mario/Luigi travels through eight "worlds" in order to rescue
Princess
Toadstool (whatta regal babe!). Lots of secrets and warps.
The
machine's BigMazeLotsaItemsRunnin'Jumpin'Shootin'Guy
co-processor
eventually became the heart of a very popular home video game
system.
Super Monaco GP [Sega, 3D]
Cockpit. Steering wheel shakes violently during crash!
Super OffRoad [Leland]
Super Pac-Man [Midway<Namco]
Pac-Man meets comic books. Eat key to open doors, enter doors
to eat
fruit. Eat super power pellets to move really fast and break
doors.
Super Punch Out [Nintendo]
Prequel: Punch Out.
Super Ranger []
Sequel: Rolling Thunder(?).
Super Speed Race [Williams]
Long cars.
Super Sprint [Atari '86, 3P]
Race game. Optimize your car between rounds.
Super Volleyball [Video System '89]
Super Zaxxon [Sega '82, 3D]
Battle space dragon at the end. Prequel: Zaxxon.
Surround [Atari, 2P, BnW]
Control a dot leaving a trail - don't smash into it.
Tac Scan [Sega]
Tag Team Wrestling [Technos<Data East '84]
Wrestling.
Tailgunner [Cinematronics, BnW, Vector, 3D]
Cockpit. Act as tailgunner for a spaceship.
Tailgunner 2 [Cinematronics, Vector]
Taito Volleyball [Taito]
Tank [Atari '75, 2P]
First put out by Kee Games, then copied when Kee merged with
Atari.
Tank II [Atari]
Tank 8 [Atari, 8P]
Four-on-four team battles or free-for-all.
Tanks [Kee Games '74, 2P]
The first tank game.
Tapper [Midway '84]
Dispense beer to customers. See Root Beer Tapper.
Targ [Exidy]
Collect dots in grid maze while avoiding lethal targ ships.
Sequel:
Spectar.
Tecmo Bowl [Tecmo '87]
Tecmo Bowl II [Tecmo]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [Konami<Romstar '89, 4P]
Tempest [Atari '80, Vector, 3D]
Shoot enemies climbing up space tunnels. Various "bugs" exist
in the
game that can be produced depending on last two digits of score
if it's
over 180,000.
10-Yard Fight [Taito<Irem]
Football game.
Terra Cresta [Sega<Gremlin]
Xevious-type game, shoot things on the ground. Prequel: Moon
Cresta.
Terra Force [Nichibutsu]
Tetris [Atari '89, 2P]
Conversion kit. The Russian game comes to the arcade. Try to
keep
your growing pile of falling blocks from reaching the top.
Tetris [Sega '89]
In Japan only.
Time Scanner [Sega]
Thayer's Quest [RDI, Laser]
Keyboard controls.
Thief [Pacific Novelty]
Three Stooges [Mylstar]
Throw pies at each other, try to find hidden keys in each room.
Thundercade [Romstar '88]
A screen-scrolls-to-you character shoot-out like Time Soldiers.
Thunder Blade [Sega, 3D]
Helicopter flying combat game.
Tiger-Heli []
Screen-scrolling tank shoot-em-up.
Tiger Road [Romstar<Capcom]
Oriental adventure with an axe-swinging character.
Timber [Midway]
Chop down trees, balance on logs for points.
Time Pilot [Atari]
Time Pilot [Konami<Centuri]
Fly through time zones and shoot assorted aircraft.
Time Pilot '84 [Konami<Centuri '84]
You're stuck in the future with lock-on missiles, improved
graphics,
and enemies!
Time Soldiers [Romstar<SNK '87, 2P]
Go through time to rescue your comrades.
The Tin Star [Taito]
Wild West shootout; similar to Front Line. Click wheel fire.
TKO Boxing [Data East '87]
Tokio []
Xevious-type game: American bombing raid on Toyko from Japanese
point
of view.
Toobin' [Atari '88, 2P]
Five-button control. Float down a river in your inner tube.
Throw
cans at targets, watch out for sharp branches and stuff.
Contest.
Top Gunner [Konami]
Top Shooter [Taito '88]
Top Speed [Romstar, 3D]
Driving game; "feature" is nitro boost for fast speed.
Tornado Baseball [Midway, BnW]
Touchdown Fever [SNK '87, 2P]
Touch-Me [Atari]
Tournament Arkanoid [Taito<Romstar]
Tournament Cyberball 2072 [Atari, 4P]
Two screens. Future football with exploding players!
Tournament Table [Atari]
Trak 10 [Atari '74]
Track and Field [Centuri<Konami, 2P]
Olympic events.
Trick Shot [Sente]
Triple Hunt [Atari]
Trojan [Capcom]
Tron [Midway]
Control stick and rotating knob. Four-event game, based on the
movie.
Music straight from the soundtrack (Wendy Carlos) of the movie.
Truxton []
Scramble-like game.
Tunnel Hunt [Centuri<Atari '82]
Fly through a tunnel as fast as possible, picking up speed as
you go.
Turbo [Sega '81]
Horizon-driving game. Came in super-small stand-up version, and
cockpit
version. Early racing game against a bunch of different
scenes.
Turbo OutRun [Sega]
Race across the USA in your Turbo-Charged F40.
Turkey Shoot [Williams '84]
Gun-type controls. Shoot the mutated turkeys in the city before
they
nail you.
Turtles [Stern]
Similar to Pac-Man. Find the baby turtles and bring them home.
Tutankham [Stern<Konami '82]
Raid King Tut's tomb. Sideways-shooting only.
Twin Cobra [Romstar<Taito '87, 2P]
Twin Eagle [Taito '88]
Twin Racer [Kee '74, 2P, BnW]
Copy of Gran Trak 20.
Two Game Module [Atari]
Two, two, TWO games in one!
Two Tigers [Midway '84, 2P]
Original controls were changed to knob and buttons after
players
couldn't stand the original. Sink the enemy ships by bombing
them or
shooting airplanes onto their decks.
Tube Chase [Atari]
TX1 [Atari<Namco '83, 3D]
Cockpit. Three big screens for a panoramic view. Prequel:
Pole
Position II.
UFO Invasion []
Really wild game with a combination of projected video graphics
and
real stuff underneath.
Ultra Tank [Atari]
U.N. Command [, 2P, BnW]
Swivel-type bazookas. Orange screen. Shoot tanks, trucks,
motorcycles.
Avoid ambulances and people carrying stretchers. One-player
version
called Bazooka.
U.N. Squadron [Capcom]
Scramble-type game based on Japanese "Area 88" anime. Called
Area 88
in Japan.
Up'n Down [Midway<Sega '84]
Car race; can jump over on-coming traffic.
Us Vs. Them [Mylstar]
Vanguard [Centuri]
Nine/ten (?) stage game. Fly ship through tunnels, shoot four
ways at
once, get indestructible force fields.
Vanguard II [SNK<Centuri]
Seemed to have nothing to do with the original.
Venture [Exidy]
You play Wink (what a name) who wanders through dungeons. Enter
rooms,
shoot the enemies inside, and get the treasure they're guarding.
Unique
puzzle for each room, and "Evil Otto"-like character.
Vs. Baseball [Nintendo, 2P]
Vs. Castlevania [Nintendo, 2P]
Vs. Duck Hunt [Nintendo '85, 2P]
Gun control.
Vs. Excitebike [Nintendo]
Vs. Golf [Nintendo]
Gun control.
Vs. The Goonies [Nintendo]
Vs. Gumshoe [Nintendo]
Vs. Hogan's Alley [Nintendo '85]
Gun control.
Vs. RBI [Nintendo<Atari<Tengen]
Vs. Slalom [Nintendo<Rare '86]
Skis to stand on.
Vs. Tennis [Nintendo, 2P]
Vs. TKO Boxing [Nintendo<Data East]
Vs. Top Gun [Nintendo<Konami]
Vertigo [Exidy]
Victory [Exidy]
Victory Road [Tradewest<SNK '86, 2P]
Rambos meet mystical magic-type gunk. Prequel: Ikari Warriors.
Video Pinball [Atari]
Mirrored-in plastic playfield. With tilt (the jutting edge of
the
console could be shaken up and down), and free credit for a high
score
or match.
Vigilante [Data East<Irem '88]
Vindicators [Atari, 2P]
T-Shirt offer. Souped-up tank game.
Viper [Leland '88]
Vorfeed [Taito]
Vulgus [Konami]
V'Ball [Taito '88, 4P]
Wacko [Midway '83]
Trackball and joystick. Fly your UFO and zap the mismatched
alien
body parts back together. Tilted cabinet.
Warlords [Atari, 4P]
Paddle control. Bounce a fireball into the walls of other
players'
castles, and kill them with a good strike. Vaguely based on
Breakout.
Excellent.
Warp Warp [Rock-Ola]
Two, two, TWO warps in one! One you shoot in, one you fire in!
Walter Payton Football [Sega]
Warriors [Cinematronics, 2P, BnW, Vector]
Two joysticks for each player, mirrored-in landscape. Knight
fights!
War of the Worlds [Cinematronics, Vector]
Based on H. G. Wells movie. Kill tripods, etc.
WEC Le Mans [Konami]
Whack [Midway]
Wheels Runner []
Clone of Atari's Super Sprint.
Who Dunit [Exidy '88]
Wild Western [Taito]
Click wheel fire.
Willow [Capcom]
Winning Run [Namco]
Grand Prix racing with Hard Drivin' graphics.
Winning Run Suzuka Grand Prix [Namco]
Named after famous race course in Japan.
Witch's Way(?) []
Was this ever put into production?
Wizard of Wor [Midway '81, 2P]
Wander through the maze and kill the monsters or the other
player.
World Cup [Atari]
World Series - The Season [Cinematronics '85]
Baseball; spring-loaded joystick to be used as bat.
World Stadium '89 [Taito '89]
Wonderboy [Sega]
Scroller with a cartoon character kid.
Wonderboy III : Monster Lair [Sega]
Was there a Wonderboy II? Do we really care?
WWF Super Stars [Technos]
Wrestling.
Xenophobe [Midway, 3P]
Clear infested space stations of aliens.
Xevious [Atari<Namco '82]
Scrolling space shoot-em-up. Lots of secrets, and great
graphics.
Xybots [Atari '87, 2P, 3D]
Rotating joystick. Excellent graphics and well-implemented.
Yie Ar Kung Fu [Konami]
Eleven levels of chop-socky.
Zaxxon [Sega<Gremlin '82, 3D]
Three-event diagonally-scrolling shoot-em-up.
Zero Hour [Universal]
Prequel: Space Panic.
Zero Wing [Williams]
Zoar []
Zookeeper [Taito '83]
Build a wall around the zoo and catch the escaping animals. Two
stages.
Incredibly annoying sounds.
Zwackery [Midway]
Rotary control with pull up/push down capability. Wizardry-type
game.
Semi-cute.
ZZYZZYXX []
pate...@nhtima.enet.dec.com
> > using Trak Balls in some sports game in 1980.
> Atari Football, 1978. How do I know? My game, with some help from
>Ed Logg (Asteroids, Centipede, Millipede, Gauntlet, Xybots ...), and I had
>to bitch and moan to get management to let me use them. The great Nolan
Mike,
Great game I have a FOUR PLAYER FOOTBALL that seems even harder to find than
well know TWO player. It is a ball (pun intended).
Roger.
BTW, IMHO Atari has always had the BEST videos to own/work on.
To date I have owned (* = still own).....
ATARI: BLACK WIDOW
STAR WARS*
XEVIOUS*
RED BARON*
4 PLAYER FOOTBALL*
SPACE DUEL (2)
BATTLEZONE
BALLY: OMEGA RACE*
GALAXIAN*
TRON
CENTURI: EAGLE*
CINEMATRONICS: SOLAR QUEST
Of the four companies I have worked on (I usually buy broken and fix as
a hobby),
ATARI has always been superior in design, layout, interchangability of
parts, schematics and when is all said and done you can still call
California
and someone will be there.
M Darrin Chaney
>From article <1991May2.2...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, by fse...@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Frank E Seipel):
>> vector graphics myself. Tailgunner? That was another great vector game.
>
> As an aside, nobody makes vector games anymore because nobody _buys_
>vector games anymore.
I'd suppose that would be a reason _now_.
Vector games filled a very unique spot, though, when they first came out.
Vector graphics generators, unlike raster graphics, take very little data to
produce the screen image. Back then, when arcade games used smaller 8-bit
processors, less data was better.
Games like asteroids would have been difficult to program in raster, but
fairly easy with vectors. The programs can devote less time to managing the
screen.
There were many drawbacks. Color was difficult to do well (Tempest was
considered a breakthrough), and you couldn't fill any of the areas, e.g.
everything was an outline. While that was fine for alot of games (Star Trek,
Star Wars, Tempest, etc.) it's not good for general purpose. Imagine Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles as outlines. As you can also imagine, the turtles have
alot more detail. If you look at the vector games, there is much less detail
in the images. But, again, the games lended themselves well to the media.
As computers got faster (and bigger), it was possible to do more of the
graphics oriented stuff in hardware. Also, the CPU could put through more
data. The first 16-bit arcade game that I knew of was Robotron 2084. It was
based on the Intel 8088. However, much more impressive was its massive
video chip.
Another area where today's games are coming out ahead is sound. Alot of
games feature stereo sound, and most of the bigger ones feature some
digitized sound/voice. The original Donkey Kong arcade model used 48K
of memory for its program, graphics, everything. Today, Sega talks about
putting 4Meg on a little cartridge for its home game. Times are a changin'.
Darrin
--
mdchaney@iubacs
mdch...@bronze.ucs.indiana.edu
mdch...@rose.ucs.indiana.edu
Kerry Go
David M Tate
>I think "Star Wars" was the ultimate hand-cramper (previous honors went to
>Tailgunner). Some games HURT to play!
I still have a tiny scar on the first knuckle, third finger, left hand: my
Defender Badge of Courage...
--
Robert Jung
>The only game out now that I love playing as much as I did that one is
>Cyberball. But it is too easy against the computer...
That's why they came out with the sequel. B-) That, and the "Game Breakers"
solo game, the new plays, and the PowerBack...
>They have a Cyberball II now which has ssome improvements as far as the end of
>the game goes bvy giving you sttat such as number of sacks, completion
>percentages, and whatnot...
Cute trivia, but nothing worth dying over. And the name's not "Cyberball II",
though I wouldn't mind seeing a "Cyberball III" (Master Cyberball?)
> they also added a half-back option (the halfback
>can pass the ball as well as run/receive).
You mean the PowerBack. Speed about halfway between the Quarterback and
the Wide Receiver, decent passing. I find it so hard to resist the temptation
to pass with the PowerBack (which makes me more predictable, I suppose).
I'm still trying to work on beating Grace Savage on a regular basis, though
I hear there are people who can clobber all of the computer coaches on a
regular basis. Any tips?
--R.J.
B-)
//////////////////////////////////////|\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
Send whatevers to jj...@nunki.usc.edu | If it has pixels, I'm for it.
--------------------------------------+----------------------------Lynx me up!
"If it moves, shoot it. If it doesn't move, shoot it anyway."
MUNGER, JAMES EDWARD
>
> I'm still trying to work on beating Grace Savage on a regular basis, though
>I hear there are people who can clobber all of the computer coaches on a
>regular basis. Any tips?
>
couple of months on tourney Cyberball. It got to the point where I could beat
Grace by scores of 80-7 or so, and it worked best this way:
I now always play a running-oriented team. Throwing the ball is a sure
way to get it intercepted; use it as a lost resort only. A running team will
start off with fairly fast machines, which I always upgrade to titanium ASAP.
Continually do running (some options are A-OK, too) plays, especially paying
attention to the ones with a tight end lined up on one side of the line, making
it a four-player line...run to the side of the tight end for good blocking.
Wide receivers make good runners, too, but they often take too long to get into
"pitching" range.
Kickoffs: Do what everyone else has learned to do :)....start to go up
the middle, then cut back (yes, back) then go to one side (usually one side will
have a nice hole waiting for you) and run for your life. I used to be able to
run back about four kickoffs or so a game, give or take. Usually, though, you
will end up near the forty yard line, which is still pretty good :).
Defense. I almost always use the linebacker blitz (medium defense,
lower left corner) and play the safety. the linebacker will blitz on the left
side, unless a tight end is there, in which case he will go to the right. If
*both* sides have tight ends, he will go up the middle, in which case you should
*stay* as linebacker and drop back to cover passes. If you are the safety, try
to predict which receiver will get the ball, and go to him ASAP. Just before
he catches the ball, THRUST just in front of him. This method gets me anywhere
from 1 to (my record) 11 interceptions in a game. Be forwarned, however, around
the fifth interception or so, the safety will explode from over-tackles :).
Occasionally, in running situations, I will opt for the cornerback
blitz, play one of them, and thrust in as soon as the ball is hiked.....a great
safety-getter :).
Hope this helps....
********************************************************************************
* James Munger "Yes, I'm in meteorology but I'm !NOT! ** "I'm ashamed God *
* going to be on television" ** made me a man." *
* jem...@zeus.tamu.edu ** -Cliff *
********************************************************************************
* disclaimer: I'm an Aggie. *
* disclaimer: Meteorologists aren't supposed to be correct. *
********************************************************************************
Jeff The Wonder Horse
In article <1991May4.1...@unlinfo.unl.edu>, gr...@hoss.unl.edu
(Lig Lury Jr.) writes:
> dt...@unix.cis.pitt.edu (David M Tate) writes:
> >hs...@sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship) writes:
>
> >>I think "Star Wars" was the ultimate hand-cramper (previous honors went to
> >>Tailgunner). Some games HURT to play!
>
> >I still have a tiny scar on the first knuckle, third finger, left hand: my
> >Defender Badge of Courage...
>
> I get pain sometimes when I play Ms. Pac-man in a table-top form. They
> don't leave much space for your hand, and your knuckles rub up against the
> underside of the glass. Gets kinda painful during a long, good game.
> (All this time, I still haven't mastered the game... best game was on one
> that gave 5 lives per quarter.)
>
And for my $.02 on the nastiest blister-inducer...
TRACK & FIELD with a trac-ball. Ouch. Your middle and fourth fingers
tend to get MASSIVE friction/heat blisters by the time you hit the Hammer
Throw, if you're spinning the ball as fast as you can...
This is the only game where I've had a blister form AND break open inside
of one credit...
> >--
> > David M. Tate | "Your telegram has been sent, sir. You
should be
> > dt...@unix.cis.pitt.edu | receiving it in about an hour. We've
sent your
> > Motto: | bags ahead to your hotel. Where will you be
> > Gramen artificiosum odi | staying?" --Firesign Theater.
>
> --
> /// ____ \\\ |"What? What's going on? Who's this?... Ladies and
> | |/ / \ \| | | Gentlemen, a big hand please for the Great Prophet
Zarquon."
> \\_|\____/|_// |"Uh, thank you, sorry I'm late, so many things
cropping up at
> greg \_\\\/ hoss | the last moment. How are we for time? Have I just
got a min
jeff "ouch ouch ouch" coleburn
ncsu
Dave Lockwood
Star Castle. I was doing extremely well, and I felt something crawling on
my neck. I brushed it off (with my left hand) and continued to play....2
seconds later it stung me on the middle nuckle of my left pinkie. Let me tell
you, that is one painful place to get stung. I kept playing and scored 8,000
more points, ending with my personal best, a mediocre 24,000 and change.
I still have a lump on that knuckle.
--
"So many have bled for you...frozen cold | da...@msb.com (Dave Lockwood)
...or gone to particles not even enough | UUCP: ...!uupsi!mpoint!dave
to find. You don't know the ways you | Sysop of Meetpoint Station BBS
can die out here." C.J.Cherryh (Pyanfar) | cat flames | mail sa...@north.pole
Simon
>>
>>So it's a decade old. Where's the shame in that? I don't think any new
>>game in the last decade can hold a candle to the all-time greats. Case in
>>point: the Pitt arcade just installed a "Robotron" machine. It's 27 times
>>
>>(OK, OK, TETRIS is a classic too...)
>>
>>Personally, I would maim baby ducks for a chance to play Real Defender again,
>>or even Tailgunner or Missile Command.
>>
>
> Yes, there's nothing like Tempest and Defender/Stargate.. Unique controls
>and fast action.
Anyone remember Venture? It was interesting at the time. What about that
game where you were a crook running around picking up bills while cops
chased you (forgot the name). Boy, it's been so long, I can't even remember
all the cool games.
-Simon
--
* Simon Lee * Southwestern Regional Resource for *
* si...@ivem1.ucsd.edu * Intermediate Voltage *
* su...@ucsd.edu * Electron Microscopy, UC San Diego *
Simon
You mean the Neo-Geos? They're just computers with a lot of storage
capacity, kinda-like the amiga coin-ops.
JONES, PAUL DAVID
left hand. One of those rotating joysticks.
Brag: Finished it one one quarter, _without_ using the big gun. Nyahh.
______
\ / Illithid (Paul D. Jones) Texas A&M, especially the Corps
\ / PDJ...@zeus.tamu.edu of Cadets, stands staunchly behind
\/ @venus.tamu.edu each and every one of my opinions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter Alan Dutton
smiley face shooting arrows at monsters who were still deadly as they
decayed, right? It had neat music, although I can't remember how it
went. Oh, well. I remember playing it at Fort Wilderness at Disney World
for the longest time, but I have almost never seen it anywhere else,
except on ColecoVision.
Nice to know someone else has taste!
PADjr
Kevin Nomura
Craig Elias Pell
>Anyone remember Venture? It was interesting at the time.
>all the cool games.
>
Yes! One thing I was always attracted to was that it showed question marks
for all the treasures yet to be found. There must have been thirty! Anyone
ever get them all? It was so long ago I was too little to really kick ass.
Anyone know of any Venture machines on the east coast? Or anywhere at
all? Sigh...
VGR
"The cage is locked, with a key! The dragon keeps it around his neck. To
slay the dragon, use the magic sword!" (chorus "Ahhhh")
Andrew R Southwick
Wow! Great fun!
--
THIS IS MY
INCREDIBLY HUGE
SIG FILE
AND I THINK ITS SPECIAL
SO
PLEASE
ENJOY!
/werdna, who has nothing better to do than kill adventures looking
for my secret lair/
End of article 474 (of 51232)--what next? [npq]
Kevin, not that I think that you are scum of the earth or anything, but
posts like this are kinda lame, don't you think? It might be your only
post with under 50 original lines (not including blanks or .sig), but I
see too many posts that say way too little. If you (or anyone else)
think that I am wrong in writing this, then please send me e-mail, and
I will post an apology if I concur. Otherwise, please take note:
*** ROYAL HOLY FIRE OF ETERNAL FLAMING: ON ***
(be sure to double-check the attribution against the signature, and
trim the quoted article down as much as possible)
This program posts news to thousands of machines throughout the entire
civilized world. Your message will cost the net hundreds if not thousands of
dollars to send everywhere. Please be sure that you know what you are doing.
Are you absolutely sure that you want to do this? [ny] N!!!!!
*** ROYAL HOLY FIRE OF ETERNAL (hmmm...) FLAMING: OFF ***
There are no good arcades near here. I remember reading in some of those
game magazines that various people are writing about arcade 'palaces.'
In my various travels throughout the known world, I have come across some
big arcades, but only seen each one.
I am in school, and there are some arcade games in the student union, but
that doesn't count. Not elegant enough.
What sort of atmospheres do other people play in?
Especially, are there any BIG, and well-done arcades near you?
If you live in Florida or Louisiana, could you give me the address?
And you out in California, are there any around San Jose?
And on another note, about how much to games cost these days, that is
the new ones? Like Street Fighter 2, Rampart, Space Gun (which is far
better than Op: Wolf or Op: T-bolt because there are ALIENS! and neat
grenades), or somesuch?
-ars
--
Andrew R. Southwick ltli...@pawl.rpi.edu
'summer's day/as she passed away/birds were singing/in the summer sky/then
came the rain/and once again/a tear fell/from her mother's eye'
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew R Southwick
I forgot to include the part about guiding games!
One things I would LIKE to see more in more choice in the path that
a game will follow. Rampart allows you to choose several different
boards to continue on; SFII gives you 8 characters to choose from, but
that's it; things like SMASH and OUTRUN give you left/right;a/b/c;up/down
choices; Xybots and Terminator let you save money and buy up powers, which
I think is really cool. I remember some game a long time ago:
You are an indiana-jones type character with a single weapon, and
wandered around a Pyramid room-by-room and sometimes outside clearing them
out and picking up new weapons/treasures/tools. One thing it allowed you
to do (at strategic locations) was insert more quarters to buy up skills or
items, I seem to remember it saying "insert coin now for 25 gems!" or
something like that at the end of one game. Anyone know the name of this
game?
I think giving players choices like this and those in Xybots/
Terminators adds a WHOLE lot to the game. I hope other companies
pick up on it.
Remember: Burgertime? I loved it.
-ars
"To absent friends, Lost loves, Old Gods, and the Season of Mists"
Stephen Landrum
Zookeeper was made by Taito America (separate from Taito Japan, although they
distribute each others machines).
--
Stephen H. Landrum VOICE: (415) 813-8909
Domain: slan...@ntg.com UUCP: ...apple!ntg!slandrum
USNAIL: New Technologies Group Inc. 2468 Embarcardero Way, Palo Alto CA 94303
Mike Farren
[Talking about Venture here...]
>"Into the depths with Winky!"
Perhaps this should go into the "Lost Games" thread, but does anyone remember
the sequel to Venture, which had Winky going through an underwater maze? It
was supposed to be the second in the "Winky Trilogy", according to my friends
at Exidy.
--
Mike Farren far...@well.sf.ca.us