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Centipede [Model CX7801]

Atari 7800 cart. published 37 years ago by Atari Corp.

Listed in MAME

Centipede [Model CX7801] screenshot

Centipede © 1987 Atari Corporation.

You start the game with three magic wands. Use these to spark the enemy and score points, if the enemy bites you, you become temporarily paralyzed and lose a wand. Plan your strategy and think fast to avoid the paralyzing insect bites.

The Centipede attacks in 12 distinct waves, in Wave 1, it has a head attached to 11 body segments. in Wave 2, it has a head attached to ten segments plus a detached head. The Centipede in Wave 3 has an attached head, nine segments, and two detached heads. The segments continue to transform into heads until in Wave 12 the Centipede has 12 independently attacking heads.

The Centipede attacks from the top of the screen and winds down towards you. When you spark any part of it with your wand, that segment becomes a powerless mushroom. The segment behind it becomes the head of a new Centipede. When you hit every segment of a Centipede, it disappears briefly, then reappears at the top of the screen in a new and fiercer attack wave.

Dotting the forest floor are Magic Mushrooms. These act like shields for you but can also speed the Centipede in its attack. The Centipede slithers along horizontally in one direction. When it gets to a mushroom or the edge of the screen, it turns down to the next row of mushrooms and slides in the opposite direction. Each time you spark a mushroom you destroy part of it. It takes four hits to eliminate a mushroom entirely. if you lose a wand, all partially destroyed mushrooms are magically restored.

Trying to distract you from sparking the Centipede, the Spider jumps all over the Enchanted Forest, eliminating every mushroom it touches. The closer the Spider comes to you, the more points you score when you zap it.

The Flea starts bugging you after you shoot away most of the mushrooms near you. It drops straight down, creating mushrooms as it falls. You must hit the Flea twice to make it disappear. But be warned: after the first shot, the Flea drops twice as fast!

Beginning with the third wave, the Scorpion scurries across the middle of the Enchanted Forest, poisoning every mushroom it touches. At first it moves slowly, but as the battle goes on it moves faster and faster and appears more often.

Poison mushrooms are a different color from the other mushrooms. When the Centipede bumps into a poison mushroom, it goes crazy and plunges straight through the field of mushrooms towards you. if you lose a wand, all whole and partially destroyed poison mushrooms are transformed back into Magic Mushrooms.

If the Centipede, Spider, or Flea bites you, you become temporarily paralyzed and your wand is snatched away. Your points are added to your running score, and the rejuvenated Centipede attacks again. You must replay the wave until the Centipede is totally destroyed.

The Enchanted Forest is a challenging but dangerous region. By learning what dangers might lurk behind every mushroom, you’ll become a skilled and victorious wand-wielder.

Goodies for Centipede [Model CX7801]
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TECHNICAL

Model CX7801

TRIVIA

Centipede was one of the 'Fabulous Eleven' launch games for the Atari 7800.

SCORING
Each time you score 12,000 points, you win a bonus wand and musical fanfare exalts your bravery. You can have a total of six magic wands at one time. When you lose your last wand, the game ends.
Point values are listed below
Centipede
head 100 points
body segment 10 points
Spider
close range (look out!) 900 points
medium range 600 points
distant range 300 points
Flea 200 points
Scorpion 1000 points
Magic Mushroom
shot 1 to 3 times 5 points when restored
totally eliminated 1 point
Poison Mushroom
not shot at all 5 points when restored
shot 1 to 3 times 5 points when restored
totally eliminated 1 point
TIPS AND TRICKS

Shoot away mushrooms in a straight line upwards to create a corridor. When the Centipede reaches this gap it will fall straight down and can be easily picked off.

Shoot Centipede heads to create new heads from the body segments left behind. Since heads are worth ten times more than body segments, you'll score lots of points.

Since the Flea doesn't appear until you destroy most of the mushrooms near you, set up a mushroom shield to prevent this lightning-fast pest from striking. To do that, don’t shoot away mushrooms closest to your magic wand.

Each creature makes a distinct sound. Learn these sounds so you’ll know without looking what is attacking and where it is.

PORTS

OTHERS:
Atari Flashback usa (2004)

SOURCES

Game's ROM.