Accepted [+] [X] Steel Talons Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
Steel Talons (c) 1991 Atari Games Corp.
A 1- or simultaneous 2-player attack helicopter simulation.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID : 136087
Main CPU : Motorola 68010 (@ 8 Mhz), TMS34010 (@ 6 Mhz), TMS34010 (@ 6.25 Mhz), ADSP2101 (@ 12 Mhz), MOS Technology 6502 (@ 1.7895 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579 Mhz), OKI6295 (@ 9.037 Khz)
Players: 2
Control: stick
Buttons: 4
- TRIVIA -
Steel Talons was released in August 1991. 900 units were produced in the USA and 250 in Ireland. The selling price was $9495 at its time of release.
According to Atari, Steel Talons represented the ultimate in 1991 game technology.
Steel Talons is a Same Name Like a GDI Forces Team Division The RTS Game in Command and Conquer Franchise EA Video Game in Command and Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath.
- STAFF -
Pilot (Design/Lead Programmer) : Ed Logg (Hot Shot)
Ordinance Officer (Programmer): Ed Rotberg (Gonzo)
Reconnaissance (Video Graphics): Sam Comstock (Mr. Wonderful), Chuck Eyler (Sparky), Nicholas Stern (Knuckles)
Morale (Sound): Brad Fuller (Indiana), John Paul (Rim Shot)
Chief Engineer (Hardware Design): Jed Margolin (The Potato)
Tactical (Management): Max Behensky (Scooter), Stephanie Mott (Bad Babe)
Signal Corps (Technical Support): Mike Albaugh (Dr. Bizzaro), Matt Kendall (Nuke), Peter Lipson (The Worm)
Security (Project Leader): Dennis Harper (Fretless)
Damage Control (Hardware Support): Erik Durfey (The Red)
Data Acquisition (Technician): Rob Rowe (Frogslayer)
Structural Engineer (Cabinet Design): Ken Hata (Hammerin')
Mechanics (Mechanical Design): Milt Loper (Uncle Milty), Wade Winblad (The Wizard)
Flight Instructor: Lance Hinkley (USAF)
Synthetic Flight Engineer: Al Ragsdale
Test Pilot (Lead Tester): Victor Mercieca (The Animal)
Liaison Officer (Marketing Manager): Linda Benzler (The Butcher)
Joint Chiefs of Staff (Software Support): Chris Downend (Jaws), Rick Moncrief (Pack Rat), Rich Moore (Schwarzkopf)
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
Atari Lynx (1991)
Sega Mega Drive (1992)
Nintendo Super Famicom (1993)
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Game's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] S.T.U.N. Runner Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
S.T.U.N. Runner (c) 1989 Atari Games Corp.
Take a seat, grasp the controls, and enter the world of the S.T.U.N. (Spread Tunnel Underground Network) Runner. Players travel ahead in time to the 21st century and experience the thrill of racing in a futuristic form of competitive driving. At the control of state-of-the-art technology, players pilot a billion-dollar vehicle capable of attaining speeds of over 900 miles per hour!
Players control their vehicles with a return-to-center (RTC) flight controller. Control handles adjust shot elevation and include trigger buttons for firing. The start button is also used as a fire button for 'shock waves'.
S.T.U.N. runner is a game of speed. The goal of this game is to travel as fast as possible and complete each race within the allotted time. Numerous enemies prevent the player from achieving this goal. Equipped with powerful lasers, all enemies can be gunned down with the exception of one.
The race through the S.T.U.N. Network is made up of many levels. Each level presents a unique challenge to the player. The player's ultimate goal is to guide the vehicle through the network of levels to reach the 'Ultimate Challenge'. In this never-ending race, players go as far as their driving skills will take them. If the distance they travel qualifies as one of the top five, their name (18 letters) will be displayed along the road for future players to see (only if they reach this distance).
In S.T.U.N. Runner, there is no foot pedal to control speed. Faster speed is achieved by :
* Correctly driving on the fastest portion of the tunnel.
* Staying off side rails (of flat sections).
* Avoiding collisions with enemy vehicles.
* Running over 'boosts' for hyperspeed.
* Avoiding areas under construction.
In turn, the fastest portion of the tunnel is the outer wall. Like a luge or bobsled racer, players use basic laws of physics to attain the fastest speed. Riding on the inner wall results in a slower speed and hinders a player's ability to reach a finish line. On flat sections, running into side rails creates a visual and audio chattering resulting in a loss of speed. The first race, a training race, called 'Cake Walk', is intended to teach players how to drive correctly.
Red flashing markers in tunnels and flats are called 'boosts'. By running over these, the S.T.U.N. Runner gets a boost of hyperspeed. In addition to reaching the finish line faster, a S.T.U.N. Runner in boost in invincible. The vehicle can pass through all enemy vehicles unharmed and cannot be shot. In this mode the player's vehicle will appear transparent as though it is a skeleton.
The underground network has three different tunnel sections. They include wide tunnels, narrow tunnels, and tunnels under construction. Under construction sections contain portions that are unsurfaced. These areas do not provide full power to the vehicle, and slow down the S.T.U.N. Runner.
Open areas are called 'flats' and are both narrow and wide. Being above the ground, the player is treated to many views of the earth's surface in the 21st century. On flats, players must avoid driving along the side rails. The friction caused will slow down the S.T.U.N. Runner vehicle.
A S.T.U.N. Runner vehicle has six shields for added protection. Colliding with an enemy results in the loss of one shield. At the end of each race, players are awarded bonus points for each shield remaining. A large bonus is awarded if all shields are intact.
In the tunnels and flats are ramps. These ramps will catapult S.T.U.N. Runners above the track for a brief distance. Ramp jumping is often a good method of crossing areas under construction and avoiding collisions with enemies.
When players do not reach the finish line of a race within the allotted time, the game would normally end. However, they can be allowed to advance to the next level on a continuation.
Special Weapon : In selected races, a 'shock wave' is located along the way. If the player can pick up the shock wave, the weapon becomes available for use. Also, shock waves can be awarded on some levels if the player hits a predetermined number of stars and completes the level. This information is green in the map at the start of each level.
Players activate the shock wave by pressing the start button. This super weapon will destroy all enemies and hazards within view. It is a one-time weapon, but more than one can be stored. The number of shock waves stored is show as blue and white icons on the screen below the level number display.
Bonus Stars : Additional points can be scored along the way by running over 'stars'. In the first race, the training race called 'Cake Walk', the stars are red. Players should run over as many stars as possible. In the remainder of the game, all bonus stars are green.
Challenge Races : These are bonus races awarded to players for reaching various points in the game. Races 5, 10, and 15 are challenge races. Each presents a unique challenge to the player.
* Boost Challenge
* Star Challenge
* Kill Challenge
In each challenge race, players have one goal. Instructions are displayed prior to the start of each race. The time clock still operates, but a game will not end because the time expires. This is considered a free bonus for players. Each challenge level has its own high score table.
Ultimate Challenge : For those players skilful and patient enough, an 'Ultimate Challenge' awaits them at the end. It is an endless race filled with enemies and unexpected surprises. The object is to travel as far as possible within the allotted time. Markers on the road display the names of the five best S.T.U.N. Runners. It is a unique method of identifying the best players of the game. These names are also presented on a separate high score table.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID : 136070
Main CPU : Motorola 68010 (@ 8 Mhz), TMS34010 (@ 6 Mhz), ADSP2100 (@ 8 Mhz), MOS Technology 6502 (@ 1.7895 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579 Mhz), OKI6295 (@ 9.037 Khz)
Players : 1
Control : stick
Buttons : 2
- TRIVIA -
S.T.U.N. Runner was released in September 1989.
S.T.U.N. stands for 'Spread Tunnel Underground Network'.
This game built on technology that Atari games had already used in their "Hard Drivin'" series of games. But this time Atari got it right. S.T.U.N Runner had liquid smooth polygonal graphics, voice samples, and many challenging levels.
Originally based upon an idea that Carol Cameron submitted. In her original concept there were only tunnels and you were racing against computer players as opposed to racing against the clock.
Levels are named :
1. Cake-Walk
2. Boost Boulevard
3. Blood Alley
4. Roller-Coaster
5. The Boost Challenge
6. Outer Drive
7. Ramp-Alot
8. Split Decision
9. Close Call
10. The Bonus Star Challenge
11. The Labyrinth
12. The Coat-Hanger
13. The Clover-Leaf
14. Mcnamara's Revenge
15. The Kill Challenge
16. Knee Jerk
17. 3-Ring-Circus
18. Probot Hell
19. Satan's Slalom
20. The Death Spiral
21. Figure 8
22. The Jigsaw
23. The Ultimate Challenge
Game staff names are in the default high score and challenge level score tables
Gunner Glenn = Glenn Mcnamara
Ranger Rick = Rick Moncrief
Dirty Don = Don Diekneite
Righteous Ralph = Ralph Perez
Happy Hata = Ken Hata
Kyoko = Kyoko Dougherty
Ranger Rick = Rick Moncrief
Who Ray = John Ray
Momo = Jerry Momoda
Uncle Milty = Milt Loper
Special Contest Feature : Every S.T.U.N. Runner game in the U.S. has a special built-in contest feature. A player can win a free S.T.U.N. Runner T-shirt just for playing the game. All players have to do is reach the checkpoint on the last level, the Ultimate Challenge (this contest expired April 1, 1990).
- UPDATES -
REVISION 1 :
* Software version : 20.3
* Build date : Sat Sep 9 13 :56 :31 1989
REVISION 2 :
* Software version : 21.1
* Build date : Fri Sep 15 10 :53 :18 1989
REVISION 3 :
* Software version : 22.0
* Build date : Fri Sep 15 15 :51 :12 1989
REVISION 4 :
* Software version : 22.1
* Build date : Mon Sep 18 10 :47 :59 1989
REVISION 5 :
* Software version : 23.0
* Build date : Fri Sep 29 13 :55 :10 1989
REVISION 6 :
* Software version : 24.0
* Build date : Wed Oct 18 09 :50 :21 1989
REVISION 7 :
* Software version : 24.1
* Build date : Wed Oct 18 10 :29 :48 1989
REVISION 8 :
* Software version : 25.0
* Build date : Thu Nov 2 12 :21 :06 1989
REVISION 9 :
* Software version : 26.0
* Build date : Thu Nov 9 14 :07 :19 1989
REVISION 10 :
* Software version : 26.26
* Build date : Mon Dec 18 16 :30 :02 1989
REVISION 11 :
* Software version : 26.34
* Build date : Thu May 22 11 :31 :04 1990
- SCORING -
Destroying enemies :
Train : 25 points
Armored Drone : 50 points
Mag Cycle : 75 points
Lorrie : 100 points
Ornobot : 500 points
Chopper Bot : 500 points
Proton Bot : 1000 points
Radar Bot : 750 points
Terrigible : 10,000 points
On Level 1, each red star the player's ship runs over scores 50 points.
On Level 3 and after, each green star the player's ship runs over scores 500 points.
Running over a boost pad scores 200 points. Running over consecutive boost pads will increase this value by 200 each for each pad. Thus, the 2nd consecutive boost pad scores 400 points, the 3rd scores 600 points, etc. For this scoring bonus to occur, the boost pad must be run over before the effect of the previous boost wears off (the exception to this occurs on level 8, where running across the boost pads continue the boost pad scores achieved at the end of level 5).
At the end of each level, the player is awarded a bonus of 100 points per .1 second remaining on the clock.
At the end of each level after level 1, the player is awarded a bonus based on how many shields his ship has left :
6 shields : 8,000 points
5 shields : 4,000 points
4 shields : 2,000 points
3 shields : 1,000 points
2 shields : 500 points
1 shield : 250 points
0 shields : 0 points
Performing a warp scores 20,000 points.
When starting on level 6 (intermediate), 50,000 bonus points are awarded when the level is completed.
When starting on level 11 (advanced), 100,000 bonus points are awarded when the level is completed.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Warp : Start out at level 11 (Labyrinth) and complete it. On level 12 (Coathanger) go right and catch the boost and continue going right. You will fly up and then continue and cross the finish line. You will be warped to the very end of level 18, essentially placing the player on level 19.
Note : This warp is only available on 'Software version 24.0' and lower (see Update section for more information).
There is also a warp on level 9 which takes the player to level 14.
- STAFF -
Commissioner (Design) : Ed Rotberg
Transit Authority (Programmer) : Andrew Burgess
Tunnel Architect (Lead Artist) : Sam Comstock
Vehicle Engineer (Artist) : Will Noble
City Planning (Supporting Artist) : Kris Moser
Communications (Music) : Don Diekneite
Acoustics (Sound Effects) : Brad Fuller
Propulsion Engineer (Hardware Design) : Jed Margolin
Patriarch (Team Leader) : John Ray
Public Relations (Product Manager) : Jerry Momoda
Blue Sky (Technical Support) : Carole Cameron
Damage Control (Technician) : Glenn McNamara
Physicist (Software Design) : Max Behensky
Optics (Lead Software Support) : Stephanie Mott
Auxiliary Systems (Hardware Engineer) : Gary Stempler
Mathematics (Math Software) : Jim Morris
Chief mechanic (Mechanical Design) : Milt Loper
Backhoe Operator (Design Support) : Erik Durfey
Overlord (Assistant Design Support) : Mike Hally
Chainsaw (Cabinet) : Ralph Perez
Bondo Man (Cabinet Design) : Ken Hata
Xacto Bladerunner (Technical Support) : Kyoko Dougherty
Pub Runner (Technical Support) : Andrea Dencker
Widget Artist (Management) : Mary Sumner
The Ancient One (Support) : Rick Moncrief
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
Sony PlayStation 2 [AU] (2005) "Midway Arcade Treasures 3 [Model SLES-53666]"
[US] Microsoft XBOX (sept.27, 2005) "Midway Arcade Treasures 3"
[US] Sony PS2 (sept.27, 2005) "Midway Arcade Treasures 3 [Model SLUS-21094]"
[EU] Microsoft XBOX (oct.14, 2005) "Midway Arcade Treasures 3"
[EU] Sony PS2 (oct.14, 2005) "Midway Arcade Treasures 3 [Model SLES-53666]"
Nintendo GameCube [US] (oct.26, 2005) "Midway Arcade Treasures 3 [Model DOL-GE3E-USA]"
* HANDHELDS:
Atari Lynx [US] (1991) "S.T.U.N. Runner [Model PA2060]"
* COMPUTERS:
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1990) by Domark
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1991) Budget edition by Erbe Software
[EU] Commodore C64 (1990 by Domark
[EU] Commodore Amiga (1990)
[EU] Atari ST (1990)
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1990)
PC [MS-DOS] [EU] (1990)
[EU] Commodore C64 (1991) Budget edition by Hit Squad
[US] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (feb.17, 2006) "Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition"
[EU] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (mar.17, 2006) "Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition" by Zoo Digital Publishing
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Game's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Road Blasters [Upright model] Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
Road Blasters (c) 1987 Atari Games.
Road Blasters is a futuristic driving game in which the player must navigate a sports car through 50 different races without running out of fuel. Extra fuel is collected by driving over the red or green spherical fuel pods that litter the tracks (or is sometimes dropped by destroyed enemy vehicles).
Each race features a midway point, denoted by a road-crossing type pattern. At this point, the amount of fuel in the main tank is restored to what it was at the beginning of the race (the amount of fuel in the main tank given at the start of a race varies throughout the game). The amount of fuel in the reserve tank, however, is not restored.
When a player gets low on fuel in their main tank, a fuel light will blink and an alarm will sound. Once the main tank is empty the reserve fuel is used. The player's car is armed with a machine gun which can be used to shoot and destroy rival racers, although not all enemy vehicles can be destroyed (the purple car, for example, is indestructible must simply be avoided).
Power-up weapons are occasionally air-lifted in and dropped from above, these must be 'caught' by the player to increase firepower. Collision with enemy vehicles result in the immediate destruction of the player's vehicle, resulting in a loss of fuel as the vehicle is replaced. The roadside is also populated with enemy gun emplacements that shoot at the player, a direct hit from these also results in the loss of a player vehicle, although the turrets themselves can also be destroyed.
The player also encounters numerous indestructible obstacles, including mines, boulders, floating spiker balls and oil slicks, the last of which will cause the player to lose control for a moment if hit. There is no limit to how many times a player can receive a new car to complete a race, as long as they have fuel.
- TECHNICAL -
[Upright model]
Game ID : 136048
Runs on the "Atari System 1" hardware.
Players: 1
Control: dial
Buttons: 3
- TRIVIA -
Road Blasters was released in March 1987.
2,906 Upright units were produced in the USA.
Also released as "Road Blasters [Sit-Down model]".
For a limited period after the game's release, players could win a free Atari T-shirt by completing all 50 levels.
Road Blasters was the last of the Atari System 1 games made. The original name of Road Blasters during its design was 'Future Vette'.
This game appears, on the 2012 animation movie "Wreck-It Ralph" from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Shoot cars using a single shot instead of holding down the fire button to increase the bonus multiplier.
* Crash into roadside cannons instead of shooting them for 8,000+ points. This will greatly increase reserve fuel, which is awarded at the end of a rally based on score.
* If you crash your car into one of the turrets at the side of the road, you'll get 8-10x the current value of a turret. When your score multiplier is up to 10, this is 16,000 - 20,000 points! Early on, keep your score multiplier high and always crash into at least two of these babies every board and finishing the game (or doing very well at it) is not tough. After a while it gets hard to crash into two turrets every board and still finish the board on time.
* Tip For Strategies On Level 49 and 50 : Since level 50 is the last level, and the game gives you a complete recharge at the end of 49, accuracy doesn't count any more. Just keep firing as fast as possible.
- STAFF -
Tactical Command (Programmers): Bonnie Smithson, David Wiebenson, Robert Weatherby
Camouflage (Graphics): Mark Stephen Pierce, Kris Moser (Kristine Moser)
Communications (Sound Design): Brad Fuller, Earl Vickers
Air Support (Hardware Engineers): Sam Lee (Sam Ly), Don Paauw, Mike Albaugh, Jim Morris
Ground Support (Mechanical Design): Milt Loper, Gerald Lichac, Mike Jang, Dave Cook
Reconnaissance (Marketing Manager): Linda Benzler
Strategic Command (Software Support): Rich Moore, Lyle V. Rains
Team leader : John Ray
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
[EU] Nintendo NES (1990) "RoadBlasters [Model NES-VE]"
[US] Nintendo NES (jan.1990) RoadBlasters [Model NES-VE]"
[US] Sega Genesis (1991)
[JP] Sega Mega Drive (feb.28, 1992) "RoadBlasters [Model T-48023]"
[US] Sony PlayStation (dec.31, 1997) "Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 2 [Model SLUS-00449]"
[EU] Sony PlayStation (june.1998) "Arcade's Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 2 [Model SLES-00712]"
[US] Sony PS2 (nov.18, 2003) "Midway Arcade Treasures [Model SLUS-20801]"
[US] Microsoft XBOX (nov.24, 2003) "Midway Arcade Treasures"
Nintendo GameCube [US] (dec.18, 2003) "Midway Arcade Treasures [Model DOL-GAKE-USA]"
[EU] Microsoft XBOX (feb.6, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures"
[EU] Sony PS2 (feb.6, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures [Model SLES-51927]"
* HANDHELDS:
Atari Lynx [US] (1990) "RoadBlasters [Model PA2036]"
* COMPUTERS:
[US] Commodore C64 [EU] (1988)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1988)
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1988)
[EU] Atari ST (1988)
[EU] Commodore Amiga (1988)
[US] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (jan.1, 1999) "Arcade Greatest Hits - The Atari Collection 2"
[US] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (aug.27, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures"
[EU] PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (nov.23, 2004) "Midway Arcade Treasures"
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Game's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Off The Wall Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
Off The Wall (c) 1991 Atari Games Corp.
Off the Wall is an arcade game produced by Atari and released in North America in 1991. A modern remake of Breakout, this game introduces many new gameplay features to the bat-and-ball genre, and it incorporates some elements from Pong as well. It supports up to three players simultaneously (though most cabinets only support two), and the game's graphics include many backgrounds modeled after modern abstract art.
The objective of Off the Wall is to score as many points as possible by destroying square blocks in a never-ending series of levels. The player controls a paddle using an analog knob or a joystick (depending on the machine configuration). The paddle moves along one edge of the playfield, and a ball flies around the playfield and bounces off the walls and the paddle. When a ball hits a block, the block disappears (unless it is indestructible). A square exit is placed on the screen, and directing the ball into this exit causes all remaining blocks on the screen to self-destruct, awarding bonus points and advancing the player(s) to the next level.
The ball occasionally splits in two (in multiplayer games, three balls may be on the screen at once), and the player can put spin on the ball, causing it to move in a curved trajectory. The player loses a life when the last ball on the screen moves past the player's paddle, though in some circumstances, the game gives the player a second chance. The game is over when the player has lost all of his or her lives.
As levels progress, the game introduces new features that make the game more complex and challenging. These features include blocks that move randomly or in circles, various powerups, indestructible blocks and bombs, blocks that parachute or fly in to replace destroyed blocks, objects that change the ball's speed and trajectory, and guns that can shrink the players' paddles. Depending on the number of players in the game, some levels may be skipped due to the exit being along one player's edge of the playfield. In multiplayer games, a bonus round occurs periodically where players compete directly against one another in an exact clone of Pong. The winning player earns an extra life.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID : 136090
Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 7.15909 Mhz), MOS Technology 6502 (@ 1.7895 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579 Mhz)
Players : 3
Control : dial
Buttons : 4
- TRIVIA -
Off The Wall was released in October 1991 as a conversion kit. 500 kits where produced in the USA and 250 in Ireland.
The selling price was $895 at its time of release.
If a ball is kept in play long enough, the speed meter will go up to 'Hyper Speed', 'Ludicrous Speed', and 'They've Gone Plaid!' - all references to Mel Brooks' Star Wars parody, 'Spaceballs'.
- STAFF -
Project Leader: Kelly Turner (KFT)
Programmers: Norm Avellar (NLA), Kelly Turner (KFT)
Engineers: Pat McCarthy (PAT), John Moore (JMM)
Animators: Kris Moser (KEM), Chuck Eyler
Technician: Glenn McNamara (GAM) (GFM)
Sound FX: Brad Fuller (BAF)
Music: John Paul (JFP)
Controls: Jerry Lichac
Team Leader: John Ray (JMR)
Product Manager: Jerry Momoda (JMM)
And special thanks to: Farrokh Khodadadi, Cris Drobny, Tim Hubberstey (TJH), Dave Cook, Sharon, Mark, Riz (RI ), Bridget, Leon, Minh Nguyen, Karen, Emmette (ES ), Steve, Dave, Mike, Jim
Others from high score table: Sam Comstock (SMC)
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
Nec PC-Engine (unreleased prototype)
Sega Game Gear (unreleased prototype)
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Snake Pit [Model 0B11] Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
Snake Pit (c) 1984 Bally Sente.
Player controls a whip-cracking, Indiana Jones-like adventurer called Outback Jack who searches through an ancient temple for treasures while fighting off snakes, scorpions and other attacking creatures.
- TECHNICAL -
[No. 0B11]
Bally / Sente SAC-I hardware
Main CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.25 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (6x) CEM3394 (@ 4 Mhz)
Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 256 x 240 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 1024
Players : 2
Control : trackball
Buttons : 1
- STAFF -
Program designer: Lee Actor
Graphics designer: Mark McPhee
Sound designer: Gary Levenberg
With support from: Rich Adam (RDA), Max Behensky (MRB), (PAD), (JLD), (LMD), Howard Delman (HAD), (RGF), (LMF), Martin French (MLF), Tian Harter (TH), Roger Hector (RDH), Jon Kinsting (JWK), Dennis Koble (DJK), (KAK), (WGM), (RM), Pete Mokris (PVM), Victor Penman (VRP), (LMP), (RLP), (CRP), (LAR), (TLR), Dave Ross (DJR), Ed Rotberg (EDR), (MBS), (DES), (GVS), (JMT), (LBT), (EJV), C. Verhargh (CMV)
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Shuuz Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
Shuuz (c) 1990 Atari Games.
A horseshoes game.
- TECHNICAL -
Game ID : 136083
Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 7.15909 Mhz)
Sound Chips : OKI6295 (@ 6.779 Khz)
Players : 1
Control : trackball
Buttons : 2
- TRIVIA -
Shuuz was released in October 1990 in the USA. This is Atari's attempt to break into the 'bar' market.
The game is very rare, only 40 dedicated units were produced. The selling price was $1895. Also, 60 conversion kits were produced in the USA and 23 in Ireland. The Kit selling price was $995.
- UPDATES -
REVISION 1 :
* Software version : 7.1.
* Build date : Fri Oct 12 15 :35 :31 1990
REVISION 2 :
* Software version : 8.0.
* Build date : Fri Nov 2 12 :03 :22 1990
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Hint : Tempo plays a big part in the throw, forward motion should match backwards motion in speed or you'll go over the stake.
* A Tip : You can actually control the path of the horseshoe 'in the air' roll the trackball left or right to 'nudge' the flight path.
* A Trick : If you just hit the control key without setting your name after getting a high score, some of the default names you'll get are 'rat', 'dog', 'pig', 'rad'.
- STAFF -
Team Leader : John Ray
Design and Programmers: Mike Albaugh, Peter Lipson, Ed Rotberg
Engineer: Sam Lee
Technician: Cris Drobny, Rob Rowe, Minh Nguyen
Art: Bridget Erdmann, Sam Comstock
Hardware Engineer: Tim Hubberstey
Hardware Design: Pat McCarthy
Sound Design: John Paul
Special Thanks: Sid, Lefty, Joe
Product Manager: Jerry Momoda
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Machine's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Blasteroids Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
Blasteroids (c) 1988 Atari Games Corp.
Blasteroids is a 1 or 2-player update of Atari's seminal "Asteroids", where the object of the game is to clear all sectors of the asteroids and enemy ships. Once this task is completed, the player goes on to battle Mukor - the "boss" asteroid who rules all galaxies - and destroy him.
The player's ship appears first in the center of four vortices, he or she must chose which vortex they wish to enter, which then transports them to a sector of their chosen star system.
Unlike in "Asteroids", the player ship has a finite amount of fuel which must be replenished as often as possible. This is achieved by destroying specifically-colored asteroids which turn into collectible crystals. Not all sectors contain the crystal-bearing asteroids, however, and if the player runs out of fuel, a ship is lost. The game contains three different ship configurations and the player can switch between them at any time during a level. The three configurations are : Speeder (small and fast, but weak), Fighter (medium speed and strength) and Warrior (large and strong but very slow).
Additional power-ups can be collected to improve the player's chances, some of the items available are : additional guns, larger fuel tanks, crystal magnets and impervious shields. Some of these add-ons are time-limited while others last until the player's current ship is destroyed. In the asteroid field, there are also 'popcorn' asteroids; small blue rock formations that grow larger and travel faster with each hit they take until they become large, non-moving objects on the screen. These obstacles must be avoided since hitting them will drain all of the ship's fuel, costing the player a life. A popcorn asteroid can not be destroyed. Hitting anything other than bonus power-ups and energy crystals costs precious fuel. Clearing a sector of all of its asteroids takes the player back to a screen and shows a preview of all of the cleared and uncleared sectors in this star system. Some sectors are marked as "unknown" and no preview is offered for these levels. From here, the player can choose which system they wish to tackle next. All systems need to be cleared before the player is given the chance to battle against Mukor himself. To kill Mukor, the player must eliminate each of the volcanoes with multiple blaster hits. Destroying a volcano causes Mukor to release bonus power-up items, and destroying all of the volcanoes causes Mukor to flee, returning the player to the selection vortices.
Later, after all other sectors have been cleared, the player will eventually have to face Mukor again and this time, the enemy boss will have to be destroyed. After Mukor has been destroyed, the game ends.
In the simultaneous two-player game, the first person to fly their ship into a vortex chooses the star system to which the players go. A unique feature of two-person play is the docking of ships : to dock, one player must transform their ship to the largest size while the other transforms to the smallest. By touching the two ships together, they dock and form one large ship. The player originally with the larger ship now controls the speed and direction of the docked ship and can fire straight forward. The player with the smaller ship controls a turret that can rotate and fire independently of the main ship. The dock is broken when the player with the small ship hits their 'thrust' button.
- TECHNICAL -
Cabinet dimensions :
70 in. (178 cm) high
26.75 in. (70 cm) wide
34.38 in. (87 cm) deep
Cabinet weight : 302 lbs (137 kg).
Game ID : 136057
Main CPU : Motorola 68000 (@ 7.15909 Mhz), MOS Technology 6502 (@ 1.7895 Mhz)
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151 (@ 3.579 Mhz)
Players : 2
Control : dial
Buttons : 4
- TRIVIA -
Blasteroids was released in February 1988, even if the title screen says 1987.
2,000 units were produced in the USA. The selling price was $2,345.
The game was originally to have areas in which a certain ship form was required to get through them, but the game's production was pushed forward, and it didn't receive the fine-tuning that was originally planned.
Background space-scapes, pictures of space ships, asteroids and other obstacles are actually digitized pictures of real-life objects. The asteroids were digitized by non other than ILM (Industrial Light and Magic), Lucasart's industry-leading special effects company.
Mark Twitty holds the official record for this game with 2,773,840 points on April 20, 1988.
- UPDATES -
The prototype version of Blasteroids has the programmer's head (Ed Rotberg) hidden in it.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Ed Rotberg (Prototype version only) : To find his head, start a game on medium difficulty... complete the first wave, then pick the upper right hand wave next. Shoot the blue crystal rocks until they turn into spinning heads.
- SERIES -
1. Asteroids (1979)
2. Asteroids Deluxe (1981)
3. Space Duel (1982)
4. Blasteroids (1988)
5. Asteroids (1998, PC, PS; 1999, GBC; 2000, Mac)
6. Asteroids Hyper 64 (1999, N64)
7. Asteroids Gunner (2011, App Store)
- STAFF -
Captain (Design): Ed Rotberg
First Officer (Programmer): Peter Lipson
Chief Engineer (Hardware): Gary Stempler
Xenobiologist (Artist): Sam Comstock
Damage Control (Technician): Rob Rowe
Leech Commander (Support): Mike Hally
Comm. Officer (Sound Designer): Brad Fuller
Purser (Software Support): Mike Albaugh
Security (Project Leader): Chris Downend
Special Thanks to: Alan J. Murphy
- PORTS -
* COMPUTERS:
[US] Commodore C64 [EU] (1988)
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1989)
[EU] Atari ST (1989)
[EU] Commodore Amiga (1989)
MSX [EU] (1989)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1989)
* OTHERS:
Apple iPhone/iPod [US] (aug.5, 2009) [Model 326573077]
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Game's picture.
Accepted [+] [X] Re-Volt New entry submitted by Duc Nguyen
- DESCRIPTION -
Unreleased game.
- TRIVIA -
Was evolved into Race Time and ATV Racing.
- STAFF -
Code: Quang Nguyen
Graphics: Richard Whittall, Derek Dow
Music: Manfred Linzner
Music Player: Martin Wodok
Executive Producer: Mark Greenshields
- SOURCES -
Various, including the Discord Re-Volt server.
Accepted [+] [X] I, Robot Update submitted by Duc Nguyen
I, Robot (c) 1984 Atari.
I, Robot is a 3-D shoot-em-up in which the player controls the "Unhappy Interface Robot #1984"; a servant robot who has become self-aware and decided to rebel against the all-controlling Big Brother and his ever-watchful 'Evil Eyes'.
The game is set over a series of platform-based stages constructed from solid coloured blocks and to complete a stage, players must "eliminate the red zones". This is achieved by moving the robot over all of a stage's red surfaces, changing their colour to blue. The colour scheme - including target colour - changes every 26 levels, however. So while the target colour is red for the first 26 screens, it becomes yellow from Level 27, blue from Level 53 and magenta from Level 79.
In order to reach all of the platforms and surfaces, the Interface robot will need to jump. This must be carefully timed, however, as jumping is not allowed under Big Brother's strict regime and his Evil eye - sitting atop a pyramid at the back of the playfield - will open at regular intervals to watch over the interface robot. Should the eye be fully open - indicated by it turning red - when the robot is mid-jump, he will be spotted and destroyed, costing the player a life.
Once all of the coloured squares on a stage have been eliminated, the enemy's shield is destroyed and the Interface Robot will need to be guided to a final, previously inaccessible coloured square at the back of the playfield. The Evil Eye is then zapped and destroyed.
Some levels feature different background elements that affect gameplay, such as walls that must be shot and destroyed to reach coloured tiles, or indestructible moving columns that intermittently block access to coloured tiles, making timing difficult. There are also enemies to be shot or avoided, including birds, bombs and flying sharks.
Once the eye has been beaten, Interface Robot automatically jumps to the top of the pyramid and launches itself into space. A short inter-level "Space Wave" to the next stage follows. These stages feature polygonal objects hurling through space that must be either avoided or destroyed.
Every third level contains a red pyramid that must entered once all coloured squares are eliminated. Once inside, the Robot has one chance to collect as many bonus jewels as possible before destroying the Evil Eye. If the Robot is destroyed while inside the pyramid, he is immediately thrust back into space. The player must then battle through three more levels and destroy a further three Evil Eyes before getting another chance to collect any high scoring pyramid jewels.
After every fourth level, the Space Wave stage features a battle with Big Brother himself, shown as a huge, disembodied polygonal head. Big Brother constantly spits cone-shaped projectiles from his mouth and every single one of these must be shot or they will collide with and kill the player.
The head can be forced to rotate by repeatedly shooting the side of its face. If the head isn't facing the robot, danger is minimized since he won't fire his cone-shaped projectiles when facing away. Players must simply survive this encounter for about 20 seconds, after which Big Brother flies away and the next level begins.
I, Robot features 126 stages, with 26 unique level designs. After level 26, the designs repeat at a higher difficulty level and with an altered colour palette. The on-screen level counter is only two digits, so levels 100–126 are displayed as 0–26 respectively. On passing level 126, the player gets thrown back to a random earlier level.
Once the game is underway, pressing the one-player Start button will incrementally zooms the game's camera closer in to the action, while the two-player Start button pulls it further back, offering new viewing angles of the playfield. Closer camera angles result in higher score multipliers, due to the increased difficulty of visibility. In later levels, enemies known as "Viewer Killers" directly attack the player rather than the robot, forcing players to either switch camera angles, or move the robot to scroll the camera away from the Viewer Killers
'I, Robot' was - in both technical and design terms - ahead of its time and the game featured many new and ground-breaking innovations that the games industry would later adopt. The most striking and obvious of these was the game's graphics. While 'I, Robot' wasn't the world's first three-dimensional game, it was the first to feature solid, filled-polygon graphics, as opposed to the wire-frame graphics adopted by earlier titles. The concept of players being able to switch viewpoints also appeared here first.
The final innovation was 'Doodle City'. Instead of playing the game, players could instead choose to use the game's colourful three-dimensional objects to draw pictures on the monitor screen. Doodle City lasts for three minutes per credit, although players can switch back to playing 'I, Robot' at any time. When switching back to the game, the number of lives the player has is dictated by how much time was spent on Doodle City, with one life taken away for every minute in the "Ungame" mode.
- TECHNICAL -
There was only one kind of I, Robot machine made, the upright dedicated cabinet. The only other game that used this exact cabinet was "Firefox", although the "Major Havoc" cabinet was similar. The best way to describe this cabinet is to say that it looked really top heavy. This cabinet wasn't just a straight up and down affair; the monitor area, control panel, and bottom section were all different sizes and the whole machine flared out at the bottom. The game featured partial sideart in the form of a field of red, blue, and yellow blocks floating in a field of stars. The marquee showed an 'I, Robot' logo composed of 3-D multicolored blocks. There were no important decorations on the control panel or monitor bezel, although the monitor did have a pair of grill-like plastic plates on either side of it. The action was controlled with a single 'Hall Effect' joystick mounted centrally and a camera button on the side of the control panel. This joystick was a fairly new kind of gaming control, but it never did catch on, a few other titles such as "Road Runner" used this stick, but they are almost impossible to find today. A joystick that worked off of magnetic fields probably wasn't the best idea anyway. Some people have managed to replace these joysticks with other kinds of analog sticks, but it requires custom work, and doesn't have the same feel as the Hall Effect stick.
Game ID : 136029
Main CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.5 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (4x) POKEY (@ 1.25 Mhz)
Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 256 x 232 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 96
Players : 1
Control : 8-way joystick with FIRING button
Buttons : 2 (VIEW, VIEW)
- TRIVIA -
I, Robot was released in June 1984 (even if the title screen says 1983).
I, Robot was an utterly unique arcade experience, with several innovations that were frankly years ahead of their time : SOLID 3-D polygons, at a time when the first "Star Wars" game's wire frame antics were still blowing everyone away, appeared HERE first. Selectable camera angles; now a staple of 3d games, were another innovation that I, Robot introduced to the gaming world. The game's very uniqueness would also prove its downfall. Arcade goers of the time were seemingly unable to cope with the game's surrealism and groundbreaking graphics and I, Robot was a commercial flop. 750 units were produced and shipped worldwide but Atari only sold around 500 of them.
I, Robot was originally called "Ice Castles" and consisted of three boards rather than the usual two. At the time of I, Robot's development, Atari exercised the somewhat unusual policy of awarding bonuses to engineers based entirely on revenue from sales of the machines, WITHOUT taking into account the amount of engineering resources (man years) spent developing it. In other words, just the sales revenue minus the manufacturing cost. Consequently, Atari's engineers were motivated to spend ridiculous amounts of time doing little more than reducing the manufacturing cost. They decided that the only way to reduce the cost of the game hardware was to replace a lot of TTL logic with an ASIC. Unfortunately, they assigned very inexperienced people to do the ASIC design. The resulting chip had very low yield; it's unlikely that ANY of them worked over the normal voltage and temperature ranges that commercial semiconductors are normally rated for. By this time, however, the game was so late that they weren't allowed to fix the ASIC problems. Apart from the time it would take to redo the chip, fixing it would also require putting it in a larger package with more power and ground pins, and so the board would have to be redone as well.
So for each production unit they just tried chips until they found one that seemed to work, and shipped the unit. They threw away a lot of chips.
- SCORING -
Scoring in this game is a little complicated since many things score differently (even the same things can score differently) :
Birds, Balls, Spiked Balls, etc. on the Platforms : 25-100 pts.
Polygon Asteroids, Pyramids, Cones, etc. in Space : 1-300 pts.
Once you destroy the Eye on the Platforms round, you get whatever bonus is left. Bonuses are variable per Platform and range from 3000 to 7000 points and decrement as you play.
You get 100 points per jewel collected when you take out the Eye in the control area. There are a maximum of ten jewels in the control area. Your maximum score you can get, though, is 999 points.
In space, you get points for everything you can kill.
If your score is greater then the BEST time on the Platforms or the BEST score in Space, you get a bonus of 2,500 points. You do not receive this bonus if you get killed on the Platform or in Space and have to start again.
When you enter a transporter pod, you get 20,000 points/level skipped if you successfully complete the Platform you transported to. You can only go to level 79 this way.
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* Hints for Game Play :
1) The player can advance to higher play levels while inside the Transporter.
2) Objects to be destroyed for points include a buzz saw, a soccer ball, a small ball dropped by a bird, the polygons, and a rolling log.
3) The player can achieve a bonus for shooting all of the tetrahedrons in a space wave. The player can also achieve bonus points by spelling I ROBOT by shooting the letters as they appear sequentially in space waves.
4) The player must shoot the polygons with SEVEN shots in order to destroy them and achieve points.
* Warp : Hold down both Start buttons when entering the transporter on level 1. You can now warp as high as level 10.
PLATFORMS :
* One block of claimed area will reduce the shield strength down by one. The shield strength is basically the total of all these unclaimed blocks per level. So if you see a shield strength of two, but don't see any unclaimed areas, this means you will definitely have to look around for them.
* Some Platform levels only have a few blocks separated by gaps while others have long walkways also separated by gaps. You must bridge the gaps between these blocks. To bridge any gap :
a) The game will show you when a gap can be bridged. The section under your robot will blink and a corresponding section across the gap will blink.
b) Bridges created are the same color that other claimed areas are.
c) If you jump when the Eye is open, your robot will be destroyed by the Eye.
* Sometimes unclaimed areas are hidden behind blocks. Use the point of view buttons to look for these areas.
* Your robot is equipped with lasers. They are useful when taking out the smaller objects such as birds and spiked balls. They won't work on the big beach balls or the walkway grinders.
* Using the above tip, remember to constantly shoot when you are jumping. Your lasers only fire toward the eye regardless of which way you jump. This usually prevents something from hitting your robot in mid-flight.
* Watch the shield below the Eye. The number will go down as long as you claim areas on the walkways. If the number is at one or two and you don't see any unclaimed areas, change your point of view and look around for unclaimed areas.
* There are indestructible creatures called ''Point of View'' killers. If you don't change your point of view by the time these things make it to your robot, your robot will be destroyed.
* In the middle, at the bottom of the screen is a phrase showing you how often the Eye opens and closes. This time is variable so you need to check out the bottom of the screen to see the frequency the eye opens. If there isn't a time, then it is once every five seconds.
* Keep in mind, you are on a timer. This basically means planning out in advance of where you want to move since there isn't really any time to sit around and take in the scenery.
* You must land on the unclaimed block in front of the eye in order to destroy it.
* Every third level, after you destroy the Eye from the outside, you will be able to enter a control area to take on the Eye in its environment. To make your job harder, a buzz saw starts at the back of this platform and eats it away toward the Eye. In addition, you may have to blast through walls in order to get the jewels and proceed toward the eye.
SPACE :
* The best way to get through this area is to rapidly shoot. Most objects require at least five to ten shots to take them out.
* Never let the tetras go. If you don't destroy them, they will come around from the backside and destroy your robot.
* There are other enemies such as tankers. If you hit them, they get mad and hit your robot from the backside if you don't destroy them.
* You can't destroy the saucers, but you can lead them into the rocks to kill them.
* You can also maneuver around the shapes but in the later levels, this is made harder by the life ring shaped objects that are on the outer edges.
* Every fourth level, you have to deal with a three-dimensional head. Although not particularly tough, it is a nuisance :
a) Fire at one side of the head to force it to rotate around. If the head isn't facing your robot, the danger is minimized considerably since he won't fire his cone-shaped projectiles at your robot.
b) You must hit every cone-shaped projectile fired from the head. If you don't, they come around and hit your robot from the backside.
c) You will have to survive this encounter for about 20 seconds. After that, you will be done with that part of the level.
* If you successfully destroy the letters IROBOT during the Space part of the level, you get a 5000 point bonus.
* After level two, you must successfully land your robot on the next level Platform.
- STAFF -
Designed and programmed by: Dave Theurer (DAV), Russel Dawe (RUS)
Video graphics by: Barbara Singh (BAR), Dave Ralston (DAV)
Hardware design by: Dave Sherman
Technician: Linda Sinkovic (LIN), Cris Drobny, Paul Mancuso (PAU)
Video support by: Mark Cerny (MAR)
Software support: Mike Mahar
Head of engineering: Dan Van Elderen (VAN)
Sound support: Synthia Petroka (CIN)
Hardware support: Gary Stempler (GAR)
- SOURCES -
Game's ROM.
Game's picture.
F.A.Q. by Kevin Butler A.K.A. War Doc
