Electronic Games Volume 01 - Number 02

t t++++++++++++++
Pinball
+ Goes +
+~++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++++
Video'

One important plus is that the garne is both on-screen and on the accorrrpd,,- more captivating contest Mark Turmell is
programmed to play usingjoystick, pad- ing audio track. The field then bursts into not a professional game inventor, but his
dle or keyboard input. When employing several alternating colors and the menu performance here shows that there's
the paddles, the gamer must press the comes up. plenty of room for the talented amateur
space bar to activate the shields, and this in electronic gaming,
gets to be a little Clumsy. With the The ticking resumes when the action
joystick, however, the shields work off starts, emanating from large red blocks 'Sneakers' is one of the first multi-play-
the second action button, which makes about the same size as the depots. The field games to reach the home arcade
for a more enjoyable game. ILeigh computer keeps track of the number of market In light of the popularity of such
Goldstein) depots collected as well as the time re- games in amusement centers, it's not
maining before the screen blows up real likely to be the last. either.
Tlmebomb ISwifty Software/Atari gOOd, as they say on "SCN Network
400 & 800/ 16K cassette) is are-working 90." Each of the eight phases challenges
of a concept first introduced by Swifty's the arcader's skill in a slightly different
own Space Chase. In both, an on· The constant ticking, the dwindling fashion. Instead of shooting at the same
screen object collects items spread across clock and the steady stream of enemy sort of target at ever-increasing speeds,
the playfield while avoiding pursuit In aircraft combine to make Timebomb' a the player must confront eight different
'Space Chase,' arcaders conquer planets genuine nail-biter, IBili Kunkel) creatures with as many styles of attack,
while fleeing from tie-fighters. Rows of
aircraft that enter the screen from both Sneakers ISirius Software/ Apple 11/ Turmell has obviously lavished a lot of
sides provide the menace that attempts 4BK disk) doesn't present a wildly inno- attention on the target-monsters, and
to frustrate the gamer's gathering of vative play-system, but it certainly they are the chief attraction , Rendered in
"depots" in 'Timebomb.' wrings the most outofessentially familiar an engagingly cartoony style, the Sneak-
elements, The concept: Players fire at a ers, Cyclops, Saucers, Fangs, H-wings,
The main point of interest is the amaz- field of moving tragets with a horizon- Meteors, Scrambles and Scrubs are near-
ing number of difficulty options designer tally mobile cannon, ly as loveable as they are deadly. If this
Fernando Herreras has included, There fellow isn't the Disney of computer gam-
are five daylight and five nighttime mis- This barebones description makes ing, he'll do until the real thing comes
sions, three sizes of airplanes and three 'Sneakers' sound like any of a hundred along.
possible aircraft speeds. jln the dark, programs that draw inspiration from
enemy planes can only bespotted when good old Space Invaders. But oh, the The rest of the visuals are up to the
they pa ss directly over one of the executionl It would be hard to find a same high standard, Between each of
depots,) No one is going to tire of this the five rounds that constitutes a com-
game because it's too easyl plete game, a huge mothership slowly

The graphics are the biggest draw- SNEAKERS
back . The airplanes are realistic. but the
depots are just big blue blocks and the .......SMIAIUAS ....."SAUctItS i , os
cursor is, well, a cursor. It's really a shame
the designer didn't spice up the game by h@ @ S~
making the depots look like something. ....", ,- .H.W..lM..G..S
LUG'
Up to four can compete, An excellent V~ MITlO«S
feature is that the program prompts each
gamer in turn and will not initiate play .....,
until one presses the action button on
the joystick. The gamer can then select Minotti
the desired difficulty options and get
going,

It may not be quite up to 'Space
Chase.' but this cassette does have its
charms, most notably the explosive de-
vices alluded to in its title. The game
opens with 'Tick, tick, TICK" appearing

~+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Electronk Games 51

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

lands, extends its gangplank and @
deposits the next cannon, 'Sneakers'
also features an attract program similar to o
the ones that lure players to the coin-op o
devices, Not exactly necessary for a
home arcade game, admittedly, but the JAWBREAKER
designer can be forgiven this bit of self-
indulgence. It does, at least. give a quick time to start avoiding them again. In ad- just before eating one of the special
visual synopsis of the scoring sytem. dition, special treats occasionally appear, Jawbreakers, This will enable the teeth to
as if by magic, in the aisles. They range in gobble up two or three of them before
'Sneakers' probably would have been value from 100 points for a lollypop to they can flee out of range without divert-
even better were it not for some of the 500 for a toyboat.jWhoeatsa toy boat? ing too much attention away from the
Apple II's intrinsic limitations. The tiny Maybe it's one 01 those wax-coated main business of clearing the aisles of
speaker in the computer is simply not up candies.) wivesavers. During any given period
to producing a "big" enough sound to when the bullies can be eaten, their
mimic the commercial arcade machines "By far the most extensive usage of point value depends on how many fall
as the designer obviously intended. The Atari Graphics to date" proclairns the victim to the teeth. The first is worth 200
sluggish mechanical action of the Apple colorful and clever instruction folder. pOints, the second is 400 points and so
paddles doesn't help much either, espe- DeSigner John Harris can be forgiven
cially when the player must fire rapidly this attack of egotism, because 'Jaw- forth, up to 800 points for the fourth.
against the Cyclops, H-wings and breaker' does, indeed, set standards for The magically appearing goodies are
Scrubs, computer game visuals. For instance,
when the player succeeds in clearing the less valuable compared to the bullies,
Yet even with these minor shortcom- store of wifesavers, the machine sends and so are not worth a lot of extra effort
ings, there's no question that 'Sneakers' out an animated toothbrush to scrub all to get. Unless one pops up directly in the
is an outstanding program, Turmell is the incisors, molars and bicuspids for the gobbler's path, it might as well be
reportedly working on a new game, and next round. ignored.
this is going to be one very hard act to
follow. jArnle Katz) The audiO portion of this electronic And don't get greedy about the ener-
pig-out isn't too shabby, either. The gizingJawbreakers. Try to clear an entire
J awbreaker IOn-line Systems/Atari game opens with a mUlti-voice rendition quadrant of the playfield before snag-
400 & SOO/48K) Introduces gobble of "The Candy Man" and subsequently ging the powerful treat. or you'll find
games to the Atari computer in grand offers a wide variety of eating and chew- yourself with a lot of uneaten wlfesavers
style, The theme of thiS machine-lan- ing noises that are well matched to the and a pack of bullies hot on your tail.
guage prograrn is a spree in a candy theme. Making occasional use of the vertical
store, The arcader steers a mouthfUl of scrolling feature is a good idea, because it
chomping teeth around the maze-like Since each round of play is progres- is less perilous than the trip from the top
establishment. gulping down all the little sively more difficult than the last. it IS of the playfleld to the bottom through
"wifesaver" hard candies in the aisles. important to take advantage of all the the maze. Remember, however, that the
scoring opportunities. A little practice gang of four isn't too dumb to use the
A gang of four brightly colored bullies with the JOystick will produce enough scroll, too. There's nothing worse than
tries to spoil the fun by chasing you skill to stay away from the bullies most of getting trapped in that corndor with a
around the store and attempting to bash the tirne, but the arcader should attempt bully close behind, only to discover that a
out all those pearly teeth, One special to lure the smilers closer to the chompers second roughneck is scrolling in your
sweet in each corner of the store is a spe-
Cial energizing jawbreaker. For a brief
period after one is eaten, the chompers
have the strength to turn the tables on
the rowdies and gobble them up for ex-
tra points. The bullies turn gray during
this crucial interval. and their leering
smiles,change to frowns to show their
displeasure at getting chased hither and
yon by the arcader's gulper. After all,
what bully likes to get a taste of his own
medicine?

Once a bully is eaten, its ghost floats
back,to the corral in the center of the
playfield, where it resumes its normal bel-
ligerent activities. All the bullies begin to
flash their true colors when their period
of vulnerability is about to come to an
end, giving the gamer a warning that it's

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

52 E'ectronlc G..mes

a&A Just In Case

continued from page 14 For Protecting, Storing and Transporting Your Atori-

Rally-X and 'Pac Man'. According to The new Atari Carrying Case holds the base
their schedule for '82, Atari's VCS ver- unit, 2 joysticks, a set of paddles. the adap~
Sion of the maze chase classic will be on tors, and 4 cartridges. The cartridges, placed
store shelves by March . on top of t he bose uni t, are snuggh.,. secured
by the thick foam inside the lid. Removable lid
0 : Once and for all I'd like to allows in·case operation .•.••... . $22.95
Deluxe Model ( holds 16 cartridges)..$27.95
know what the difference Is be- M atching 24-pack cortridge case ••• $17.95
tween a vectorbeam and a quadra-
scan and how they work, Even (odd $3.00 for shipping a nd handling)
though I read that 'Asteroids: 'Red Satisfaction Guaranteedl
Baro n ' and 'BattJezone' uses the
quadrascan system, they each look Send check or money order to:
slightly different.
Cases Inc. P.O. Box 33820 Seattle, WA 98133 (206) 365-5210
Also, will N .A .P. be making new
cartridges of their own or will Mag- -Ateri is a Trademorn of Atari, Inc.
navox continue to supply games for
the Odyssey'? IFrom Jim Cayton, ATARI ® ~ (.
Vista, Ca.)
* INTELLIVISIONlM
A : Actually. Jim, there is no real differ- * ODYSSEY21M
* FAIRCHILD
ence between Atari's quadrascan and * BALLY®
the other vector graphics systems. The ** CAME PLAYERS
vectorbeam was developed by Electro- NEW CARTRIDGES
home for Cinematronics and was used ~ -Or~~.(z-
on such classic coin-op-s as Star CARTRIDGE RACKS ~/ .0.-'i1'-C7'.&s.cr~~q,~9l'
Hawks and Star Castle. "Ouadra-
scan" is essentially the same system, but STORAGE UNITS
the name is trademarked for use exclu-
sively by Atari. Ouadrascan, in other TV TO STEREO ADAPTERS / "
words, is a specific vector graphics scan-
ning system, named for the fact that it CARTRIDGE X-CHANGE SERVICE
breaks the screen into four equal parts,
each capable of generating high-resolu- USED CARTRIDGE SYSTEMS
tion images and moving them at vari-
able speeds. SCREEN SONICS, InC. is the complete video game
cartridge service fOr cartridge X-<:hanges, new
Vector graphics employs a specially- products, and Atari servicing. If you would like
built. "intelligent" monitor to achieve its more information on how you can enjoy more
eyeball-bending images, unlike your games fOr your system and SAVE,
home television monitor, which em-
ploys the traditional rasterscan tech- )Il sendS11!oG
nology. Any differences you may note
among the various games employing ATARI® ~ SONICS 'NC
vector graphics is probably the result of
refinement and design improvements. AuthOrized Atarl® P.O. BOX 8892
Independent Service center ST. LOUIS, MO. 63102
As for who will be supplying games
for the Odyssey', they will continue to Satisfaction Guaranteed ~ ~ 1dIIItI- ,..,
be produced by the same folks who
brought you UFO, Ouest for the Ele<tronlc Games 53
Rings and the other 0' favorites. Mag-
navox, you see, is a subSidi'lry of North
American Philips. The change is mainly
one regarding retail outlets for Odyssey
hard and software. Previously, the main-
line system and game cartridges were
sold exclusively via authorized Magna-
vox dealerships. By establishing
Odyssey as a separate division, N.A.P.
hopes to improve distnbution.

continued on page 56

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++~

direction. ..'..'\ /., '.'j'i scroll off the bottom of the screen auto-
matically reappear at the top and drop
The instruction folder deseNes special ", back into the formation.

notice. It is fully as delightful as the game " ' ..'. 'Galactic Chase' offers both one- and
itself, presenting the simple rules in the /' two-player options, but like most invader
style of one of those learn-to-read --=-=-®:~ programs is more suited to solitaire ac-
primers that substitutes little pictures for tion. There are three skill levels, though
the hard words. MISSLE COMMAND the aliens' speed and ferocity increase
even within each level. A t the greatest
Who says hygiene lessons can't be the next onslaught. difficulty setting, which kicks in when
fun71Arnie Katz) Strategy is similar to that used in the the gamer encounters the 31 st alien ar-
mada, the invaders' invisible ray partially
Missile Command IAtari/Atari 400 coin-op version. Remember to allow for disables the missile launcher so that the
& 800/ROM cartridge) completes the the time it takes for an ABM to travel to its defender'S weapons travel much more
hat-trick for this enormously popular pro- goal and fire where you expect the slowly. The program helps the gamer
gram that has already done well in both missile to be when your ABM detonates. keep track of the number of fleets des-
the home programmable and coin-op It is generally not worthwhile to protect troyed by putting a little flag for each one
fields flattened cities while, conversely, saving eliminated in the lower righthand corner
the two metropolises on either sideof the of the playfield.
The computer version represents a command center should get top priority.
beautiful translation of the original com- The game's excellent instruction manual The arcader faces this mighty on-
mercial arcade game. If this 'Missile Com- also advocates launching "insurance" slaught with a series of three starships.
mand' didn't feature a single central missiles at the leh and right ends of the The joystick is used to move the craft
command center-instead of the three playfield in hopes of catching a bomber back and forth across the bottom of the
found on the coin-op-even gaming or satellitejust as it appears on the screen. screen and the action button must be
gourmets would be hard-pressed to tell pressed each time a missile is to be fired.
which one was filling the screen. The graphics are outstanding. It's Scoring 7,000 points adds another Ship
quite a sight to watch up to five different to the defender's reseNe fleet. as does
Players begin by choosing the nU(Tl- types of weapons streaking down the advanCing to the 16th, 32nd and 48th
ber of participants lone or two), indicat- screen while your cursor hunts them fleet engagments.
ing whether sco ring 10,000 points down. IBili Kunkel)
should earn a bonus City, and selecting Scoring is tallied on-screen at the base
the difficulty level at which the action will Galactic Chase ISpectrum Compu- of the playfield The program also keeps
start. As 'Missile Command' fans know, ters/Atari 400 & 800/ 16K & diSk) proves track of the best performance during the
the object is to fire anti-ballistic missiles there's truth in the old saying that you current session-highest point total and
IA8Ms) to detonate incoming rockets be- can't always tell a book by its cover. The greatest number of fleets engaged-on
fore they can devastate the cities under crude illustration on the rules folder, the same line.
your protection.
which seNes as the game's cover, is un- The point value of the four types of at-
The enemy bombardment comes In taCkers-ensigns, captains, flankers and
short, but intense, bursts, each faster and worthy of the program inside. command ships-holds the strategic key
deadlier than the one which preceded it. Arcaders browsing the software to 'Galactic Chase.' Each type of space
Therefore, by setting the game to com- creature is worth at least twice as much if
mence at wave No. 10, arcaders will test shelves may be so put off by the package hit while swooping than if it is shot out of
themselves to the limit from the very first that they fail to investigate 'GalactiC the formation. The command ships,
shot. Of course, the more difficult the Chase.' That would be a definite mis- which count for 50 points ordinarily, can
wave, the higher the point value. take, because this disk makes an excel- bring up to 400 points if eliminated dur-
lent addition to any Atari gamer's ing a bombing run at the defender.
Cursor action is satisfyingly fast. The lit- collection.
tle aiming square flies across the screen So although it's hard to resist all those
with a speed reminiscentofthe coin-op's As the last defender of the civilized stationary targets, arcadersmust use will-
track-ball controller. It's even possible to galaxy. the arcader confronts a succes- power, Wait for the first invaders to leave
set up a protective umbrella of A8Ms that sion of alien invasion fleets. Once the formation for a lower-altitude attack be-
will stop all but the mightiest weapons battle is joined, the attackers peel out of fore atomizing them. How high you
from striking the cities. formation and swoop toward the bot- score is a function of how long you can
tom of the field on flared insectoid wings. continue to pursue this approach before
The always-nameless foe does have The arcader fires missiles-or, in desper- the steadily increasing number of crea-
some fearsome armaments, too: ICBMs, ate situations. attempts to ram-the tures swooping at anyone time over-
MIRVs Imultlple warhead missiles), killer invaders to save mankind and, just inci- whelms the star Ship. At that point. it's
satellites and bombers, and even smart dently, score points. Any creatures who every space knight for himself.
missiles that can avoid or deflect ABMs
not perfectly targeted. So ignore the tacky cover artwork and

Aher each attack, the computer tallies back into the formation, wi th the ex-
the score and displays the number of ception of the bonus-targets which
cities and defensive rockets remaining
The gamer usually uses this inteNal to must be destroyed before ILaney)
take a few deep breaths and prepare for

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++4

54 EJe<tronl c Games

~+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dodge Racer /Synapse Softwarel Though obviously inspired by Atari's Each player receives five cars. with re-
Atari 400 & 8001 I 6K cassene. 24K trans- Dodge 'Em, this version is clearly an im-
ferred to disk) is a splendid computer ver- provement on its inspiration. By increas- seNe autos shown lined up next to the
sion of the classic concentric-rectangle Ing the number of lanes to six. Dodge
race game. Players guide cars through Racer' greatly reduces the chance that score counter in the center of the screen.
connecting. maze-like corridors and the gamer will develop a system. Once Drivers rev up to the higher of the two
score by running over point-scoring ob- the arcader has a pre-planned route that available speeds by pressing the action
jectS placed at regular inteNals along the covers the entire field in the shortest pos- button. At high speed. cars can jump
roadways. The main hurdle to clearing sible time. it takes a lot out of programs of two lanes instead of the customary one.
the entire field is a human or computer- this type. It is certainly possible to "solve" This is the arcader's sole advantage over
operated jam car that anempts to crash 'Dodge Racer.' but it will take most play- thejam car. which can never shift more
into the arcader's vehicle before too ers a lot of time to arrive at a sure-fire than one lane at a time.
many points are amassed. approach.
The program includes 16 variations.
DODGE RACER some of which drastically change the
whole complexion of the contest. One
variant replenishes the dots after every
crash. while another pilots the scoring
racer against two crash vehicles. Up to
four can play. either taking turns or
squaring off in a series of head-to-head
confrontations.

'Dodge Racer' uses machine-lan-

guage sub-routines that speed up play
andJuice up theJoystick response. A sig-
nature tune opens and closes each
game. and there's a rumbling audio
track that sounds like a souped-up T-bird.
Even the instructions are clear and pre-
cise. Mazelchase fans will want this one.

/8ill Kunkel)

Imperial Walker /Crystalware/Atari
400&8001 I 6K disk) isa mixed bag of five
games-one didn't even make the list-
ing on the package. because Crystal-
ware only added it to later editions- that
range from graphically impressive but
boring to unique and imaginative.

The lead-off hiner. Imperial Walker,
IS a disappointment. The walker-or At-
At-of "Empire Strikes Back" fame
moves through a series of stiffly ani-
mated poses. but only travels horizontal-
ly across the screen.

It certainly looks impressive. at least
the first few times. You'lI probably gasp in
astonishment when. after the At-At
brings down a tie-fighter. a tiny rebel
pilot emerges. fires a harmless blast at the
mechanical mammoth and runs off the
screen.

A game needs more than looks.
though. 'Imperial Walker' leaves a lot to
be desired.

The walker can move forward or
backward. shift its head into any of three
firing pOSitions and spit laser blasts from
its mouth. but it can only perform one of
these actions at a time. Simultaneous
movement and fire is out.

Even with such a handicap. the deck
is sOlidly stacked in the walker's favor.

~+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Electronic Games 55

"GAME·R~·pIU{!" a&A
Set of 4 great games. on Ruality SOISO polycotton T-Shirts or
T-~hirtSsw-$e2a4tshirts for one low price. continued from page 53
All 4 All 4 • -$52
or $6.99ea. 0: How long does Intelllvision

SIZES: Adults S.M.L.X L. Children s 10-14 , 14-16. take to make a cartridge and how
CGLORS : Space Invader s-roya l blu e , As t ero i ds - red much does It cost to make one7
ffrom Duane f"lntelllvlslon" / Smith,
Miss il e Command-bl ac k, Pac Ma n- roya l blue. Rochester, Mn.,

*-GT"a(mf oesROto"nR: c h- i-l-dSreennds-'chseizcek-soarv-maCiJlnaeyb-l oerdoner -r ofyoa:-l - T--' s- -o-nl- A: First off, Duane, let's make your
-
question slightly more generic. Intellivi·
Downeas t Trading Co. INC. sion, Atari and Odyssey all take approxi·
mately the ame amount of time in pro·
737 Warbu r t on Ave . Yo nkers N.Y. 10701 ducing a new game cartridge: about
d ex . dat e &number . four months . This Research and Devel·
opment period is very expensive, as is
production of the program boards and
the asssembly line process whereby
they are placed within protective plastic

casings.

City_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-'S t at e_ _ _ _Zi p_ _ _-I 0: I would like to buy an Atarl400

Gamer T' s Pa k Gamer Sweat shi r t Pa k Si ze computer, but I would like to put
more K memory Into It. The people
I ndi vidual game Si z e at Atarl told me If I do that, the com-
puter might break down, and It
N.Y. r es. Add 8%sa l es t ax . Add $1 per order shi ppi ng. won't understand what I want It to
do. fFrom Robert F. Hobbs, Dracut,
Dealer Inquiries Invited. Mass.,

rDiessup'&""1 Video Game Cartridges A : Well, as your friendly Game Doctor
At Wholesale Prices
!FAV~~§PROTECT YOUR~ has had an Axlon 32K Ramcram in his
Savings Up To 50% 400 for over six months now without
Off Retail Prices any ill·effects. the only real cause for con·

.nAIII Wa rLordS cern seems to be Atari possibly voiding

Can nonball Ad venture the warranty on any souped up system.
Several companies are now produc·
ilJ~[)-TRH~~ ~i~DsmUokSedTviCnyOl. dVesEigRned to fit Atari§ $p.a cr Wa r $uper8reakou t
ing upgrade boards for the Atari and,
SVideo games. Holds controllers s§ Surround Space Invaders aside for occasional line-distortion, they
$u eel Ra cer are all apparently safe. As for the compu'
Home Run ~~!ee~~~n~ a u ter failing to "understand" you, I can 't
Footb all imagine why. The only real danger
AsterOidS could come from accidentally inserting
~~~:~EBa ltie Indv500 the board into the 400 backwards . So if
you're not sure w hat YOU 're doing,
01,111 ...... AeTIV1810. have an authorized dealer install it for
Vr deoOlymplCS
BreakouT Sta mpede *you.
Basketball Draoster
Well, it's time to lock upthe question
Bow ling eO~ln!l box so the Game Doctor can get out
SkIIng there on the videogame golf course
CirCUS and shoot a few holes. But if you have
TennIS any questions about programmable
videogames. hand-helds. coin-ops or
$14SsyooreusrsfaUPmi&lyp'srotect C!less Lase/Bi asi computer games - any aspect of elec-
SSPIUS up to 10 game cartridges. S tronic arcading - just drop a line to
Night Dri ver Freeway your favorite gaming sawbones. Send
9 5 S~ Ka boom y our problems and question to:
Maz eC/ au Ice Hockev Electronic Game s, 235 Park Ave .
South , New York, NY 10003. C
MlssleCommand
~
§favorite tOY... ~ PAUMAJlIS COMIIlIi I/IIMAIICH

§ §Replacement AC ADAPTER BAILY' . ATTEI AlSO ""lAB"
§ §for Atari, .lntelliViSion ' S12 95
Only 3Weats Oeli~ery on OrdlfS
.:'~:O.S:E~N~D~~FGO.R:CSA_.T_A~L:OEG;O:F'O~':S_____ _
______SteP&laoct;h~e;rnV~iId~e~o:gea~m~~e~ss ~~JICH~S

§ ".,- - - - -- -- - - -§ To order send check or money

S order plus + 2.50 shipping & handl·S
Ss ing . (NJ residents add 5% tax) Visa & Ss AD"'" _________ _

,m - - - - - - -- - - -S Master card accepted. Include S
SS card no. & expodate.
~ R0~I'-D--)'uDc:;)r1s§R Lr~u SUTE lIP _ __

@.j S MIli To: CDMP·U-GAM ES
P.O. BOI 7105. Klcksville. New York 1180 1
§§ §S
l4a4keHoH~ff~m'fa.n~\Ahtv2e~~5D0e7p0t34 ~ We Accepl CMecks Visa & Ma SlerC M rge

------------------------------

M--.r""""""",,'--,~
56 Elect ronic Games

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

IMP£R~AL get it when it's comparatively accessible.
Be particularly on guard against running
WALK£R over the tail, which often happens when

the arcader tries to brake or suddenly re-
verses direction.

'Snake 'n Shake' ranks as one of the

most stimulating challenges to the hand-

eye masters to come along in some time,

So be sure to get the editions which in-
clude it. And ifyou got one of the earliest

copies of 'Imperial Walker,' see ifyou can

eXChange it for a newer one, The pre-
sence of 'Snake 'n Shake' on the disk

spells the difference between a question-
able value and a real bargain, IBili Kunkel)

IMPERIAL WALKER Star Thief ICavalier Software/Apple
II/48K) is almost assured of a warm re-
While this is admittedly true to the "Star ing graphics: the androids resemble ception, because it is one of the few pro-
Wars" mythos, it makes the game pretty nothing so rnuch as the aliens from grams offered for the Apple that two
one-sided, The tie-fighter, which can be "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," people can play simultaneously. Based
controlled by either the computer or a on the coin-op success, Ripoff, the
second human player, can only stop this Gunfight is a wild west shoot-'em- general object is to keep the aliens from
armored lummox by shooting at its vul- up, and the same thing has been done stealing the pulsating pods.
nerable neck.
better, The colors seem rather bleak, and The game starts slowly, but the action
Th e bottom line is that 'Imperial heats up significantly as it progresses.
Walker's first-rate visuals mask a pro- the bullets can be difficult to pick out Each participant is armed with phasers to
gram that has many of the characteristics against th e background. The shining shoot at the multi-colored and swift-
one would expect of a computerized moment comes when a gunfighter stops moving aliens, who fire back and gobble
sleeping pill. a fatal slug. The computer trills a short up the pods as they fly, Controls function
dirge and then sets up a little tombstone exactly like Asteroid Field, Cavalier's
Auto Race challenges gamers to to mark the spot , previous entry, PUShing the paddle but-
steer cars through a treacherous maze. ton rapidly discharges the phasers, while
As a nice touch, drivers use the Atari's Snake 'n Shake is the mystery bonus holding it down applies thrust to the
number keysto shift gears. Not so nice is game mentioned earlier, Ironically, it's ship.
that the programmer didn't take the time the disk's real treasure. This clever cousin
to adapt' Auto Race' for joystick move- of Surround is an abstract contest that The concept is straightforward: Blast
ment, Having to steer WIth the four direc- sends gamers on a chase after a random- the enemy to smithereens before they
tional keys makes this game much more ly appearing blue dot. The target pops can clear the field of pods. The game
trouble than it's worth to master. Into existence, stays a few seconds and ends when both players have been killed
then blinks to another section of the and all the pods are gone, Some of 'Star
On the other hand, those who enjoy screen. Thief's' best moments come when the
"nim" games have got to love lazer pods are gone, one player IS o ut of com-
Nim , For the uninitiated, this version The player uses a joystick to direct a mission, and the survivor b ttles to the
provides several rows o f little robot kew- cursor that grows a longer tail each time death with the invaders.
pie dolls. Alternating turns with the com- it ca tches up with the dot. Running into
puter, the arcader eliminates as many the playfield boundary, the obstacle Avoiding the corners isguaranteed to
dolls as desired, but only from one row in cross located at the center of the screen keep you in the game longer, because
or the tail of the snake ends the game. that's where the aliens materialize,
a given turn, The o~ect is to see who Shooting through the sides of the screen,
With some practice, skillful players will using a technique reminiscent of one
gets the last nirn. soon be hauling around a snake that's facet of strategy for Asteroids, is quite
This program won't make anyone for- several times longer than the diameter of legal-and very effective. Players are al-
the field. lowed to team up to form a united front
get Star Raiders, but it certainly is the against the hostile star thieves, or they
best version of this ancient game for the The trick isto pass up the dot when it's can go it alone,
computer. The allure is all in the charm- wedged into particularly tough spots
and make the most of opportunities to Whichever way it's played, 'Star
Thief' is sure to appeal to arcaders look-
ing for another outlet for a strong des-
tructive streak. ILeigh Goldstein)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ele<:tronlc Games 57

Something else not found too fre-
quently in other games is 'The Ouest' 's
concept of " the Guardians." If the com-
puterist attempts to direct the on-screen
explorer into a course of action within
the game for which the hero is unpre-
pared, the program prints out a warning
and prevents progress along forbidden
lines until any deficiency is rectified .

Whether this is a good thing or a bad
one will depend entirely on each indiv~
dual's attitude. Some will greatly preferto
have their character live-or if need be
-die as a consequence of his own ac-
tions. Others will undoubtedly be grate-
ful to " the Guardians" for saving them
from expending a lot of futile effort.

The program itself is of fairly good
quality, but it has some annoying as-
pects. There are some intriguing puzzles,
but there are also entirely too many "set
pieces."

By Arnie Katz Here's an example. At one point. the
explorer, while examining a room, is
Swords Against jumped from behind by a crazed land
wounded) man . The man flails about
the Evil wildly and rushes past the adventurer,
leaving a crucial map behind. Even
Wizard' when the gamer takes precautions
against being surprised in th is man-
T h e Oue st/Surv iva l Softwarel civilization might still exist. ner-or when you know the attack is
Atari 8OO/48K disk Another unusual wrinkle is that The coming because it isn't the first time
you've played this section of 'The
This is the initial installment of a pro- Ouest is an augmented text adventure. Ouest'-there is no way to prevent or
anticipate this event. Your character can
jected mUlti-part epic that isdistinguished Besides the usual words, it is graced with face every direction in the room and not
see this guy, butjust let the explorer start
from the usual run of such games in sev- some entertaining audio-visual effects. to leave and-wham I-the wounded
psycho jumps on his back out of no-
eral important ways. As night begins to fall, for instance, the where. There is also no way to stop the
man from leaving, even if the doors and
One is that. in a field overwhelmingly screen's background color slowly dark- windows are locked. It would have
been a lot more sensible to have hidden
dominated by adventures with a fantasy ens from daylight blue to midnight black. the map somewhere in the room so it
could be found. Such false notes definite-
theme, this one has a resolutely science Firing a gun- assuming, of course, the ly detract from an otherwise enjoyable
experience. Hopefully, the designer w ill
fictional slant. It's a post-nuclear war arcader is clever enough to find it - learn to avoid such set-ups in future in-
stallments.
story in which the hero starts on the out- produces an audible report. When an
WlzardrylSir-Tech/Apple 11 /48K disk
skirts of one of the few remaining settle- adventurer tries to study a map, the Although it lacks some of the play-ele-

ments and heads West to discover what screen displays an actual drawing, not ments found in other titles, Wizardry's
debut is an event of singular importance
remnants of the once-mighty American just a written description of its contents. to lovers of computer adventures. Those
who have a thorough grounding in
non-electronic role-playing games like

58 Ele<tronlc Game5

'Dungeons & Dragons' (TSR) will be par- computer game. Considering the wealth vision for the thievish skills of sneaking,
ticularly excited by the possibilities. of detail they've packed into this thing, it stealing and climbing . There's a slight
may well be true. Greatly facilitating tendency, when playing, to treat the
The initial package-Sir-Tech has ease-of-play is the fact that 'Wizardry' is party's thief as a human can-opener, so
promised that additional scenarios will done in Apple Pascal J. J Run-time Op- gamers are advised to control at least
become available about mid-year- erating System. This yields a game that one other adventurer on the mission or
includes the Master Disk with a "gilded will run on a garden-variety Apple II Plus, risk boredom.
hole" scenario on the flip side. yet has lightning-quick data manipu-
lation no Basic program can match. WIZARDRY
Proving Grounds of the Mad Once a computerist becomes familiar
Overlord, though quite enjoyable in its with the procedures in 'Wizardry: it's Once enough characters are produced,
own way. is intended by the designers possible to input and process informa- the focus shifts to the castle. A visitto the
to help players become familiar with the tion faster than the monitor can print itl Inn permits the players to assemble a par-
system and develop characters powerful ty of heroes, and this is often followed by
enough to stand a chance against some The best way to giveyou some idea of a trip to Boltac's Trading Post to buy arms
of the forthcoming menaces. The wizard this title's features is to run through the and armor. Some magic is also obtain-
Weirdna has stolen a valuable Object steps necessary to create a party. That's able, but it is properly expensive and
from the treasure rooms of the mad right RPGers, it is possible to run a group scarce.
monarch Trebor, and the gamer must of up to six characters at the same time.
forge charcters mighty enough to sur- Then it's off to the maze-like warrens
vive the dangers involved in getting it After chOOsing a name, the player de- beneath the castle. The computer shows
back. termines the race (human, elf, dwarf, players a constantly updating 3-D per-
hobbit or gnome) and the alignment spective view of what the characters
A particularly well-done instruction (good, neutral or evil) . The computer would actually see, a rundown on the
book tells everything needed to create then prints out the values for the six basic party members' current status and a list
and direct the on-screen heroes and traits (strength, 1.0, piety, vitality. agility of options requiring the typing one one
heroines without revealing too much and luck) appropriate to the race select- letter to implement. The party moves
about the various charts, tables and ed. Also generated is a number of "free" through the corridors, exploring rooms
equations that underlie movement, ability points, usually in the 7-30 range, and changing levels. Mapping is abso-
combat and other actions. which the player can allocate as desired. lutely necessary.
This makes it possible for anyone charac-
While a reviewer might wish to know ter to anain the minimum needed prime Though beings met in the dungeon
more about what makes things tick, it's requisite for any of the four "regular" occasionally greet the party with friend-
possible to make a very good C2se for the classes of adventurers (fighter, priest, ship, most encounters are at sword's
attitude that the players are bener left in thief and mage). There are also four point. If one occurs, a color drawing of
ignorance about such maners. Lack of "elite" classes (samurai, lord, ninja and the monster-type closest to the party ap-
bishop), but only bishop is available to a pears in the upper left-hand corner, and
WIZARDRY beginning character-and then only if the opposition is listed to the right
the adjusted ability scores are very high.
such data forces arcaders to deal directly Finally, the gamer has the option to keep Players then choose an option for
with the game situation in its own terms. the character rolled up or scrap it and try each character. When this is completed,
This, in turn, prevents people from be- again. the program Fights the first round of com-
coming preoccupied with trying to fool bat reporting what each participant on
around with the mathematical under- It would be helpful if subsequent edi- both sides is doing. The current status of
pinning. tions put the selection for alignment later everyone involved is revised, and the
in the character generation routine. The process repeats.
Designers Andrew Greenberg and thief class, for example, is only open to
Robert Woodhead contend that "neutral' or "evil" characters, and it
'Wizardry', at I4,()(x) lines of code, is the would be good to have a less restricted
longest program ever wrinen for a micro- range of choices.

The actual classes are a well-done
adaptation of standard non-electronic
role-assumption gaming fare. The
balance of strengths and weakness com-
pels all members of an adventuring party
to work together to achieve success.
Fighters are best in combat mages work
spells, priests can Flghta little and pull offa
variety of miracles, and thieves are ex-
perts at defusing traps and picking locks.
In the case of the laner class, however,
it's too bad the game could make no pro-

ElectronIc Games 59

novative. Scon Adams himself. a skilled

programmer with a flair for concocting

ingenious puzzles laced with a bracing

dash of humor. deseNes a large measure

of the credit. This library of scenarios. an

even dozen at last count. has seNed as

the introduction to computer adventur-

ing for most of those presently engaged

in this facet of electronic gaming.

If Adam's creations have an achilles

heel. it is that. in general. the individual

puzzles and traps must be surmounted in

a pre-determined sequence. Failure to

penetrate even one of the many myster-

ies contained within each Adventure in-

evitably brings all progress to a screech-

ing halt while the player frantically hunts

for the key to the solution.

Typing in the command "help" will

sometimes elicit enough information to

get things moving again. but not al-

ways. Adventure International has now

taken pity on us poor folks who are. tem-

porarily at least. losing the barrie of wits

against one of Adams' creations by pro-

ducing a book of hints covering the first

nine programs in the set.

ANALOG ADVENTURE Author Adams displaysJust as light a

touch here as he does with the games

themselves. The hints are not so specific

that they ruin all the fun.yet they contain

If the party vanquishes its foes. the ter's newly gained experience. Those enough wisdom to prompt most players
number of experience points earned by which have accumulated enough points
each character replaces the list of anack- are advanced to the next highest level to develop the correct strategy.
ers. Any treasure not in a chest is auto- within their class. This frequently gains
matically parcelled out evenly. Finally. if new or heightened abilities. 'Wizardry' Even better. the suggestions are pre-
there is a chest. the game initiates that also borrows a concept introduced by
series of options for the players. the non-electronic " Tunnels & Trolls" sented in a format that is appropriate to
and has the ability scores fluctuate slIght-
If the party has sustained appreciable ly when a character anains a new level. the spirit of the games upon which they
damage. it may erect a camp. There. in Usually. several traits will increase by a
safety. the adventures can cast healing point eaCh. but a reduction becomes comment. That is. they are not given in a
spells. examine mysterious items found more likely as a character gets older. Age
in the dungeon and revise the group's 50 seems to be the worry line. cut-and-dried. straightforward manner.
marching order.
Even this extensive review only It requires a small amount of work on the
'Proving Grounds of the M ad Over- scratches the surface of ·Wizardry.' The
lord' gives adventures a fai r shake. but it only way to really understand this gamer's part to unearth these clues.
is very stingy with its rewards. Charac- smooth-playing fantasy game is to get
ters have to work hard and take big risks out there and adventure in It for awhile. The process of finding a hint is relative-
to get any of the real plums. And in this case. that is highly recom-
mended to all electronic adventurer- ly simple. After locating the section of the
After exiting the maze. the party may gamers.
go to the Temple of Radiant Cant. where booklet for the desired adventure. the
the holy men will raise the dead and cure Book of Hints!Adventure Interna-
the poisoned or paralyzed fo r a stiff fee. It tional/Not a program truth-seeker scans a list ofshort questions
is wise to camp shortly before returning Scan Adams Adventures were among
to the castle and use up any healing the first-and remain among the best- until he finds the one that seems to apply
spells on party members that need the se ries of inter-active computer text
help. Damage not repai red in this games. There are many reasons for their to the specific predicament under study
fashion can be mended with rest at the widespread acceptance. not the least of
Adventurers ·Inn. There are seve ral which is that Adventure International Underneath each question is a series of
grades of accommodations. each with a has made its varied line available for most
different healing rate. Since aging isa fac- of the major micro systems. numbers. These are cross-referenced
tor in the game. the best rooms should
be chosen if the character can afford the Yet that alone cannot explain their en- with a special code dictionary. All the ar-
cost. dUring popularity in a field that always
puts a premium on the new and in- cader has to do is substitute the right
The visit to the Inn is also the means by
which the program records each charac- word for each corresponding number.

60 EJ« tronl c Gi'lmes and a lirrle hint emerges.

This may sound cumbersome. but it

has one important advantage. It is vir-

tually impossible to see a hint not abso-

lutely required by the gamer. After all.

who wants to spoil an adventure by in-

advertantly learning the solutions to all
the puzzles7

A wise adventure-gamer should no

more consider tackling one of Scott

Adams' brain-bogglers without 'Book of

Hints' clutched firmly in hand than the

on-screen hero would assay a danger-

ous quest without sword . ~

REPLAY II.TIIITI

continued from page 7

A plea Is answered

First of all. thank you. The magazine is the most advanced maze game available to the

great. You really ought to go to bi-mon- ATARI" owner
thly release, at least.
A new gam e by Craig Patchett w hich uses m achine
I think an interesting item would be language ro utines, 5-colo r, high-re so lution graphics

troubleshooting, SeNice is the only bad and sound effects.
The player's goal is to g uide an imaginary robot th rough
th ing abo u t p rog rammable video-
and out o f a 3-dimensional maze.
games, especially w here I live, No one 20 g ame yariatio ns insu re countless hours o f enjoym ent.

local wants to seNice cartridgesor units. CAPTIVITY can be used w ith any ATARI" com puter
with at least 24K, It is available in cassette fo rmat
Helpl o nly, Price is $24.9 5 p lus $2,00 shipp ing and handling .
Available at fin e co mputer stores or w rite us directly.
Chuck Jones
Program Design, Inc. I I Idar Court Greenwich , CT 06830
(No address given) 203 -66 t -8799
Ed: The enthusiastic backing Elec-
tronic Games has received from ar- ATAIU* is rhe registered trademark of ATARl. Inc.
caders all across the country makes
It possible to grant your wish, start-
Ing with the very next Issuel EG Is
going bl-monthly,
Service Is a problem, Hopefully, as
the number of vldeogame systems
continues to grow, more repair faci-
lities will decide to learn how to ser-
vice them,

*** NOW
the official
More solitaire games needed VIDEO GAM EPLAYERS'

As an Odyssey ' owner. I am naturally T - S h i r t5sJustJoin lhe.",ideo game revolution ,95
interested in news and review s of car- byweaflng these offic ial shirts ..
tridges in production or in the works.
That' s why "Programmable Parade" the choice of video gamers everywhere!
and "Hotline" w ere my favorite articles, I
also enjoyed the "Players Guide" , since • tOO% pre· shrink conon OPTIONAL DEFINITIONS
it gave me a good oveNiew of other • Super Comforla ble VideoAce : An expert . very
games , • Colors : Blue . White. Tan Skillful : havmg much trammg
• Beautifully sllkscreened In and knowledge In the
I would like to see a software outfit operation 01video games
th at would make cartridges for Ody- dark blue ink
ssey' like Activision does for the Atari Vidio!: One who Willingly
VCS. I agree with your conclusion tha t • Sizes :SM (34·36) suflers extreme . prolonged
the O dyssey' is not very well covered for MEO(38'40) lG(42·44)
solitary play I would like to be able to exposure to Video games
play football or baseball against the com- XlG(46-)
puter. It is hard to get gOOd competition
• OpliOnal dlcliOnary-type Vidiocy . The state 01 bemg a
for some of these gamesthat take a lot of
delinitions lor backs 01 vl dioL Mati TO'FRftZWILUE
practice.
Kit Kimes ORDER YOUR S TODAY! 80x 7276. ElI!jana. OR97401 -001 2
Montgomery, III. SalistaclIonGliaramee(lt
.------------------------shins
Ed: The very qualities most of us I Mail To ' FRITZWllUE: P.O. BOX 7276 EUGEN"E. OR 9740 1·001 2 1782 N 5th Spflnglleld . OR 97477 I
like about Odyssey' sports games,
their sophistication and complexity, I YES. FR ITZ. I want to wear these great shirts! I[1 Enclosed IS my check lor The amount plus postage
makes It hard to develop a suitable I D ~~~~~slze Vide~~)~~~~Z; ~ ~~eda::~~~~~e o0 my VISA MasterCard Account I
solitaire version within the bounds I n ~~~~~slze Vidi~o~:/~5S~~ _
of the limited memory capacity of I n SpeCial savmgs 2 shirts for $10 9S Acct/t Iexp _ _ _ _
the system, One possible answer Is I

continued on page 73 I ~ ~ ~~/I~~~;oCne~~I~:I~~ rl~r ~~~I~~ : 2 SO Name I
I ___VideoAce___Vidiot Address I

I ~;~~ed~~odn;11s~~t~~stage & handling tor hrS1 shirl Cily_ _ _ _State_ _Zlp I

~------------------.I _____
Er~ct ron k G(l m e s 6 '

\ • • • •-
O/~TnAT~~'III. ••- /'
•••••

•••••••••••••••••••

By Frank Tetro, Jr. Let 's Save With practice. aiming becomes much
the Universe easier. but you'll still probably ram more
, n UFO. players control a spaceship UFOs than you blast. Remember also
equipped with armed. ramming either means. the shield shuts down that the cannon's range is limited to
several seconds for recharging. When it about one-quarter of the playfield. so
shield. in an area ofspace patrolled by an returns. it takes on an intermediate color don't waste time on UFOs that are out
intergalaaic foe capable of dispatching before returning to its normal blue. Dur- of range.
three types of deadly weapons. The en- ing this period. the ship has a 50/50
emy can launch random UFOs (worth chance of surviving a hit. The most valuable target-object on
one point). hunter-killers (three points) the screen is the light-speed starship. but
and even light-speed starships (10 If at any time while you are playing. it is also the most deadly. It can travel
points). The player must use his shield to two random UFOs merge. they will through hyperspace. remember. and
destroy as many of these as possible form a single hunter-killer. As these are may turn up anywhere on the screen at
before his ship is obliterated. worth three points to the random type's any time. It also fires in bursts. so that if it
one. let this happen before firing. has the Federation cruiser in its range.
The shield appears as a ring of eight the first blast defuses the shield while the
colored dots. one brighter than the rest. The best strategy for beginners is to second obliterates the cruiser itself.
This is the cannon. Moving the Ship ram the UFOs. at least until you master
causes the shield to rotate in a clockwise the tricky business of aiming the cannon. The starship has an achilles heel.
direction. permitting the cannon to be however. in that it can only fire in the
aimed. The shield can also ram UFOs four diagonal directions.. Therefore. if
and starships. But once it has destroyed the cruiser approaches it from the side.
an enemy weapon or ship. through above or below. it's a sitting duck. Trou-

UFO STAR RAIDERS

}(-

}(- •

\ \

}(- * • •
)(-
)(-

o o o o ...? ? ? ? ? ?

62 Electronic Games

ble is. it doesn't exactly stand still and let 0
you get astride it. so you'lI have to con-
tinually mirror its movements from a safe •
position until you can get off your shot.
For beginners. there is a simpler strategy:
run for your life. hide behind UFOs-
anything- just stay away from it.

Again. arcaders will probably find it
easier to ram the starship than blow it up.
Whichever tack you prefer. there's no
avoiding the fact that you've got to get
the starships for the big point totals.

Otherwise. stay toward the center of
the screen. The enemy is always busy
generating more UFOs off-screen. and
the unwary pilot caught in the upper
and lower corners of the playfield often
ends up noating in space without a craft
before they realize what hit them. True.
the UFOs are thickest at center-screen.

but at least you can see them.

Jawbreaker/On-Line/Atari 400 & risks for a 100 point lollipop. however. basestars.
800116K disk Only down thejawbreaker when there As the game begins. hit "S" to activate
are several bullies on your tail. at which
Jawbreaker is a maze-chase/gobble point you'lI stand a good chance of your shields lest a stray meteoroid demol-
game patterned on the popular coin-op. catching all four of them. ish you beforeyou even start. and"C" to
Pac Man . Players maneuver a set of start up the attack computer. which is in-
There is also a special tunnel which valuable in targeting. Next push "G" to
teeth through a maze. gulping down lit- acts as a scrolling short-wt from the bot- summon up the Galactic Chart. This
tom of the screen to the top. or vice ver- grid-display will indicate the positions of
tie white-ringed "wife-savers" and occa- sa. When moving through the tunnel. the friendly starbases. which must be
sional poweredjawbreakers before get- the teeth travel at normal speed. but the protected at all costs. in relation to
ting said choppers knocked out by one bullies are reduced to half their normal enemy squadrons.
of the quartet of cheshire-faced"bullies. " movement rate. This makes a very con-
venient escape hatch. therefore. in tight At the "novice." or learning. level. the
In each of the maze's four corners are situations. trip into warp space is navigated by the
computer. At other levels. a steady hand
found the special. jewel-like jawbreak- If you opt for the second approach- on thejoystick is required to stay on tar-
ers. Guiding the choppers over such a going for as many walls as possible. you get as the tremendous strain of warping
morsel momentarily turns the smiling. must mentally divide the maze into four can cause the ship to waffle slightly. re-
brightly-colored bullies into frowning. sections. right through the middle. each quiring manual readjustment. Remem-
containing a coloredJawbreaker. Go to ber that pushing the JOystick left moves
blue cowards. which the player may work clearing one section at a time. you right and vice-versa; everything in
When bothered by bullies. just gulp the hyperspace is backwards. This will take
then devour for bonus points. Wife- Jawbreaker and they'lI run away. Do
savers are worth 10 points. jawbreakers not attempt to chase them; simply some practrce .
count for 50 while bonus objeas /lolli- continue on your way until you've Once you've reached the desired sec-
pops. candy hearts. toy sailboats) range cleared that sector of wife-savers. then
in value from 100 to 500 points. move on to the next one. tor. one of several things will happen. If
there are no Zylons in the area Ithey can
Eating a bully is profitable business. With each wall cleared. the bullies get change location quickly). all will be quiet.
too. The first tough guy you gulp down quicker until they can eventually move If the enemy's around. warning claxons
during a given "blue period" is worth faster than the teeth. At this point. clever sound an alert. and the attack computer
200 pts.. the second. 400 and so on. up timing in devouringjawbreakers and will pick up the nearest target and focus
to 800 points for all four. After getting expert use of the scrolling tunnel are in on it. giving a visual aid as to its loca-
eaten. however. the bUlly's ghost flies required ingredients. tion in the sighting device in the lower
back to the "corral" at the center of the right corner of the screen. The computer
playfield maze. where he will re-emerge. Star Raiders/Atari 400 & 8OO/8K also feeds other information that allows
good as new you to line up the enemy along the ver-
Star Raiders is a computer adventure tical and horizontal coordinates with the
There are two strategic approaches to which puts the player in the cockpit of a joystick.
this game. one for a player shooting for a mighty intergalactic starship. As part of
high score. another for a gamer who the Atarian Fleet you must rid the galaxy Once within a zone. you can hit one
wants to clear as many walls as possible. of enemy fighters. cruisers and deadly of the numbered keys to apply impulse
IClearing three sets of wife-savers is good engine power. Sectors are rather large.
for a bonus pair of choppers.) and even Zylons in the same sector may

When going for points. the best bet is
to eat as many savers as possible with-
out chowing down on that quadrant's
jawbreaker. Try to ear the mystery ob-
jects when possible-take no senseless

Electron Ic Gi'lmes 63

be outside your ship's range. Once tracking computer, or if the fuel dips worth more than twice as much as rock-
you've activated the engines-6 or 7 is a below 1500, it's time to dock ata friendly ets sitting on the ground.
good cruising speed-move to within starbase for fuel and repairs.
100 centons of the enemy craft you're As mentioned, your Ship can either fire
seeking. at which point it will become Track down a basej ust as you would lasers from the bow or drop bombs. The
visible on screen. When it's in the an enemy ship. When you get close best strategy at this level is to stay close to
crosshairs, fire twice, in rapid succession, enough to see all six window ports on the ground, using the ship's laser to
launching both left and right photons. the starbase, hit "zero" on the keyboard knock off targets. And always go for the
Remember, though, these babies fire to come to a complete stop. Th e fuel tanks, to insure your own supply
back, so don't let them get too close. message "Orbit Established: Stand by"
will appear on screen, and all will be Aside from controlling vertical move-
If you have trouble centering the ship, well. Sit back and wait unitl the computer ment. this coin-op'sjoystick also has
or if it seems to disappear off the sides of reports that the transfer IS complete, then horizontal control. Movement to the
the screen, it is probably firing from get on with your star raiding. right speeds up the ship; movement to
behind you. When this happens, hit "T" the left slows it down.
and the computer will track the enemy, As explained before, the Zylons first
automatically shifting from front to rear surround, then destroy your bases. Mastering these motion controls
views. When a base looks hopelessly outgunn- comes in vel}' handy especially during
ed, you may choose to fiy in and finish it the fifth scenario, when you must guide
Once you destroy a ship, the com - off yourself so as not to lose as many your craft through a maze-like city of
puter will home in on the next closest points. Use this maneuver sparingly, walls with fuel tanks blocking the way
Zylon. But ifyour ship is hit at any butthe however, as the Atarian Federation Using the laser, eliminating the fuel tanks
"novice" level, it may be damaged. If it's does not look kindly on this sort of should be fairly easy. Navigating
something serious like the engines or interstellar genocide. through the city's labyrinthine tums isn't
quite so simple.
SCRAMBLE ScramblelStem/Coin-op
Bear In mind that your ship, like a
64 Electron.c Games Scramble is a space action shark, can never stop moving. There-
game in which arcaders must fore, since it seems impossible to move
shoot their way through five vertically without going forward, most
Scramble Defense Systems to players assume they can't go from the
the base station which must top of the playfleld straight down to the
also be destroyed. After that. bottom in order to complete the maze.
the entire game begins again
at a higher difficulty level. Not so! There is a way to temporar-
ily make strictly vertical moves. When
The five defense systems, this phase begins, push the stick all the
each requiring a separate way to the right. taking her to maximum
strategy, become progres- speed. Then, when you reach a point at
sively more challenging. which a vertical move is needed to reach
Because of the complexity of the next passage, simply push the JOy-
this game, and the limited stick diagonally to the lower left to drop,
space available, we'll concen- or the upper left to rise straight up. This
trate on the first and fifth will simultaneously slow the ship to mini-
systems. mum speed while affording upward and
downward control. Then, once you've
In the first assault. you fly reached the next passage, retum to full
over hills and valleys using speed to get ready for the·next vertical
bombs and lasers to destroy as route.
many objects as poSSible. The
first target is the fuel tank, Once the fifth level has been con-
which is not only worth 100 quered, you will next fiy over a city and
points, but also adds to your attempt to detroy the base station. This is
supply of energy Remember, fairly straight-forward stuff. After that.
if you run out of fuel, you you can try the whole thing again.
crash . The second group of However, this time the Scramble War-
targets, the mystel}' towers, riors are slightly more agile, so good luck,
are worth anywhere from and keep on trekkin'!
100 to 300 points, and are
relatively easy to destroy The Note; Because of operator-controlled
next Objectives. however, are options on many coin-op machines, all
not such Sitting ducks; they're do not work on the same difficulty levels.
rockets, which are launched Keep this in mind if you find a game
at your ship if you don't rub much more difficult than described. Itjust
them out quickly enough. means that you live in an area with some
The most desirable approach real hot-shot arcaders who have forced
is to let them leave the the arcade operator to re-set hismachine
ground, then blow them up upa notch or two (coin-ops often feature
before they can get near
you-as flying missiles are c.several difficulty levels) in order to keep

from being skinned alive. Maybe you
should consider another neighborhood.

P~OG'~R~~~~

RRAD~MMABLE~Ir-1

~~a~i~ltaUnn::~~nd *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *" *"

ASTEROIDS VIDEO PINBALL

.... 3 2 :::I. D .................. :::I.

.:.0

.' .
,

•• •J.-...
. •.. ••• ..:::. ~
A steroids (Atari/CX 2649) is the allows hf-res images to be drawn any- of which is alloted to the"attract mode,"
long-awaited game that has had where on the screen. This permits the the little show the screen gives when
owners of Atari's VCS lining up to buy machine to vary the speed and direaion noOOdy's playing. The VCS, even at its
in record numbers. Advance demand of each hunk of space debris. It is impos- optimum, only had the capability of run-
ran so high that many retailers had to sible to simulate the unique Ouadrascan ning a 4K program .
take reservations from eager arcaders output on a traditional rasterscan screen
anxious to make sure that they WOUldn't such as television sets employ. Note the use of the past tense .
be left out once'Asteroids' arrived in the Development of a bank switching
stores. Another hurdle Atari designers had to system has effectively doubled the
overcome is that the typical coin-op capacity of the Video Computer System.
Why the long interval between the game utilizes 16K of memory, about half
announcement of the cartridge and its Even so, those who expect the home
aaual release7 Making a home version Blast Through version to be as similar to its coin-op
of this coin-op smash proved to be a parent. as were Space Invaders or
vastly complicated process. The buga- Deep Space Missile Command. will be disap-
boo was technology. pointed. Judged on its own merits,
with Asteroidsl however. it is an astonishing success.
The original 'Asteroids' uses an in-
telligent Ouadrascan monitor that Played in the "fast" mode, 'Asteroids'
is an e>«:iting contest. with multi-colored

e'ectron lc Games 65

space rocks whizzing around the screen Since the best 'Asteroids' playe rs
in several directions. Even the ever-
popular "mystery Ship" makes an generally try to maintain a position at the
appearance (if difficulty switches are set
to the "A" position). They make surpris- center of the screen. most use the thrust button shoots the rope out to snag one
Ingly challenging targets. even in this
home edition. option sparingly. By pushing thejoystick of the varicolored cows like a frog's

As most Electronic Games readers forward. the arcader moves the ship in tongue spearing an unwary fly.
know. 'Asteroids' casts the gamer as the
skipper of a spaceship besieged by space the direction in which its nose is currently The big challenge is to never allow
rocks of various sizes. The craft can be
rotated a full 360 degrees and has a pointing. For abrupt stops. turn the sh ip one of the animals to thunder past the
front-mounted laser cannon to chop up
the moonlets. When a large asteroid is around and apply th rust until forwa rd cowpoke and off the left edge of the
hit. it breaks into smaller chunks. These.
in turn. become interstellar pebbles if momentum is negated. playfield. He can keep the herd within
struck by a subsequent laser shot. The
smaller the asteroid. the higher its point The addition of calor to the pro- bounds by lassoing some and nudging
value.
gram-the coin-op is limited to black and others by riding up beside them. The
Several options are available. One is
the choice between "slow" and "fast" white with a blue overlay- is a definite problem is the mavericks. These critters
asteroids. The designation is a misnomer.
since there's no real change in speed. gain forthe VCS edition. EspeCially pretty don't move a-tall. so they must be roped.
What happens is that. in the "slow"
mode. the space junk moves up and are the white asteroids. which explode in ar they'lI definitely exit stage left. The
down the screen in relatively straight
lines. Playing at the "fast" setting causes a rainbow w hen struck by the laser. black maverick cows are worth lots of
the rocks to veer when hit. creating •• ••~. '..
havoc for the arcader who must extra points. however. and roping them
simultaneously track numerous Objects.
.. cT...... will help earn the 1.000 needed to get a
The player can also select the number
of points needed to earn a bonus Ship bonus horseman.
and whether the craft should be equip-
ped with shields or hyperspace drive. The visuals are excellent. The cows
Shields temporarily protect against colli-
sion with the asteroids. but they are a n Stampede IActivision/AX-o l l). de- move at varying speeds. and the pony
majOr drain on the engines. And keeping signer Bob Whitehead provides ar-
the shields up too long will make the ship caders with a novel situation. The player bucks when it runs into a stray and
explode. Hyperspacejumps the ship to a portrays an electron ic horseman with a
random point elsewhere on the screen. p' ush-button lariat. ropin' steers and stumbles if it trips on a rock. At the higher
This is only good far life-and-death situa- chasin ' mavericks on the open range.
tions. though. because the new location Cleverly disguised as a cute-but-not-too- speeds. this cartridge is. as its name sug-
is often even less hospitable than the difficult kideo cartridge. 'Sta mpede' is
previous one. actually one of the sternest tests of hand- gests. a video stampede. So put on your
eye coordination yet devised by the
human mind. spurs and chaps. slap that la-gallon hat
The joystick is used to steer the
mounted wrangler up and down the left on your head and ride 'em cowboy!
edge of the screen. A nick of the action •••• •.~. '.
... fW]I. . . . . .

V ideo Plnball lAtari/CX2648) tries
to prove that pinball and program-
mable v ideogames are compatable. at

66 Electron ic Games

least as much as, say, oil and water. MUNCHKIN PLAYFIELD K C. Munchkln IOdyssey') is a rather
Whether Atan has succeeded in wed- • amusing tWiSt on the gobble
ding the two forms will fuel debate levels. The harder adds two more drains game theme and earns the distinction of
among flipper fans and electronic ar- at the bottom of the playfield. There are being the first of the type to become
caders alike for some time to come. available as a programmable videogame
fou r variations, two solitaire and two cartridge. The arcader moves the m un-
Atari made a good start by deciding head-to-head. Either alone or with a chkin around the maze using ajoystick in
to control the game with a single joy- an effort to scoop up the 12 mun-
stick-and then using the stick, not the friend, you can choose to have the chies-eight one-point regular ones and
action button, to direct the nippers. This multipliers reset after each ball or allow four, three-point specials- before one of
method allows the player to employ the the three munchers can gulp it down to
little bats at the bottom of the field one at them to mount up through the entire end the game. It is possible to scroll
a time, much as one would on a coin-op horizontally using the corridor of the
pinball machine. IUsing the action but- course of the game. The latter, obvious- maze that opens to the left and right
tons of both sticks, one for each flipper, edges of the screen.
might have been even closer to the ly, produces the higher scores.
ideaL) Although nothing short of an honest- As in Pac-Man, eating the special
munchies strengthens the munchkin
There's a surprising variety of action to-goodness real pinball table will satisfy enough to turn the tables on its tormen-
in 'Video Pinball.' Three large square tors. If consumed before any return to
bumpers arranged in a big triangle the purists, 'Video Pinball' will probably the corral for rechanging, the first
dominate the table, which has the interest most videogamers. muncher eaten is worth 5 points, the se-
plunger chute on the right and an cond scores 10 points and the third
unguarded drain path on the far left. At '."~.'. . ., ',. ~""" counts a big 20 points.
the top in the center are three drop ,
targets. These are worth 100 points each Clearing the entire maze causes the
when hit and, if all three are eliminated, field to be replenished and the game to
the multiplier of the main bumpers in- resume-only this time at a higher level
creases by one. IThe bumpers score the of difficulty. Both the current score and
multiplier times 100 points for each hit.) the best total compiled during the cur-
If all three drop targets are cleared, they rent play session are shown at the bot-
reappear, and the cycle begins again. tom of the screen .As in Odyssey's UFO,
there's a place for the proud record-
Two roll-overs figure prominently in holder to type in his or her name.
the game. The one on the left is initially
worth 100 points times the number EIl!(tron /c G~ me s 67
shown in the channel. which increases
by one every time a ball passes through.
At the end of a ball, however, it rings up
an additional 1,000 points for each roll-
over, up to a maximum of 4,000. The
other one, easily identified by the Atari
symbol. scores far fewer points, but if it's
triggered four times, the player gets an
extra ball. Don't get greedy, though;
Only one bonus ball can be in reseNe at
any given time. The machine prints an
Atari logo j ust above the flippers each
time the gamer scores with the bonus
ball roll-over

Just to add a little extra suspense, Atari
threw in a special lit target. It blinks onjust
below the center bumper for four sec-
onds at a time. Hitting it scores 1,000
points and makes the whole screen
flash.

Pinballers often complain that video
pinball fails because the player doesn't
physically interact with the field. The car-
tridge partially overcomes this by allow-
ing the arcader to apply little nudges.
Holding down the action button lets the
gamer tap the ball by pushing the joy-
stick in the desired direction. Only the
slightest push will work, since anything
harder causes the game to tilt.

'Video Pinball' includes two difficulty

of the board angles. how to deke around

a defenseman and. perhaps most impor-

tant. defend your goal.

Do not leave the crease! Not even in

one-on-nobody situations. A sounder

approach is to stand your ground in front

of the net and dare the shooter to slap it

ut~~1Ii0) past.
Two play variations are offered. The

regular version IS the one most hockey

That's what's familiar about ·K.C. fans will prefer. while some will find the
Munchkin.· There are some notable in-
novations as well. One departure is that arcade-like action of the variants involv-
there is a choice of mazes. Four basic
designs are available in either standard ing a slippery. ricocheting puck an in-
or invisible form. and an option that pro-
duces a new configuration each time is teresting change.
also offered in both modes. Odyssey has
capitalized on the flexibility of keyboard now have a quartet of reasonably •• •••~..... ", m,IW
Input to introduce true programmability realistic simulations that play well solitaire
to gobble games. That's right. arcaders as well as head-to-head. .
can custom-design their own mazes! A
simple system. which is thoroughly ex- The cartridge features a non-scrolling. P BA Bowling (MatteI/3333) will
plained in the instruction folder. enables slightly angled rink with two-player shock a lot of electronic keglers.
players to quickly add or subtract boun- teams manning each side. Each team's
dary lines anywhere on the field.
forward can skate the length of the ice. Have you ever noticed the strange thing
It goes against the gamer's credo to
admit it. but ·K.C. Munchkin' maybejust fo rechecking fiercely. but the defense- about video bowling games? The scores
a little too easy. especially at the lower
skill levels. Even the fact that the mun- men are restricted to their half of the ice. are always much. much higher than in
chies move around the playfield does
not balance the relatively slow move- Since there are no referees to police real life.
ment speed. and the lack of a real killer in-
stinct on the part of the munchers. The things-"I always thought the game Not this time. Arcaders who manage
burden will clearly be on the gobble
gaming gentry to design more byzantine to score 200 will have earned the
mazes that pose a tougher test than the
ones provided by the cartridge. musical fanfare the system chirps to

, ce Hockey (Activision/AX-OI 2) is not mark this milestone.
only this company's first teamsport
Participants start by setting the
title. but also its first 4K videogame (not
counting the previously published parameters for the game. Variables in-
Bridge). The extra length-most car-
tridges are 2K-provides designers the clude the number of players (one to
opportunity to add complexity and
subtlety to their creations. four). the slickness of the alley. the

Sports games aren't the strong suit of weight of the ball. which hand each
the VCS. just like arcade games often
don't look right on the Intellivision. To roller will use. and whether regulation
enable it to produce top-quality home
versions of contests like Breakout and bowling or a "make the spares" contest
Missile Command. Atari traded high
resolution graphics for faster on-screen will be played.
movement. Mattei made the opposite
choice as a result of its decision to con- PBABOWLING The opening playfield in 'PBA Bowl-
centrate on athletics as the subject of ing' shows a Side view of the bowler
most of its cartridges.
would be more fun without them." standing next to the automatic return.
But with 'Ice Hockey' joining Activi-
sion's Tennis and SkIIng and Atari's quips designer AI Miller-slashing. spear- Pushing the direction disk lets the on·
Championship Soccer. VCS owners
Ing and tripping are vital elements of screen athlete pick up his pin-buster. The
68 Electronic Games
strategy. If.one of your men knocks a two action buttons on the left edge of

rival off his skates. the on-screen figure is the controller position the figure any-

out of commission for a few seconds. where along the starting line. The

The player nearest to the puck for arcader then holds down the lower

each faction is given a stick with which righthand action button. starting a white

to check. trip. steal the puck. carry. pass ball moving across the alley over the

and shoot. When a player has posses- aiming spots. When the shot is properly

sion of the disk it slides back and forth lined up. letting go of the button initiates

along the length of the blade of his stick. the approach. The gamer quickly presses

The puck's locaton on the blade at the the direction disk again to indicate how

moment it is shot determines the direc- much of a curve the ball should rnake.

tion it travels. As with many Intellivision titles. 'PBA

'Ice Hockey' tests accuracy and timing Bowling' will not be mastered quickly.

more than simple hand-eye speed. Most This is an advantage in that a more dif-

will need considerable practice to master ficult game will stand up better over the

passing and shooting. Thanks to the long haul. It may be a little frustrating un-

positively wicked solitaire version. you'II til you get the right rhythm. admittedly.

be able to get plenty of that. but when you can make those strikes

Don't be discouraged if. at first. the and spares with consistency. there's no

computer-coached team seems like Guy bowling cartridge quite as enjoyable as

Lafleur and Tony Esposito compared to this one.

your imitation of th e W innipeg Jets.

Playing time will teach you the nuances

What Has
Your TVSet Done For

You Lately?

Sure, watching "th e tube" is enjoyable a lot of the tim e. Every m onth, VIDEO will show you how to use yo ur TV,
But today, ho m e entertainment is much more than just not just watch it. Yo u'lI read news of and invaluable test
broadcast TV. Today, your TV set can bring you movies you reports on the latest video equipment. Yo u'lI find sources,
choose yourself to play any time you like. Fun and games. previews, and reviews of pre-recorded programs to buy or
Pro blem -solving, self-improvem ent, and personal security. rent. You 'll learn helpful hom e taping techniques: using a
Unique, priceless m emories of family and friends. Art you video camera, lighting, dubbing in audio, creating video art.
create yo urself. It's a whol e new world .. . th e fascinating You'lI profit fro m expert technical advice. Yo u'lI explo re all
world of video. the alternatives to broadcast TV available today and the
developing technologies coming to m orrow.
Wheth er you're a video veteran, a beginner j ust getting
yo ur feet wet, or so m eone intrigued with the thrilling pos- In short, yo u'lI enjoy the m ost comprehensive informa -
sibilities the field offers now and for th e future, VIDEO ti o n p ossibl e from th e fi rs t and fo rem ost v id eo
Magazine sho uld be yo ur guide to this world. publication-i md in a lively, thoroughly entertaining way.

It's worth watching every monthl

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~1iiii=~§~~~W~'~hat's AleRwrIcnaTdhees

Patrolling the machine since Battlezone, and the that shifts as the plane dives, climbs and
(Un) friendly new entry proves true to the breed with fights.
visual effects that can only be called stun-
Skies ning. The high-resolution scanning sys- Ouadrascan creates images as three-
tem paints a fully animated landscape dimensional. crystaline objects, detailed
By Bill Kunkel schematic line drawings of reality. The
VANGUARD process produces graphics that are un-
A musement centers are becoming failingly bright and clear.
more colorful and exciting with
every visit. Better-looking, -sounding and Gamers, as World War I ftying aces,
-playing games are one beneficial result pilot their primitive, propeller-driven air-
of the competition among manufactur- craft across enemy lines. While ftying the
ers for arcaders' quarters. hazardous wartime skies, arcaders fire
the front-mounted machine gun at a
Yet this fierce rivalry has its negative variety of tempting targets like blimps,
side. too. It sometimes leads to the "fol- ground installations and, of course, en-
low-the leader" syndrome in which the emy bi- and tri-planes on similar missions
success of a strikingly innovative game aloft.
sparks a wave of thinly disguised re-
makes or, at best. souped-up elabora- When the planes are dogfighting,
tions on the original concept. machine gun bullets are represented by
little pellet-like dots arcing through the
Of course, when a coin-op company air. Just like the pioneering sky-knights,
does try to do something fresh, instead of arcaders must work without any target-
grinding out a carbon copy, the results ing device, because sights hadn't been
can sometimes blow you away. invented yeti

Atari has generally proven to be one The mission becomes progressively
of the most consistently inventive coin- more difficult. Eventually, everything but
op suppliers, so let's kick off this install- the horizon line is firing at the arcader's
ment of "Insert Coin Here" with a look at Ship, with ground bases, blimps and rival
one of the latest from Sunnyvale. planes trying to knock it out of the
clouds. When the inevitable happens
Red Baron (Atari) and the gamer's plane takes a lethal
Arcaders take the stick of a World War burst. the craft dives earthward and
crashes in a burst of flamel
I bi-plane in this authentic night simula-
tion. Use of a realisticjoystick with firing In light of Atari's record for games with
button mounted on the top of the grip
handle gives a realistic feel during play.

Red Baron is Atari's first Ouadrascan

70 ElectronIc Games

a science fiction basis, World War I is cer- CENTIPEDE offers gamers an
tainly quite a departure, Yet anyone who interesting variation on the
gets a chance to try 'Red Baron: espec- Space Invasion theme w ith fleas,
ially in the sit-down floor model, will spiders and scorpions replacing
quickly learn that the far future doesn't t he t radit ional aliens
have a monopoly on thrills,

Centipede IAtarl) Japan's Irem, is Red Alert , The arcader targets against this all-out attack, a rain-
Centipede presents some Wildly un- defends six cities from air by sonic jet bow appears in the sky over Paris along
fighters, attack helicopters laden with with the heartening words: " Peace For-
likely on-screen characters romping parachute bombs, MIRVs and heavy ever ".
through a game that utilizes a play- night bombers.
mechanic that should be completely Unfortunately, calm is as fleeting in
familiar to every habitue of commercial The gamer defends one city at a time, 'Red Alert' as in real life. A few seconds
amusement parlors. A horizontally beginning with a battle against the sonic later the enemy is again belaboring the
mobile cannon fires straight upat targets, jet fightersin the skies ofParis over th e Eif- City of Light with itsjets,
as in Space Invaders, but 'Centipede' fel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Time
gives this basic concept a few novel is of the essence in each engagement. Vanguard ICenturi)
twists and turns those alien invaders The onset of night is also a factor that This is the latest potential hit from a
never had. must be considered. When darkness falls
over Paris, searchlights cleave the gloom company that has, almost overnight
One change is that the cannon is also and huntforthe fighters, which can only won the respect of coin-op fans with its
capable of a small amount of vertical be spotted when directly in one of the series of excellent space battle games.
movement. Another is that at the start beams. Vanguard, however. is especially in-
of play, the field is full of ... mushrooms? dicative of some of the hottest trends cur-
The centipede, an ugly creature with Next it's off to the Big Apple, where rently sweeping the amusement centers.
nearly a dozen body segments, immedi- the arcader must prevent the helicopters
ately begins a serpentinejourney toward from rearranging the New York skyline It is for starters, a multi-phase game
the bottom of the screen through the with their bombs. Fans of multi-phase with 12-count 'eml-different fields. In
corridors created by the mushrooms. coin-ops will then combat the enemy in it space-jockeys steer their ships through
Rome, London, West Germany and, ul- a succession of dangerous scenarios.
Players must eliminate the mush- timately, Japan. Each location is distin-
rooms, the centipede and the fleas and guished by its most recognizable land- Another hot feature found on 'Van-
spiders which show up periodically . marks, such as Big Ben in England and guard' is "continuous play". Time was
Centipede segments are somewhat like M t. Fuji in Nippon. when only the real experts got to experi-
the targets in Asteroids; When a sec- ence the later stages of the multi-level
tion is hit, it divides into two smaller ones. If you've successfully defended all the machines. When a player loses in 'Van-
When a bug reaches the bottom of the guard' during, say. the second scenario,
screen intact it turns around and wends dropping a fresh quarter into the slot
its way to the top again. Unfortunately, restarts the action from that point. fit'S a
new centipedes appear as soon as any little like watching an X-rated movie in an
reach the lower boundary of the field, so
players will obviously be trying to keep ElectronIc Gam~ s 7 1
them from getting past.

The spiders drop in to the action on a
strand of web and can eat both mush-
rooms and the player. The fleas can
bombard the gamer, but they also leave
behind more mushrooms.

And then there's the scorpion, which
turns ordinary mushrooms into poison-
ous toadstools, A centipede that gobbles
a tainted goodie immediately sickens
and drops toward the bottom of the
playfield, The only way to put such a
beast out of its misery is with a shot
to the head.

The game is fun, but the concept
seems just a trifie bizarre-if not down-
right unpleasant. Bright graphics take
some of the curse off this coin-{)p sUNival
of the fittest however, and the game is
reportedly achieving the kind of success
in arcades its strikingly original theme
merits.

Red Alert IGOI)
Another new idea now in the arcades

courtesy of GD/. which licensed it from

adult book store movie booth.) TEMPEST
But perhaps Vanguard's' greatest im-

portance lies in the fact that it is one of a
handful of new videogame machines
that talks. It doesn'tjust makejokes and
insults, either. It greets players, warns of
impending dangers and announces each
new zone as the gamer enters it.

Of course, not all the audio is so help-
ful. Some may not appreciate the mock-
ing laughter of the alien Kemlus while
they struggle through the aptly named
"bleak zone".

Graphics are not especially innova-
tive, but they are nonetheless superb.
They're so well-done thatthey stand out
even in today's commercial arcades.
And, of course, the audio isn't exactly
chopped liver, either

And so, noble coin-oppers, let me

close this column with the words of Bob
Dylan: "Don't follow leaders/Watch the
parking meters" and with a stern warn-
ing to meet me here next issue with
another pocket full of quarters.

Tempest (AtarlJ edge of the universes, firing con- avoid them.
tinuously. Once play gets serious, 'Tempest' is so wildly refreshing, so
Tempest is undoubtedly the most however, it becomes neccessary to
original entry into the coin-op world devote at least some firepower to whit- totally unlike any other videogame, it
since Asteroids, This is the long- tling down spikes. Once a universe has will have arcaders drooling over the
anticipated debut of full-color been conquered the recharge phase prospect of color Ouadrascan games
Ouadrascan, Atari's vector graphics begins, visually similar to the yet to come. For the time being,
monitor-and the wait was certainly hyperspace jump in Star Raiders, At however, 'Tempest' should keep
worthitl this point the spikes streak outward into everyone satisfied.
the void, impaling the cannon if it can't
Atari obviously wanted their first col-
or game to be a real mind-blower, and
'Tempest,' with its eyeball-popping hi-
res graphics and blinding play-speed,
fits that bill perfectly. The game concept
is both abstract and simple: players
maneuver a lasar-firing weapon
around the perimeters of a series of
geometric shapes. From the center of
these universes come whizzing a whole
catalog of alien nasties-Tankers,
Pulsars, Flippers and Spikers among
others-each posing its own unique
threat. Pulsars and Tankers, for exam-
ple, will obliterate the player'S cannon if
they make contact. The Flippers must
be eliminated before they reach the
perimeter or they will skitter after the
cannon, grab it, and plunge it into obli-
vion . But the most devious alien devices
are the Spikers, pinpoint Objects that
construct ever-elongating' 'spikes,"
which can impale the gamer's cannon
during the re-charge phase that occurs
after each universe is conquered.
Players have both cannon and a "Super
Zapper," which can be used only once
per playfield, but which obliterates
every alien entity on the screen.

At the easier play levels, arcaders can
be content to merely spin around the

72 ElectronIc Games

REPLAY All you've got to do to participate is AVE ON VIDE
follow a few simple rules:
continued from page 61 AJARI ........ $135.95
I . Type (or clearly print) your com-
to form electronic game clubs (see ment on a separate sheet of paper Cartridge For Above
this Issue's "Reader PoII "1 so that that also includes your name and Asteroids""""", . " $26.49
enthusiasts can meet and play full address. Missle Command, Image
together. Craze, Video Pinball,
2 Keep comments brief and to the Adventure, Warlords, . , $22,49
*** point- no more than 100 words. Freeway, Kaboom, Breakout,
Night Driver, Air sea . , , .. $t7,79
A successful 3 , Observe the rules of fairness and If desired cartridge not listed
adventurer writes courtesy. " Joystick Jury" should
be a forum for reasoned opinions, - -w-rH-e fo-r ot-her- -
It took some hunting, but I finally not an arena for name-calling MATTEL
found your magazine. It was definitely INTELEVISION .. $234.95
worth the searchl You are exactly what Each issue we'll print the most inter-
we electronic games fanatics need. After esting responses to create a symposi- Boxing, Bowling, Space
years of finding only an isolated article or um on the topic under examination by Armada, Astrosmash , . , $25.49
column in electronics or video mags, it is thejury. The issue's best comment as Baseball, Football, Soccer,
extremely satisfying to have a specialty j udged by the editors of Electronic Tennis, Golf . , , , , , , . , , " $23,49
magazine dedicated exclusively to the Games, will win a cash prize of 525. If desired cartridge not listed
suQject of electronic gaming, (All submissions become the property
of EG, and none can be returned,) wrHe for others
While I enjoyed the whole magazine, All items subject to price change and
the information that you printed on the The First Topic: Controllers
Atari VCS Adventure hidden message There is quite a variety of control de- availability.
was of special interest to me, as that is vices offered to the gaming commun- Add $1.50 for shipping &. handling,
my family's favo rite game. ity in both the commercial and home
arcade fields. Some are good, some Over 3 items soe per additional Item.
I lost no time in tracking down the have Maws and others are especially
clues (which had puzzled me in the suitable for certain types of games. Shipping &. handling for games $4,00
past). I had always chalked them up as Which do you like-or dislike- and Send check or money order to :
nothing significant. After about an hour- why7 nlk-nat 4 Elderd lone
and-a-half of trying various strange solu- Deadline: March IS, 1982
tions to the problem, I finally solved it. eedemursf, N,Y. 11516
Helpkeep Allow 3 weeks for delivery
John Oenk ourforest Dealers inquiries invited
Tinley Park, III.
Ed: We'll be getting more caples from THIS IS AN
of future Issues onto the news- smoking. OXYGEN FAC'TC)ft
stands, but the best way to assure a
steady supply of EG Is, of course, to DON'T BURN IT DOWN.
subscribe. -
A Pl,ltJlic Service of This Magnine & The Advertising Council
*** Use y o u r
ashtray. Ele<:tronlc G~mes 13
THE JOYSTICK JURY
WANTSYOUI Don't be careless
with the future.
If the tremendous response to Elec-
tronic Games proves anything, it's a" ' " ~ A Public Service of This Magazine
that you are an unusually knowledge- ~~ & T he AdvertisineCouncil
able and opinionated bunch. That's
good. It means you care about this
hobby and really feel strongly about
the things that affect it.

Her's your chance to air your views
on electronic arcading in front of this
magazine's entire readership. "Joystick
Jury': a column of reviews by readers,
will begin publication in the issue after
next.

By Joyce Worley casts the player as a victim facing a six- to get good at this-the scoreboard goes
man firing squad. But they've forgotten up to 999 and then rolls over.
Game-Time/General Consumer Elec- to tie him down. The arcader moves the
tronics Corp.lS39.9S on-screen symbol up and down the right Good strategy in 'Firing Squad ' de-
side of the field in an effort to avoid the mands that you try not to get caught in a
When Dick Tracy got bored, he called bullets. It starts out easy, with only one corner. There is no trouble scooting the
up his trusty friends down at police head- member of the firing squad getting off a human target around when the bullets
quarters on his special Dick Tracy Wrist shot at anyone time. Soon they start fir- are coming in ones and twos, but when
Radio. Now, when searching for a mo- ing volleys, however, and then look out! a five-man team fires at once, it takes
mentary diversion, you too can whip Dodge enough bullets and the old firing some real scurrying to avoid the five-bul-
out your trusty wristwatch and-you squad marches off the field, and a new, let volley. If caught in the wrong corner
guessed itl-pay gamesl faster squad takes its place. When the when this happens, it's impossible to
victim is hit the game ends. The watch make it across the board to safety before
Game TIme is an electronic digital prints the final score in the time display the projectiles find their mark.
wristwatch that also plays four arcade- window. One point is scored for each
style games, Firing Squad, Allen bullet dodged. General Consumer Elec- Game No.2 is Missile Strike. Two
Assault, Missile Strike, and Blast tronics Corporation must expect players rocket launchers at the bottom of the
Away. game field fire at enemy missiles crossing
GAME-TIME WATCH at different heights and speeds. Pressing
Used as a watch, 'Game-Time' dis- the left game play button fires the left
plays the time and a continuously rocket launcher, and the right button
changing pattern on the face. The read- fires the one on the right. When an
out is large and clear, and it seems to enemy missile is hit it scorespoints and a
keep accurate time. The changing pat- handsome explosion flashes on the
tern occupying most of the face of the watch face. The game ends when 30
watch is attractive, and no doubt will missiles cross the air space.
generate a lot of interest from the people
sitting next to you on the subway, cran- Each low-speed target is worth nine
ing their necks. to see h ow late they points. The medium missiles count for 12
are to work. points, and high-speed ones score 1S.

But it's when playing with the game Game NO. 3 is Allen Assault, a ver-
functions that 'Game-Time' really shines. sion of Space Invaders. Three alien at-
Press the selection button until the num- tackers at the top of the screen are the
ber of the game appears in the time dis- targets for the arcader's earth station at
play window. The right button starts a the bottom. Invaders march back and
game w ith sound, while the left starts forth across the play field, coming closer
silent play Ifor those occasions when and closer while dropping bombs on the
you want a quick round in class without earth station. As they get nearer, the
the teacher catching on.) speed increases. Once a missile is fired,
the earth station must move before firing
'Firing Squad' is as cute a skill game as again. Destroy the first three ships and
we've seen in such a small package. It three more appear. The game ends

14 ElectronIc Gam ~s

when the earth station is hit three times. the middle. avoiding unnecessary move- at question-and-answer games as seen
ment of the launcher. If the launcher is in on TV.
or the aliens land. one corner and the rocket rebounds
back into the opposite side. it's a real The console features four keyboard
Destoying a bomb in midair scores scramble to get there in time. panels and a like number of automatic
scoring displays. A channel select switch
three points. and each invader destroyed The tanks in the front row count 3 chooses the game on the cartridge. and
points; drivers count 6 points. Tanks in the volume control modulates the sound
tallies six points. Each time the earth sta- the second row are worth 9 points. and within a range from I Isoftest) to 10
second row drivers tally 12 points. jloudest) .
tion is hit. the number of defenders Again. when the score reaches 999. it
rolls over. then begins again. 'Omni' may be played by one to four
remaining flashes briefly in the time players. Insert a cartridge into the con-
·Game·Time· is attractive in a new- sole to activate the game. The players
display window before the game wave-ish sort of way. but its looks may "sign in" to advise 'Omni' how many
never win your heart. The play's the are playing this round. A celebrity emcee
resumes. thing with this gadget-and there's real then asks a question.

The fourth game is Blast Away. Two excitement in its The questions are always in one of
three forms . True/False stumpers are
rows of enemy tanks stand at the top of well-designed answered by pressing either T or F. Multi-
arcade-style ple choices are made by pressing the
the game field. Fire a rocket toward the games. number of the correct reply. and fill-in
questions require spelling out the correct
enemy tanks. and when it rebounds. use word on the keyboard.

the game play buttons to bounce it back

toward the tanks. The first time an en-

emy tank is hit. it disappears. the

driver. Shoot the driver

pears. to expose the back row of tanks Omni/M B. Electronl ~s/ Approx. After choosing the answer. press the
and drivers. Blast away all of the enemy 5120.00 "enter" button to lock the response into
tanks with their drivers. and new ones ·Omni.' The master of ceremonies an-
appear. This time. however. the rocket How many times have you sat nounces the correct answer and tallies
caroms even faster. watching game shows and said. "I the score of each participant. just like a
could do thatl"? Well. here's something video game show. Point values are as·
If the rocket gets past the launcher. a new for quiz show enthusiasts. The signed to answers depending on what
new rocket appears. Miss five rockets Omnl Entertainment System, a pro- game is played and how Fast the player
and play ends. grammable electronic console using responds. The First correct answer en-
8-track tapes. lets arcaders try their hands tered wins the most points. A running
This game is very similar to Breakout, tally of earned points appears in the digi-
and the same strategy applies. Try to take
out the tanks at each end before trying Electronic Games 75

tal display scoring w indow before each VL-TONE
player
-- -- ---- -------
There are several 2D-question rounds
on each of the four channels on the car- - --
tridge. Following the 20th question.
'Omni' verbally congratulates the die with electronic gadgets. keys are rather small and closely placed if
winner. flashes the appropriate scoring The VL-Tone is a hand-held II 1'14 in. you happen to be ham-handed.
window several times. and beeps to
announce the game is over. To start by 3 in) electronic musical instrument But these limitations aside. the VL-
another round. the player presses the that anyone can play with no training or Tone' offersa lotof fun in a tiny package.
"Olga" bunon and signs in again. exceptional talent. Bener yet. electronic Even though it doesn't tell time or play
wizardI)' allows would-be virtuosos to Space Invader s, Casio's device is
The 'Omni' system comes packed pick out songs with one finger. record capable of stealing the heart of every
w ith a "va riety progra mmed game the results. and then play it back with the would-be musician whoJust happens to
cartridge" Ch annel N o . I sta rs Pat pitch and rhythm desired. also be interested in electonic toys.
Summerall with a Sports ~uiz. Channel
N o.2 fea tu res Vincent Price askin g The V L-Tone' has five voices: piano. Head to Head Electronic Boxingl
movielTV trivia questions. Channel No. fantasy Isynthesizer). violin. flute. and Coleco/S29.95
3 is a reaction quiz that tests general guitar. A three-position octave switch
knowledge and demands quick re- further expands the 17-note keyboard. Head to Head Electronic Boxing, a
sponses. Channel No.4 is a music quiz
with two types of questions. Some mere- After recording a tune. it is possible to game for the Sugar Ray Leonard in all of
ly test knowledge of Broadway shows. blend in one of ten background rhy- us. brings the drama of the squared circle
stars. and popular musicians. The others thms: march. waltz. four-beat. swing, to the hand-held field.
play "Name That Tune." Players guess rOCk. fast rock. bossanova. samba.
the song titles. and the fewer the num- rhumba. and beguine. These rhythms The unit features controls for two
ber of notes it takes to identify the dirty. can also be speeded or slowed. pro- players, separated by the boxing ring.
the higher the score. dUCing an unexpectedly large variety of Each player has two bunons. used for
tempos. blocking and punching. and ajoystick to
Throughout the game. the host move his man around the ring.
makes occasional appropriate rema rks. The bunons on this anractive unit are
such as " That's using your headl". or conveniently arranged in keyboard se- To begin the game. slide the game
" You really do know your sports!" Now quence. Tickle the ivories on manual. or select switch to one- or two-player
and then a surprise voice may pop up. use the recording feature which remem- mode. then press either bunon to start
such as the most famous Georgian pea- bers up to 100 notes. To make an effec- the first round. An overhead view of the
nut farmer of them all. giving a little tive "name that tune" game. record the two boxers appears in the ring. The box-
hist0l)' lesson about the backround of first lines of several songs. then use the ers automatically move to the center.
the song "Goober Peas." one-note playback key to give clues. As if touch gloves. and then return to their
that weren't enough. a flick of a switch corner. The Gillene "Look Sharp" march
'Omni' may also be used as an 8-track turns the keyboard into a full-featured plays. and the action commences.
tape player. Simply insert any 8-track Casio calculator.
tape cartridge into the door. press the 8y using the joystick. the arcader
enter bunon and hold it down until the The VL-Tone' operates on baneriesor moves the boxer forward. back. right or
audio part of the tape begins. with an optional AC adaptor. Sound left. When the boxer comes within strik-
emerges either through the instrument's ing distance. keep pressing the punch
Additional cartridges are available fOf own speaker. or it can be linked to an button to control the boxer's right arm. If
SI S each. These include: Music Quiz, audio amplifier or radio cassene recorder your opponent is on the offensive. use
Re-Actlon Quiz, Vincent Price's TV the other bunon to block with the left.
Trivia, Vincent Price's Movie Trivia, The drawback of this unit is that you
Pat Summerall's Football Quiz, Pat can play only one note at a time; chord- Should either boxer be knocked
Summerall's Baseball Quiz, Jeo- ing is not possible. This means that all down. the referee automatically appears
pardy, Password Plus, Words Words songs must use the pre-recorded rhy- and moves the standing boxer back to
Words Ispelling bee). For The Fun Of thms as the bass. Another problem is his corner. The downed pugilist flashes.
It Iparty games from "Simon Says" to that the bunons which take the place of
" Ghost" ). Sesame Street Games
Hosted by Big Bird, and Pat Summer-
all's Sports Quiz.

The 'Omni' unit is a handsome piece
of equipment that can provide a lot of
fu n for a family that really likes quiz
games. There's never been anything
exactly like it available before. and
evel)'one age 10 and up should get a
kick out of it.

V L-ToneICasio/S69.95

Want something to do w hile waiting
for a turn at "Asteroids'? Casio has a
new diversion for people who like to fid-

76 EIKtronlc Gam ~s

.. .-.,...,-".......;:': ..:: - . ,.'"' ~ than expected from the size of the unit.
The boxers move all the way across the
, ,I I I I I ~ II ring, but are limited to only two parallel
III II III paths. That means the width of the ring
is not utilized at alII And thejoystick con-
trollers are so diminutive that players will
feel they're using doll-sized levers.

The size of the unit is also a little awk-
ward. It's too big to be hand-held. yet
when used as a table-top game, the two
players are almost on top of each other
while throwing their punches

But these are problems whose impor-
tance must be weighed by the individual
arcader. 'Head to Head Electronic Box-
ing' is a highly competitive game,
whether played against a live opponent
or against the computer. The action is
fast and the images are bright and clear.

The unit can provide some good fist-
ic fun within the limitations detailed
earlier.

and the count is displayed on the score-
board. If a IO-count is reached. it's a
knockout. The number of the round in
which the kno ckout happened is dis-
played on the scoreboard.

Movement is slightly more restricted

HEAD-TD-HEAD BOXING

Electronic Games 77

Joyce Worley

Crash! There's the sound of breaking
through the night. Footsteps run
down the street, and a siren wails. Tires

squeal on the pavement as the cops give

chase. "Rat-a-tat-tat" - a machine gun

spits lead! Then the police open fire. Ka-

powl A rain of .44 bullets. then screams

and finally silence. The boys in blue have

won this round.

Gamers have always had a fascina-

tion with crime and punishment,as

witnessed by the

popularity of

old standards ~
L~
such as

Clue,221-B (.

Baker

Street and

KGB.

Although

non-

electronic

gamedom offers many crime and detec-

tion contests, they haven't yet been

adapted to our hobby.

Arcaders have had little opportunity to

play detective. Players of Atari's Maze

Craze know that this is a chase game

loosely based on cops pursuing robbers.

In House of Usher by Crystalware, ad-

venturers must solve a mystery in order

to win. And, of course, Master Mind

and its clones require the player to use

the power of deduction to solve the puz-

zle. Rumors persist that a software pub-

lisher is working on a crime game. But up

to now, lovers of crime games have had

to content themselves with standard

boardgames if they want to spend

an evening making like Sherlock

Holmes or Nick Danger. Private Eye.

Two notable exceptions are the

electronic stand-alones

Stop Thief (parker Brothers/

533.001 and Electronic De-

tective (ldeal/540.001

which offer gamers a

chance to pit their wits against

computer technology.

In 'Stop Thief', the players

are private detectives.

searching for a

computer- controlled

felon whom they must

track using sound clues

generated by a hand-

held microprocessor.

The game comes

with a map of

19 different locations

where the thief can

commit the crime.

ELECTRONIC DETECTIVE from Ideal gives gamers Pursue a felon through maze-like city streets In the
t he chance to cross~xamlne a computerl electronically-enhanced board game. STOP THIEF

The object is to arrest criminals and earn squeaking fioor. opening a door. break- committed.
rewards. The Electronic Crime Scanner ing glass in a window. running along Since each building has several loca-
allows gamers to eavesdrop on the thief. the street. or entering the subway.
so they can hear every move he makes Players know how many moves the tions marked in red where a th ief can
on the board. thief can make each turn (two spaces. perpetrate a crime. it takes considerable
from one numbered square to another). deduction to interpret the sound clues.
To start the game. press the clue but- By process of elimination. they deter- But there is occasional help available. in
ton and hear the thief committing his mine where he is located in the building. the form of Tipsters. A sleuth card allows
crime. The display window shows the or through which door or window he the shamus to buy a tip. and the display
number of the building or the street has left the scene of the crime. For exam- readout shows the exact location of the
where the crime is taking place. Each ple. the sound of breaking glass indicates thief at that time. This is the only informa-
gumshoe's pawn moves by dice-throw the crook has gone through a window. tion that the crime scanner provides
toward the building. Players begin a turn Try to locate the window that is the pro- which is not to be shared among all the
by pressing the clue button and the Elec- per number of spaces from the location players. so be sure to h ide the display
tronic Crime Scanner gives a new sound- in the building where the crime was w hen the inside information appears.
clue to the thief's actions: crossing a
contin ued on page Bl

EIK t ronlCGames 79

Rill E~[1111)ERIII
I 11111"11 111 1111 111111 I

POtJUl1il

Response to the first Electronic Games Reader Poll was so overwhelming that we've decided to make it a regular feature of
the magazine. You can help us make this exactly the kind of publication you want by taking a few minutes to fill out the
questionnaire below. We'll begin reporting on the answers, starting with our first poll, in the next issue of Electronic Games,

Please return this ballot-or a pharo copy if you prefer to keep your copy in perfect condition-to: Electronic Games, 235
Park Ave. South, New York, N .Y. 10003.

Sex: Male__ Female__ Please rate the following SUbjects from I Inot very interesting to me)
Age: Under 16__ 16-25__ 26-40__ Over 40__ to 10 lof great interest [0 me):
How many times In the last month have you participated in any Fantasy & Science Fiction__ Sports__ Wargames__
of the following electronic gaming acrivities: Coin-op games__ Videogames__ Computer games_ _

Visited a coin·op amusement center_ _ Would you be interested in joining a nationwide club for electronic
Played a stand-alone electronic game_ _- _ games to be sponsored by thiS magazine7 Yes__ No__
Played a programmable videogame_ _
Played a computer game_ _ My favorite videogame cartridges are:
If you presently own a programmable videogame. how many car-
tridges have you purchased within the past 12 months7_ _ 2. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
How many other people. besides yourself. will read this issue of 3. _______________________________
Electronic Games7_ _
Please rate the follOWing features in this issue from I lawful) to 10 My favorite computer games are:
Igreat): 1. _ _ _ _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Switch Onl__ O&A__ Test Lab__ E.G. Hotline__ Z. _______________________________
3. ____________________________
New Products__ Computer Playland__
Programmable Parade__ Stand-Alone Scene_ _
Arcade SpotlighL-lnsert Coin Here__ lnside Gaming__
Strategy Session__ Passport to Adventure__ Players

Guide_ _
The article I liked best in this issue was:

The article I liked least In this Issue was: My favorite coin-op games are"
The article J would most like to read In an upcoming issue is:
1. _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Z. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

3. _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Don't want to mar your copy of
Electronic Games?

Feel free to photocopy this page.

80 Electronrc Games

CRIME Players gather the information from designer by the rasterscan technology of
each suspect and enter it onto the case the usual computer monitor. movement
continued from page 79 fact sheets. Gradually. a picture emerges on the hi-res playfield is very smooth and
of the gender of the murderer. where the quite reminiscent of the coin'Op which it
In order to arrest the thief. the player's killer went afterward. and what weap- resembles.
pawn must move on or next to the exact on was used. By cross-checking the ali-
location where the thief is. Press the ar- bis. the guilty party can be found. Then. Before the real action starts. it even
rest button and enter the location of the in Agatha Christie fashion. the detective shares the familiar monochromatic ap-
thief in the scanner. Sirens signal the ar- makes his accusation. If the sleuth is mis- pearance of Asteroids, too. Once one
rival of the police. If the guess is wrong. taken. "no" flashes on the display board. of the player's photon torpedoes scrags
the thief gives the cops a raspberry. If cor- and the player is out of the game. A cor- a meteoroid. however, the arcader will
rect. but unsuccessful. there'lI be some rect accusation causes police sirens to be attempting to dodge a splendid
warning shots. and then the thief will sound. while the display flashes the shower of multi-colored debris or face
laugh at the cops while escaping. A suc- murderer's number and a "yes." destruction.
cessful arrest ends with the police carting
the criminal off to prison. The detective Both 'Stop Thief' and ' Elect ronlc And if the player is hit by a meteroid.
making the arrest collects the reward Detective' make interesting use of the debris or a shot from the pesky alien in-
money from the bank. Then the game computer. In 'Stop Thief,' the crook is ac- vader, the whole screen lights up like a
commences anew. with another crime to tually moving around during the game. veritable rainbow. It is such moments
be solved. The first player to accumulate Detectives are not dealing with a static that justify the designing of this game
52500 in rewared money is the winner. condition. but rather an ever-evasive especially for the Color Computer.
criminal, who is all too capable of outwit-
'Stop Thief' has players pursue and ting the law. Just when players think After loading the machine language
capture a criminal right at the scene of they have the felon, he moves to an- cassette program. the program asks the
the crime. when it is being committed. other spot. and the chase must begin arcader for his name-"for the morti-
' Electronic Detective,' on the other anew. In 'Electronic Detective.' the com- cian"-and the level of difficulty desired,
hand. permits detectives to cross- puter handles the alibis of all 19 suspects. from 0 to I 5. The scale refers not to the
examine suspects after the crime has answering questions and providing in- number and speed of the meteoroids.
been committed. There are 20 people formation which will ultimately lead to which are adequately challenging at all
together in the city. One is murdered. the arrest of the killer-players hope. In levels. but to the frequency of the alien
and the remaining 19 flee to different this case. though. the computer is also invader's appearances.
parts of the metropolis. The Object is to capable of fabrication. When the guilty
question all suspects. compare their ali- suspect is questioned, he can lie in some One major problem with the program
bis. and determine who is guilty of the instances. is that it requires both joysticks. One
murder. is used to maneuver. accelerate and fire
In both cases, it would hardly be pos- torpedoes. while the other must be em-
'Electronic Detective' usesa computer sible to play such complicated scenarios ployed to aim and jump through
to help with these deliberations. Players without the help of computer tech- hyperspace. Figuring out a way to con-
choose between three difficulty levels. nology. Furthermore. and this must be veniently manipulate both sticks and
"Gumshoe" leasiest). "Sleuth" Imed- unique for crime games. the computer press the two buttons while still main-
ium). and " Master Detective" lthe most makes it possible for these games to be taining enough concentration to dodge
difficult setting). After entering the the meteoroids is quite a trick. indeed.
desired level. choose the number of co.played solitaire. Now everyone can be
players lone to four). Then the computer When a large meteoroid is hit. it
fires two gun shots and plays a funeral the good guy, and no one has to be breaks up into two medium-size ones.
dirge. The display window shows the "it". When one of these is blasted. it divides
victim's number and the location of the into a pair of small ones. Scoring is 20
body. COMPUTER points for the large rocks. 50 points for
PLAYLAND the mid-size ones and 100 points for the
All players enter this information on smallest. Destroying an alien craft counts
their case fact sheets provided with the continued from page 57 1.000 points. Bonus ships. up to a max-
game. Then gamesters start grilling the imum of four. are earned each time the
remaining 19 characters to find the killer. Meteoro i ds ISpectral ASSOCI- arcader tallies 10.000 points.
To help. i.d. cards are provided for each ate/Color Computer/ 16K) finally lets
character. Place the i.d. card of the sus- owners of this newest of the microcom- Attaining high scores depends on a
pect on the tray for this purpose on the puters join the legions of arcaders compromise between the player's skill at
game unit. Press 'suspect: enter his who've become devoted destroyers of destroying the meteoroids and zapping
number. and hit ·enter.' The computer space rock sover the last couple ofyears. aliens .
will furnish the alibi: who he was With. It ought to be manna from heaven for
and where he was at the time of the those who have had to make do with When the arcader's four ships are fin-
murder. The detective may also ask the the feeble games produced for this ally destroyed-inevitable with all
suspect a private question without telling machine thus far. games of this type. of course-the pro-
the other players what is asked or what gram's title page returns with a recap of
answer is given. Considering the limitations of the x-y the name. score and level of difficulty for
coordinate graphic system forced on the the four best rounds in the play session
underway. The computer then asks if
the player would like to try another
game.

Defects aside, the answer more often
than not is likely to be "yes." IRoss
Chamberlain)

EIKlfonic Ga mes 81

Caming AlErrin

electronic

GAM S
Here Come the Lady Arcadersl

Gaming parlors were once as exclusively male as the old
corner barbershJpTimes have changed. Today's female
gamers can blast an asteroid or smash a space invader
with the best of them . Meet the lady arcaders in next
issue's cover feature.

Videogame Outlook 1982

Ifyou thought 1981 was fantastic. wait till you hear about

the big plans the videogame companies are making for
the next 12 months.

Leaders of the Pac-/manl

Can a game without spaceships, aliens and big explo-
sions find happiness in the world of electronic arcadlng?
Just ask the millions of players who have made Pac-Man
and similar gobble games a huge success in both the
home and coin-op fields.

• o ......••.. -:S. Slam Dunk!
..iI::32.:I-
. .., You don't have [0 be Moses Malone or Marques Johnson
..."" " . to be an all-star at electronic basketball. Next month, EG
82 Electronic Games examines all the hoop simulations from hand-heIds to

deluxe computer programs.

The Players Guide to •• ••>•<•••••••
Electronic Wargames

From the battlefields of the ancient world [0 the planet-
busting star wars of the far future, Electronic Games
presents an in-depth report on the hot new military
strategy games.

There'll be plenty of other articles and features of
Interest to arcade addicts, plus these regular columns:

* SwltchOnl * Readers Replay
* EG Hotline
* O&A * Strategy Session
* Inside Gaming * Insert Coin Here
* Arcade Spotlight * Passport to Adventure
* Computer Playland
* Programmable Parade ** New Products
* Stand-Alone Scene Test Lab

So watch for the third issue of Electronic Games

On Sale
MARCH 14, 1982



THE TOUGHEST CHALLENGE

KNOWN TO MAN.

Hey, you l Greenhorn. Come on out and play like a man!

With Stampede'" by ActMsion. One of the quickest, toughest,

trickiest video games to ever go with an Atari ' or Searsvideo game

system. You can't just "bull" your way through this video game Stampede tokes

real smarts and lots of know-how. Not to mention expert ridin: ropin: and herdin:

Enough said. Reach for and accept the challenge. Because,

after all, can't be a dude all your life.

_ / ... ·AlatlnclSnotreiolOOlOAcIMSlOl\If'Ic

toActt.$Ol'l.1nc 1961