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Detailed item info - ASTEROIDS
Product Information
Dispensing with the tough-to-duplicate vector images found in the coin-op classic, the space rocks in Asteroids for the Atari 2600 are rendered via raster graphics, which are colorful and certainly adequate, but in this case blink when the screen gets crowded. Luckily, the game keeps intact what made the original great -- namely the fun and challenge of flying around space while destroying asteroids and listening to forboding, explosive sound effects. The ship is a little harder to maneuver, but the designers cleverly incorporated the five-button control scheme into Atari's one-button joystick. There are numerous gameplay options not found in the original, including various difficulty levels and the ability to play without satellites or UFOs, and without the potential for extra lives. In addition, players can substitute shields or a "flip" function (turns the ship 180 degrees in a split second) for hyperspace. The ship can only fire off two bullets at a time (as opposed to four) and the asteroids don't change course or velocity when shot, but this is an excellent arcade port nonetheless, especially considering the limitations of the system.
Detailed item info - DEFENDER
Product Information
Adapted from the Williams' coin-op, Defender places you in the middle of an alien invasion of Earth. You are the pilot of the Universal Space Ship Defender, and your mission is, of course, to defend the planet Earth and save humans from being abducted by the invaders. Keep an eye on the scanner for approaching enemies. When the battle begins, you have unlimited laser power and three smart bombs to use in the attack. For a quick escape you can also make use of a hyperspace time warp. Each wave ends when all enemies have been destroyed.
Aliens appear in five forms: bombers, baiters, landers, pods, and swarmers. If a lander captures a human and takes them off of the screen, the human will return as a mutant and wreak havoc. When five humans have been abducted, the mutants successfully takeover the Earth, but gameplay continues. Defender offers 10 variations for a one-player game and ten more for two-player games. A game ends when a player loses all of their lives.
Product Identifiers
Publisher Atari Inc.
Game Defender
Key Features
Platform Atari 2600
Genre Shooter
Location USA
Tech Details
Control Elements Gamepad/Joystick
Number of Players 1-2
Release Year 1982
Game Series Defender Series
Detailed item info - COMBAT
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