Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (arcade game)

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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Developer(s)	Atari Games
Publisher(s)	Atari Games
Designer(s)	Mike Hally
Release date(s)	1985
Genre(s)	Platform/scrolling fighter
Mode(s)	Single player; two players, alternating
Platform(s)	Arcade
Input	Joystick, 2 buttons
Arcade cabinet	Upright
Arcade display	Horizontal orientation

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is an arcade game produced by Atari Games in 1985. It is described as a platform game and scrolling fighter, and is based on the movie of the same name. The game was one of the first to be released under the Atari Standard I banner, and the first of which to feature voice clips. The game was later ported to NES, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, C64, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST and Amiga.

1 Gameplay
2 Game details
3 External links

[edit] Gameplay

The player assumes the role of Indiana Jones as he infiltrates the lair of the evil Thuggee cult, armed only with his trademark whip. The player's ultimate goal is to free the children the cult has kidnapped as slaves, recover the stolen relics known as "Sankara Stones," and escape from the titular temple. Throughout Temple of Doom's several modes of gameplay, Indy can only take one "hit" (sustaining physical contact with enemies or other hazards) before losing a life.

After choosing a difficulty level, the player begins the game, initially composed of three levels, each based on specific scenes from the film.

[edit] First Level: Subterranean Mines

The first level takes place within the Thuggees' subterranean mines. Crossing mountainous peaks and conveyor belts, Indy must find the cages that hold children around the mine, and destroy their locks with his whip. The whip also serves as Indy's only means of defense; while it destroys the killer bats that float around the mines, it only stuns the Thuggee guards that chase after him. However, these enemies can be knocked into such hazards as lava pits and flaming gasoline cans, which will dispose of them permanently.

If Indy delays in rescuing children, or dawdles in one area for too long, the Thuggee leader, Mola Ram, will appear and throw a flaming heart at him. The heart may be whipped away, but Mola Ram will continue to reappear until the player takes action.

The level ends when Indy reaches a mine shaft accompanied by a cart. Though Indy is not punished if he completes the level without freeing all of the children, the game will not award a bonus.

[edit] Second Level: Minecart Chase

In the second level, Indy must ride the minecart in a high-speed race to the temple's entrance. He must avoid dead ends and missing rails by tilting his minecart along the tracks appropriately; he must also outrun or overturn carts controlled by Thuggee guards, who force themselves into collisions with his cart.

The level ends when Indy reaches the end of the track unscathed. In order to brake, Indy must slow the cart, which the computer will perform automatically as it reaches the temple entrance. However, Indy cannot use his whip while braking, and his cart is still in danger of crashing if an enemy cart catches up. The faster the player presses the "whip" button, the faster Indy will exit the cart; if he can do so moments before an enemy crashes into him, the game will announce "CLOSE CALL, INDY!!", and award bonus points.

[edit] Third Level: The Temple

The third level takes place in the Temple of Kali, where a single Sankara Stone is kept. While avoiding booby traps, guards and Mola Ram, Indy must recover the Stone and escape through one of four doors below the statue of Kali.

The game repeats through these three levels until all three Sankara Stones are recovered; the player must then traverse the first two levels a fourth time, after which the temple level is replaced by a bridge level.

[edit] Fourth Level: The Bridge

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Crossing a narrow bridge, Indy's movement is limited from two dimensions to one — left to right. From one end of the bridge, Thuggee guards will run across in an attempt to reach Indy. At the opposite end, Mola Ram awaits, throwing flaming hearts with increasing speed. Indy must cross the bridge safely within the span of a single life; if he can reach the stolen Sankara Stone at the end of the bridge, the game will enter a cut scene similar to the climax of the film: Indy cuts the ropes supporting the bridge, sending Mola Ram to his death as Indy climbs to safety.

[edit] Fifth Level: Challenge Round

Although it ends from a linear perspective after the bridge level, the game continues on into the challenge round,"once again taking place in the subterranean mines. Indy is instructed to collect golden idols that are hidden throughout the mines, as guards and bats, and the prince with his Voodoo doll chase him. After collecting an idol, another one appears elsewhere on the map within a preset time limit; the game will instruct the player when a new idol has appeared. Though this is the final level, the game will continue to provide idols so long as the player still has lives.

[edit] Game details

The game was created under license from Lucasfilm. As such, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom features music from the film (including John Williams' theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark) as well as archival voice clips of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones and Amrish Puri as Mola Ram.