Millipede (arcade game)
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| Millipede | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | Atari |
| Publisher(s) | Atari |
| Designer(s) | Ed Logg |
| Release date(s) | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Fixed shooter |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Input | Trackball; 1 button |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system(s) | Main CPU: M6502 (@ 1.512 MHz) |
| Arcade display | Raster resolution 240×256 (Vertical) Palette Colors 32 |
Millipede is a 1982 arcade game by Atari and is the successor to the arcade hit, Centipede. It is scheduled for release via Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 in 2007.
The player controls an archer at the bottom of the screen. The player's objective is to destroy the millipede chain that begins at the top of the screen. There are mushrooms scattered around the playing field, which must be shot to be destroyed. When the millipede is shot (only one segment at a time), a mushroom is created in its place. Millipedes cannot move through mushrooms, so they are forced to move around them. Therefore, players can shoot the mushrooms to redirect the millipede. The game is in color and the controls consist of a trackball and a "fire" button.
In contrast with Centipede, the field of mushrooms moves up and down. This disrupts a common tactic in Centipede, where the player arranges the mushrooms to direct the centipede in a specific path.
[edit] Enemies
All the enemies from Centipede return in a sense, but only the spider is the same species. The centipede is now a millipede, the flea is now a bee, the gnome is now an archer and the scorpion is now an earwig. While appearing to be new, they have the same movement styles, sound effects, and point values as their Centipede counterparts (except that the spider may be worth 1200 points if shot at point-blank range). There are also several new ones:
- An inchworm, which slows down all enemies temporarily when shot.
- A beetle, which turns mushrooms into indestructible flowers, and moves the entire mushroom field down one row if hit (this also happens when a stage is cleared).
- A dragonfly, which is similar to the bee, but moves from side to side as it moves down the screen.
- A mosquito, which moves diagonally, changes direction when it hits the side of the screen, and moves the mushroom field up one row if hit.
Multiple spiders can be present simultaneously. This disrupts the strategy of avoiding spiders by moving to their left if they are moving right, or vice versa.
There are also DDT bombs, which destroy everything in an area when shot.
[edit] High Scores
Once the player reaches a certain score, he receives a bonus life. Then the player has the option of starting on a new level the next time he plays. Players cannot start higher than 300,000 points using this method.
