Vindicators
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| Vindicators | |
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| Developer(s) | Tengen |
| Publisher(s) | Tengen |
| Designer(s) | David Watt |
| Engine | Modified Frogger Engine |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, NES, ZX Spectrum |
| Release date | 1988 |
| Genre(s) | Run and gun |
| Mode(s) | One or two players |
| Media | cartridge |
| Input methods | NES Controller |
Vindicators is a one or two player video game released in the United States for multiple home console platforms by Tengen and for arcade by Atari Games in 1988. As with most Tengen NES games, Vindicators was unlicensed by Nintendo and used an alternate chip to defeat the 10NES lockout system.
[edit] Gameplay
The game begins by asking the player(s) to choose a difficulty level, however, instead of making the enemies more difficult or the players weaker, higher difficulties start the players in a later set of levels (called "galaxies") and with some powerups. The easiest difficulty level starts the player(s) in the first level with no bonuses. The player controls a tank and must navigate through multiple levels (14 in the arcade version) from bottom to top, encountering obstacles and enemies. Along the way, a player may find powerups including tank fuel, stars (currency), shields, and two types of sub-weapons: smart shots (homing missiles) and bombs (powerful rockets). Each level has a key that will open a door at the top of the level, which will either take the player to the next level or to a special hub with multiple powerups that must be escaped in 10 seconds or less. If the player is unable to escape, the tank will be heavily damaged or destroyed. After escaping the hub, the player(s) then proceeds to the next level.
Occasionally, the player(s) will face a boss that must be defeated with sub-weapons, as normal shots are ineffective. After destroying a boss, the player(s) can proceed to a new galaxy.
Between levels, the player is taken to a shop where items and upgrades to tank speed, power, etc. may be purchased with stars. Any damage caused to the player's tank will decrease the shield level. If an unshielded tank is hit, the fuel level will decrease. When the fuel is gone, the tank explodes and a life is lost.
The arcade version, in addition to having special two-joystick controls for each player, contained three special contest levels, with one contest star in each. With three contest stars and nine normal stars, the player(s) could compete in a special time-limited contest level in which the power could win a T-shirt. A later version of the game was released which eliminated the contest levels and stars.
