BeamWars
| BeamWars | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Steve Crutchfield |
| Publisher(s) | Polaris Software |
| Platform(s) | Mac OS |
| Release date(s) | 1992 |
| Genre(s) | arcade game |
| Mode(s) | Multiplayer |
BeamWars is a Macintosh shareware arcade-style game that was popular in the early 1990s, created by Steve Crutchfield.[1] Its pioneering use of digitized sound, music and voice effects (including the trademark "Welcome to BeamWars" and "The game is a draw" samples), and arrival as one of the first well-known full-color games for the Macintosh gave it a good review from the MacUser book of 1993[2] saying "BeamWars stands out as one of the finest arcade-type games" and "the game is actually a delightful, nerve-wracking combination of sound, skill, and color".
Description
Much like the racing that happens in the movie Tron, the player controls a beam of light which is capable of moving up, down, left or right. The objective is to avoid hitting anything while forcing your opponents' beams to crash into yours, their own, or a wall. After a set amount of time, the walls begin to close in, making survival more difficult and forcing players closer together. The winner of each round is the last surviving beam and points are awarded based on how long each beam survived. After a few rounds, the player with the highest score wins the game. The game supports a maximum of 4 players, either human or computer controlled (which can be set to either Novice or Expert level). However, since the game could be played with 4 humans at the same time on the same keyboard, it was quite prone to the N-key rollover problem.
References
- ↑ Computerworld - 11 Nov 1996 - Page 17
- ↑ Wasson, Gregory (1993). MacUser: MacUser guide to shareware. Ziff-Davis. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-56276-076-2.