Atlantis (video game)

Atlantis

Atlantis on the Atari 2600
Developer(s) Imagic
Publisher(s) Imagic
Designer(s) Dennis Koble[1]
Platform(s) Atari 2600 (original)
Atari 8-bit, VIC-20, Intellivision, Magnavox Odyssey²
Release 1982
Genre(s) Fixed shooter
Mode(s) Single player, Two player

Atlantis is a fixed shooter video game released by Imagic in July 1982, for the Atari 2600. It was written by Dennis Koble who also wrote Trick Shot, Solar Storm, and Shootin Gallery' for Imagic.[1] Atlantis was ported to the Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore VIC-20, Intellivision, and the Magnavox Odyssey².[2]

The game was the subject of Destination Atlantis, a video game competition in which players of the Atari 2600 version were encouraged to mail in photos of their high scores to Imagic to receive a special edition of the game named Atlantis II.

Gameplay

The player controls the last defenses of the City of Atlantis against the Gorgon invaders. The city has seven bases, which are vulnerable to attack. Three of these have firepower capabilities to destroy the Gorgon ships before they manage to fire death rays at one of the settlements. The gun bases have fixed cannons; the center base fires straight up, while the far left and far right bases fire diagonally upwards across the screen. The center cannon also creates a shield that protects the settlements from the death rays, so once the center cannon is destroyed, the remaining settlements become vulnerable to attack. The enemy ships pass back and forth from left to right four times before they enter firing range, giving an ample opportunity to blow them away. Lost bases can be regained by destroying enough Gorgon ships. However, regardless of the player's efforts to avert the tragedy, Atlantis is doomed. The only way the game can end is when all bases are destroyed. However, a tiny ship then rises from the rubble and speeds away, foreshadowing the events of the sequel Cosmic Ark.[3]

The Intellivision version features two gun turrets with a movable cursor that can be aimed onto enemy ships. There is also a deploy-able ship to take on enemies one-on-one. The game features day, dusk, and night settings, with the night setting limiting visibility to two moving searchlights.

Reception

Video Games favorably reviewed the Intellivision version of Atlantis, calling it "a great shoot-'em-up for" the console,[4] and the Atari 2600 version received a Certificate of Merit in the "Video Game of the Year" category at the 4th annual Arkie Awards.[5]:30

References

  1. 1 2 "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers". dadgum.com.
  2. ↑ "Atlantis". Moby Games. Retrieved on March 8th, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Game Trivia for Atlantis". Moby Games. Retrieved on March 8th, 2009.
  4. ↑ Wiswell, Phil (March 1983). "New Games From Well-Known Names". Video Games. p. 69. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Kunkel, Bill; Katz, Arnie (February 1983). "Arcade Alley: The Fourth Annual Arcade Awards". Video. Reese Communications. 6 (11): 30, 108. ISSN 0147-8907.

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