Crackpots
| Crackpots | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Activision |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Designer(s) | Dan Kitchen[1] |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Release | May 16, 1983 |
| Genre(s) | Fixed shooter |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players alternating |
Crackpots is an Atari 2600 game designed by Dan Kitchen and published by Activision in 1983. It was Kitchen's first game for Activision; he later did a number of ports to the 2600, including the arcade games Kung Fu Master and Double Dragon.[1]
In Crackpots, the player controls Potsy, a gardener. Potsy's Brooklyn building is being overrun by spiders trying to climb inside six different windows. The player moves Potsy back and forth along the roof to drop pots on the spiders before they can get close enough to enter the windows.
Gameplay
Each level consists of four waves of twelve bugs each; defeat all four waves and the player will move on to a more difficult and faster-paced level. Play then resumes until the building crumbles to the ground. If six or more bugs get through the open windows, part of the building will be eaten away, and you will have to replay the level. The patterns vary for different colored spiders. Black spiders will move straight up the building, blue spiders wiggle from left to right, red spiders move diagonally, and green spiders zig-zag between windows.[2]
Reception
In a 2004 review The Video Game Critic concluded, "It's a shame Crackpots only has one skill level because once you get the hang of it, the game tends to run long. Still, sharp graphics and thoughtful gameplay make this one worth a look." The final grade was C.[3]
Re-releases
Crackpots was later Re-released into compilation packages including Activision Classics (1998) for the PlayStation and the Activision Anthology (2002) for the PlayStation 2.[4][5]
References
- 1 2 "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers". dadgum.com.
- ↑ "AtariAge - Atari 2600 - Crackpots (Activision)". www.atariage.com. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- ↑ "Crackpots". The Video Game Critic. September 9, 2004.
- ↑ Harris, Craig (September 29, 1998). "Activision Classics". IGN. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
- ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (November 21, 2002). "Activision Anthology". IGN. Retrieved August 19, 2013.