Name This Game

Name This Game
Octopus
Developer(s) James Wickstead Design Associates
Publisher(s) US Games (USA) Carrere Video Distribution (Europe)
Platform(s) Atari 2600
Release

Name This Game, also known as Octopus in Europe, is a video game for the Atari 2600 manufactured by US Games.

In the game, the player controls a diver who must protect a treasure from an octopus at the top of the screen that tries to capture the treasure with its tentacles. A shark also tries to distract the diver by swimming back and forth toward the bottom of the screen.

The diver loses a life if he is captured by the shark or the octopus's tentacles, or if the air meter runs out. The diver can refill his air meter by touching a long pole which extends from a boat that appears from time to time.

History

The game was conceived by Rob Furen in February 1982, who offered it to Parker Bros. (then owners of the videogame license for Jaws[1]). After the company lost the license, the game was shown to Jim Wickstead of James Wickstead Design Associates, who developed the game from August to October 1982. Originally developed as Treasures of the Deep, the game was picked up by US Games as Guardians of Treasure.

US Games decided to create a contest around the game,[2] releasing it as Name This Game and Win $10,000 with a cash prize to be awarded to the winning name after April 30, 1983. However, before the contest was completed, US Games closed its doors. (In 1994 Digital Press held its own naming contest for the game; the winning title, coined by Russ Perry Jr., was Going Under - referencing not only the game's content, but the fate of its publisher.)[3] The game has also been referred to by the shortened title Name This Game.

Carrere Video Distribution released the game in Europe as Octopus. Amiga also planned to include the game in its Power Play Arcade #2 cartridge under the name Galleon's Gold, but that cartridge did not get past the prototype stage.[4]

References

  1. ↑ http://guide.digitpress.com:8080/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=24723
  2. ↑ Katz, Arnie; Kunkel, Bill (June 1983). "Programmable Arcade". Electronic Games. pp. 38–42. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  3. ↑ http://guide.digitpress.com:8080/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=24144
  4. ↑ http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/powerarcade/powerarcade.htm


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