Targ (video game)

Targ
Developer(s) Exidy
Publisher(s) Exidy
Platform(s) Arcade
Release 1980
Genre(s) Vehicular combat
Mode(s) 2-player alternating
Cabinet Upright
Display Raster

Targ was a successful 1980 game by Exidy depicting vehicular combat in a future world. It was followed by a more elaborate sequel, Spectar.

A port of Targ was developed for the Atari 2600 by CBS Games, but was never released.[1]

Description

The locale, described by the game cabinet as "The Crystal City", is a simple 9x9 grid of roads demarcated by rectangular buildings. The player, piloting the Wummel, which looks like a small green car, maneuvers through the maze trying to shoot enemies and avoid collisions. Most of the enemies consist of angry-looking red wedges, or "Targs". Occasionally, a small cyan-colored "Spectar Smuggler" appears; shooting it scores a significant bonus. When all enemies are destroyed, a bonus is awarded and a new round starts. If the player takes too long to clear the board, the Targs's speed increases until they are traveling faster than the Wummel.

None of the enemies shoot back. Their sole means of killing the player is ramming in to him. Despite this, the game is quite challenging.

Reception

Electronic Games in 1983 stated that Targ had "one of the most unique approaches to the maze-chase contest".[2]

Legacy

Many games of the time were developed by Japanese companies, such as Taito or Namco, and then licensed by Western companies. Targ has the distinction of being one of the rare games that was developed in the west and licensed by a Japanese company — in this case, Sega.

The 1982 game Crossfire for the Apple II is similar to Targ,[2] though it does bears some differences (most notably, the ability of opponents to fire). A closer clone is the TRS-80 game Attack Force.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Targ". Atari Protos.
  2. 1 2 Pearl, Rick (June 1983). "Closet Classics". Electronic Games. p. 82. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  3. ↑ Reed, Matthew. "Attack Force". trs-80.org.


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