Atari 2600 Video Game Release Dates for 1983

Text from The Video Game Update (Jan 83)

U.S. GAMES

Nine titles are promised for the Show with the first 7 falling into their new FAMILY FUN SERIES being touted as fast action games that are fun to watch too. The 7 tltles are GOPHER, EGGOMANIA, PICNIC, PIECE O’ CAKE, SQUEEZE BOX, RAFT RIDER and ENTOMBED. In GOPHER the farmer must keep the Gophers from eating his crops. EGGOMANIA (formerly titled Weird Bird) features a Weird Bird dropping eggs from the top of the screen. Blue Bear must attempt to catch the eggs in his hat. If the bear misses, egg yolk is the result. Blue Bear dances the “Eggomania Waltz” when he tosses the eggs back up and manages to hit Weird Bird. When the bear is successful, Weird Bird's feathers fly and he flys off the edge of the screen. PICNIC, which uses your paddle controllers, has you defending two hamburgers from flies. The paddle controller acts as a flyswatter you use your fire button as the fly attacks. If you hit the fly, it bounces off the side of the screen (ala Pong) and bounces into a jar. The flies come in wave of 8 at a time, and when you get rid of the flies, you have to contend with Superbug who has two attack prongs. In PIECE O’ CAKE, you're a baker at the top of the screen with a conveyor belt with plates scrolling across the bottom. You must get the cake from the left (if you're real fast, get two cakes and make it a two-layer cake) and then go to the right and get a cherry to drop on the cake. This game also utilizes the paddle controllers. In SQUEEZE BOX you are a convict with bars on either side of you closing you in. You shoot out the bars—shoot out 4 bars and you can exit—into another room. The play gets faster and faster and if you touch three bars, you go to hell and meet the devil. RAFT RIDER has trappers in the Northwest Territory poling a raft upriver. There are obstacles such as rocks, a moose in the river, etc. There are also gold bars along the way. Pick them up and get extra rafts. ENTOMBED (formerly entitled Maze Chase) scrolls vertically. Getting your man into the maze is difficult enough but you can't see once you're in the maze and can easily end up in a dead end and scroll off the top (the game scrolls from bottom to top).

The other two games being introduced at the show fall into their Action/Adventure Series. First M.A.D. (Missile Attack and Defense) has you manning a photon cannon. There are missiles above trying to shoot out your 3 energy stations. In the 2-player version, you and your opponent take turns being the attacker and the defender! The last game [Name This Game] (formerly entitled GUARDIANS OF TREASURE) is UNTITLED! Scheduled to ship around February 1, a major contest is planned to Name The Cartridge! The game is a deep-sea adventure where you must protect a treasure and, of course, run into all sorts of problems along the way. In the Sweepstakes running from February 1 through April 30, several names will be drawn. First prize is $10,000, second place is $3,500, third place $1 ,500. They will choose the winning game title from those chosen in the Sweepstakes, starting with the first name drawn. The winning title will win an additional $10,000!

Text from The Video Game Update (Feb 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

January [compiled from Feb 83 and Jan 83 availability updates]

Demolition Herbie (Telesys) [Demolition Herby]

Entity (Fox) [unreleased]

x - Gopher (U.S. Games)

High Seas (M Network) [unreleased]

x - M.A.D. (U.S. Games)

Mission Omega (CommaVid) [unreleased]

x - Name That Game (U.S. Games) [Name This Game]

x - Picnic (U.S. Games)

Ram It (Telesys)

x - Reactor (Parker Bros)

Spider Fighter (Activision)

x - Squeezebox (U.S. Games) [Squeeze Box]

Stargunner (Telesys)

Surfing (Fox) [unreleased]

Tron Deadly Discs (M Network)

Note: Any program noted with an “x” indicates it has shipped prior to our going to print. May not be in national distribution yet, however.

Text from Arcade Express (Dec 5, 82)

THREE TITLES FROM ACTIVISION STRESS ADVENTURE & WHIMSY

Activision will ship three titles in the next quarter that should follow their established route of whimsy combined with action-adventure, a formula that has proved successfulfor that company in the past. “River Raid”, the first game designed by Carol Shaw, requiresthe gamer to pilot an assault jet over a constantly changing river course, destroying gunships, helicopters, jets, bridges and oil depots. The course features 48 different river sections, sometimes clear and wide, and then so choked with islands that flight corridors shrink to a single wing span. “Spider Fighter” is another first game, this time from designer Larry Miller. A single player uses a bug blaster to dodge hostile arachnids before they steal his crop of fruit. Described as frenetic, a whorl of on-screen activity uses arcade-like features such as bonus points for surviving an insect wave with no loses, and a demonstration mode when the game ends. The third Activision release, “Sea Quest”, was designed by veteran programmer Steve Cartwright, who also gave us “Barnstorming” and “MegaMania”. The player controls a submarine to locate his team of scuba divers with their treasures. Then the arcader must rescue the divers from man-eating sharks and pirate subs, getting them to surface before the air supply runs out.

“River Raid” will be shipped in December, “Spider Fighter” in January, and “Sea Quest” will follow in February.

Text from Arcade Express (Dec 19, 82)

DATA AGE DRAWS ON POPULAR CULTURE HITS FOR GAME INSPIRATION

Data Age will introduce three new cartridges for the Atari VCS at the Winter Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas, in January 1983. They will be shipped during the first quarter of the year, together with the previously announced rock ‘n roll game, “Journey Escape”.

Data Age has continued to examine popular culture for inspiration for their games. “Bermuda Triangle” takes the gamer aboard a mini-sub on the ocean’s floor, to locate and loot a mysterious lost city. In “Frankenstein’s Monster”, arcaders gather stones from Dr. Frankenstein’s dungeon and carry them to the tower, to build a barrier around the monster before he’s completed. Finally, pit your agent against enemy spies, pursued and threatened, as he tries to recover top secret military documents and other prizes. Data Age has picked “Secret Agent” as a tentative title for this thriller based in the Swiss Alps.

Text from STARLOG (Dec 82, page 13)

In addition to Frogger, Empire Strikes Back and Amadar [Amidar], Parker will be releasing Reactor (this fall) [wrong], Super Cobra (January) [delayed], Star Wars (January) [possibly delayed by a month], Tutankham (April) [delayed] and Sky Skipper (April) [correct].

Text from Electronic Fun (Dec 82, page 27)

PARKER BROTHERS STRIKES BACK

Following the incredible success of Frogger and The Empire Strikes Back, Parker Brothers has several new titles planned for your Atari VCS. Keep your eyes open for these . . .

January—Super Cobra [delayed], Star Wars [seems to have been delayed until Feb]

February—Reactor [seems to be correct]

April—Sky Skipper [correct], Tutankham [delayed]

June—Revenge of the Jedi [delayed]

Text from Arcade Express (Jan 2, 83)

ATARI SEES RED OVER DEMON ATTACK & SUES IMAGIC FOR INFRINGEMENT

Atari has filed suit against Imagic, in what could be the hottest videogame battle of the Winter. Atari claims that Imagic infringed a copyright in the Intellivision version of Imagic’s Arkie-Award winning hit, “Demon Attack”.

The folks in Sunnyvale are up in arms because Atari holds the home rights to “Phoenix”, the Centuri coin-op, and says that “Demon Attack” is an unauthorized plagiarism of that game. However, the VCS-compatible version of “Demon Attack” has not been sued up to this point.

A spokesman for Imagic expressed confidence that Atari’s case will not stand up, and denies the charges as “completely without merit”.

NAME THE GAME FOR BIG BUCKS

U.S. Games is sponsoring a contest/sweepstakes to find the best name for a new deep sea adventure. A joystick-controller diver gathers treasure from the ocean floor, while constantly threatened by an octopus whose tentacles draw ever closer. A spear gun drives the octopus back, but the diver has other problems. There’s a man-eating shark that must be dealt with. The gamer has to watch the undersea denizens, gather treasure, and also keep an eye on the dwindling air supplies.

Get a look at the cartridge at your local dealer in mid-January, and pick up entry blanks, for the U.S. Games sweepstakes drawing. The first name out of the hopper wins $10,000 regardless of the title he submits, and $3500 and $1500 go to the next two winners. One hundred people will get libraries of six U.S. Games cartridges, and 1000 will receive one game each. And, the person sending in the best, most creative name for the game will win a special award of $10,000, even if he’s already won one of the other prizes.

Text from Arcade Express (Jan 16, 83)

PAC MAN IS TOP KID HIT ON T.V.

Early figures released by ABC Television rate the new cartoon show “Pac-Man” almost as big a hit on TV as it was in the arcades. The Saturday morning children’s cartoon series is tops in its time slot, beating out last year’s big winner, “Smurfs”, for the number one position.

TIGER UNVEILS FOUR VCS CARTRIDGES

The Atari VCS version of the climbing contest “Miner 2049er” will be one of five new cartridges introduced for the popular standard programmable videogame system by Tigervision during the first four months of 1983. January’s release, “River Patrol”, asks the arcaders to steer a leaky boat up a river and reach the dam before the vessel sinks. February will see the multiple scenario climbing game “Springer” in which the hero (a rabbit) hops from cloud to cloud on a journey to the sun. March is the month for the three-screen “Miner 2049er” as well as “Intuition”, the first videogame created by world-famous artist Agam. The latter is a quasi-educational cartridge that attempts to stimulate use of the left side of the brain to heighten creativity(!). “Polaris”, a submarine warfare simulation, will be the Tigervision offering for April.

Text from Video Games (Jan 83, page 56)

Between now and June, expect about eight cartridges from Parker Brothers. Amidar and Spiderman, a climbing game with some neat tricks, should be in the stores already; Super Cobra [delayed] and a second Star Wars game called Jedi Arena, which is based on the jousting scene in the original movie, are scheduled for January; Sky Skipper, Tutankham [delayed], Reactor [possibly released in Feb] and the Strawberry Shortcake game, which is being specifically geared toward the “little sisters who aren’t into Demon Attack” and is moderately educational, should be out by April; and The Revenge of the Jedi cartridge will appear shortly after the film’s May release [delayed].

Text from Arcade Express (Jan 30, 83)

U.S. GAMES UNVEILS FAMILY FUN SERIES

Family fun is the main theme of a new series of cartridges from U.S. Games. Jack Dews, company Executive Vice Pres. explains, “It’s no secret that home videogames are a male-oriented youth market, but our research indicates there is a great potential for producing home videogames that appeal to all members of the family.” Even while continuing to support U.S. Games Action Adventure Series, the company has introduced the Family Fun Series that Dews describes as “fast, but somewhat lighthearted”, that will not involve space or shooting action.

“Gopher” has a farmer battling marauding rodents in his carrot patch. “Squeeze Box” has a jailbird shooting his way through fast-closing walls “Eggomania” has a circus bear catching eggs and pitching them back “Picnic” makes you use a flyswatter to get rid of a swarm of insects “Bakery” needs a deft- handed cook to drop cakes onto a conveyor belt “Raft Rider” has you maneuvering a raft through a treacherous river, and “Entombed” lets you explore an ancient tomb.

And there’s not a shoot-em-up in the whole batch of them!

STARPATH DROPS SUPERCHARGER PRICE

Starpath Corporation has dramatically reduced the price of its Supercharger, the device that enhances the powers of the Atari VCS. The Supercharger had originally been marketed for $69.95, but now will be retailed at $45.

The Supercharger expands the RAM of the Atari VCS from 128 to 6,272 bytes. This increase in memory makes possible high resolution graphics and lengthened game playing time. The unit comes packed with “Phaser Patrol”, a game utilizing the additional power of the Supercharger that plugs into the cartridge slot of the VCS, and into the earphone jack of any cassette player. Starpath games are recorded on audio cassette and average $15 to $18 each.

VIDEOGAME PREVIEWER ASSISTS RETAILERS

Imagic has developed a table-top display unit that allows the retailer to display up to 26 videogames, giving the prospective customer the chance to view any or all of the games prior to purchase. It uses the Atari VCS system, and a customer merely presses a button to call up any game, which will then play for only a predetermined length of time to discourage overuse. The games work by remote control and are never touched by the customer, and the joysticks and paddles are attached to the rear of the Previewer. This should certainly help stores needing a way to demonstrate games, while keeping the valuable carts safely out of reach until the purchase is made.

PIGGYBACK A COMPUTER ON YOUR ATARI VCS

Entex, a company best-known for its handheld and tabletop games, wants to turn every VCS unit into a full-function computer with the Entex 2000 Piggyback.

The full-sized keyboard plugs into an Atari 2600 and has a built-in 8K-byte Basic and 3K bytes of RAM that can be further enhanced with a 16K RAM memory expansion cartridge. Gamers can attain computer literacy and create their own programs, or use software cartridges in the VCS-styled cartridge portal. Entex will also market a wide variety of non-game software, ranging from home finance to beginning algebra, speed reading, and a variety of other useful subjects.

The Entex 2000 Piggyback will sell for less than $130 and will be available in the Spring.

IMAGIC AND ATARI SETTLE OUT OF COURT

Atari and Imagic have come to a meeting of the minds and laid to rest their battle over “Demon Attack”. Atari had claimed that the Arkie-Award hit, in its Intellivision version, infringed the copyright Atari held for “Phoenix”. The two companies declined to say how the agreement was reached, but Atari has dropped the suit against Imagic. Intellivision owners are the real winners since they will be able to continue enjoying the hit game with no objections from the boys in Sunnyvale.

Text from Billboard (Nov 6, 82, page 3)

ROCK TIE-IN FOR NEW VID GAME (1983 RELEASE SET FOR ‘JOURNEY’S ESCAPE’ CARTRIDGE)

The home video game industry directly pursues the rock music market in January. with the release of “Journey’s Escape,” a tie-in between the platinum-level Columbia recording act and Data Age, a fledgling games software firm.

The Atari-compatible cartridge. listing at $34.95. will reportedly be supported by a $4.5 million national ad campaign (the sum includes co-op dollars) funded by Data Age. The Campbell, Calif.-based company introduced its first five game cartridges Oct. 1.

Text from Vidiot (Feb/Mar 83, page 8)

NO ESCAPING ESCAPE

The world’s first rock ‘n’ roll video game, featuring the members of Journey, ships on Jan. 1, ‘83.

Name of the game is Journey’s Escape. It goes something like this: You, the player, gets to be one of the guys in the group. Sorry, but somebody has to be the duck. To get the bug points, the musicianly blip has eight minutes to go from concert stage to a scarab limo parked nearby.

The catch? First, you have to navigate a mass of groupies, promo flaks, promoters, roadies, paternity lawyers and even some plain-old fans to reach the Escape. We can’t wait to see a teeny-weeny electronic groupie. A big red 0, right?

Snatches of two popular Journey tracks, “Escape” and “Don’t Stop Believing,” are also Included to open and close the contest. So you Journey fans will want the game to be over with, pronto.

Text from Video Games (Feb 83, page 12)

CAN VIDEO GAMES SAVE THE RADIO STAR?

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. That’s the philosophy of Herbie Herbert, the astute manager of Journey, the San Francisco-based rock group whose latest album, Escape, has sold more than five-and-a-half million copies. So Journey has linked up with Data Age, a recent entry in the TV-game software circus, to create what is being billed as “the world’s first rock ‘n’ roll video game.” Says Herbert: “To stay on top of the youth market, you have to establish broad appeal. Video games are becoming as much a part of kids’ lives as rock ‘n’ roll has been for decades.”

Or as Data Age’s Vice-President of Marketing Robert Rice puts it: “The youth of America know exactly what they want—and today that means video games and rock ‘n’ roll.”

In the game—Journey Escape—you start on a concert stage and maneuver up a scrolling screen to Journey’s trademark scarab escape vehicle at the very top. The object: avoid a procession of heart-shaped groupies, flashing paparazzi, money-grubbing promoters, and autograph-seeking fans. You do get some help: When touched, a rock manager and a group of roadies will literally clear your way to the chauffeured limo. Besides being rewarded with a portion of the night’s take (what, no royalty points?), you get to hear a computerized version of the group’s latest hit, “Don’t Stop Believin,” following the getaway.

How did Data Age hook up with Journey? It seems the band’s management had been thinking about launching a video game when Rice, a music industry veteran and former Activision sales manager, contacted them with the same idea. It took less than an hour for the group and the company to reach an agreement. “We couldn’t believe someone else was thinking the way we were,” Herbert explained. The game is scheduled to be released in January and will be playable only on the Atari VCS. . . .

Text from Video Games (Mar 84, page 71)

The first Journey game was from Data Age. It came out just after Christmas, 1982.

Text from Billboard (Dec 11, 82, page 8)

PARKER BROTHERS RELEASING 16 NEW GAME CARTRIDGES

Parker Brothers, the General Mills toy and game manufacturer which successfully launched a video game line in June [1982], plans the release of 16 new cartridges in 1983.

Keyed to movie, comic and arcade licenses, they will be supported with a major advertising program that will reportedly cost the company about $30 million.

In another 1983 direction, Parker will enter the computer software market, hoping to capture a market that is expected to double in size to about $500 million next year, with an anticipated 4.5 million personal computer homes. Parker will offer game cartridges compatible with such computer systems as Atari, Commodore, Texas Instruments and, possibly, IBM and Apple.

Following the introduction of four games since June [1982]—expected to generate about $75 million in sales by Christmas—Parker plans a January release of a second “Star Wars” cartridge, “Jedi Arena,” followed by “Revenge Of The Jedi”—the next “Star Wars” film—in May and a fourth cartridge based on a similar theme in late summer.

Also due in January is “Super Cobra” [delayed] and, during the year, such other arcade games as “Reactor,” “Sky Skipper” and “Tutankham.”

In March, the company will attempt to reach boys and girls ages four and eight with two entries, “Strawberry Shortcake” [possibly delayed until Apr] and “G.I. Joe.” . . .

Text from Billboard (Jan 8, 83, page 32)

In addition, Parker Bros. will introduce “Strawberry Shortcake Musical Match-Ups,” a video game designed for girls between the ages of four and eight.

. . . .

The Parker Bros. video game, to be introduced in March, was designed to develop color and tune recognition in youngsters. It will be compatible with the Atari VCS and Sears Video Arcade, as well as the Intellivision system later in the year.

Text from Electronics For Kids (Jan/Feb 83, page S19)

PARKER BROTHERS INTRODUCES 16 VIDEO GAME CARTRIDGES IN ITS ‘83 LINE

Parker Brothers plans to introduce 16 new video game cartridges in 1983 including three new games based on the upcoming Star Wars film, tentatively titled Return of the Jedi.

Company president Randolph P. Barton said that the new cartridges will be backed with a $30 million advertising budget. He also predicted that Parker Bros.’ new games, combined with its initial computer software offerings, would help the company triple its video software sales in 1983.

Star Wars Jedi Arena, first of three Star Wars cartridges planned for ‘83, is being released in January for play on the Atari VCS [possibly delayed until Feb]. The game will be compatible with the Atari 5200 and Intellivision systems later this year. The second Jedi game will hit the stores when the film is released in May [delayed] and the third is set for late summer release.

Several of the new games will feature movie and comic book characters for which Parker Bros. has obtained exclusive game cartridge licenses. Among them are James Bond, G.l. Joe, The Incredible Hulk, and Strawberry Shortcake. Both the G.I. Joe and Strawberry Shortcake games have been designed for young children ages 4-10.

Four new cartridges based on popular arcade games will debut in 1983. Home video versions of Reactor, Sky Skipper, Super Cobra, and Tutankham are scheduled for release this year. A fifth arcade-based game, Amidar, was shipped in November [correct]. Also scheduled for 1983 is a game based on the Lord of the Rings fantasy novels by J.R. Tolkien.

Text from Electronics For Kids (Jan/Feb 83, page S22)

Journey Escape has a suggested retail price of $34.95.

Along with Journey Escape, Data Age will be introducing three other Atari VCS-compatible video games at the Winter CES.

Bermuda Triangle, Frankenstein’s Monster and another game tentatively-titled Secret Agent will be shipped during the first quarter. All three games have a suggested retail price of $31.95.

Text from Book & Video Update (Vol. 1, No. 4 Jan/Feb 83, p. 12)

THEY’RE THE ONES TO BEAT IN ‘83!

Whether you own an Atari 2600 or lntellivision game system, Parker Brothers has the games for 1983. The best of the arcade games, and innovative creations from books and movies, these exciting new releases are coming soon—

[Anything not for Atari VCS has been removed from their list.]

JANUARY

Super Cobra [delayed until Oct]

Jedi Arena [released in Feb]

MARCH

Strawberry Shortcake [released in Apr]

APRIL

Sky Skipper [correct]

Tutankham [delayed until Jun]

G.I. Joe [released in Mar]

Reactor [released in Feb]

JUNE

Revenge of the Jedi I [canceled or renamed]

JULY

James Bond 007 [train version canceled & new game released May 84]

Incredible Hulk [canceled]

SEPTEMBER

Revenge of the Jedi II [canceled or renamed]

Lord of the Rings [canceled]

Text from The Video Game Update (Mar 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

February [compiled from Mar 83, Feb 83, and Jan 83 availability updates]

x - Advs Of Tron (M Network)

x - Air Raiders (M Network)

Cosmic Corridor (Zimag)

x - Crypts Of Chaos (Fox)

Dishaster (Zimag)

x - G.I. Joe (Parker Bros)

I Want My Mommy (Zimag)

x - Jedi Arena (Parker Bros)

x - Ms. Pac-Man (Atari)

x - Phoenix (Atari)

x - Realsports Football (Atari) [Released in Dec 1982, so I don’t know why this is here.]

Revenge Beefstk Tom. (Fox) [Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoes]

x - Seaquest (Activision)

Stomp It (CBS) [unreleased]

Swordquest Fireworld (Atari)

Tanks But No Tanks (Zimag)

Note: Any program noted with an “x” indicates it has shipped prior to our going to print. May not be in national distribution yet, however.

Text from Arcade Express (Feb 13, 83)

U.S. GAMES FINISHES FACELIFT

U.S. Games has new packaging graphics for its library of Atari 2600-compatible cartridges. Each box has the new U.S. Games logo across the top against a light blue strip with a thin red line below. A cartoon drawing with a white background depicting the game scenario illustrates the box front, and the back of the container has a playscreen plus a written description of the play action. Jack Dews, Executive Vice President of the company, had this to say about the changes: “Our games are designed for family play and the graphics give them a friendly look that invites people to play.”

COLECO UNVEILS GAMES FOR VCS

Coleco plans seven new Atari VCS-compatible cartridges during the first half of the year, including “Donkey Kong Junior”, “Looping”, “Mr. Do”, “Zaxxon” and “Turbo”, all licensed versions of coin-op hits; “Rocky Battles the Champ” and “Smurf Rescue in Gargamel’s Castle”, licensed from the popular movie and T.V. show, respectively.

ATARI OFFERS DIAGNOSTIC CENTERS & HOME REPAIR KITS

Atari spokesmen say the company wants the consumer to get even greater values for their money, and this is the reason they are giving an “Accessory Test Console” to qualifying dealers at no charge. The consumer can take his suffering equipment to the test console at his favorite videogame store to learn what, if anything, is wrong with the ailing machine. This should save time and effort in obtaining repairs for any equipment problems that might arise.

In another bid to help the gamer, Atari recognizes that joysticks do sometimes break, so introduced the “Atari Joystick Repair Kit”. It contains all the necessary replacement parts and easy instructions, so that arcaders can repair the damaged controller rather than buying a new one.

Text from Arcade Express (Feb 27, 83)

MS. PAC-MAN TOPS LIST OF COMING ATARI GAMES

“Ms. Pac-Man” came to the home screen in February. It features multiple mazes and graphics that far outshine last year’s “Pac-Man”. Best of all, “Ms. Pac-Man” is essentially flicker-free; this is a great adaptation of the coin-op hit that all gobble fans will appreciate. “Centipede”, the garden-insect-hunt coin-op hit, will be released for the home in March. “Dig Dug”, the popular mining game, is scheduled for second quarter release.

Other titles for the first half of this year include “Kangaroo” [Jul] with 4 skill levels for the gamer to battle through to save the kidnapped baby hopper. “Jungle Hunt” [Jul], licensed from Taito, forces the on-screen hero to swing from vines, swim shark-infested rivers, and brave avalanche and cannibals to save his lady love. “Phoenix” [Feb] features waves of warbirds that swoop down on the laser cannon, followed by an attack by the alien ship. “Vanguard” [Dec 82], already available in most cities, flies the gamer through nine different tunnels as he battles 11 waves of enemies. “Galaxian”, the familiar invasion game, will be available for the VCS for the first time in March. [Wrong. Galaxian was released in Jun.] “RealSports Football”, “RealSports Tennis” and “RealSports Soccer” complete the roster of games planned for immediate release by Atari. [Tennis & Soccer could be orderd by Atari Club members in Apr, but they weren't in stores until Jun. Football was released in Dec 82.]

GEMINI MATES WITH VCS CARTS

“Gemini” is a new videogame system from Coleco that’s fully compatible with all games designed for the Atari VCS and Sears Video Arcade. The new Coleco system accepts all carts manufactured by other game companies for use on the Model 2600 Atari. “Gemini” lists for under $100, and comes packed with Coleco’s “Donkey Kong”, two controllers with both joysticks and paddles, and $25 worth of coupons good toward the purchase of other Coleco products.

The low-priced “Gemini” is also compatible with Coleco’s new module, the “Gemini Sound I Voice Module” which works with all VCS-type videogame systems to bring voice to home games.

ATARI IS GETTING INTO CONTROL

Three controllers said to bring arcade-quality play into the home are on the way from Atari. “TrakBall” will be available in late Spring for the Atari 5200 and VCS 2600. The “Proline Joystick” for the VCS 2600, modeled after aerospace controllers, requires less hand movement for quick response. Its design conforms to the shape of gamers` hands more comfortably than previous sticks. It should be a very durable controller because of its solid metal shaft.

Atari didn’t forget the younger gamer. Researchers at that company found traditional sticks hard for small kids to use, so developed the “Atari Kid’s Controller”. A 5x7 in. keyboard holds 12 buttons, and each kids game has a pictorial overlay for the pad. Atari believes this makes it easier for young players to understand the relationship between the controller and the game.

Text from Videogaming Illustrated (Feb 83, page 10)

BACK AT THE RANCH . . .   [Seems to have been written in December 1982]

All that talk last issue about stock analysts predicting gloom for the videogame industry has not apparently, caused Parker Brothers to lose any sleep.

The General Mills subsidiary said recently that they expected to generate in excess of two hundred million dollars worth of retail sales for its Atari-compatible software over the next two years.

This figure is based on the release of twenty titles by the end of 1984.

Parker Brothers certainly has had a phenomenal start with The Empire Strikes Back videogame: released in June [Jul 82], it has achieved over thirty million dollars in retail sales. That makes it one of the top grossing home videogames in history.

The other Parker Brothers videogames currently in release are Frogger, Amidar, and Spiderman. In addition to Jedi Arena, covered elsewhere in this issue, next month [January] you’ll be able to buy Super Cobra [delayed], with Reactor scheduled for the spring.

APOLLO’S FACE-LIFT

Apollo is doing extremely well for a small company amidst the titans, but President Pat Roper isn’t resting on his laurels.

The Texas-based company has a total of thirteen games on the market. all of them bearing the company’s new logo and, in the case of older games like Space Cavern, new package art.

“Increasingly limited shelf space and overall competition in the marketplace has created a need for our games packaging to be truly distinctive and yet to reflect a family look,” Roper said. At the same time, he wanted “a sophisticated image of the company to reflect the innovative, state-of-the-art games we are known for making.”

The company’s new logo features their name pierced by a lightning bolt.

Text from Videogaming Illustrated (Feb 83, pages 29 and 30)

Star Wars   [Seems to have been written in December 1982]

As reported in this issue’s Eye On, sales of the first Star Wars videogame, The Empire Strikes Back, have been extraordinary. That game, of course, is based on the Battle of Hoth from the film, as rebel soldiers in snowspeeders shoot at the mammoth, lumbering ATATs (All Terrain Armored Transports) which are plodding toward their encampments.

There is every reason to believe that Parker Brothers will once again strike gold with next month’s [January] release of the second Star Wars cartridge, Jedi Arena [possibly delayed until Feb].

If playing Jedi Arena will be a treat, bringing the game to the Atari VCS has not been a picnic. The object of Jedi Arena is to strike at the Seeker, the floating ball from whose lightning-like discharges Luke Skywalker tried to defend himself while practicing with his light-saber in the first Star Wars.

This was always the concept of the game, though it went through several different versions before Parker Brothers came up with one that was both faithful to the film and offered excellent gameplay. The biggest problem was concocting an interesting Seeker scenario. Originally, the player’s goal was to blow it up. Now, closer to the scene in the film, the Seeker throws off sparks which the player must repel.

The third Star Wars game, tentatively titled Revenge of the Jedi, will be released in June [delayed], one month after the film.

What’s interesting about the third cartridge is that while the designers will be told what event from the film they must develop into a game, that’s all they will be permitted to know.

To say that the makers of Revenge of the Jedi are being secretive is the understatement of the decade. The fear of filmmakers engaged in expensive projects such as this one—the cost is in excess of $25,000,000—is that some unscrupulous producer will get wind of the plot and rush out a quick, lowbudget theatrical or TV film.

Text from InfoWorld (Feb 28, 83, page 10)

VIDEO-GAME VEGETABLES APPEAR AT SUPER BOWL, NOT IN SALAD BOWL

‘Twas a wintry day at the 17th annual Super Bowl in Pasadena, California [January 30, 1983]. All the elements of the well-known American pastime were on hand, and then some.

The bands marched with precision timing. The piercing blast of air horns signaled many a touchdown. And among the cheering throng, two beefsteak tomatoes sat stewing at the end zone with only one thought in mind: revenge.

Their picket signs said it all: “Beefsteak Tomatoes Demand Revenge.” “Was it revenge for the Redskins, who were about to take on the Miami Dolphins?” the fans questioned.

Unbeknownst to the public, the veggie duo was participating in a publicity stunt sponsored by Fox Video Games in celebration of its newest video escapade, “Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoes.”

“The idea was to instantly pique the public’s interest and establish a kind of mascot for the game,” said Al Pepper, Fox’s vice-president of marketing.

Tomato model Jane Forelle said that, as inanimate objects, both of them remained impartial during the game. The experience was a positive one, she commented, except that people kept trying to squeeze her.

In the game, players build brick walls, trapping the lethal vegetables before they take over the world.

Fun, eh? Revenge will be available by the end of the month on the Atari 2600, 400 and 800 and on the VIC-20.

The game, which costs approximately $30, will join a host of other interesting titles, such as Worm War I, Deadly Duck and The Earth Dies Screaming.

The firm declined to say where the killer tomatoes may appear next, but company executives stressed that the tomatoes are actually harmless.

Fox Video Games, based in Santa Clara, California, is a subsidiary of 20th Century-Fox Films.

Text from Arcade Express (Mar 27, 83)

U.S. GAMES BITES THE DUST

It’s time to play “Taps” for U.S. Games. The West Coast-based division of Quaker Oats first entered the videogame cartridge field more than 18 months ago as an independent operation under the Vidtec banner. At the time of its demise, U.S. Games represented both the work done by the original Vidtec and the efforts of a highly creative design team based at Fisher-Price (another Quaker division) in Buffalo, NY. A source close to the situation pinpoints the lack of a strong sales and marketing push behind the cartridges as the main reason for the failure.

The fate of the U.S. Games library of titles remains cloudy. A number of software publishers are expected to make bids for the company’s catalogue, especially the six-pack of cartridges U.S. Games unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show last January in Las Vegas.

BODY BLOW TO SILICON VALLEY

Atari, Inc. is permanently eliminating 1700 jobs at its Sunnyvale, Ca. headquarters. The company is moving some of its production facilities to Hong Kong and Taiwan in an effort to cut costs.

This news comes on the heels of Warner Communications’ announcements that earnings fell 56% in the fourth quarter of 1982. Earlier statements from Atari officials indicated this was mostly caused by unexpected competition from other videogame software manufacturers.

BEEFSTEAK TOMATOES PICKET SUPER BOWL

That’s right, you heard it here first. Seems like almost everyone paid close attention to Super Bowl this year; here’s another promotion connected with the gridiron war. As part of a new promotional campaign for 20th Century Fox’s new release, “Revenge of the Beefsteak Tomatoe”, two giant tomatoes carrying picket signs attended Super Bowl XVII. “Revenge..” joins “Flash Gordon” as the company’s newest VCS-compatible software, bringing Fox’s catalog to a total of 11 titles. “Revenge..” features giant tomatoes turned killers, dropping saucy bombs. Players can only halt this assault by building brick walls around the deadly fruit. Sounds perfectly sensible to me!

Text from Leisure Time Electronics (Feb 83, page 24)

Strawberry Shortcake Musical Match-ups will be available in March . . . .

Text from The Video Game Update (Apr 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

March [compiled from Apr 83, Mar 83, and Jan 83 availability updates]

x - Centipede (Atari)

Entombed (U.S. Games)

Frankenstein’s Monster (Data Age) [delayed from bankruptcy]

Immies And Aggies (Zimag) [unreleased]

Intuition (Tigervision) [unreleased]

x - Killer Satellites (Starpath)

Kyphus (Apollo) [unreleased]

Piece O Cake (U.S. Games)

Pizza Chef (Zimag) [unreleased]

Polaris (Tigervision) [Supposed to be released in April according to other publications.]

Pompeii (Apollo) [unreleased]

Raft Rider (U.S. Games)

x - Shootin’ Gallery (Imagic)

Squoosh (Apollo) [unreleased]

x - Sub-Scan (Sega)

x - Tac-Scan (Sega)

Note: Any program noted with an “x” indicates it has shipped prior to our going to print. May not be in national distribution yet, however.

Text from The Video Game Update (Apr 83)

FLASHES

...Imagic has made the decision not to introduce the 2600-compatible cartridge, SKY PATROL (also known as AERIAL ACE). Video Game Update applauds Imagic for not only testing the cartridge heavily and ADMITTING that it did not receive high enough consumer appeal, BUT they put out a Press Release indicating what they had done. Time and time again, other companies withdraw games before they reach the market, but never make an announcement, leaving everyone in the dark regarding the disappearance of an upcoming title.

Text from Arcade Express (Apr 24, 83)

PARKER ACCUSES ATARI OF ANTITRUST VIOLATIONS

The fur is flying again, this time between Parker Brothers and Atari. Parker filed an antitrust suit against Atari, claiming that Atari is trying to induce wholesale distributors of videogames not to sell any competing brands. The suit charges that Atari tried to sign contracts with certain videogame cassette distributors, offering 25% to 40% discounts on some games, but preventing them from selling products of any Atari competitors. Parker claims that $15 million of orders were cancelled in one month when Atari offered this contract to at least 26 wholesalers.

A temporary restraining order has been issued to halt Atari from entering any new contracts until the Court schedules a hearing. A spokeswoman for Atari says that company is in fact signing exclusive videogame distributor- ship agreements with certain dealers, but wouldn’t comment on specifics of the case until after the hearing.

Text from Videogaming Illustrated (Apr 83, pages 7 and 8)

ON THE MARCH

Parker Brothers isn’t exactly resting on its laurels.

Encouraged by the combined sale of three million units of Frogger (accounting for two-thirds of that total) and The Empire Strikes Back, and consumer acceptance of Spider-man, Amidar, and the recently released Jedi Arena and Super Cobra [delayed], the company is looking, in the words of a spokesperson, to “carve out a leadership role in home entertainment videogames.”

They certainly have the clout to achieve that goal. A total of sixteen new games are going to be released this year, among them the following:

Tutankham: this Atari-compatible version of the Konami arcade attraction sends players through King Tut’s tomb in search of keys which will unlock vaults . . . chambers rumored to contain treasure as well as devious evil spirits which can only be repelled with a laser gun. For release this month [delayed].

Reactor: the Gottlieb arcade game, coming this month, is one in which players enter a nuclear reactor and fling subatomic particles at the control rods in an effort to shrink the core and prevent a meltdown. For the Atari 2600.

Sky Skipper: another Atari-compatible release for this month, based on Nintendo’s pre-Donkey Kong arcade hit. Players limn the roles of pilots, who drop bombs upon bands of giant gorillas; while the apes are stunned, the player must swoop down and rescue captive rabbits, kittens, turtles, and ducks.

Strawberry Shortcake Musical Match-ups: this is the first videogame designed expressly for young girls, ages four through eight. Seems as if the evil Purple Pieman has scrambled the bodies of four denizens of Strawberryland. The player must rebuild Strawberry Shortcake, Lime Chiffon. Blueberry Muffin. and Huckleberry Pie from the assortment of arms. legs, heads, and torsos Mr. Pieman has left behind. When the reconstruction is finished, the little ladies put on a mini-concert.

If the bodies are mismatched, there will not be a concert but a disharmonious series of sounds.

The Atari 2600 version will be out later this month, with editions for Intellivision and the Atari 5200 being readied for the fall.

. . . .

James Bond Agent 007: no more is known about this game than when Videogaming Illustrated first announced it in June of last year. The designers are still toying with scenarios, but will have the Atari- compatible game ready for July, coinciding with the simultaneous release of the Roger Moore Bond opus Octopussy and Sean Connery’s return to the fold in Never Say Never Again.

PUT A TIGER IN YOUR 2600   [Looks like this was written in February.]

In the meantime, undaunted by the glut of new games, Tigervision intends to claw away at a greater share of the 2600 market with more than just King Kong, Jawbreaker, Marauder, and Threshold. They’ve got some new videogames for your Atari VCS, as well as some exciting hand-held products.

On the VCS front, in addition to the recently released River Patrol and Springer, there are:

Miner 2049er: Bounty Bob is mining radioactive ore in the year 2049. His first task is to collect various articles left by previous adventurers, such as a pick, helmet, shoe, etc., while jumping over or slaying the deadly mutant organisms which pass by. After Bob has successfully staked a claim in one mine, he can move on to the next. Adding to play value is the fact that each of the mines has different trappings, including transporters, slides, and cannon. Coming next month.

Polaris: You’re a submarine commander trying to destroy enemy subs and aircraft while avoiding collision with depth charges, undersea channels, and the ocean floor. An April release. . . .

Text from Videogaming Illustrated (Apr 83, page 10)

For your 2600, you can look forward to the following:

MARCH:

Atari Video Cube, which is described as a twist-and-turn-the-cube game, ala Rubik, for TV it’s similar to the Radio Shack Color Cubes Pak pictured in our last issue.

[Wrong. Wasn’t released until May.]

Centipede, in which the arcade game finally becomes available for the 2600. You will note elsewhere in this issue that its cousin, Centipede for the 5200, was a big winner in our magazine’s first annual Vista Awards. (Centipede buffs will also be happy to hear that, even as you read these words, Atari’s arcade sequel Millipede is starting to set new records at your local game room.)

[Correct. Centipede was released in Mar.]

APRIL:

Galaxian, too, warps from the arcade to the 2600, having been available for several months now in its 5200 edition. (Galactic Invasion, an Astrocade version for its fading home unit, has been available for nearly eighteen months. It was licensed to Astrocade as part of a complicated agreement explained in our February issue.)

[Galaxian was released in Jun.]

Dukes of Hazzard makes the jump from CBS to VCS — and we do mean “jump,” since the object of the game is to move that famous TV car under, over, and through various objects.

[Wrong. The Dukes of Hazzard game was cancelled. The ratings for the CBS show didn’t really recover after the Coy and Vance debacle, so that could have had something to do with it.]

Yet two more arcade games head for home this month: Crazy Climber, in which you’ve got to get a lone figure to the top of a skyscraper using only open windows, and Atari’s own arcade smash Kangaroo.

[Wrong. Crazy Climber had an exclusive Atari Club introduction in March and Kangaroo was released in July.]

Finally there are three RealSports cartridges coming your way in April: Soccer, Tennis, and Basketball. The latter is different from Atari’s previous—and we thought pretty good—cartridge in that there’s a team playing rather than just a one-on-one game.

[Soccer & Tennis could be orderd by Atari Club members in Apr, but they weren't in stores until Jun. RealSports Basketball turned out to be an unreleased prototype.]

MAY:

Now that you’re through that seven-cartridge month—not counting the 5200 releases, detailed below—you get a respite. There are only three games this month.

The first of them is the home version of Taito’s Jungle Hunt. This is, of course, the reworked safari game which is now at your local arcade, and not the Jungle King version enjoined by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., for allegedly infringing on their Tarzan character.

[Wrong. Wasn’t released until Jun/Jul.]

The other two games are the first of a proposed series of Sesame Street games for kids: Cookie Monster Munch and Grover’s Music Maker.

[Wrong. Cookie Monster Munch was released in Nov and Grover’s Music Maker turned out to be an unreleased prototype.]

JUNE:

Atari’s first shipment this month features the third game of their epic SwordQuest series, the monumental WaterWorld. It joins EarthWorld and FireWorld, already on the market, and will be followed in September by AirWorld, the last of the series. (Details of the entire saga and the extraordinary contest tied to their playing can be found in our last issue.)

[Wrong. Sold in Atari Age magazine in October, then later in stores.]

Finally Atari marks the mid-year by giving us the home version of its wonderful arcade game Dig-Dug.

[Wrong. Dig-Dug was released in October, not the middle of the year.]

Text from Videogaming Illustrated (Apr 83, page 77)

Also from Data Age Frankenstein’s Monster, to be released in March.

In Frankenstein’s Monster, the player must dodge vampire bats, spiders, and fireballs while gathering stones from a dark, dreary castle and heaping them around the monster. If the creature can accumulate enough energy and come to life, the player is monster-mashed.

Text from Video Games (Apr 83, page 16)

Journey Escape, has sold well since being introduced in January and will become the first TV-game ever converted into a quarter-eater.

. . . .

M*A*S*H fans will also benefit from the licensing trend. Twentieth Century- Fox’s M*A*S*H game will be introduced just as the award-winning TV series is ending its 11-year affair with American viewers. Beginning in April, fans will be able to manipulate a helicopter, avoid airborne enemies, pick up wounded soldiers, and perform surgery against the clock. The game will be made available for at least six game systems and computers. . . .

Text from The Video Game Update (May 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

April

x - M*A*S*H (Fox)

x - No Escape! (Imagic)

x - Oink! (Activision)

x - RealSports Soccer (Atari)

x - RealSports Tennis (Atari)

x - Sky Skipper (Parker Bros)

x - Smurf Rescue (Coleco)

x - Strawberry Shortcake (Parker Bros)

x - Zaxxon (Coleco)

Note: Any program noted with an “x” indicates it has shipped prior to our going to print. May not be in national distribution yet, however.

Text from Leisure Time Electronics (Feb 83, page 22)

. . . Tac-Scan will be available for shipment in late April.

Text from The Video Game Update (Jun 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

May [compiled from Jun 83 and Mar 83 availability updates]

x - Dolphin (Activision)

x - Enduro (Activision)

x - Flash Gordon (Fox)

Grovers Music Maker (Atari) [unreleased]

x - Keystone Kapers (Activision)

x - Miner 2049er (Tigervision)

Mr. Bill (Data Age) [unreleased]

Plaque Attack (Activision)

Note: Any program noted with an “x” indicates it has shipped prior to our going to print. May not be in national distribution yet, however.

Text from The Video Game Update (May 83)

PARKER BROS.

In January, Parker Bros, announced most of their plans for the entire year. In some aspects they have been on or ahead of schedule while other games are late. TUTANKHAM could be considered one of the late games; however, it was about ready to go when it was pulled back to “enhance”. They expect to have that game out this summer. SUPER COBRA and JAMES BOND 007 are among others that are way behind the schedule announced at the beginning of the year. On the other hand, they surprised everyone with the announcement of the shipment of Q*BERT in June for the 2600, August for Intellivision, and September for the 5200 and ColecoVision.

Text from Arcade Express (May 8, 83)

DATA AGE FILES CHAPTER 11

Unable to dispel retailer ennui generated by its initial group of releases, Data Age has filed for Chapter 11. The publisher made its entry with a lineup of five cartridges for the Atari 2600 during the 1983 gift-giving season. Although “Encounter at L-5” and, to a lesser extent, “Airlock” drew some praise from electronic gaming critics, overall reaction to programs such as “Bugs” and “Sssnake” was lukewarm. Subsequent to this disappointing start, Data Age published “Journey’s Escape” and “Frankenstein”, two considerably better titles, but the improvement may have come a little too late. Data Age has scored at least one notable coup during its short existence, however, by becoming the first home game company to sell a title (“Journey’s Escape”) to a coin-op manufacturer (Midway).

Data Age had announced the licensing of “Mr. Bill” for use as a video- game character, but the publisher had not revealed any concrete development plans at the time of the bankruptcy filing. The fate of this and other Data Age projects is still to be decided.

GET A FREE JOYSTICK BUT “NO ESCAPE”

Imagic promises every gamer a free Zircon joystick when they return proof-of-purchase from the “No Escape” VCS-compatible game. “No Escape”, designed by Michael Greene, pits Jason against the Furies in the Temple of Aphrodite. Players must break through the temple’s roof to destroy the guard-Furies and escape on the winged horse Pegasus.

The joystick, valued at $15.95, is the highest premium ever offered in a single game promotion. This gourmet stick should make the adventure even more playable, as players try to destroy the Furies by throwing rocks at them, in eight levels of conflict.

IOWA TOWN NAMED VIDEOGAME CAPITOL

You probably never would have guessed it, but Ottumwa, Iowa is the “Video Game Capitol of the World”. Iowa’s Governor Terry Branstad proclaimed Ottumwa the world’s hottest video gaming city in conjunction with the Amusement Game Manufacturer’s Assoc., and Atari. In a day of festivities, the Governor made the presentation to 0ttumwa’s Mayor Jerry Parker, and Walter Day, manager of the Twin Galaxies Arcade in Ottumwa, thanking them for “providing a forum for fun family entertainment.” The ceremony was capped by a joint St. Pat’s Day/Video Game Parade. Appearing in the celebration were Iowa Senators Charles Grassley and Roger Jepson, and Congressman Jim Leach, as well as Pac-Man himself. Congratulations to Ottumwa (home of MASH’s Radar O’Reilly) for knowing how to keep the home folks having fun!

COIN-OP COMPANIES CUT NEW PRODUCT OFFERINGS

The saturation of the coin-op market there are simply too many machines even for the expanding market has set off a wave of retrenchment in the area of new product development. At the industry’s recent AOE trade show, there were many fewer new games than at similar events over the last couple of years. Manufacturers are playing it conservative, a situation that’s not likely to change until the arcade operators and their distributors show more enthusiasm for risking capital on new entries.

The star of the 1983 AOE was Cinematronics’ laser disc adventure, “Dragon’s Lair”. Players control breathtakingly beautiful on-screen cartoon characters on a perilous journey through the rooms of a sinister castle.

Further evidence of the current coin-op trend is the increasing stress on convertible games. These allow the arcade owner to save dough by salvaging the reusable hardware of an old title as the housing for boards which turn the machine into an essentially new game. Data East’s success with “Burgertime” has greatly enhanced this idea’s appeal to many.

KEYSTONE KAPERS LETS ARCADERS KATCH THE KROOK

“Keystone Kapers”, the 25th Atari-compatible cartridge from Activision, pits Keystone Kop Kelly against Harry Hooligan in a chase through a 1920s department store. The on-screen “store security scanner” helps the player spot the closest elevator or escalator when Harry flees the floor on his way to the roof and escape. Keystone Kapers, reminiscent of the scatterbrained comic cops from early movies, was programmed by Garry Kitchen.

Packed with “Keystone Kapers” is a rub-and-win card, the first promotion of this type in videogaming. Rub the covered squares and catch three crooks in a row to qualify for one of the prizes which range from $5000 savings bonds, to portable radios, model airplanes, and 1500 beach balls. Even if you don’t win, you can still benefit from the Mystery Rebate. Covered squares across the bottom of the card list Activision titles that the company will honor with a rebate toward the purchase price.

HERE’S RAPID FIRING WITH NO SORE THUMBS

Questar Controls has a $12.95 “Blaster” that converts the firing button on any joystick into a machine-gun trigger. The electronic, adjustable-speed switching device lets you get off from one to 20 shots per second. It doesn’t have to be plugged and unplugged each time you change games, since you can shut it off for games where rapid fire would be inappropriate. “Blaster!” fits the Atari 2600, Atari 4-8-1200 computers, Colecovision, and VIC-20. Write to Questar Controls, 670 N.W. Pennsylvania Ave., Chehalis, Was.98532.

Text from Arcade Express (May 22, 83)

K-TEL LAUNCHES VIDEOGAME ARM

Insomniac videophiles may soon have something else to watch besides those oh-so-incessant K-Tel record commercials on late-night television. Already a worldwide power in the record business, K-Tel has created the Xonox lable as the banner under which it will launch a videogame software publishing operation. Television ads in support of the first Xonox titles will begin breaking during late summer, with a full schedule of national TV planned to begin right after Labor Day.

Xonox will woo the allegiance of gamers with Double Enders, reversible cartridges with a completely different 8K game at each end. The two—game package will sell for the same or less than the traditional one-game cartridge.

Xonox will market three different Double Ender titles initially. These are “Spike’s Peak/Ghost Manor”, “Sir Lancelot the Jouster/Robin Hood”, and “Hercules vs. the Titans/Chuck Norris Superkicks”. All titles are said to feature particularly strong graphics, and many of the contests involve multiple play screens. The best known of the Xonox game designers is probably Stephen Beck, who authored “Save the Whales”, an upcoming entry from Fox Videogames.

COMPTON SOLVES RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

Every dog has its day or so the proverb says—but it looks like the happy days of the dog-headed god Anubis are just about over, thanks to Charles Compton. The 30-year-old Santa Monica resident won $1000 for being the first in the nation to solve the mystery in “Riddle of the Sphinx”, a Bob Smith design published by Imagic. “Contest rules dictated that you not only correctly solve the riddle,” says Compton, “but have the most creative and intriguing answer.” Compton presented his answer on a 12-ft.-long scroll using authentic Egyptian hieroglyphics. A long-standing interest in Egyptology came in mighty handy in preparing his winning submission, Compton notes.

Text from Electronic Fun (May 83, page 28)

The Activision folks continue to do what they do best—develop and design original games. Watch for Oink!, a video game interpretation of the “big bad wolf and the three little pigs” fairy tale. Also on the way are Dolphin and Keystone Kapers. Dolphin designer Matthew Hubbard, an accomplished musician, has made sound an essential element of game play. In Kapers you’re a cop chasing a bewhiskered character, fresh from the hoosegow, through a three-story department store that is fraught with obstacles.

Due out in late spring are Placque Attack (a Steve Cartwright creation that sounds like a nightmare you’d have after a visit to the dentist), Enduro (a Turbo-like driving game), and Robotank, a first person contest that plays like Atari’s Battle Zone coin-op. All of these will be VCS compatible.

Text from The Video Game Update (Jul 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

June [compiled from Jul 83 and May 83 availability updates]

Earth Dies Screaming (Fox)

x - Galaxian (Atari)

x - London Blitz (Avalon Hill)

Meltdown (Fox) [unreleased]

x - Robot Tank (Activision)

Spacemaster X-7 (Fox)

x - Solar Fox (CBS)

x - Star Strike (M Network)

x - Tutankham (Parker Bros)

x - Wall Ball (Avalon Hill)

Note: Any program noted with an “x” indicates it has shipped prior to our going to print. May not be in national distribution yet, however.

Text from Arcade Express (Jun 19, 83)

CBS ELECTRONICS RELEASES GAMES FOR . . . ATARI 2600

CBS will release “Solar Fox” in June for the Atari 2600. Gamers must navigate a starship through solar cells, avoiding fireballs, in this home version of the Bally-Midway coin-op hit. Also scheduled for June [delayed] is “Tunnel Runner”, a unique mouse-eye-view trip through a maze. The player is lost in the tunnels and must find the doorway to the next maze while avoiding baddies. To help, there’s a special overview map to show his position and where the enemies lurk.

Text from The Video Game Update (Aug 83)

Availability Update

(Based on projected release dates by manufacturers. May change without notice.)

July [compiled from Aug 83, Jul 83, and May 83 availability updates]

9 To 5 (Fox) [unreleased]

x - Bank Heist (Fox)

x - Blueprint (CBS)

Crackpots (Activision)

Death Trap (Avalon Hill)

Frogger (Starpath)

x - Jungle Hunt (Atari)

x - Kangaroo (Atari)

x - Moonsweeper (Imagic)

x - Porky’s (Fox)

Power Grip (Wico)

Proline Joystick (Atari)

Q*bert (Parker Bros)

Rabbit (Starpath) [Rabbit Transit]

Rush Hour (Commavid) [unreleased]

Save The Whales (Fox) [unreleased]

x - Solar Fox (CBS)