BY THE EDITORS OF

CONSUMER GUIDE *

BEEKMAN HOUSE
New York

Contents

Introduction

3

Nine Top Video Games

oo

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0000

Asteroids .5

Centipede .9

Defender.15

Donkey Kong .21

Omega Race.29

Pac-Man.35

Phoenix.41

Qix .47

Tempest.53

Four Top Contenders

Frogger.59

Missile Command.60

Ms. Pac-Man .61

Turbo .62

Appendix

Up-and-Coming Games.63

Home Systems .64

Copyright © 1982 by Publications International, Ltd. All rights
reserved. This book may not be reproduced or quoted in
whole or in part by mimeograph or any other printed
means or for presentation on radio or television without
written permission from:

Louis Weber, President
Publications International, Ltd,

3841 West Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60076

Permission is never granted for commercial purposes,

CONSUMER GUIDE* and PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.
have no affiliation or contractual agreement with any
manufacturer of video games, including the games
described in this book.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 82-80960
ISBN: 0-517-381192

This edition published by:

Beekman House

Distributed by Crown Publishers, Inc.

One Park Avenue
New York, New York 10016

Cover Design: Frank Peiler

Illustrations: Clarence A. Moberg

Special thanks to Dennis' Place for Games: Clark Street,

Chicago, Illinois.

Manufactured in the United States of America
10 987654321

Introduction

We’ve been doing a lot of talking. We've been
talking face-to-face with video experts from New
York, Chicago, Austin, and San Jose. We've been
making long-distance phone calls, lots of them,
to video manufacturers and tournament cham¬
pions. And we've been hitting the arcades
every day—playing the games and talking
non-stop to owners and players and spectators.
There's a lot of information out there, folks. And
you're holding the very best of that information
right now in your hands.

This is a magical book. For the first time in the
history of video games, you'll be witness to the
top-secret strategies of the best video¬
gamesters. We were flooded with numerous
strategies claiming to be the best of the best.
Each of these was put through rigorous tests at
the arcades. The end result is this book: a
fundamental source for everyone serious about
their scores.

There are two types of video games: those that
rely primarily on skill, and those that rely primarily
on strategy. Games of skill are numerous:
Defender and Centipede are two of the best. It's
more important in skill games that your reflexes
are sharp — that you can observe and react
quickly and accurately. Games of strategy—
such as Donkey Kong and Qix—require a lot of
mental gymnastics. Strategic games don't
demand the reflexes, but they do demand the
planning and the cunning. This book recognizes
these important distinctions and gives each
game its proper emphasis. Each of our major
games includes both an Element and a Strategy
section. Elements are the most important skill
aspects. Strategy speaks for itself.

There’s more to this book than reflexes and
strategy. The nine top video games boast a
wealth of material unavailable in any other
source. You'll discover how some of these games
were developed—from the people who
developed them. We'll give you facts and figures
on how much money each game makes and on
who it appeals to. We'll even discuss home
games that might appeal to your specialized
interests. After reading about the games, you'll
know everything you'd possibly want to know—
from people who know what they're talking
about.

How did we choose the best games? It wasn't
easy. We had various detailed reports to study
endlessly. The only games that had to be in this
book were Pac-Man, Defender, and Centipede.
The other placements were up for grabs. Donkey
Kong quickly made the list (the top money¬
making game for weeks), as did Tempest and Qix
(the fascinating mind game). We fought bitterly
over the final three positions in our top nine.

Introduction

settling finally on Omega Race (for its
approachability), Phoenix (for its graphics and
levels of play), and Asteroids (for its phenominal
staying power).

There were several contenders. Four of those
contenders are given a voice. Frogger and
Missile Command have devoted audiences, and
demand space in this book. Ms. Pac-Man and
Turbo are fascinating new games that deserve
a page each. And there were several others that
just missed the contending spots.

The video future is baffling. Many pretend to
know the secrets of the future. But take it from us,
none do. We've listed six up-and-coming games
on page 63. These are our predictions for the
future. What are yours?

The better you get, the harder they make It. Ifs a

dog-eat-dog world out there. And video games
are some of the hottest dogs in town. Manu¬
facturers are developing games that are
downright difficult to play. Their idea is to get you
spending more money. Even the games that
were once simple are being transformed into
quarter-eaters. Pac-Man is the classic example.
Once you people discovered the secret
patterns, you were able to play the machine for
30 minutes or more — on one quarter. Some
game owners have started altering their
machines to combat your patterns. You've got to
learn to fight back. And there's no better way
than with this book at your side.

Turn to any page. Start learning the best ways to
play the best games. Become the Arcade
Aristocrat: that majestic person in control of the
machines. Over 50 experts have been spending
a good portion of their lives getting this book
together. You've got one massive source of
knowledge here. Use it. And good luck!

Asteroids

You almost didn’t read this. Most of us thought
Asteroids was a dead—or at best dying — game.
Then we started reading our mail. Asteroids, to
our surprise, is anything but dead. In fact, it
appears to be coming back. Perhaps people
are rediscovering it—or playing it for the first
time. Whatever the cause may be. Asteroids is
alive and well, thank you.

It’s the one dependable game. While most
arcade owners can run their business without
Space Invaders or Galaxians, few dare to
remove the Asteroids machine. They know their
patrons will simply take their quarters elsewhere.
If you bring three dollars and one hour to the
arcade — and spend $2.75 in ten minutes — what
are you going to do with your remaining 50
minutes? Play Asteroids, of course.

That’s not to say it’s an easy game. It takes
awhile to develop the necessary skills. You
command a space ship that can move
anywhere at will around the screen. The most
important skill is learning how to control the
moving space ship. The object of the game is
simple: Destroy the Asteroids and the UFO's for
points. Once all the Asteroids are demolished, a
new group of them appears.

Asteroids stories are numerous and notorious.
Marathons have been held periodically, and
players have stayed on the game over 50 hours
before tiring. And thafs what Asteroids is all
about: Stamina. Once you get the hang of the
strategy, the question becomes: How long do
you want to play?

These instructions should please both tyros and

pros. Beginners will learn the secret strategies.
Pros will see their favorite strategy confirmed. And
to think we almost missed this one!

5

AA BB CC

ELEMENTS

A. Spaceship. You command this Spaceship
through space. You can move anywhere on the
screen. You can even move off the screen and
reappear on the other side. Spend your initial
quarters moving your Ship around. Don't let it idle
in the middle. High scores require adept and
practiced movement.

B. Large Asteroids (20 points). All Asteroids
appear on the screen initially large. You must
break them up into smaller pieces. The first
screen sends forth four large Asteroids. Up to 16
are eventually released on later boards.

C. Mid-Size Asteroids (50 points). After hitting a
large Asteroid, it breaks into two mid-size
Asteroids. These move faster than the large
Asteroids.

D. Small Asteroids (100 points). After striking a
mid-size Asteroid, it splits into two small Asteroids.
These are the fastest moving Asteroids of all.

E. Large UFO (200 points). This alien ship always
enters from one of the sides—never from the top
or bottom. It can fire, but at random. It does not
track your Ship.

F. Small UFO (1000 points). Good strategy means

killing as many of these as possible. The small UFO
can only enter from the sides, like the large one.
It, however, tracks your Ship when firing. It always
shoots slightly in front of you or slightly behind
you. Treat the small UFO with the respect it
deserves.

AA. Rotation Buttons (Left and Right). As
indicated, these buttons will turn the nozzle of
your Ship left or right. These are important buttons
to master in assuring accuracy of your Missile fire.
BB. Thrust. This button will move your Ship
forward in the direction your nozzle is pointing. It
is important to understand intuitively how Thrust
will affect your movement.

CC. Fire Button You can shoot up to four stray
Missiles before you run out of fire. When one of
those Missiles hits an object or clears the screen,
you get additional fire-power. Our advice: Never
be without fire-power. Have a maximum of three
Missiles in the air at a time.

DD. Hyperspace. This will enable your Ship to
disappear and reappear instantly somewhere
else on the screen. One problem: You never
know where you'll end up. You may find yourself
in a more dangerous situation than you left. Think
of Hyperspace in emergency terms only.

6

Spaceship. This simple-looking shooter is for from simple.
The ability to rotate 360 degrees combined with variable
Thrust gives you limitless movement on the screen. For even
more control, your Ship can fly off the screen at any point
and reappear at the exact opposite point on the screen.
You can even fire Missiles off the screen to have them
appear on the other side.

Asteroids (20, 50, and 100 points). These three types of
space rocks are your meekest adversaries. Their point value
increases as their size decreases. The large Asteroids

appear first on each new screen. They move slowly and are
easy targets. When hit by your Missiles, a single large
Asteroid splits into two faster moving, mid-size Asteroids. In
turn, these are split by Missile fire into two "Space Pebbles
UFOs (200 and 1000 points). These are two different types of
enemies. Again, the smaller target is worth more points
Both of them enter only from the sides of the screen (not
the top or bottom), and both will shoot at you. The large
UFO fires blindly and at random. The smaller one will track
your Spaceship, however, and fire much more accurately

STRATEGY

As the experts know, there's just one strategy.
Learn it. It's basically simple: You shoot away all
the Asteroids, leaving one or two on the screen.
Then position yourself in one of the four corners
and ambush UFO's as they appear.

A. Always leave at least one Asteroid. You
should probably leave at least two, mid-size or
smaller. Once they're demolished — by stray fire
or UFO collision — beware. Move to the center.
The Rocks are coming. Do the same trick then,
thinning out the Asteroids to one or two, and

return to your ambush position.

B. When a UFO appears, fire rapidly. Use the

two-finger method commonly employed by
Asteroids wizards. That means tapping the button
with alternating fingers, for ultimate speed. You
have the advantage over UFO's. They don't shoot
until they've been on the screen for a few
seconds. Kill them fast. If a UFO—large or small—
gets by you, simply get out of its way.

C. Bonus Ships. You get a bonus Ship every ten
thousand points. If you've successfully mastered
the ambush strategy, you'll soon have more Ships
than you'll know what to do with.

Asteroids

TESTIMONIALS

Anonymous, age 32: Chicago, IL. "The first
Asteroid machines had a bug in them. You could
sit in the lower left-hand corner and shoot away.
Nothing would get you. Although Atari fixed a lot
of those machines, there are still plenty of them
around."

Ted, age 19: Noblesville, IN. 'If you want to know
the one best tip, never fire in the direction you're
moving. Always turn and fire, then move on. It
works for me every time."

Asteroids AT HOME

This classic Atari arcade game has many home
variations. Only Atari's home version is anywhere
close to the original however. Atari's standard
ASTEROIDS cartridge is OK, but a new cartridge—
soon to be available for the Atari Video

If you want the most
realistic Asteroids
cartridge, buy Atari's
Asteroids. Although
the speed of the game
is somewhat slower,
the feel is quite
similar.

System X — promises to be even better.

Evidence of Asteroids' continuing popularity
can be found in a full array of new "Asteroids-like"
games. Mattel's new cartridge, SPACE HAWK,
propels a man—instead of a spaceship —
through space. You're powered by a propulsion
pack and armed with a Laser. You must contend
with, "enemy craft, comets, space amoebas, and
rainbow bubbles filled with deadly astrogas." You
have five Shields. If you get hit, you not only lose a
Shield, but you are sent into a space spin to boot.
Hyperspace can be employed when you get
into trouble. The game can be played at four
different levels of difficulty.

The action of U.F.O. (N.A.P. Consumer
Electronics) is similar to Asteroids. Many people
even consider it a superior game. You can
destroy U.F.O.'s with Laser fire or by causing them
to come into contact with your Force-Field. You
have unlimited ammunition, but your Force-Field
requires a recharge period.

Astrovision will soon offer a game called SOLAR
CONQUERER for their Astro Arcade home
machine. We hear that it is an Asteroids-like
game. A company called Entex will offer a game
called VIDEO SPACE FORCE for its new Adventure
Vision machine. This appears to be quite similar
to Asteroids, complete with Hyperspace.

Asteroids (Atari Incorporated)

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:

Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:

Clocked Or Not:
Special Effects:
Value For Money:
Pros:

Cons:

Extra ship every 10,000 points ad infinitum. Potentially yields enormous
scores.

Approximately 30,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine still bringing in approximately $193.00 per week as of December
1,1981. Still on the top 20 after all this time on most charts.

Its classic simplicity makes this a machine that does well anywhere.
And considering how the word "Asteroids" has become synonymous
with space games, few places can survive without it.

Meteors (3 sizes) and missile-firing UFOs (2 sizes).

Enemies remain the same no matter how high your score.

Easy to understand and become involved in the game your first time
around. Lots of tips circulating word-of-mouth, to increase your playing
time.

60% male, 40% female. Stereotypically, a male game.

Appeals to all ages. And especially appeals to those with the stamina
to keep at it.

Left and right Rotation, Thrust, Hyperspace, and Fire buttons are simple
to use. No pain evident once controls are mastered.

One simple strategy provides high scores. Lots of fast-paced target¬
shooting skill and avoidance maneuvering necessary.

Not

Black and white graphics. One of the pioneering explosion games.

Once you master the strategy you can play for hours on one quarter.

Simple strategy for impressive scores; good space sensation; sensitive
controls.

Primitive graphics; too many experts.

8

Video insects? Centipede is Atari's most
successful video game since Asteroids. The game
was introduced in July of 1981, and has set
proudly on the top 10 money-making list ever
since. At present, the average machine rakes in
approximately $225.00 a week.

Centipede plays on our futuristic fears: in the
end, the insects will prevail. In fact, the insects in
Centipede are so huge (radiation, perhaps?)
that we can no longer squish them flat or swat
them dead: We must blast them senseless with a
giant Bug Blaster.

The game is not for the meek. Centipede is a
fast-paced game with incredible distraction
devices. Your main task is to destroy every
segment of a Centipede in order to clear the
screen and make room for a new Centipede.
The obstacles are numerous. The Spider tries like
mad to kill you. The Flea clutters up the screen
with Mushrooms. The Scorpion poisons those
Mushrooms, driving the Centipede mad. New
Centipedes bring new colors to the game and,
of course, faster action. Every 12,000 points yields
a new Bug Blaster.

If high scores aren’t enough, consider this: If you

achieve a score of 800,000 points, the machine
will "freak out." Reports vary from odd letters at
odd places to elongated Spiders and other
unexpected video images. This seems to be an
Atari trademark. Missile Command, as many of
you know, also "freaks out" at around 810,000
points. So this is our challenge to you: Get
800,000 points and tell us what you see.
Centipede survives bizarre tournament.
Centipede was the video feature in a bizarre
tournament held recently in Chicago. The prizes
for the best Centipede masters were high:
$25,000. The rules were awkward: Each player
had but three minutes to demonstrate his or her
skills. To make a long story short, the checks
bounced and chaos reigned. Atari came
through in the end, and made good all the
checks (the problems were not Atari's fault). If the
tournament people ever get their act together,
we may see more contests in the future.

£00000000000

9

OOODOQO

00003

Centipede (10 points per segment, 100 points per head).
This elongated insect is a very complex adversary It winds
its way back and forth across the screen from top to
bottom. Its path is determined by the maze of Mushrooms
that randomly fill the screen. The Centipede will drop one
level and reverse its direction each time it makes contact
with a Mushroom or the side of the screen. Each segment
of the Centipede that is shot turns into a Mushroom. The
segment directly behind it becomes a new head. This holds
true for a Centipede shot in the middle. It will divide into
two independent insects, each with a head

Spider (300, 600, or 900 points). This pesty bug is crafty, but
his abilities are limited. He can only enter from the sides
(about V 3 up) and can only move up and down, and
forward. Only one Spider can be on the screen at a time.
Contact with this insect means death to your Bug Blaster
Shooting it gains variable points depending on its distance
from your shooter.

Flea (200 points). A Flea will only appear if there are less
than five Mushrooms in the lower portion (working area) of
the screen. The flea always makes a rapid vertical descent,
leaving a random number of Mushrooms behind it. It takes

ELEMENTS

The best way to protect the earth from this
terrifying insectile army is to know the enemy, to
study and learn each insect's individual
characteristics. Centipede is, basically, an
observation and reaction game. Strategy plays a
role, but a minor one. The players with the best
knowledge and the best reactions will realize the
best scores. Read, therefore, this section carefully.
Its your first step toward phenominal play.

A. The Centipede (10 points per segment 100
points per head). The Centipede is the King of
the video Kingdom. Your first priority is to kill the
King, after which a new King — a new Centipede
— appears: all decked out in new colors. The
King isn't King for nothing. This is one crafty insect
that can divide and multiply as necessary. Don't
let it divide: Always attack from the head or the
tail and move progressively toward the other
end. Don't let it multiply: Destroy every
Centipede segment before it hits the bottom
and reproduces. The worst position to be in is with
segments attacking from both over and under
your Bug Blaster.

B S (300.600, or 900 points, depending
on distance from Bug Blaster). The Spider is the
King's soldier. His immediate goal is to attack and
kill you. He also eats a few Mushrooms now and
then, which may provoke the Flea. Don't allow
the Spider to interfere with your game. Only one
Spider can appear at a time, and that Spider
can never retreat. He can only move up, down,
or forward. Kill the Spider if its convenient. If you
can't easily kill him, don't fret. Some top scorers
can kill the Spider consistently at 900 points. Don't
attempt to do this when you're learning the
game. Only attack the Spider after all other

elements are mastered. The best initial advice is
to be aware of the Spider at all times. If he's
dangling up and down on your left, stay to the
right and concentrate on the Fleas, Mushrooms,
Scorpion, or Centipede. Once the Spider exits,
however, be careful. A new Spider can enter
from either side.

C. The Flea (200 points). The Flea is the King's
worker. His primary function is to replenish the
Mushrooms you've destroyed at the bottom of
the screen. It takes two shots to kill a Flea. We like
to kill lots of Fleas, although some players simply
scratch away at the Mushrooms they leave
behind. Fleas only appear when less than five
Mushrooms sit in your working area. That working
area is the distance from the bottom of the
screen to the height your Bug Blaster can reach.
Fleas will keep coming until at least five
Mushrooms remain in that working area. It's easy
to get out of a Flea's path. Don't let them distract
you.

D. The Scorpion (1000 points). The Scorpion is
indeed the Queen. She's the prize. Her main
function is to poison Mushrooms. If a Centipede
hits one of these poisoned Mushrooms, it will dive
quickly to the bottom. By all means, kill the
Queen. She's your key to top scores. And the real
trick is to kill the Scorpion fast, before she poisons
the Mushrooms.

E. The Mushrooms (5 points). There are three
types of Mushrooms: those that are (1) supplied at
the beginning of the game or by the Fleas; those
that (2) appear when a Centipede segment is
destroyed; and those that (3) are poisoned by
the Scorpion. The Type 1 and Type 2 Mushrooms
determine the path that the Centipede will take
toward the bottom of the screen. You will learn,
under Centipede Strategy, how to take control of

two shots to kill a Flea. If hit only once , the Flea's rate of
descent will become lightning fast.

Scorpion (1000 points). This venomous she-devil seems to
appear just when you think you're doing well. Entering from
either side of the screen, the Scorpion takes a straight path
across , poisoning every Mushroom she contacts. This
transfiguration of fungi has a frightening effect on the
Centipede.

Poison Mushrooms (5 points) It takes four shots to destroy a
Mushroom that has been poisoned by the Scorpion.
Contact with one of these fungoid Mickey Finns causes the

Centipede to immediately plummet to the bottom of the
screen.

Bug Blaster. This bottom cannon , looking somewhat like a
snake's headl is you. You can travel the width of the screen
and approximately one third of the way up. Each shot that
you fire must strike an object or clear the screen before you
can fire again.

Trak Ball. This superb adaptation of the standard joystick
allows for the ultimate in cannon movement. You can
maneuver your Bug Blaster quickly and fluidly within the
bottom V 3 of the screen.

that path. The only real difference between Type
1 and Type 2 Mushrooms is that you score five
extra points for Type 2's after your Bug Blaster is
destroyed. You can get 5 points for destroying
Type 1 Mushrooms. The poisoned Mushrooms are
dangerous. If a Centipede contacts a poisoned
Mushroom, it dives quickly to the bottom of the
screen. The only way to stop its plunge is to kill it
by the head!

F. The Bug Blaster. This, my friend, is you. And
you'd better keep yourself moving if you want to
stay alive. Don't let yourself idle. Stay active. Be
the athlete. Like Muhammad Ali, dazzle them
with your footwork—and time your punches for
the greatest impact.

AA.Fire Button. You have an unlimited amount of
ammunition. Even so, a wise use of it is advised.
Only one shot at a time is possible, and your
succeeding shots can only be fired once that first
shot has either struck an object or cleared the
screen. When rapid fire is necessary—when
clearing Mushrooms or killing lots of Centipede
segments — hold your finger down on the button.
There's no need to lift your finger and press down
for each shot. General rule: Always destroy
objects at the closest distance possible. This will
ensure greater accuracy and quicken the time
between shots.

BB Trak Ball. This ball will move your Bug Blaster
up, down, across, and at an angle within a
limited space at the bottom of the screen. You
are not limited to simple back and forth
movement, as you are in many video games. The
Trak Ball should become a natural extension of
your fingers. You can be super-quick with this ball,
dodging Spiders and attacking Centipedes. Go
slow at first, and build your speed.

11

Centipede

STRATEGY

Although your Centipede success rests primarily
on your abilities to observe and react, there are a
few strategic techniques that will increase the
scores of your games. The major winning tip is:
Control the board; don't let it control you. You
determine the path of the Centipede. You deter¬
mine when a Flea will appear and when it won't.
There are many tried and proven strategies.
Usually, the strategies are so individualistic that ifs
impossible to translate one person's techniques
into winning tips. What we offer here are basic
strategic weapons. Ifs your task to build on them.
A Always clear a path through the Mushrooms.
The path should be at least three Mushrooms
wide and kept clear at all times. It takes four shots
to destroy a Mushroom. Count your shots and
don't waste them. Whatever you do, don't
inadvertently split a Centipede while clearing
your path. You'll have too much to contend with.
The path will give you a clear shot at the
Scorpion at all times. This is essential to your
grabbing 1000 points for each Scorpion, note: For
total control of the board, it is best to clear two
paths; one on the right and one on the left. This
will ensure a clean Scorpion kill before she
poisons the Mushrooms. Only attempt to clear
two paths after you successfully and consistently
clear one.

B. Kill lots of Fleas. Fleas are worth 200 points,
and with a little practice, are easily destroyed. Be
careful. It takes two shots to kill a flea. If you only
wing it with one shot, it will double its speed to the

bottom. The way to attract lots of fleas is simple: {

erase all the Mushrooms in your working area at

the bottom of the screen. The Fleas will keep *

coming until they have left five Mushrooms on 4

the bottom. Make sure you don't split the

Centipede by mistake when trying to kill a flea. 4

C. Kill the Centipede in one series of shots. Let 4

the Centipede worm its way down to just above

your working area. When you've got a clear shot, 4

strafe it from the head to the tail with a rapid t

series of shots (your finger pressed down on the
trigger). If killed from the head to the tail, you'll i

get 100 points for each section—for a new head |

sprouts after you've destroyed the original head.
note: The length of the Centipede diminishes as <

the screen progresses. The first screen has one (

12-segment Centipede (head and 11 segments).

The second screen has an 11 -segment Centi- !

pede (with head) and a single stray head. The (

third screen has 10 segments and 2 stray heads,
and so on. Kill the stray heads as soon as possible. <

They'll cause you unnecessary trouble if you let (

them get too close.

D. Always work on the safe side of the Spider. 1

The safe side is the side to which he isn't heading. (

If he's going left, stay to the right. The Spider won't
be able to attack you (he can't retrace his steps)
until he goes off the screen and returns. Don't
count on the Spiders for points when you're
learning the game. Kill them when practical or
necessary. Get your points from the Fleas, the
Scorpions, and the Centipedes. Once you're
confident of your basic abilities, you can begin to
kill the Spider for points. This is dangerous and
requires super-sensitive reflexes.

Centipede

TESTIMONIALS

Dan, age 17: Evansville, IN, "Clear a few rows of
Mushrooms in the middle and sit underneath.
You can get the Centipede as it comes down.

Lin. age 26: Berkeley, CA. "I like shooting Fleas. I
clear all the Mushrooms at the bottom and just
start shooting Fleas."

Fran, age 18: Milwaukee, Wl. "I'm embarrassed to
accept less than 900 points for killing a Spider.
You've gotta' be good to do it, but I'm good."

Darlene, age 23: Seattle, WA. "It's a fast game, so
I try to slow it down. I try to delay the Centipede
as long as possible by wiping out the Mushrooms
at the top. And I always ignore the Spiders."

Centipede AT HOME

Atari guards the secret of Centipede with more
enthusiasm than any of their games. An Atari
home version of Centipede is reported to be
finally in the works. They're spending some time
getting it right. They aren't rushing it. Home
players should eventually be rewarded with a
game quite similar to the classic arcade game. A
cartridge is said to exist now at Atari
headquarters in California. But it won't be
released until all of the bugs in the computer

system are removed (leaving, of course, the
Centipede, Scorpion, Spider, and Flea).

In the meanwhile your best alternative is to
play home games requiring similar skills. SPACE
INVADERS and its ilk are obvious choices. You're
limited to horizontal movement, but you can still
track and fire at descending targets. SPACE
INVADERS is an Atari cartridge. A similar cartridge

Although you won't be
able to move your
Blaster up or down ,
Space Armada, by
fntel/ivision, will allow
you to practice your
Centipede target¬
shooting.

from Mattel Electronics is called SPACE ARMADA.
On the Magnavox Odyssey system, there is ALIEN
INVADERS PLUS. Using laser fire, you battle an alien
force led by the Merciless Monstroth.

All of these home cartridges enable you to
practice your tracking and firing skills. But as
Centipede players know, there's more to
Centipede than tracking and firing. The
up-and-down movement of the Bug Blaster in
the arcade game can't be matched in these
home games. And you never have to deal with
such a nagging enemy as the Spider.

Centipede (Atari Incorporated)

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachabillty:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:
Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:

Clocked Or Not:
Special Effects:

Value For Money:

Pros:

Cons:

Extra Bug Blaster every 12,000 points, ad infinitum.

Approximately 40,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine brings in approximately $203.00 per week as of April 1,1982.

Does equally well at both street and arcade locations.

Your constant enemies are the Centipede and the Spider. Occasional
enemies are the Scorpion and Fleas.

Few on-machine instructions. Basics are easy to pick up. Early survival is
possible by firing away at everything you see.

50% male, 50% female. Cuteness overcomes most people's
squeamishness about bugs.

All ages except those who are entomophobic.

Excellent. Trak Ball eliminates the common blisters and aches associ¬
ated with joysticks. Older machines more comfortable than new ones.
The Trak Ball has to be broken-in.

At first, fast reflexes are crucial. Once reflexes are developed, strategy
adds to point value. Reflexes always top factor, however.

Not

Brilliant color changes on every screen. Good sound effects every
12,000 points. Otherwise, typical computer forms and shapes.

Good at first. Even better after the skills are mastered. The bonus Bug
Blasters will keep you going for quite awhile.

Original and unparalleled concept; fluid controls; promotes self¬
competition.

Lacks screen variation; low strategy level.

Defender

Defender was the top video game of 1981 It

captured six of eight top awards issued by
Playmeter: the trade magazine for the Coin
Operated Entertainment Industry. And Williams
Electronics is still overloaded with orders for this
blockbuster machine. Although Defender may
appear to be an ordinary video space game,
don't be fooled. This is one of the most complex,
most remarkable games to hit the arcades. One
of the most amazing aspects of Defender is the
graphics: There are 256 different color combi¬
nations that may burst onto the screen at
any time. Add to that a variety of noises and a
grand parade of shapes and movements and
you've got yourself one shining example of video
possibilities.

Defender is the ultimate video game of skill.

Steve Juraszek, a one-time national Defender
champion (high score 15,963,100), states that, to
be a top Defender player, you must be "very
mechanically inclined," and you must have
"good eyesight and quick reflexes." No tricks are
involved in high scores. The secret is concen¬
tration and practice.

The fate of the world is at your fingertips. You

command a Spaceship defending innocent
Humanoids from alien attack. This is a serious
responsibility. If your Humanoids are captured,
and carried from the Earth to alien territory, they
mutate. And these Mutants become dangerous
enemies of your Ship. The game is played in a
series of attack waves. Once you've destroyed all
the Landers in an attack, a new wave begins.
And the game speeds up.

They’re the best. Considering the skills involved in
Defender, a top player earns a deserved snob
status: Arcade Aristocrat. If you can beat
Defender, you can beat any video game. Or so
they say. As Steve Juraszek puts it: "I find most
games boring after...Defender." And as most
Defender fans already realize, Wiliams has
introduced a new game. Star Gate, which goes
one step beyond Defender. Star Gate is
reviewed on page 63.

Spaceship. This brightly glowing croft is the Defender It
travels horizontally on your screen in either direction. The
joystick determines its flight altitude. Constant pressure on
the Thrust Button will result in constant acceleration. You
have an unlimited source of Laser fire.

Humanoids. These colorful stick figures are the Defen dees.
They gather in little social clubs on the Earth's surface.

awaiting their fate. Their role in the space battle is a passive
one, unless they are successfully kidnapped by Landers and
carried to the top of the screen. They become Mutants.
Landers. Their mission is to kidnap the helpless Humanoids
from the Earth's surface and carry them off to Mutationville
They will fire at you, but not aggressively. They usually
appear in groups of four or five.

ELEMENTS

A solid understanding of Defender basics is
essential to high scores. Spend your first Defender
quarters experimenting, feeling out the
personalities of each of the enemies and the
possible movements of your Space Ship. After
you know the elements, you're ready to properly
defend the Humanoids.

A. Spaceship. You command this Spaceship over
and under the Earth's surface. You can progress
through the atmosphere at the speed you
choose. You can reverse and you can instantly
Hyperspace to another part of the world at will.

B. Humanoids. Humanoids are peaceful while
they're still human. They often walk around the
Earth's surface in groups. Don't shoot them.

Protect them. If allowed to mutate, you've got
one big problem on your hands. Although you'll
survive an inadvertent collision with a Humanoid,
the Humanoid will die.

C. Landers (150 points). You must destroy all the
Landers on a screen to complete an attack
wave. A Lander's basic objective is to grab
Humanoids and carry them to the top. They'll fire
at you, but you can easily avoid their fire. There
are four to five Landers on a screen at most
times.

D. Mutants (150 points). These are formed when a
Lander successfully carries a Humanoid to the
top of the screen. The Lander then sucks the
Humanoid into his space craft and forms a
Mutant. These are dangerous. Their main
objective is to kill you, and they never shoot

m <=>

Mutants. If a Humanoid is captured by a Lander and
sucked into his craft, he becomes one of these unsightly
space critters. Mutants will fire at you only from an angle. If
all of your Humanoids become Mutants, the world, as you
know it, will explode.

Baiters. These elongated ships con shoot and fly foster than
your Spaceship. They serve os irritants near the end of on

attack wove in order to speed up the bottle. They
disappear with the destruction of all the Landers.

Mother Ship . Mother is right! On contact with one of your
Missiles, these Pods give birth to any number of swirling
Swarmers that will attack you. The Pods appear at
predictable times throughout the battle. You will never see
more than four of them at once.

straight, always at an angle. If a Mutant appears,
muster all your energy to kill it. If the Landers carry
all of your Humanoids to the top of the screen,
the world explodes. This is no pretty sight, and
nearly impossible to stay alive in. Our advice?
Don't let your world blow up.

E. Baiters (200 points). Baiters appear near the
end of the attack wave, to speed up the game.
They will track you closely. They can shoot faster
and move faster than you. Kill the Baiters as soon
as they appear. They're fairly large targets. If too
many Baiters appear, you'll probably have to use
Hyperspace. Baiters disappear when you've
destroyed all the Landers.

F. Bombers (250 points). Bombers are fairly
passive. They travel in groups of one to three,
leaving Mine Fields behind them. You cannot
shoot these Mines. You must avoid them. Try to kill
the Bombers before they leave Mines.

G. Mother Ships (1000 points). Mother Ships (a.k.a.
Pods) are some of your worst enemies. They also
yield high points. One Mother Ship appears on
the 2nd wave, three on the 3rd, and four on the
4th. When destroyed, five to seven Swarmers are
released by the Mother Ship, and must be killed.

H. Swarmers (150 points). Swarmers are released
from Mother Ships after the Mother Ship has
been destroyed. These are no fun. They track you
closely. Some people use a Smart Bomb the
instant a Mother Ship has been killed. Others
skillfully and cautiously kill the Swarmers one by
one.

I. Scanner. This Scanner displays an overview of
the entire war zone. Your playing area is
bracketed. Your lasers cannot kill enemies past
the playing area. This Scanner should be
constantly monitored. If you want a real
challenge, try playing the whole game with the
Scanner only. Don't look at the screen. It will help
develop and test your Defender skills.

CONTROLS

AA. Joystick. This maneuvers your Spaceship up
or down — not across. You can safely move
anywhere on the screen, even below the earth's
surface.

BB. Thrust. This control moves you forward at
whatever pace you desire. If held down, you'll
accelerate to top speed. If left alone, you'll stop.
CC. Fire. You have an unlimited amount of fire.
Our advice: fire constantly. Develop "Defender
Fingers."

DD. Reverse. There's no need to Reverse when
you're learning the game. After you've mastered
Thrust and Fire, use Reverse to eliminate the
Landers as fast as possible, as keyed by the
Scanner. Reverse is also useful in killing Mutants.
EE. Hyperspace. Again, there's little need for
Hyperspace wnen learning the game.
Hyperspace makes your Spaceship disappear
and reappear—anywhere. You have no control
over where you'll end up. The only real need for
Hyperspace is when the Baiters appear or when
your world has blown up.

FF. Smart Bombs. You begin with three of these,
and earn a new one every 10,000 points. Again,
there's no need for Smart Bombs when you're
learning the game. Smart Bombs destroy
everything on the screen. Use them only after
you've scored 30,000 points, and then only when
you need to. For example, when Mother Ships
appear in a group, blast them senseless with the
Smart Bomb. You'll earn top points.

Defender

STRATEGY

The key to strategy is staying alive. You get a new
Smart Bomb and a new Ship every 10,000 points.
As the game progresses, more aggressive
enemies enter the playing area. To stay alive
past 30,000 points, you'll need to know how to
use each of the controls. The strategies below
build on each other. It's essential to know strategy
A before you can move to B, and so on. Once
you get to strategy B, you're still using what you've
learned in strategy A. You're simply adding to its
depth. Remember: Your basic objective is to kill
all the Landers on the screen to complete an
attack wave. It's necessary to kill them fast, so that
(1) they don't mutate your Humanoids and (2)
Baiters don't appear.

A. Beginning Strategies. There are certain basic
strategies that must be developed and learned
as soon as possible. All of these strategies, once
learned, will continue throughout your entire
game.

1. Hit the Thrust and Fire buttons together.
Consider these two buttons as one button.
Always hit them together and hit them as fast as
you can. Develop "Defender Fingers." Don't stop
doing this unless you're in an instant-death
situation. It's important to keep moving and to
keep firing.

2. Fly low. Many top Defender players seldom fly
more than two inches above the Earth's surface.
It's important in adequately protecting the
Humanoids.

3. Kill kidnapping Landers. Destroy the Landers
when they're raising your Humanoids to the top.
Don't kill your Humanoids. Once you've killed a
Lander, scoop up the Humanoid and return him
to the Earth for extra points. You earn 500 points
for saving a Humanoid, and an extra 500 for
returning the Humanoid to Earth. You also get the
points for killing the Lander.

B. Reverse Strategy. Reverse Strategy begins on
the second screen. It should be used sparingly,
and only when necessary. The most advan¬
tageous Reverse Strategy concerns the Mutants.
Mutants are dangerous and difficult to kill. They
also track your every move. A good way to kill
them is to move up toward a Mutant, reverse,
and destroy it instantly. Your reversal will confuse
the Mutant and stall him for an instant.

C. Hyperspace Strategy. Hyperspace becomes
necessary when the score starts building, say
around 30,000 points. If you've dawdled during
an attack wave, several Baiters may appear.
These Baiters are faster moving and faster
shooting then you are. There's no need to waste
a valuable Smart Bomb on them. You might as
well escape them with Hyperspace. Just beware:
You have no idea where you'll end up. Be
prepared to move instantly as soon as you've
reappeared on the screen. Point 1 on the Radar
Screen shows where you might be before
Hyperspace. Point 2 shows where you might wind

up safely. Point 3 shows where you might wind
up—and die.

D. Smart Bomb Strategy. Smart Bombs are
valuable. Use them for maximum point potential.
You should be able to survive without the Smart
Bombs until around 30,000 points, at which point
you'll have six of them. Wait until several Mother
Ships appear on the screen at the same time.
Then Smart Bomb the whole screen for 1,000
points per Mother Ship. The only other time to use
the Smart Bomb is when you have no other
choice. It's best to use the Smart Bomb smartly.

Defender

TESTIMONIALS

Steve, age 18: Mount Prospect, IL. "I always stay
within an inch or two of the bottom. Don't go to
the top for points. It's easier to recapture
kidnapped Humanoids or shoot Mutants near
the surface. When you start getting greedy is
when you blow it."

Ron Crouse, Marketing Director, Williams
Electronics: Chicago, IL. "Basically, what you've
got to do with Defender is to learn the
personalities of each of the enemies, so that you
know how to best handle them."

Defender AT HOME

The spring of 1982 is the target date for several
versions of home Defender. Williams — the
manufacturer of the arcade game — has finally
granted a license to several home-video firms.
We haven't actually handled any of these
games: they're still being jealously guarded by
the manufacturers. But the signs are good that
Defender will be given just treatment in the
home.

Entex is soon to market a new home

A tari's new Defender
cartridge is one way
to bring kidnapping
Landers, ravenous
Mutants, and
colorful Humanoids
into the privacy
of your own home.

video-game system. Adventure Vision. The system
will be self-contained with controls and TV
monitor. You will not have to hook the system up
to your own TV. To introduce this new concept,
Entex will package each system with the
DEFENDER cartridge. Entex has obtained a
license from Williams. According to our
information, this Entex game will remain true to
the arcade concept. You'll have use of both
Hyperspace and Smart Bombs. This is one
challenging game to adapt for the home.
Perhaps the new Adventure Vision will be the
perfect medium.

Atari has also been granted a license from
Williams, and will release their DEFENDER
cartridge in June of 1982.

Defender (Williams Electronics)

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:

Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:

Clocked Or Not:
Special Effects:

Value For Money:

Pros:

Cons:

Extra ship every 10,000 points, ad infinitum.

Approximately 55,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine still brings in approximately $193.00 per week as of April 1,1982.

Does not do well at street locations. Expert skills are best developed at
the arcades, where it does exceptionally well.

Primary enemies are the alien Landers. Additional enemies include
Mutants, Baiters, Mother Ships, and Swarmers.

Video display instructions helpful, but fast action and complicated
controls waste initial quarters. Takes a good amount of time to learn
the machine.

95% male, 5% female—like our space program.

Fantasy role of Starship pilot appeals to the youngest of players. Depth
of skills required appeals to an older crowd. Medium age: 19 years.

Complicated control panel is tough to master. Control functions not
evident. Defender Fingers must be developed.

Mastery of controls and knowledge of your enemies are vital. Skill is,
therefore, 90% of the game, although simple overall strategies will be
required.

Not

Excellent. 256 different color combinations are possible. Constant
fireworks. Good sensation of actual space flight.

Very difficult to jump into. Your first few quarters may be totally wasted.
Once you master the skills and understand the capabilities of your
opponents, eternal replacement ships will stretch your quarters indefi¬
nitely.

Graphics; complex control capabilities; promotes prime video skills.
Difficult to learn (impossible for some); lengthy training period.

Donkey Kong

Something got lost in the translation. According
to Nintendo of America, the word "Donkey" is an
English translation of the Japanese word "Stupid."
Thus, the game we know as "Donkey Kong" is
known throughout Japan as "Stupid Kong." It
could have been worse.

Donkey Kong or Stupid Kong — whatever name
you choose to use—is, at the time of this printing,
the Number One money-making game in the
country. And there's no sign that Donkey Kong
has peaked in popularity. It's still climbing, so to
speak to that high perch where Asteroids,
Defender, and Pac-Man once stood. If you were
to put all your money down on the next video
sensation, you couldn't do better than to put all
that money on Donkey Kong.

What’s all the fuss about? Most people will talk
about the fantastic animation, with Donkey Kong
beating his chest and grabbing a girl and
dragging her to the top of a building. There are
wild sound effects, too. These two elements —
animation and sound — might force a few
quarters out of your pocket and into the
machine. But to keep pumping quarters in
Donkey Kong, there must be something else, a
bigger payoff. And there is.

Donkey Kong—a new-wave video game—
gives you four totally different games for your
quarter. Depending on how high you get, you'll
have to contend with Ramps, Foxfires, Elevators,
Conveyor Belts, Springese, Barrels, Beams, and, of
course, Kong. There's the immediate challenge,
therefore, to rise higher and higher in the
building, to master all four games of play.
Donkey Kong requires both skill and strategy.
You must become adept at moving, jumping,
and hammering with Jumpman and you must
plan carefully your path toward the top. This is the
first game we know of to successfully wed these
two video elements. It takes at least a month to
simply get good on this machine. You'll then
spend another year or so having fun at it (none
of us are close to getting tired of it).

The object of Donkey Kong is simple. A building
is under construction. Kong grabs a fair-haired
Damsel and drags her up to the top of a
construction level. You — Mario, the Brave
Carpenter—hear the Damsel's cries for help and
transform yourself into Jumpman: her potential
hero. Your mission, for the remainder of your
quarter, is to try to save the girl. The problem is,
every time you get to the top of the level, Kong
grabs your honey and carries her up to another
level. The four different levels are the four

different games you must learn to play.

Screen sequence: The order of the screens
eventually becomes repetitive. It takes a long
time to get there, however. The sequence of the
screens is this, with Ramps being A, Ziggurats B,
Elevators C, and Conveyor Belts D:

A*B*A»C*B*A»D
C*B»A*D*A*C*B
A^D^A’C^A^B
A • D • A • C • A • B
A*D*A*C*A*B

Read carefully. The tips on these next five pages
will help you immeasurably in achieving high
scores. If followed faithfully, you'll surely get to the
point where you can master the four different
screens. Just keep in mind those two endearing
words that all distressed Damsels voice when
saved from giant gorillas: My Hero!

Donkey Kong

\

Some elements remain basically the same on every screen.
These are the most crucial to learn. Among them are:
Jumpman (Mario, the Brave Carpenter): This is you. Spend
your first ten or fifteen quarters mastering Jumpman. Don't
worry about your score. Learn how to climb Ladders and
jump Barrels with ease. Once these two basics are learned,
real strategy can begin.

Donkey Kong: Don't worry about Kong. Just don't go near
him t or you're dead. You're only concern is with the
weapons he hurls at you.

Damsel: She's the goal, the one with the magical kiss.
Spend your time trying to reach her, but ignore her cries for
help; they'll only distract you.

Hammer: The Hammer appears on screens A B, and D.
Spend some time learning how to use It. It's your only way to
kill enemies (Barrels, Foxfires, etc.). Remember: (1) You must
jump straight up to grab the Hammer and (2) Don't move
when killing enemies. You can move toward them with the
Hammer, but not too close. Let them run into your weapon.
Ladder: It is essential to climb Ladders to reach the top of

ELEMENTS

A. The Ramp Pattern

The Ramp Pattern appears three times before
you reach the first Conveyor Belt. Each time it
appears, the pace quickens. Ifs probably the
most important pattern to master. The basics are
simple: Run up the Ramps and claim the Damsel.

1. The Ramps. You can run up or down the
Ramps. Barrels and Beams always roll down. The
Fireball, which originates in the furnace, usually
moves up.

2. Barrels. Barrels are usually rolling down Ramps.

At times, however, they can turn on their sides
and plummet down or across Ladders. You can
jump rolling Barrels. Barrels turned on their sides
will kill you quickly. Avoid them! Some Barrels will
track and kill you, especially if you're under or on
a Ladder.

3. Beams. These are blue. They act similarly to
Barrels.

4. Furnace. (Oil Can or Fire-Pit). Ignore this. All it
does is produce the Fireball.

5. Fireball. If you're quick enough, you can ignore
the Fireball. It only enters your game if you delay
or run backwards. Then watch out. It bums.

L

the screen. You cannot jump on to or off of a Ladder. You
can't climb up or down broken Ladders. You must
completely climb a Ladder before you can proceed. It is
important that you learn to climb up and down Ladders
swiftly. Whatever you do, don't stand under a Ladder: the
enemies will find you and atfack.

Bonus: The Bonus serves two purposes. It (1) gives you extra
points when you clear a screen and (2) serves as a time
clock. The Bonus will count down progressively as you
attempt to clear the screen. You collect whatever is left of

the Bonus when you clear the screen. If it counts down to
000 , you're dead.

Joy Stick. This control will move Jumpman left or right. It can
also move him up and down Ladders. It's super important to
control the Joy Stick smoothly, so that hesitation is
minimized.

Jump Button. This button allows Jumpman to jump at will.
Time your jumps accurately. If you jump while running, the
jump will push you forward. If standing still, the jump will
simply push you up.

B. The Ziggurat Pattern

The Ziggurat Pattern, similar in shape to a Devo
hat, appears twice before the first Conveyor Belt.
Again, the basics are simple: You must clear all
the Plugs (Rivets?) to save the Damsel. Once the
Plugs or Rivets are eliminated, the structure
collapses and Kong comes crashing down
head-first. Timing is more important than speed.
You don't necessarily work from bottom to top.

1. Prizes (Telephone, Lunch Pail, Umbrella). Prizes
are nice and earn you some bonus points. Claim
them only when its practical. Don't go out of your
way to get them. When you master the Ziggurat

pattern, you'll probably be able to claim all the
Prizes without wasting time.

2. Plugs (Rivets). You must unplug all eight of
these to clear the screen. Walk or jump over a
Plug to clear it. Once cleared, you must jump
over the gap it leaves.

3. Foxfires (Will-O'-The-Wisps, Flaming Chickens).
These are great balls of fire that are deceptively
slow. They're very clever. Like the Pac-Man
monsters, they track you. And you can lure them
toward you. They cannot cross unplugged gaps.
They can, however, slide down ladders—and
faster than you can climb down them.

Donkey Kong

Some elements remain basically the same on every screen.
These are the most crucial to learn. Among them are:
Jumpman (Mario, the Brave Carpenter): This is you. Spend
your first ten or fifteen quarters mastering Jumpman. Don't
worry about your score. Learn how to climb Ladders and
jump Barrels with ease. Once these two basics are learned,
real strategy can begin.

Donkey Kong: Don't worry about Kong. Just don't go near
him, or you're dead. You're only concern is with the
weapons he hurls at you.

t

Damsel: She's the goal, the one with the magical kiss.
Spend your time trying to reach her, but ignore her cries for
help: they'll only distract you.

Hammer: The Hammer appears on screens A B, and D.
Spend some time learning how to use it. it's your only way to
kill enemies (Barrels. Foxfires, etc.). Remember: (1) Ybu must
jump straight up to grab the Hammer and (2) Don't move
when killing enemies. You can move toward them with the
Hammer, but not too close. Let them run into your weapon.
Ladder: it is essential to climb Ladders to reach the top of

C. The Elevator Pattern

The Elevator Pattern appears once before the
Conveyor Belts. Your objective is: Get to the
Damsel's platform at the top. Speed is a top
consideration to get your Bonus points. Watch
out, though. You're your own worst enemy on this
screen. You must learn how to jump safely from
object to object — some of which are moving.

1. Elevators. These move at a constant speed, up
and down, as shown. Jump on "up" Elevators
when they're about an inch below you. Jump on
"down" Elevators when they're an inch above.

2. Prizes. Get them only if if s practical. Otherwise,
ignore them.

3. Foxfires. Constantly monitor where the Foxfires
are. Good strategy means avoiding them.

4. Steps. You must learn to jump up the Steps. This
takes a certain amount of skill. Practice. Under
Strategy, you'll learn the safe Steps and the
dangerous Steps.

5. Springese. These can kill you fast if you're
sloppy. Always be aware of them. They only
attack certain Steps, and they follow rigid
patterns.

fEEflUSl

4200

the screen. You cannot jump on to or off of a Ladder. You
can't climb up or down broken Ladders. You must
completely climb a Ladder before you can proceed. It is
Important that you learn to climb up and down Ladders
swiftly. VYhatever you do. don't stand under a Ladder: the
enemies will find you and attack.

Bonut: The Bonus serves two purposes. It (1) gives you extra
points when you clear a screen and (2) serves as a time
clock. The Bonus will count down progressively as you
attempt to clear the screen You collect whatever is left of

the Bonus when you clear the screen. If It counts down to
000. you're dead.

Joy Stick. This control will move Jumpman left or right. It can
also move him up and down Ladders. It's super important to
control the Joy Stick smoothly, so that hesitation is
minimized.

Jump Button. This button allows Jumpman to jump at will.
Time your jumps accurately. If you jump while running, the
jump will push you forward. If standing still, the jump will
simply push you up.

t

D. The Conveyor Belt Pattern

This is the fourth and final screen you'll witness in
the first sequence. If mastered, you'll play a new
sequence of screens. Your object is to get to the
top. Conveyor Belts are a big obstacle, as are
Foxfires. Good Hammer skills are essential.

1. Conveyor Belts. The Belts can move either left
or right, as determined by Kong's direction at the
top. If you run against them, your time is slowed
down. If you run with them, you run twice as fast.
Both ways can be advantageous and should be
mastered.

2. Gaps. Gaps must be crossed with a running
jump. Do not cross casually. You'll die.

3. Furnace. Avoid it.

4. Fireballs. These balls-of-fire are aggressive, and
a leading cause of death. They too must
contend with the Conveyor Belt speed and
cannot cross gaps.

5. Cement Tubs. You can jump the Tubs. If you
contact them, you're dead. They give good
Bonus points when hit with the Hammer.

6. Prizes. Get the Prizes only when practical. Don't
run out of your way to grab them.

Donkey Kong

STRATEGY

A. The Ramp Pattern

This pattern appears three times before the first
Conveyor Belt. The basic path to follow at all
times is drawn. The individual techniques for
safely following that path are given below.

Level One:

This is the easiest of the three levels. Specifically:
Point 3. Run as fast as you can to this point. A
Barrel will be rolling at you. Jump it. If you've
hesitated at all, wait at Point 2 for that Barrel to
pass over you. Then resume the pattern.

Point 4. Wait between these two Ladders,
jumping Barrels as necessary until it's safe to
climb up the Ladder on the far left.

Point 7. Run at top speed from Point 5 to Point 7,
jumping Barrels on the run. If you've lagged
previously, stop at Point 6, wait for Barrels to pass
over you, then move up the Ladder to Point 7.
Level Two:

The game speeds up. Specifically:

Point 2. Run without hesitation to this point. If fast,
you can outrun Kong's first Barrel. A second Barrel
will come down the Ladder toward you. Jump
the Barrel. Hesitate after jumping the Barrel if a
third Barrel is passing over you. Then resume the
pattern.

Point 4. Wait between these Ladders, as before,
until ifs safe to climb to Point 5.

Point 5. Wait under the Hammer for Barrels. When
the first Barrel comes, jump it and grab the
Hammer at the same time. Then move cautiously
toward Point 6, stopping to kill Barrels. Do not kill
Barrels while moving.

Point 6. Wait here until your Hammer runs out. A
Barrel will probably be close to you when the
Hammer runs out. Be careful. Avoid or jump it, as
necessary. Then proceed to Point 7.

Level Three

The fastest Ramp pattern. Specifically:

Point 1. Come to this point and wait. You won't be
able to outrun Kong's first Barrel this time. Once
the Barrel hits the bottom Ramp and rolls toward
you, jump it. Resume the pattern after jumping.
Point 4. Follow the same play action as
described from Point 4 above.

B. The Ziggurat Pattern

This pattern appears twice before the first
Conveyor Belt. You must clear all the Plugs (or
Rivets) to collapse the structure and make Kong
fall on his head. Foxfires will track you closely. The
patterns below are guides. Considering the
nature of the computer chip, you may have to
change patterns in the middle. Three things to
remember: (1) Don't concern yourself with the

Prizes. If you're there, grab them. Otherwise,
ignore them. (2) You can't cross an unplugged
gap. You must jump. And the Foxfires can't jump
unplugged gaps. (3) Foxfires always enter
on the opposite side of Jumpman. If you're on
the left, they'll enter on the right.

Orange Pattern: Follow this pattern If the Foxfire
enters on the bottom row. If you run without
hesitation, you'll be able to grab the Hammer
when the Foxfires get near the top. At Point 1,
grab the Hammer and kill as many Foxfires as
possible. After killing them, it should be safe to
resume the pattern and get the Plugs.

Green Pattern: If a Foxfire enters from the third row

you'll have to clear one side at a time. This is a
more difficult process. By the time you make it to
Point 2, the Foxfires should be at the top floors.
Slip down the Ladders, pluck out the bottom
Plugs, and hightail it back to the Hammer at Point
2. Claim the Hammer, pound senseless a few
Foxfires, and grab your last Plugs.

C. The Elevator Pattern

This pattern appears only once before the first
Conveyor Belt. Jumping skills are super important
here. Once you learn how to jump effectively,
follow this basic pattern. A quick trip through the
Elevators will then be easy.

Point 1 . Run up and grab the Prize and then
return down. This ploy confuses the Foxfire at
Point 3.

Point 2. Wait here until the Foxfire commits itself
down one of the Ladders. Then jump on an
Elevator. Make sure the Step you jump on is at
least an inch below you when you jump.

Point 3. Jump on top of this landing. Go down the
Ladder the Foxfire isn't on.

Points 4, 5, 6. Grab the Lunch Pail and plan a
quick jump from the landing (4) to the "down"
Elevator (5), to the Steps (6). This must be done
quickly, without hesitation. The Elevator should
be an inch above you when you jump.

Point 7. All the steps marked seven (7) are safe:
you can stand there without tear of a Springese.
The trick for moving over an unsafe Step is to wait
until a Springese goes by and then move it, as
fast as possible. It should be fairly easy to move
up the Steps, as shown. Just watch out for the
Foxfire.

Point 8. When you reach this point, stand still.
Don't be afraid. Springese will jump over you.
Plan your move to the top once a Springese has
jumped over you.

D. The Conveyor Belt Pattern

The Conveyor Belt is a difficult pattern to master.
Your major obstacle is movement: You must learn
how to run against the grain, so to speak. If you
run in the direction that a Conveyor Belt is
moving, you go twice as fast. If you run against a
Conveyor Belfs direction, your progress is twice
as slow. The pattern below is a simple guide. It's
most important to get to the top quickly, for two
good reasons (1) your bonus will be higher and
(2) more Foxfires are released as your Bonus
score diminishes. One important tip: Unlike the
Ziggurat Pattern, Foxfires enter, this time, on the
side Jumpman is on.

Point I.Move to this point and stop. Do not grab
the Telephone. Wait for all the Foxfires to come
out on the left-hand side of the screen (three on
L=3; four on L=4; five on L=6). Once they've
entered, resume the pattern, grabbing the
phone.

Point 2. Make sure a Foxfire isn't coming down
the Ladder. If it is, you'll have to get the Hammer
and kill it. If it isn't, don't worry about the Hammer.
Point 3. When you reach this point, you'll
probably have to jump a Cement Tub or two. You
can do it. Although you move forward slowly on
this Conveyor Belt, you can still jump as far. Plan a
jump that will place you at the bottom of the
Ladder.

Point 4. Get on a Ladder and climb it to the top.
Prepare for a new screen.

Donkey Kong

TESTIMONIALS

Hagy, age 25: Boston, MA. 'You can usually get
the Foxfires to run from you. The trick is to run at
them at full speed and back up at the last
second. Foxfires are nothing more than flaming
chickens."

Scott, age 23, Carbondale, IL. "When you get
real good on the Elevators, you'll find the bottom
Steps to be a waste of time. I always jump from
the top of the platform to the middle Step and
zip right up."

Donkey Kong AT HOME

Surprise! A home version of Donkey-Kong will
soon be available. Its being marketed some time
before Christmas, 1982. Coleco, under license
from Nintendo — manufacturers of the arcade
Donkey Kong—will produce home Donkey Kong
cartridges for both the Atari and Intellivision
systems. We don't expect these to play very much
like the arcade version. The combination of four
different playing screens with a numerous
assortment of obstacles and enemies is too
much to ask of a home game. But Coleco will no
doubt give it their best shot.

If you enjoy the animation of the game, and
can't wait until Christmas, there are several

Donkey Kong (Nintendo of America)

Extra Jumpman after 7,000,10,000, or 12,000 points, as determined by
the owner.

Approximately 35,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine brings in approximately $260.00 per week as of April 1,1982.

Does well in both street and arcade locations.

Depends on screen. Kong is a constant enemy. Others, by screen, are:
(1) Barrels, Beams, Fireball (2) Foxfires (3) Foxfires, Springese (4) Foxfires,
Concrete tubs.

Few on-machlne instructions. Difficult to properly manipulate
Jumpman, at first. Early quarter loss to be expected.

50% male, 50% female.

Clever animation draws children of all ages.

Lefthanded joystick and a single jump-button produce moderate dis¬
comfort.

Once skills are mastered, It becomes a game of high strategy.

Bonus points count down. The faster you reach the top, the more
bonus points you receive. If points run out, you're dead.

Excellent animation and sound promotes easy entry into role playing.

Average first quarter yields one minute playing time. Playing time in¬
creases rapidly with practice.

Four distinct games in one; excellent animation; potentially long play¬
ing time; exceptional transition time.

Long introductory graphics frustrate experts.

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:
Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:
Clocked Or Not:

Special Effects:
Value For Money:

Pros:

Cons:

animated home games available. One that

offers the additional bonus of role-playing is <

l

Superman, by ,

Atari, is one of
few home games
that allows role-
playing. Instead
of Jump-Man,
you 're Superman
trying to save
Lois Lane.

SUPERMAN, by Atari. Like Donkey Kong, you have
the problem of saving a damsel. In this case Lois
Lane, from the clutches of an arch-villain. Lex
Luthor. Until the Atari Video System X is available,
however, you will have to be content with Atari's
computer-like animation. Unfortunately, it's no
comparison to the animation of Donkey Kong.

Activision's quality animation allows easy
access to role playing in several of their games.
Be a cowboy in STAMPEDE, or a biplane pilot in
BARNSTORMING. Activision's best games are
often sports-oriented. SKIING and BOXING are
good. ICE HOCKEY and TENNIS are reported to
be superb.

if? M T

Ifs probably the most approachable video
game in the arcades. An unskilled player can
pop one quarter into the machine and stay
there for up to 20,000 points. That doesn't mean
ifs a simple game. It simply means that you get
more time for your initial quarters (you get your
money's worthij.

While more and

more games are offering Disney-like animation
and over 200 different colors, Omega Race
displays simple black-and-white shapes. So
whafs the big deal? Why is Omega Race a
constant top-10 money maker? Ifs the feeling,
my friend—the magical weightless feeling you
get on this journey through outer space.
Omega Race comes in many shapes and sizes.
There are stand-up versions and sit-down
versions, like the one on this page (check out the
space suit). Some older machines come

equipped with a three-dimensional color
background. No matter what machine you play,
however, the game remains the same.

Android forces are attacking
the city of Komar. It is up to Omega Fighters to
save the city from this alien attack. The method of
fighting is simple. Ifs a strange space race, where
Omega Fighters are trained to run circles around
the enemy. The circling confuses the enemies,
making them easy targets for your missile fire.
Once an alien attack is snuffed out by the
Omega Fighter, triumphant music blares, and a
new set of aliens — angry now — regroup and
attack.

The weightless feeling of Omega Race is

There are a few basic strategies,
although this is primarily an observation and
reaction game. If you're sick and tired of getting
low scores on Defender or Donkey Kong, try this
game for size — and watch the scores build.

29

I

Race

1

\

I

<

Omega Fighter. This agile ship simulates the feeling of flight
with frightening realism. It is controlled by two very touchy
controls. The Thrust Button requires a mere tap for sudden
bursts of speedl and the Guidance Control Knob can
supply immediate 360-degree turns. Laser fire is limited to
four shots until one of them makes contact or disintegrates
into space.

Mines (350 and 500 points). Photon Mines (triangle) are left
in the wake of Command Ships. Vapor Mines (double
triangle) are usually left by Death Ships. Both types of
Mines are only dangerous if you bump into them.

Droid Ship (1000 points). Slow-moving Droid Ships are of
little concern. They are easy targets that cause few
problems.

ELEMENTS

It is most important to understand the game
elements. High scores are the rewards for those
with top-notch reflexes, not pre-planned
strategies. The elements can be easily learned
after a few dollars of play.

A. Omega Fighter. This is you. You have the ability
to turn at any angle—full circle if you wish. You
move forward by means of a Thrust. Fire-power
comes in a series of four shots each. You get new
fire-power once your first shots hit an object or
disintegrate. Its best to plan your shots wisely.
When in doubt, however—fire.

B. Force-Field. The Force-Field is always there, but
becomes visible only when you bump into it. The
Omega Fighter bounces off the Force-Field like
you'd bounce off a giant rubber band. You can
take the corners full throttle, therefore, without
worry of a crash. Just be prepared to bounce.

C Photon Mines (350 points). These triangular
Mines are deposited randomly by Command
Ships. More and more of them appear as the
game progresses. Don't collide with them! Shoot
them!

D. Vapor Mines (500 points). Treat Vapor Mines as
you would Photon Mines. Just be doubly aware
of them. And make sure to destroy them.

E Droid Ships (1000 points). Droid Ships slowly

and steadily track you. They can't shoot at you.
Droid Ships are easy to kill. And as long as you
keep moving, there's no way they'll catch you—
just don't run into them! If you kill a Command
Ship, one of the Droid Ships will transform itself
into the new Command Ship.

F. Command Ships (1500 points). This is one fast
adversary. It tracks and shoots much faster than
the Droid Ships. Kill Command Ships before they
become Death Ships. Chase them. Command
Ships warn you of the Death Ship metamor¬
phosis: They start spinning rapidly.

G. Death Ships (2500 points). This is hyper-
accelerated attack. If a Death Ship appears, you
must kill it. But be carefull The Death Ship can
shoot and maneuver much faster than you can.
Use all of your raceway skills. Death Ships leave
plenty of Photon and Vaper Mines. The faster you
kill it, the better.

AA. Guidance Control Knob. This rotating knob
will move your Fighter in any direction you wish.
BB. Thrust Button. This moves you forward. A light
tap is really all you need for most situations. If you
want to travel a good distance, hold the button
down. But be careful. It's difficult to control your
Fighter at high speeds.

CC. Fire Button This unleashes deadly laser rays
that neutralize and destroy enemy targets. You
shoot in a series of four. Plan your shots carefully
so that you're never left defenseless.

AA

BB CC

30

Command Ship (1500 points). This pair of squares with a
Mine in the middle is fast and dangerous. It is capable (and
very fond) of tracking and shooting your Omega Fighter. It
also leaves Photon Mines behind it. At random intervals, it
will begin spinning rapidly and transform into a...

Death Ship (2500 points). Two words to remember;
Hyperaccelerated attack! This shooting star can

/\

/ \

\

out-maneuver an unskilled Omega Fighter. It destroys by
colliding with your Ship. It also leaves Mines in its path.
Force-Field. Forming the perimeter of the screen, the
Force-Field acts like an elastic band. The Omega Fighter
can utilize this element of the game like a sling shot for
going around corners. The Force-Field becomes visible only
when you make contact with it.

31

A

STRATEGY

There are few secret strategies to Omega Race.
The most important consideration is to kill enemy
Androids fast, before they turn into Death Ships. If
you take too much time, you'll be confronted
with numerous mine fields and aggressive aliens.
You get an extra Fighter and bonus points at a
score determined by the arcade owner, usually

40,000 points. Some special tips on how to get
that bonus package are given here.

A. Thrust direction is determined by Fighter

If you find yourself heading quickly
toward enemy Droids, don't panic. Simply turn
your ship around and thrust in another direction.
You can control your thrusts somewhat by
bouncing your Fighter off of Force-Fields. It's
important that you be in control of your Fighter at
all times.

8 Keep movin Remember, you're able to race
around the city. You've been trained to do this. Ifs
important that you keep moving in order to
baffle and confuse the Androids. Always chase
after Command Ships. Kill them before they
become Death Ships. Death Ships may be worth
more points, but they aren't worth the hassle.

C. Never shoot straight at a Death Ship Use your
powers of movement to run circles around the
Death Ship. When you've got a good shot at it,

arc your Fighter around the Death Ship, as
shown. Then shoot. Ifs super important that you
never shoot straight at a Death Ship. You may in
fact destroy it, but it will probably destroy you in
the process.

You always have spare time
after an attack wave. Use this spare time to
destroy as many Mines as you possibly can. Those
Mines are worth points! And if you don't kill them
now, they'll sit waiting for you on the next screen.

I

Omega Race

TESTIMONIALS

Tim, age 20: Chicago, IL. "Ambush Command
Ships and Death Ships by poking just your nose
around a corner of the center box."

Angel, age 17: Chicago, IL. "I never let the Death
Ships appear. I work as fast as I can to kill off all
the slower Ships."

Josiah. age 33: Bangor, PA "It's a race. Race
across the top, and destroy the first Command
Ship. As new Command Ships are created, kill
them instantly. The new Command Ship is always
the leader of the pack of Droids."

Phil, age 24: Indianapolis. IN. "| live dangerously.
I love the challenge of killing Death Ships for top
points."

Omega Race AT HOME

You can count on it. Omega Race will be
available in a home version before 2003. Coleco
is reported to be working on a tabletop version
of Omega Race. We haven't been allowed to
touch it, but it's not likely to duplicate the sound
and space-flight sensations—which are
important features of the arcade game.
However, Coleco will soon market cartridges for
both the Atari system and Mattel Intellivision
system. Since these will be licensed by Midway
(the manufacturers of Omega Race for the
arcades), they are likely to be of high quality and
perhaps duplicate the sensations of the arcade
game.

Since sound plays such a vital role in the
Omega Race game, try this: Buy a TV-to-stereo
hookup for quality sound.

Sydney, age 13: Geneva. NY "At the beginning
of each round, you can fire before you can
thrust. Take advantage of it to quickly kill any
Mines within range."

BM30

If you can’t wait
for the new Omega
Race cartridge , we
suggest you try
out Star Strike ,
by Intellivision.

It’s one of the
few home space
games where you
yourself race to
kill the enemy.

Omega Race (Midway)

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:

Control Comfort

Skill vs. Strategy:
Clocked Or Not:

Special Effects:
Value For Money:

Pros:

Cons:

Extra ship awarded, as determined by the owner (usually 40,000).

Approximately 35,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine brings in approximately $181.00 per week as of April 1,1982.

Arcades only. Rarely seen at street locations.

Alien Spaceships and Mines with individual levels of aggressiveness.
Aliens, from least to most aggressive, are: Droid Ships, Command Ships,
Death Ships.

Very approachable, although there are few on-machine instructions.
Difficult to master unique Ship movements. First quarters are rewarded
with acceptable play time.

90% male, 10% female, as in most shoot-em-up space-war games.

Mastering zero-gravity flight control appeals to older pilots. Kids love it,
too.

Thrust and fire buttons only. Rapid button tapping may cause prob¬
lems until you're used to it.

Overall strategy is really an accumulation of individual basic skills.

Not timed. Action gets intense if you dawdle, and enemies leave more
deadly Mines.

Black and white game. Clear resolution. Sound effects are quite good.

Good. Learning to maneuver your Ship is a touch difficult at first, but
high scores and long play come quickly.

Space simulation; approachability: audio.

Bare-bone graphics; repetitious play.

-

Pac-Man holds the record. Since its
development in 1980, approximately 250,000
Pac-Man machines have appeared all over the
world. That's a quarter of a million machines! And
approximately 95,000 of those are in the United
States. In numbers alone, Pac-Man reigns
supreme. They have set the marketing goal that
all other games strive to achieve.

The basics of Pac-Man are simple. You control
one joystick that moves the Pac-Man through a
maze—left or right, up or down. The trick is
learning standard patterns to guide this Pac-Man
through that maze. We offer one simple pattern
that can be learned and put to work in a matter
of days. This pattern will undoubtedly give you
high scores. But you may eventually discover
variations in the pattern that work better for you.
And that's what Pac-Man's all about! Learn to
personalize your pattern, give it your mark.

The object of the game is simple. Score as many
points as you can. Eating the small dots in the
maze gives you the minimum number of points:
10 points per dot. Big points come when you eat
the Energizers—the big flashing dots near each
corner of the maze—and then kill the fleeing
Blue Monsters. Each Energerizer is worth 50
points. The points for the Monsters double as you
eat them during a single blue phase. The first
Monster is worth 200 points, the second 400, the
third 800, and the fourth 1600. During the first
three or four screens of play, it's fairly easy to kill
all four Monsters with each Energizer—for a total
of 3000 points. If you kill four Monsters at each
corner and eat up all the small dots (240 of
them), you gather 14,600 points for each screen.
If you gobble up a few Fruits on each screen, you
add their values to the total. The first Fruits —
Cherries—give small bonus points (100 each).
Each screen you play gives you different Fruits
with increasing point values (Strawberry, 300, and
Peaches, 500, for example). You eventually get to
high screens where there's no Fruit at all, but
bonus Thunderbirds, Bells, and Keys (worth 2000,
3000, and 5000 points, respectively).

Don’t get greedy. Bonus Fruits and Prizes are
worth more during the later screens, but it
becomes harder and harder to eat all four
Monsters with each Energizer. Eventually, you
must be satisfied with eating only one — or
maybe two—Monsters per Energizer. Thafs
because the Monsters stay blue for such a short
period of time as the game progresses. Once
they return to their original color, they'll kill you.

Pac-Man has been the center of controversy.
Many enterprising computer-based businesses
have been "ripping off' the Pac-Man idea.
Laws are being developed as quickly as
possible to ensure the Pac-Man trademark.
What all this means is that Pac-Man has
gone far beyond most video games. Songs,
T-shirts, bumper stickers, ties, coffee mugs, and
numerous other "fan" items have recently
flooded the market. And all of this for a game
that was originally considered "too cute."

¥ «'•' #«

/jstecf above are the bonus Fruits and Prizes. their point
values, and characteristics. Fruits serve as landmarks.
orienting you to the speed of the screen you're playing.
They will appear at the bottom of the screen throughout
the gome os o record of the number of screens you've
cleared. Fruits start with a Cherry and end with o Key (if
you're lucky enough to get there). The mark of on expert
Pac-Man operator is a long row of Keys ot the bottom.

Cherries (100 points). Cherries ore the symbol for screen
one. the slowest moving screen.

Strawberry (300 points). When you see the Strawberry, you
know the gome speed is beginning to accelerate. You ore
now on screen two.

Peach (500 points). The Peach appears on screens three
and four The speed is usually the some os on screen two.
Apple (700 points). This Fruit appears on screens five and six.

ELEMENTS

Pac-Man is a game with five basic parts. Get to
know these parts before attempting high
strategy. Once you master the mechanics of the
game, the real fun — and the high scores—will
begin.

A. Pac-Man (alias The Pac. Jaws, fellow Man, and
Critter). Never hesitate moving the Pac-Man.
Hesitation can be a more formidable enemy
than the Monsters. Courage is one of four ways to
stop hesitation. The other three are practice,
practice, and practice. You'll probably
experience those painful Pac-Man ailments:
Pac-Man elbow and Pac-Man blisters. They're
but the price you pay for victory.

B. Monsters (alias Ghosts. Zombies, and
Screw-Eyes). Learn the personality of each
monster. Speedy, nicknamed "Pinky," is pink, and
he's fast. The red Shadow, nicknamed "Blinky," is
always behind you; it's hard to shake him. The
light blue Bashful, nicknamed "Inky," is terribly shy
and will actually run away from you. The orange
Pokey, nicknamed "Clyde," will try his best to get
you, but he's slow.

C. Energizers (alias Power Points, Killer Pills, Fuel
Tanks, and Vitamins). Make sure at least three

Monsters are following you before eating an
Energizer. You only have four Energizers per
screen—use them sparingly for maximum point
potential. The Energizers are to Pac-Man what
spinach is to Popeye. They make Pac-Man
powerful enough to kill Monsters.

D. Tunnel (alias The Tube, The Time Warp, and The
Scoot.) The Monsters always go slower through
the Tunnel than Pac-Man. Use this to your
advantage: Lure the Monsters behind you
through the Tunnel. This is the best way to get the
Monsters off your tail. It buys you time.

E Fruits (alias Big Points, Point Pickers, and
Weiners). Fruit makes for big bonus points. Try your
best to get the Fruit, but remember: the Monsters
know you want that Fruit. Lure the Monsters away.
The speed of the game varies with the Fruit
showing at the bottom of the screen. The
progression from slowest to fastest is: Cherries,
Strawberry, Peaches, Apples, Grapes,
Thunderbirds, Bells, and Keys.

AA. Joystick This is the only Pac-Man control. It's
magic in its simplicity. Although you may realize a
few blisters and nagging sores, this one Joystick
will maneuver you swiftly through the maze and
Tunnels. Our suggestion: Go light. Don't spend so
much effort trying to move the Pac-Man.

■ - •

During your fifth screen the speed is pretty fast. The
Monsters stay blue for only 2.5 seconds. The second Apple
screen (screen six) slows down. and the Monsters stay blue
longer.

Grapes (1000 points). The Grapes appear as a bunch
during screens seven and eight. Screen seven is fast and
the Monsters stay blue for a short time period. The pace is
slower and the Monsters stay blue longer during screen
eight.

Thunderbird (2000 points) This high-value Prize appears
during screens nine and ten. Again, the first time it appears
the pace is fast and the Monsters don't stay blue for very
long.

Bells (3000 points). Bells are the landmarks for screens
eleven and twelve. The speed is fast on both screens.

Keys (5000 points). Keys appear from the thirteenth screen
on. and are the ultimate Pac-Man Prize. They represent the
fastest speed as well as the most points.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Don't believe anybody wielding one-pattern
Pac-Man methods. Monster chips are
programmed to behave differently on different
screens. It's true that you can have one general
pattern, but you must keep altering that pattern
for the screen you're playing, We give you here
just such a one-pattern method. It is basically the
same on every screen. The individual nuances,
however, are the difference between high
scores and instant death.

Beware the bootleg Pac-Man. Your high scores
have caused arcade owners to jimmy with their
Pac-Man machines. They can buy kits to
transform standard Pac-Man movements into
random movements. Your patterns won't work.
Midway itself—the manufacturer of Pac-Man—
provides new chips to alter somewhat the
movement of the Monsters. Our pattern works

with the classic machines. You're on your own
with random machines.

A. The Cherry Pattern. The classic Pac-Man
program will respond beautifully to this pattern
on the first, Cherry Screen. The trick is to follow the
leader. This pattern gets the Monsters chasing
you, just right for big points at the Energizers.
When you get to Point 1, run clockwise around
the Monster pen. Follow this to the Fruit at Point 2.
Eat it. You'll have lots of Monsters behind you.
Quickly duck out of the Monster Pen to avoid the
approaching orange Monster. Make your way
up to Point 3. Don't eat the Energizer. Return
instead to Point 2, pick up a second Cherry, and
move to Point 4. Eat the Energizer now and kill
Monsters. Your prime motive now should be
eating Energizers. Move from the top left to the
bottom left, then to the bottom right and finally to
the upper right. Eat the final Energizer at Point 5.
Prepare for a new screen.

B. The Mid-Fruit Pattern. Again, classic programs
will respond properly to this pattern. Some
machines begin immediately on the Mid-Fruit
Pattern—even though they start with a Cherry. A
quick way to tell is if the Blue Monster comes out
of the Pen and begins heading down fast to the
bottom right corner. If that happens on a Cherry,
use this pattern immediately. Forget the Cherry
Pattern. Otherwise, start this pattern when a
Strawberry appears and use it on the two
Peaches. The big difference on this pattern
concerns the Monster Pen at Point 1. You should
go counterclockwise around this pen, as drawn.
You're going to have some frenzied action at
Points 2 and 3. If you don't panic, you'll make it. If
you panic—or if you hesitate—watch out. You're
on your own.

C. The Apple Pattern. The same path is used on
this pattern as on the Mid-Fruit. It follows
continually through the remaining Fruit, to the

•»

later Keys. You've got to use some body english at
Point 1. And the Pink Monster will be coming fast
and turn right down toward you. When he begins
to come toward you, momentarily back-step
your Pac-Man. The Pink Monster will retreat and
run up the aisle on the left. Follow him closely.
Pinky will continue moving up the aisle to the top
of the screen. You must run to Point 2, as drawn. If
you haven't followed Pinky closely, he'll meet you
head-on at Point 2, and kill you. note: When
Monsters stay Blue for a minimum amount of time
after being energized, don't try to kill them.
Simply make your way through the pattern.

D. Later-Key Patterns. Energized Monsters don't
turn blue on the 5th key. They turn blue shortly on
the 6th. From the 7th key onward, they never turn
blue again. Follow this pattern precisely. And
remember: Don't hesitate. Simply hightail it as
shown around the screen as fast as you can. And
good luck!

i i »C i' u O 11 *0 ■*•© -«'»*© " rw d ft

& & &

mgs

Jim, age 26, Nashville, TN. “I sometimes reverse
direction just before I eat a killer pill and then turn
back and get it. This is tricky because I usually
have a bunch of Monsters on my tail. But the
rewards are worth it. When you do this, the
Monsters all reverse with you for a second, then
come back toward you after you eat the pill. That
way, you don't run after them, they all come to
papa. Big bonus for small action — that's what
life's all about, isn't it?"

the depth of that difference. The screen displays <
an entirely different maze than the arcade

i

People are standing
in line to buy the
much ballyhooed
A tari Pac-Man
cartridge. Although
different from the
arcade game in
some radical ways,

Atari's Pac-Man is
a lot of fun.

j

tin, age 26, Berkeley. CA. "As for tips, if you want
to get extra points on the lower boards, just
watch closely when the Monsters go to all four
corners and that's the time to go scarf up some
Fruit and leftover dots. Happy Pac-ing."

■MH

Existing home Pac-Man games are often
interesting, yet seldom as satisfying as the arcade
game. Some of the games, however, are
developing a faithful following. K.C. MUNCHKIN
(N.A.P. Consumer Electronics for the Magnavox
Odyssey System) is a top seller. It features a
variety of computer-generated mazes. You can
also program your own mazes.

Atari introduced a licensed PAC-MAN game
in March of 1982. Atari says, "it differs slightly from
the original." A quick play of the game reveals

game. Tunnels appear at both the top and
bottom of the screen. It also appears that the
monsters (ghosts) are the same color. Atari states
"In the four corners of the maze are special
tablets. When Pac-Man eats one he changes
color and can eat the ghosts." Judge for yourself
how different this is from the arcade version.

A free-standing, battery-operated, tabletop
version of Pac-Man is produced by Coleco. Ifs
available now. The size of the game—about that
of a small blender—causes many play restric¬
tions. Ifs Pac-Man, yet ifs not. The maze is quite
similar to the arcade game. But what is proving
to be this model's most popular feature are the
game variations: Eat and Run, Demo, and
Head-to-Head Pac-Man. Once you've mastered
the tiny joystick and the dot-to-dot jumping
movement of the monsters and Pac-Man, these
variation games are fun.

Pac-Man (Midway)

Bonus:
Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:
Approachability:
Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:
Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:
Clocked Or Not:
Special Effects:

Value For Money:
Pros:

Cons:

Extra Pac-Man after 10,000 points, as determined by the owner.

Approximately 95,000 machines in existence to date. Falling off
somewhat lately, but average machine still brings in approximately
$203.00 per week as of April 1,1982.

Media promotion, approachability, and social acceptance has made
this machine one that does exceptionally well at any location.

Four Monsters remain the same throughout play.

Easy to understand from the word go.

60% female, 40% male. Strong appeal to women accredited to its
non-violent theme.

Cuteness appeals to the young and the young at heart.

Joystick only. Unless you can master a light touch, expect blisters and
Pac-Man elbow.

Pattern strategies are the best way to go. Skill level minimal.

Not

Superb animated intermissions are the rewards for good play. Other¬
wise, nothing spectacular.

Once patterns are mastered, hours of play are possible.

Proven endurance record; wide appeal.

Emergence of "doctored" machines; blisters unavoidable.

Phoenix

There was no contest. Phoenix flew away with
the 1981 PlayMeter award for best video-game
graphics. And well it should. This is no run-of-
the-mill video game, Phoenix. This is an electronic
work of art, complete with classical music.

“Kill the Birds.” That's a frequent cry from within
the arcades. And indeed there are many Birds to
kill: big Birds and little Birds, fast Birds and slow
Birds, orange Birds and blue Birds. And like the
Phoenix of myth, these Birds seldom die. They rise
continually from the ashes.

“Phoenix" etymologically means: to Defend.
That's the primary function of this game's birds.
The Birds defend a Spaceship. And there are five
waves of defending Birds. The first four waves are
Birds alone, which you must destroy before
getting to the payoff: the Spaceship, defended
aggressively by Warbirds.

This is no ordinary video Spaceship. It differs
from most video games in some extraordinary
ways. First of all, ifs huge: The Spaceship
dominates the video screen during this fifth wave
of play. Secondly, this is a living Spaceship. You
monitor at all times the Alien within its confines.
You must reach the Spaceship. Thafs where your
top points are. In order to reach the Spaceship,
you must destroy four attack waves of Birds. And
these are aggressive Birds! The top Phoenix
players must successfully learn how to quickly
and safely kill all Birds in the attack waves. You
must reach the Spaceship for top points. And you
should reach it on your first Laser.

This is a close-encounter situation. It is imper¬
ative that you plan as close an encounter as
possible with the Alien, to score top points. In
other words, the closer the Alien is to your Missile,
the more points you rake in.

Phoenix has spawned a cult. Per our research,
the game does better in street locations than in
the arcades. And that makes sense. The music
and graphics are lost, somewhat, in the high-
energy atmosphere of the arcades. When
Phoenix can be played in relative quiet, among
only two or three machines, ifs a rarely-
experienced sensory masterpiece. And thafs
why most of the Phoenix devotees will play on

the street, where they can best absorb all that
Phoenix has to offer.

” M, rSn M

Phoenix

CONTROLS

AA Movement Buttons (left and right). These will ; os
indicated, move your Laser left or right You are not able o
move your Laser up or down Keep two fingers poised over
these buttons You control this Loser through five arenas of
space. You must Keep moving. All the Birds can track your
Laser, with varying degrees of accuracy and speed Your
basic drive should be to confuse their tracking system
BB. Force-Field Button. The Force-Field will shield you from
the Bird's fire. And it will destroy any Bird that inadvertently

ELEMENTS

A. Warbird Elements: Screen One. The first screen
is the slowest screen. It speeds up level by level (1
level = 5 screens), but it is relatively slower than
the other screens. There are 16 Warbirds on this
screen. If you hit Birds with wings spread wide (1),
they're worth 200 points. Otherwise, they're worth
20 points standing (2) and 40 attacking (3).
Although the 200- point wing-spread Bird is
attractive, it is difficult to hit because of its quick
maneuverability. Don't wait for them to spread
their wings. Kill them as fast as possible. Your
primary aim should be: Get to the Spaceship.

B. Warbird Elements: Screen Two. The second
screen is twice as fast as the first. That means the

bumps into it. You can stiil fire away when inside the

Force-Field. Most top players keep the Force-Field in play for

roughly one quarter of their game. Be careful, however

There is a random recharge time between Force-Fields You

can't count on back-to-back Force-Field capability. And you ^

must be prepared to move quickly once the Force-Field

ends Keep moving and firing Otherwise, the Birds will kill |

you.

CC. Fire Button Plan your shots. Do not fire at will. Shots are I

released only when the prior shot hits an object or clears

the screen (

16 Warbirds are more aggressive. You can also kill
them twice as fast. The point values are the same
as the first screen. It's best, again, to clear this
screen as fast as possible.

C. Phoenix Elements: Screens Three and Four.
The third and fourth screens utilize similar Birds in
different attack formations. The pace on each
screen is the same. These Birds—Phoenixes —
track you much more closely than the Warbirds.

1. Eggs. Eggs are worth 50 points apiece. At first.
Eggs appear alone on the screen. They then
hatch into Birds.

2. Birds. Birds are worth anywhere from 50 to 800
points, at random. You can't collect much more
than 500 points per Bird during the first two levels.
The Birds sway back and forth across the screen,
diving individually and then returning to the top.

3. Winged Birds. You can clip a wing for 20
points. It does not affect the Bird's ability to fly. If
both wings are clipped, the Bird regenerates
instantly into a whole Bird again.

4. Broken Eggs. After successfully killing a bird, it
will break into an Egg, revealing the bonus you
get. Don't let this distract you.

D. Spaceship Elements: Screen Five. This is the
most important screen for collecting points. The
object is to kill the Alien in the middle of the Ship
for top score. Learn this screen by heart.

1. Birds. Warbirds defend the Spaceship. Point
values are the same as on the first screen. Do not
kill all the Warbirds. Leave at least one at all
times. If you kill all the Warbirds, a whole new flock
will generate.

2. Orange Underbelly. If this Underbelly

descends far enough to touch your Laser, you're
dead. You must carve a path through this
Underbelly to attack the Alien. The closer the
Alien is to your Laser when shot, the more points.
Its a good idea, therefore, to shoot away as
much Underbelly as possible, to get the closest
shot at the Alien.

3. Purple Band. The Purple Band constantly
moves around the Ship's circumference. You
must pierce this Band in order to kill the Alien. And
you must shoot through the Underbelly to get at
the Band. The Underbelly is thinnest at the far left
and far right of the Spaceship. Attack the Band at
these points.

4. Alien. The Alien is worth 400 points or more,
depending on its distance from your Missile. The
closer, the more points. This is the prize, the top
dollar. Ifs the best means toward top scores.

STRATEGY

A. Warbird Strategy: Screen One. Shoot the Birds.
As fast as possible. Make sure to keep moving.
Use the Force-Field when necessary. The
movement is fairly slow. Don't concern yourself
with points here. Points will come later. Think
speed. The longer you take to kill the Birds, the
more aggressive they become—and the harder
they are to kill.

B. Warbird Strategy: Screen Two. Shoot, shoot,
shoot the Birds. This should be one of your fastest
screens. You can shoot twice as fast. The pace
quickens. Use the Force-Field as necessary.
Again, don't worry about point value. Your prime

consideration should be clearing the screen.

C. Phoenix Strategy: Screens Three and Four.
The third and fourth screens can be approached
similarly. Here's how to do it. Eggs will appear on
the screen and weave their way down. When the
bottom Egg is about two thirds of the way down
the screen, all the Eggs will hatch into giant Birds.
These Birds will track you. Use this to your
advantage. Sit in one spot to the left or right
of the screen. Once the Eggs turn into Birds,
start shooting. They'll all come down on top
of you. This only works if you stay in one place. If
you move too much, the Birds will scatter. When
learning to play Phoenix, kill all the Eggs you can
at the beginning of the screen. You'll have less
Birds to contend with. After you master the killing

of these Birds, ifs probably better to let them
hatch. You'll then achieve top point value.

D. Spaceship Strategy: Screen Five. Two things to
keep in mind: Don't kill all the Warbirds; save at
least one. If you kill them all, a new flock will
come. Secondly, wait for the Spaceship to get as
close to you as possible. The closer the encounter
with the Alien, the more points when ifs killed.

1. Concentrate first on poking holes in the
Orange Underbelly. Kill attacking Warbirds as
necessary. Once you've poked some major holes
in the Underbelly, concentrate on the Purple
Band. The Purple Band is most susceptible from
the far left or the far right of the Spaceship.

2. If the Orange Underbelly touches you or the
bottom of the screen, you're dead. Destroy as

much of the Orange as possible, therefore. You
will get a close shot at the alien.

3. Once you've cleared a lot of Underbelly at
the bottom, forge a clear path through the
center of the Underbelly to the Alien. Stay in
one place, dodging or killing Warbirds as
necessary, note: From the second level on, there
will be a group of Warbirds protecting the Purple
Band. Keep your reflexes sharp. Those Birds are
close and can attack instantly.

4. Once you’ve cleared a path, wait for the
Spaceship to drop as close to you as possible.
Dodge Bombs dropped by the Alien. Once the
Ship is low enough, time a shot that will go
through your path and through a hole in the
Purple Band. Kill the Alien for megapoints.

Phoenix

TESTIMONIALS

Lin, age 26: Berkeley, CA. "I never shoot the Eggs.

I always wait until they hatch into Birds and then
kill them all for top points."

Bill, age 42: Chicago, IL. "I try to get rid of as
much of the Purple Band as possible, when
shooting at the Spaceship. I don't worry about
the Orange. The more Purple I've shot away, the
more points I get when I kill the Alien."

Claire, age 17: Aurora, NY. "When Warbirds are
walking around at the bottom of the screen
toward me, I put on the Force-Field to kill them as
they walk into me."

Chip, age 24: Concord, MA. "When the big Birds
get too low, I get out of their way. It's stupid to try
to kill them. You'll get a better shot when they
reappear at the top of the screen."

Phoenix AT HOME

The award winning visuals of the arcade game
Phoenix have yet to be matched in the home.
The bird-in-flight animation is superb. As home
machine capabilities increase, manufacturers

will also develop clearer and sharper resolution, i

which will provide for more detailed animation.

Activision probably offers the best visuals in
home video games. A new Activision cartridge— i

BARNSTORMING—features a vivid-yellow
biplane, complete with a whirring propeller. The
details of fhe animation are surprising—a pilot's
scarf even billows in the breeze. With a joystick,
you must maneuver around windmills, through
barns, and around flocks of geese. Your game is
timed against a clock; encounters with any
obstacles slow you down. This game provides
animated birds, but they aren't comparable to
the arcade Phoenix.

Mattel Electronics offers ASTRO SMASH and
SPACE ARMADA, which are good games to
practice your target-shooting skills on. And Atari
may surprise us all with their new Atari Video
System X. From what we hear, both the visuals
and the action will be superb.

You don't kill the birds
in Barnstorming, by
Activision. But you
must weave your way
through them in this
fun animated game.

Phoenix (Centuri)

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:
Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:
Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:

Clocked Or Not:

Special Effects:

Value For Money:

Pros:

Cons:

Extra Laser, as determined by owner.

Approximately 15,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine brings in approximately $201.00 per week as of February 15,
1982.

Does best in taverns and other street locations. Does fairly well in
arcades.

A variety of Birds and the Alien's Mother Ship (every fifth screen). Birds
can leave droppings at various speeds.

Easily learned by observation. Prior bottom-cannon experience helps.
50% male, 50% female. Good animation and sound appeals to all.
All ages.

Left and right movement buttons somewhat awkward, but easily
learned. Fire and Force-Field buttons within easy reach. No painful
side effects.

Excellent combination of both. You must be able to dodge and fire
accurately, but you also must plan your fire strategically.

On the screen with the Mother Ship, you must kill the Alien before its
Ship touches you.

Some of the best. Bird flight excellently reproduced. Animation ap¬
pears more real than mechanical.

Good first game. Rapid improvement and high scores give you your
money's worth.

Unparalleled animation; classical music; screen variation.

Road to Mother Ship frustrating; unpredictable aggression levels

It's their first big hit since Space Invaders. The

programmers atTaito (pronounced Tie-toe) were
the masterminds behind the Japanese Space
Invaders. Qix (pronounced Kicks) is their first
totally American game.

And now for something completely different
Qix is, without a doubt, the most revolutionary
video game to hit the arcades since Pac-Man.
According to Mike Von Kennel, Marketing
Director for Taito, the concept started with the
whirling of the Qix. And then "one bright-eyed
programmer looked at it and decided to fill in
boxes." None of the engineers liked it at first. But
then they started playing it. According to Von
Kennel, no work was getting done, and Taito had
to remove the machine from Engineering and
hide it in the factory. After a prolonged and
detailed testing period, the machine was
unleashed on the public.

What's going on'- The game could be described
as a space-age Etch-A-Sketch. A strange video
image—the Qix — moves erratically around the
screen, constantly changing shape and speed.
Your job is to block off at least 75% of the screen,
all the while dodging the Qix and those feisty
little agitators called Sparx. You're safe from the
Qix when traveling along the border of its
territory. It's when you cross that border and
create a new line that the Qix will get you.

Don't just doodle around Sparx constantly
patrol the border of the Qix territory. If you hit a
Sparx, you're dead. This forces you to draw new
lines, making you susceptible to the death-kiss of
the Qix. You can draw your lines fast or slow. Slow
is more dangerous, but yields double the points.
The magic of Qix is that no two games are ever
the same There is a googolplex (IxIOO^xlOO* 00 )
of combinations that you can draw, yielding 75%
of the screen or better. Thafs more possible
combinations than there are atoms in the
universe. Qix is thus a game of thought. Skill plays
a role, but a minor role. Strategy is the key game
element.

The success of this game is surprising. There was
no precedent. It's a first of its kind. Qix is probably
the best sign of video's limitless future.

Stix The territory that you attempt to claim is made up of
Stix— the lines that you draw, You can draw vertical or
horizontal lines of any length , as long as you avoid your
enemies. You can create lines with the Fast Draw or Slow
Draw Buttons. Territory claimed with the Slow Draw is worth
twice the point value of Fast Drawn territory.

Qix This abstract video image is your opponent You

attempt to close this bundle of video lines into as small a
space as possible. If the Qix touches your lines before you
have claimed an area , you must begin again.

Sparx. It before claiming an area , you contact this glowing
Sparx, you are dead. Two Sparx are released by the Red
Line every 37 seconds. If you take too long to fill in 75% of a
screen , the Sparx will turn blue and become more

ELEMENTS

The elements of Qix are easily learned. The
game itself displays all the necessary play
information before you pump in your first quarter.
This is one of few games that offer that kind of
information. Learn the basics, surely, but spend
most of your time on strategy.

A. St This is you, and you can travel by two
means. Either move along the border of the Qix
territory or forge a new path into Qix territory. To
move along the border, you need only move the
Joystick and watch out for Sparx coming toward
you. To forge new paths, you move the Joystick
and push either the Slow or Fast Draw button.

B Qix The Qix is a constantly changing
configuration of video lines. He can move
anywhere in his territory. That territory is defined
by the area you have blocked off, and claimed
for yourself. If he contacts a line while you're
claiming a block, you're dead.

Sparx patrol the border of the Qix
territory. More Sparx appear the longer you take
to clear a screen. Eventually — if you hesitate
greatly — Sparx turn blue and chase you
everywhere you move. They'll even chase you on
the lines you're drawing. If a Sparx contacts you,
you're dead.

The Fuse is the penalty for hesitation. If
you stop while drawing new lines, the Fuse will
start where you began to draw and move
toward you. Once you continue, the Fuse will
stop. But beware: If you hesitate again, the Fuse
will pick up where it left off.

This trap is the direct result of
your carelessness. You cannot retrace lines while
you're in the process of drawing them. You must
claim a blocked area. Remember: In order to
successfully block off a claimed area, you must
end your block at some point on the Qix border.
You cannot return to any part of the line you're

drawing and expect to block it off. If, while trying
to complete a box, you panic, and keep turning
inwards, you'll find yourself smack in the middle
of the Spiral Death Trap. You won't be able to
reverse. You'll have to stop. And the Fuse will
follow down the Spiral and zap you.

F The Rea This is a timed line that releases
Sparx. The countdown time is usually 37 seconds,
after which two new Sparx are released. The
game will speed up and, if the Red Line closes
again, the Sparx will turn blue and begin chasing
you frantically.

AA. Joystick This standard-operating, left-
handed Joystick moves your Stix left or right, up or
down. You can move your Stix along the borders
of your claimed area by moving the Joystick
alone. If you are moving into the Qix” territory, you
must press either the Slow or Fast Draw while
moving your Joystick.

BB Fast Drav Most of the work is done with the
Fast Draw. It sets up your patterns. Use this control
when forging into new territory. There is no need
to use it while traveling along the border.

CC Slow Dro The Slow Draw is generally used
to complete your patterns. You get twice as
many points for areas claimed with the Slow
Draw. Again, use it only when forging into new
territory. Do not use it when simply traveling along
the border. A good player always uses the Slow
Draw at pre-planned strategic times, for
maximum point value.

#

±1

aggressive. Watch out!

Fuse. He who hesitates is lost. If you stop in mid-line the Fuse
will ignite that line and move toward you. It stops when you
continue drawing. Each time you hesitate it will advance
further.

Spiral Death Trap. This is the dead-end street of the game
Qix. It occurs when you misjudge the connecting point to

finish drawing a block and turn inward. You cannot retrace
your line ; you will be forced to continue turning inward and
eventually stop. At that point the Fuse will burn its way along
your line until it reaches you—say goodbye.

Red Line. Every second a dot from each end of the Red
Line disappears. When all of the dots are gone two new
Sparx are unleashed.

STRATEGY

Strategy is 90% of the game Qix. There are
basically two things to keep in mind, no matter
what type of strategy you play: (1) Complete the
screens as fast as possible [the longer you lag,
the more aggressive the Sparx become, and the
panic factor multiplies) and (2) Get as much of
the screen as possible. 75% gives you a new
screen, but no bonus points. You get 1000 bonus
points for every percentage point beyond 75%.
In other words, 85% will yield 10,000 bonus points.
Another thing to keep in mind is the Slow vs. Fast
Draw. The general rule is: Use the Fast Draw to set
up your pattern; use the Slow Draw to complete
your pattern. Slow Draw areas yield twice the
point value as the Fast. Listed below are four
different strategies. The first three are basically
designed for one Qix. The fourth pattern is
especially designed for a twin Qix.

A. Tree-Branch (or Hangman’s) Strategy. The
theory behind the Tree-Branch Strategy is this: If
you create enough small open areas, the Qix will
eventually get trapped in one. You can then seal
off the Qix and claim the rest of the area —
preferably beyond 75%.

1. Erect a tree trunk. Start your pattern with a

trunk nearly to the top of the screen. It may take
up to six or seven moves. It may take only one. Be
careful.

2. Create as many Branches as possible. It may
be better to think of these as Hangman's Gallows.
Create these everywhere — from the trunk and
from all sides of the machine. Your primary aim is
to leave as small a space as possible. It should be
big enough for the Qix to enter, yet small enough
to seal off quickly.

3. Trap the Qix. Once a Qix slips into one of the
gallows, head down toward him — dodging
Sparx as you go. Then seal him off with the Slow
Draw, if possible. You will then get double the
points you would for the Fast. If you left a small
enough opening, the Slow should be possible. If
you've planned properly, and the Qix is trapped
in a small area, you will have claimed way
beyond 75% of the screen.

B. Triple Arena Strategy. Another highly
successful strategy follows a more structured
method than the tree-branch strategy.

1 With the Fast Draw, build two columns —one
from the top and one from the bottom—to split
the screen into three vertical rectangles. Create
horizontal blocks from time to time as you go up
or down.

2. The Qix must choose one of the three areas.
Go to the areas where the Qix is not, and begin
blocking them off with Slow Draws.

3. Eventually, only one rectangle will remain.
Move toward the Qix. Wait for an opportune time,
and then block him into as small a space as
possible. Once you block him, the screen will
clear, giving you mucho bonus points.

C. The Quadrant Strategy Another highly
successful, very simple strategy is the Quadrant.
In effect, your aim is to divide the screen into four
separate parts.

1. Construct four columns Place one in the

center of each side, with the Fast Draw. Be
careful. Take your time.

2. The Qix will claim one quarter You can seal
off the other quarters with the Slow Draw,
collecting double points.

3. Wait for an opportune time to seal off the
Qix When you can block him into a small space,
do so. And claim top bonus points for your
strategy.

D. Twin-Qix Strategy Twin Qix require special
handling. You get double the points for splitting
the two Qix on the third screen, triple on the
fourth, etc. If you split it too early, however, with

only, say, 13% of the board claimed, you get
double that 13%. Big deal. Plan on getting as
much of the board as possible—up to 74%. Then
split the two Qix for big points. You can use either
the Triple Arena or the Quadrant strategy for
splitting the Qix. Just claim as much of the board
as possible, box the two Qix into limited areas,
and split them. Don't use the Tree-Branch
strategy. You won't get enough points. A special
Double-Qix Strategy is given below, for your
instruction.

1. Build horizontal columns. Start at the bottom
of the board. The two Qix will try to get into the
largest space possible. The idea is to keep
forcing both Qix toward the top of the machine.

2. Use the Slow Draw. Claim the bottom section
of the board as you continue up.

3. Claim up to 74% of the screen. You can then
try to split the Qix. The best way is to keep inching
upward from the center. Once the Qix split to
each side of your column. Fast Draw a line to the
top. You've thus split the Qix and made top
points.

TESTIMONIALS

Marc ago 27 $kr "Keep your eye on the

percentage at the top. Once you hit 70%, just get
little pieces until you see your chance to get a
big hunk. I never feel any good with anything less
than 85%."

Peggy, age 29 "On the third screen, I

always split the Qix quickly. I don't get many
doubled points, but then I'm on to the next
screen for triple the points."

Angela, age 23: Chicago, IL "Just like the Empire
State Building. That's what I do, I just build an
Empire State Building up the center."

Qix is a mind game without precedent. Nothing
similar really exists for the home. And we haven't
been able to dig up any rumors on future Qix
games. However, most of the home systems offer
games requiring high-level strategy. One of the
best is called DYNASTY by NAP. Consumer
Electronics for the Magnavox Odyssey system. It
has been called a descendant of "Go," the
popular game of the Orient. It's a deceptively
easy game to learn. There are an infinite variety
of plays possible.

Qix (Taito America)

Some machines grant an extra marker (Stix) after you've achieved a
certain amount of points (usually 10,000). Some never do.

Unrevealed number of machines in existence to date (Taito isn't tell¬
ing). Average machine brings in approximately $199.00 per week as
of April 1,1982.

Adult appeal is accountable for this machine's excellent record in
taverns and street locations. Fair record in the arcades.

Three: Qix, Sparx, and the Fuse. Two Qix appear from the third screen
on.

Good on-machine instructions, including a video display on how to
play. Fairly easy to understand at first.

50% male, 50% female.

Abstract quality attracts more adults than other games. Players need
to be mathematically oriented.

Lefthanded joystick and two draw buttons. The usual blisters and
elbow pains accompany this joystick control.

Skill at avoiding Sparx, once mastered, gets you into a game of high
strategy and abstract calculation.

Red Line timer counts down to release more Sparx. This makes them
more aggressive and speeds up the game.

Abstract and simple, but pleasing in its simplicity.

Even high-score games can be short. We've never witnessed anyone
stay on one quarter for over 20 minutes.

Abstract qualities; pioneering concept; breath of fresh air.

Speed acceleration more frustrating than challenging; annoying
audio.

$

9

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:

Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:

Clocked Or Not:

Special Effects:
Value For Money:

Pros:

Cons:

Qix AT HOME

Mattel Electronics offers several mind and
word games. The best of these are CROSSWORD
I, CROSSWORD II, and CROSSWORD III. The
computer displays a standard crossword grid,
complete with black squares. It then provides
clues upon your request. Use the keyboard to
punch in the answers. SNAFU, another Mattel
game, is the closest home game to Qix. You
move stripes of color in an attempt to box-in your
opponent—either a friend or the computer itself.

One of the best
home-video mind
games is Othello ,
by Atari. It plays
exactly like the
challenging board
game.

One of Atari's best mind-game cartridges is
called OTHELLO (based on the board game by
C.B.S., Inc.). It has three different levels of play.
Again, you challenge either a friend or the
machine. It plays like the standard OTHELLO
game, which certainly requires deep strategy.

52

)

Tempest

The original plan called for monsters. That's
right monsters — not the odd electrical shapes
that define the modern Tempest machine. At a
late developmental stage. Atari programmers
realized that the Tempest video screen wouldn't
generate proper monster resolution. But the
game cabinets had already been built and
illustrated with monsters! A fundamental change
had to be made. And made fast. The change
was made, all right. And it was this charged
electrical change that makes Tempest a most
unusual game.

This is one electric game. No matter what the
original plan was, the modern Tempest machine
is electricity itself. Some players may consider
themselves "astral tightrope walkers" perched
"atop the opening of a three-dimensional
space platform'...dodging and destroying
enemy aliens." Thafs what Atari thinks you think.
We tend to consider ourselves live wires,
open-circuits—moving not only to stay alive, but
to define life itself.

Anybody can kill aliens. But how often are you
given the opportunity to become electricity?
Tempest displays a three-dimensional electrical
field charged with enemy electrical shorts. You
can be short-circuited (electrocuted?) in a
variety of ways—each of them oddly, and at
times intricately, predictable. Your task as the
open-circuit is to fry the enemies in the electrical
field. Once the enemies are destroyed, you're
sucked forcefully through a vacuum tube and
positioned swiftly in a new electrical field with a
totally new 3D pattern.

There are sixteen different electrical fields.
Each one is programmed to appear in a
pre-planned order. This is a main feature of
Tempest's electrifying design. You can choose
any one of five entry-level patterns—1,3,5,7, or 9.
Number one is the easiest entry level and
number nine is the most difficult. You progress—if
you stay alive—from your chosen entry level to
pattern 16, at which point the electrical fields
change color. A new set of electrical fields is then
generated, and the bonus points rise. If you
reach a high level, you can begin your next
game on that level. You simply deposit your
quarter within 30 seconds after your last game.
For example, if you end your first game on level
15, you can begin your second game on level 15.
The object of the game remains the same on
every screen. The pace speeds up, of course,
and the patterns become more intricate. The
going, in other words, gets tougher. But the rules
are the same.

The idea has caught on. Tempest is the number
three money-making video game, as of this
writing. We've heard reports that the original
designers are unhappy with the game, in its new
form. They wanted monsters. Let them stay
unhappy. We'll just take full advantage of their
magnificent error, and enter willingly into the
revolutionary game-world of electricity.

53

Tempest

«=*> \AAA <3>X

Live Wire (Open Circuit]. You ore the conductor that
energizes this player around the circuit of the eiectrical
field. Your path is limited to the perimeter of the different
playing fields. Your fire power is unlimited, but comes in a
volley of shots that must hit something before you can fire
again.

Pulsars (200 points]. High-voltage Pulsars have the power to

short-circuit a lane within the electrical field. You cannot
cross a lane that a Pulsar has had his way with. They begin
to pulsate after successfully short-circuiting a lane
Tankers (100 points]. Like splitting atoms, the Tankers
become more dangerous when jolted. They split into two
highly charged Flippers. This also occurs should a Tanker
reach the top of one of the lanes.

ELEMENTS

A. Live Wire (Open-Circuit). You energize this
player through the electrical field. The trick is to
keep moving. You have unlimited ammunition.
On the entry-level screens (1,3,5,7, or 9), ifs best
to fire constantly—to fry the enemy. You'll have to
plan your fire more strategically on later screens.

B. Tankers (100 points). In and of themselves,
Tankers present minimal danger. They become
dangerous either (1) after you jolt them or (2)
when they reach the top of a lane. In either
situation, they split into two Flippers. And Flippers
are dangerous. Kill the Tankers near the center of
the tube. Don't let them get too high. If you kill
them near the tube top, the Flippers will be on
top of you. Tankers move slowly, in one lane only.

C. Flippers (150 points). Flippers are very quick
and very dangerous. They can flip from lane to
lane rapidly. Spawned by the Tankers, Flippers
progress quickly toward the ends of the lanes. Try
to kill them while they're in this process. When
they've reached the top of the lanes, they chase
you with lightning speed. You can kill them then,
but ifs tough — you must fight fire with fire. Ifs
always preferable to kill them when they're still in
the lanes.

D. Spinners (150 points). Spinners are nothing
more than good-looking Missiles. They shoot
quickly out of a tube — and otten out of
tubes with Spikers. Avoid Spinners. If they hit you,
you're dead. If they miss you, the/ll spin away
from the electrical field, never to bother you
again.

E. Spikers (50 points). These are slow-moving,
predictable enemies that never cross lanes. They
rarely reach the top. Spikers have but one
purpose: to create Spikes — as long as possible.
Destroy the Spikers as quickly as you can or
you'll have to contend with longer Spikes.

F. Spikes (no points). Spikes are inanimate
enemies. They are not killed; they are simply
destroyed. Spikes cause problems at the end of
an electrical pattern — after all the animate

enemies have been dealt with. In order to reach
a new electrical pattern, you must travel down
through a lane. If there's a Spike in the lane, you'll
be impaled—which means you're one dead
wire. Spikers leave Spikes. If you fry the Spikers fast
enough, the Spikers they leave will be short. You
can then quickly chip away at them.

G. Fuseballs (250, 500, or 750 points). Fuseballs
appear late in the game. They're slow, but
unpredictable. They constantly change lanes,
moving up and down to dodge your shots.
They're aggressive, but they aren't fast. They're
very clever. Destroy them at the first opportunity.

H. Pulsars (200 points). These enemies attempt to
short-circuit lanes within the electrical field.
They've completed short-circuits once they start
pulsating. It is impossible to cross lanes that
Pulsars have effectively short-circuited. You must
destroy them when they're in the process of
crossing lanes, when they're not pulsating. If
you're in a lane when a Pulsar short-circuits it,
you're dead.

AA. Fire Button You have an unlimited amount of
fire. At the beginning, fire constantly, keeping
your finger down on the button. On later screens,
when accuracy is of prime importance, ifs
dangerous to fire constantly. Plan your shots for
the best impact.

BB. Super Zapper. You have use of one Super
Zapper per pattern. Before you enter a new
pattern, the Super Zapper will recharge. You
cannot build up Super Zappers. They aren't
cumulative. By all means, use one Super Zapper
per pattern, but use it smartly. The Super Zapper
will destroy every enemy in every lane, except
the Spikes. You get a little extra time after the
Super Zapper has zapped, however. And thaf s a
good time to chip away at the Spikes.

CC. Control Knob. This super-sensitive knob will
spin you rapidly around all the open lanes. Learn
how to control this knob precisely—to both move
quickly and to enter any lane at will. You must
learn to control the knob for three situations. (1)
Learn how to operate the knob at lightning

Flippers (150 points). These hourglass-shaped enemies are
very dangerous. They quickly make their way to the ends of
tones. They then attempt to violently close your circuits.
Spikers (50 points) Spikers pose little threat as long as they
are killed quickly. If left alone they will create Spikes that will
inhibit your entry into lanes when necessary.

Spikes (no points). The longer they are. the tougher they

are to eliminate You cannot ride down a lane where a
Spike exists (you will be impaled). Eliminate them quickly
Fuseballs (250. 500. or 750 points). Slow but crafty, these
late-in-the-game enemies move steadily about the field. If
ignored, they will eventually get out of hand
Spinners (150 points). Spinners shoot out of tubes quickly
Avoid them. They disintegrate once out of the tube.

. speed. That means running it rapidly around the

electrical field. (2) Learn accuracy. You must be
) able to stop on a dime — at will. Stopping

i accurately means the difference between high

and average scores. (3) Learn to cross lanes

when traveling down the lane, to a new
electrical pattern. If, when moving down a lane,
you witness an impaling Spike, switch lanes. You
can do it. And this trick will ensure your safe
journey to a new electrical field.

55

Tempest

STRATEGY

A. Move constantly. Remember: You're a live
wire. Be constantly aware of the enemies. Dart
quickly to lanes where enemies are. Speed is
especially important when frying Flippers. If
Flippers have reached the top lanes—and
begin their chase —you must with lightning
speed attack them. And fire constantly. Don't be
timid. And watch out for Spinners!

B. Shoot from the ends of unconnected patterns.
There are two types of patterns: Those that allow
your piece to sweep full circle around the
pattern, and those that do not allow you to

sweep full circle. When playing the latter pattern
types — unconnected patterns — there are two
"safe" spots to ambush Flippers. Those spots are
on top of the extreme (end) lanes. You can stay
safe on top of an end lane by jiggling your piece
back and forth and firing constantly. The Flippers
will drop into that end lane, becoming
susceptible to your fire. After destroying the
Flippers, you can move around and kill your
remaining enemies. Remember, always: You
mu.st both move and fire. You can't stay still and
expect to survive. And make sure that end lanes
are free of Spikes.

s with three shots. Flippers are

56

your most persistent enemies. It's important to kill
them fast, before they reach the top of the lanes.
A simple, effective method of killing them is this:
Fire one shot at the Tanker, which will then split
into two Flippers. One Flipper will immediately
enter the lane to the left of the Tanker, the other
Flipper to the right. Move to the lane at the left
and shoot one Flipper. Then move back two
lanes — to the one on the right — and kill the
other Flipper. Do this lightning fast, or it won't
work. Once this strategy is mastered. Flippers can
be eliminated early in the game, before they
reach the top.

D. Keep lanes free of Spikes In order to move

from one pattern to another, you must move
through one of the sixteen lanes. This occurs
once the animated enemies have been killed.
Inaminate Spikes remain after the other enemies
are dead. If you're at the top of a lane that has a
Spike — and you move through that lane to the
next pattern—you'll be impaled. Take all the free
time you have to push spikes back. Always know
where your free lanes are. On unconnected
patterns, it's best to keep the end lanes free of
Spikes. On connected patterns, leave the widest
lanes free of Spikes. Once the words "Avoid
Spikes" appear on the screen, you should be
able to instinctively move to a free lane.

57

Tempest

TESTIMONIALS

Dominick, age 36: New York, NY. "Prepare
yourself for the invisible screens. They're on the
fifth cycle. I hit the Super Zapper earlier than
usual to see the screen I'm playing on."

Willie, age 18: Chicago, IL "When playing on the
bowling alley screen, watch out for the Fuseballs.
Don't let them reach the edge, or you can't get
rid of them."

Sam, age 26: Chicago, IL. Took at the red dots in
the center. That way you'll be ready for the end
of the wave. I then hit the Super Zapper, kill the
last few, and get ready to shoot the tube."

Tempest AT HOME

With the seemingly endless milking of video ideas
these days, ifs not often that you find an arcade
game with no home video counterpart.
However, Tempest, by Atari, is just such an original.
We know of no home video system to date (save
computer systems, like Apple, Atari 800, etc.) that
even begins to reproduce the electrifying
sensations of three-dimensional motion that is
found in Tempest.

NAP. Consumer Electronics, manufacturers of
the Odyssey 2 home video system, has developed

Tempest (Atari Incorporated)

Extra shooter every 20,000 points (not Including bonus points). Initial
choice of pattern level increases depending on score of previous
game.

Approximately 40,000 machines in existence to date. Average ma¬
chine brings in approximately $214.00 per week as of April 1,1982 and
is still climbing the charts.

Very adult game. Has made most of its money in the arcades, al¬
though initial street success is good.

Six, with individual characteristics. Flippers, Spikers, Spinners, and Tank¬
ers appear on early patterns. Pulsars and Fuseballs appear later in the
game.

You can choose your difficulty level. Novice level is very approach¬
able. Good on-machine Instructions are must reading.

50% male, 50% female. Abstract quality plus warp space-ride appeals
to both.

Adult game. Lightning-fast reflexes appeal to some younger players.

Excellent. Fire and Superzapper buttons are easy to use. Rotator knob
is as smooth as expensive stereo equipment.

Super fast action requires lightning-fast reflexes. Some strategy is
necessary.

Not

Attractive abstracts and impressive warp-ride down the tube.
Expensive game. Short play-time until you get good.

Electric sensation; variety of patterns; instant-replay option.

Quarter eater (even for the best).

Bonus:

Popularity:

Location:

Enemies:

Approachability:

Sex Appeal:

Age Appeal:
Control Comfort:

Skill vs. Strategy:

Clocked Or Not:
Special Effects:
Value For Money:
Pros:

Cons:

a home-game format that could never be
reproduced in the arcades. There are three
games in this format, and they all share one
unique feature — a video game cartridge
combined with a traditional game board.

Wall Street Fortune
Hunt by Odyssey^
combines the
thrill of the "big
board" with the
strategy of a
con ven tional game
board.

The third game in this fantasy series is called
WALL STREET FORTUNE HUNT. You are given
$100,000 and allowed to invest it any way you
choose (definitely a fantasy). Your television
screen provides you with all the information you
need—stock reports, gold prices, prime rate
fluctuations, and even news flashes. The idea, of
course, it to make lots and lots of money!

Frogger

■

i

>

Frogger has found a devoted audience. This
odd little game will never have the mass appeal
of a Pac-Man, but for those who enjoy maneu¬
vering a Frog through traffic and rivers, this can
be a thoroughly rewarding game.

The object of Frogger is simple: Get to the top as
fast as you can. You're being timed by a clock. If
the clock runs out before you reach the top,
you're finished.

The road is treacherous. To get to the top, you
must swiftly and cautiously cross three different
areas on the screen. The first area is the Highway.
Cars and Trucks pass from both the left and right.
You must maneuver your Frog safely through this
moving maze. Once you get through the traffic,
you stand on a stone wall, ready to cross the river.
The River is swift and alive There are Turtles and
Logs crossing left and right. You must jump on
either a Log or a Turtle, making your way to the
top of the screen. If you miss your jump, and land
in the water, you're dead. And you're not always
safe on a Turtle! They dive from time to time. If
you're on their back when they dive, you drown.
Your final objective is to reach one of the five
safe spots on top, between the green Lilypads.
Once five Frogs reach the top, a new screen
begins.

The action on later screens picks up. And new
enemies are brought in. Traffic, of course,
becomes fierce. You now have to contend with
hungry Snakes on the walls. Logs in the later
screens may actually be Crocodiles (look for the
eyes). And Turtles are constantly hopping up and
down. The trick here is to be quick and alert.
Get fat with points. Bonus points add up when
you eat Waterbugs or Flies. And if you safely
escort a Lady Frog to your pad, you score big.
Frogger may be the "cutest” game in town. It's
an easy game to jump right in and play. The
amount of Frogs you get per quarter varies from
arcade to arcade. One of our favorite arcades
gives you five. Most others give you three.

11

59

Missile Command

Be advised: There's a rumor going around that a
federal agency is keeping track of the top Missile
Command players. If there's an emergency,
they're going to want to know where the top
Commanders are.

Missile Command is an amazing game. Ifs

been around for quite awhile. In fact, if this book
was published a year ago, we would have
highlighted Missile Command as one of our top
games. Ifs slipped in popularity of late, but it still
maintains a devoted audience. One of us still
considers Missile Command the best video
game around.

Missile Command is fairly complicated. Your
basic task is to save Cities from enemy attack. You
and the Cities are all stationary on the bottom of
the screen. The enemies attack from the top and
sides of the screen. You have three armed bases—
Alpha, Delta, and Omega. You can move back
and forth from these bases to kill the enemy. If
your enemies successfully destroy all your Cities,
the game is over.

The enemies are crafty. At first you contend only
with Missiles, for 25 points each. Missiles can
appear by themselves or be generated by MIRV—
an abstract video line—which splits into a
random number of Missiles at any point. On the
second screen, you must contend with Bombers
(100 points] and Killer Satellites (100 points). These
are crafty and quick opponents. The major
opponent—and the major point value —
appears from the sixth screen on. This is the Smart
Missile. As most Missile Commanders will tell you,
ifs the Smart Missile that should demand your
attention.

Bonus points are given after each screen. You

get bonus points for Cities still standing and a
tally of bonus points for the enemies you've killed.
Every 10,000 points, you get an additional bonus
City.

Missile Command is primarily a reflex game.

However, there are a few strategies. Most
top-score players rely on the Smart Missiles for
their scoring. In a maneuver similar to Asteroids,
these players allow all of their Cities to be

destroyed, save one. They then defend that City,
concentrating on the Smart Missile. The Smart
Missile is the only enemy that tracks living Cities.
The other enemies waste time destroying Cities
that are already dead.

Whafs your highest score? High Missile
Command scores are in the tens of millions. And
there are still many people seen playing this
machine every day in the arcades. If you've
never played the game before, by all means
start playing it.

A a A a A

Ms. Pas-Man

We didn’t expect much of Ms. Pac-Man. That's
because sequels to popular games are usually
disappointing. But Ms. Pac-Man has surprised us
with its grace and charm. Although in many ways
similar to the ballyhooed video game Pac-Man,
Ms. Pac-Man forges a new path that strikes us as
truly original.

Ms. Pac-Man will win your heart. She's got a
ribbon in her hair and a beauty mark on her
face. You control Ms. Pac-Man through a maze,
gobbling up dots and eating Monsters and Fruits.
Point values are generally similar to Pac-Man —
200, 400, 800, or 1600 points for Monsters, 10
points per dot, etc.

The maze is the big change. Or better yet, the
mazes. First of all, mazes are constructed with
more corners than in the original game. These
corners slow down both Ms. Pac-Man and the
Monsters. There are two Tunnels to most mazes—
one at the top and one at the bottom. The
location of the Tunnels is never the same,
however, because the mazes keep changing.
That’s right — Ms. Pac-Man is a multi-mazed
game. The first two screens are the same, but the
third is different. Maze patterns appear to repeat
twice and then change. Every new maze pattern
is outlined in a new color.

Watch the Fruits closely. No longer do they sit

stationary under the Monster Pen. These Fruits
move — and you've got to chase them and eat
them. We've found this distracting. Our original
Pac-Man training taught us to beware of
everything that moves. At first, you may think the
Fruits are Monsters. You've got to look closely.
Intermissions are as entertaining as ever. Each
intermission plays with Pac-Man and Ms.
Pac-Man: meeting each other, chasing each
other, and, of course, falling in love. As always,
intermissions are the reward for a high score.
The program is random. The Monster chips don't
follow any pre-planned course. In other words,
there are no patterns to follow. You're on your
own. This does not make the game any less
enjoyable; it simply denies phenomenal scores.
Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Sue —Ms. Pac-Man's
foes—are certainly unpredictable. Three of them
can dart out of the Monster Pen at one time. And
there's no hesitation after Ms. Pac-Man eats an
Energizer. You could count on this delay in the
Pac-Man game. Forget it in Ms. Pac-Man. And
these energizers are at different spots on the
screen.

All-in-all, this is a very enjoyable game. The

absence of patterns really tests your Pac-Man
skills. Lures, fake-outs, and speed are your primary
weapons in this game. Use them frequently.

61

\

Turbo

Turbo is impressive. In fact, ifs the most
impressive video racing game we've played. The
sensation is phenomenal. Not only can you move
your Car at top speeds, but you drive that Car
through some of the most spectacular graphics
video has to offer.

This is an authentic car race. The object of the
game is to pass as many Cars as possible within
a given time period. If you pass 30 Cars within the
time limit (usually 99 seconds) more time is
allotted. And you score bonus points. Points are
also awarded whenever you complete a lap.
Strategy is important. One strategic aspect of
Turbo concerns your viewpoint. Most racing
games give you little perspective outside of your
immediate area. Turbo offers a sense of distance.
Therefore, you usually see the Cars you need to
pass long before you actually overtake them.
Strategy is then as important as pure reaction.
You must plan how to pass those Cars.

Not all the Cars are manned by expert drivers.
Some of them are very reckless and unpredict¬
able. They may crash at any time, forcing you to
quickly dodge them. Emergency Ambulances
also race through the track. Avoid them!

The real magic of Turbo is the graphics. You

begin your play on a City Boulevard, complete
with skyscrapers. You eventually cruise through
the City onto curving Country Roads. Tunnels and
Bridges are intricate parts of every lap. And
crossing the Ocean-Front Palisade is one of the
most dangerous parts of the game. You end your
race back in the City at sunset. By this point, the
City's skyscrapers are lit like Christmas trees.

stic. It has to be felt to
be believed. You control a Speed Shift and an
Accelerator Pedal. The control of the Pedal is
superb. You can increase and decrease your
speed at will. In fact, you can follow a Car closely,
waiting for an opportunity to pass. The Steering
Wheel is equally responsive. But beware of icy
roads, steering then becomes awkward.

Watch out for dips. If a Car in front of you
disappears gradually and reappears, you are
approaching a dangerous dip in the road. Those
Cars that have dipped in front of you can
reappear suddenly. Steep hills also test your road
skills. Make sure to exercise much caution on hills.
Turbo gives you your money’s worth. Ifs an
exciting game to play. Ifs only recently been
introduced to the arcades. We wouldn't be
surprised at all if ifs one of 1982's biggest hits.

62

Tlminator (SEGA/Gremlin) Four against one is fair play when that one is the mighty
Eliminator—a large spheroid that floats randomly about the video screen. This Eliminator
is invulnerable except through a narrow passage (its throat?) to its core. During the game,
the Eliminator sends out ships bent on destroying the up-to-four players (who can choose
to work alone or in teams of two). You and your fellow players, while avoiding Eliminator
ships, attempt to force opposing players' spaceships (with energy bolts that push objects)
into a deadly collision with the Eliminator base. The lone surviving player must then fire
down the Eliminator's throat to win the game. The four-player game may prove to be a
popular idea in the arcades. It may draw in the foosball players and double daters.
Eliminator is more than a novelty, and promises to develop a loyal following.

v/perball (Wiiliams Electronics) Hyperball, by Williams Electronics, is the first game to
successfully bridge the gap between video and pinball. Housed in a pinball-style cabinet,
this revolutionary game features the familiar flashing lights and metal spheres of early
pre-Pong days. However, with the aid of two pivoting trigger mechanisms that control a
"Hyper-cannon," the player can shoot up to 250 balls per minute (if fingers can really
move that fast). What's more, those flashing lights can shoot deadly lightning bolts back at
youl You must also contend with video-style Baiters, Z-bombs, and multiplying attack
waves. Hyperball could very possibly fulfill the dream of many — to become the arcades'
first true Video/Pinball Wizard.

Make Trax (Williams Electronics) Make Trax is a surprisingly popular new video game.
And it's a game with one ingenious objective: to paint a maze yourself. As the maze is
being painted, two devilish little goldfish form in the aquarium and take chase after the
paintbrush. If they overtake the brush, a new one will have to be used. Your only defense
against these twitching-tailed little fish is to roll over them with the rollers provided. Each
time you roll over a goldfish you collect bonus points, and temporarily put them out of
commission (but like Pac-Man monsters, they go back to their aquarium, regroup, and
come back to torment you further). If that isn't enough, you also have to contend with
other little beings determined to Make Trax in your nice paint job: kittens, mice, and even
a dirty bird that leaves droppings in your fresh paint. These creatures (including cars, cats,
and an invisible, footprint-leaving man) can be caught — if you're quick enough — for
1000 points each. When you reach 10,000 points, you get another paintbrush.

Mousetrap (I ly While it's true that Mousetrap is overly cute, it offers some clever
innovations to the standard maze games. Ifs a game of cat and mouse — and dog.
You're initially a mouse scurrying through a maze. You must avoid cats while searching out
delicious pieces of cheese and other bonus items. Eating bones will turn your mouse into
a dog for a while and allow you to catch cats—for big bonus points. You can alter the
maze at the touch of a button, to block off approaching cats. For added danger, purple
hawks appear and fly over the walls looking for a delicious mouse or dog. They don't like
the taste of cats. The maze innovations present a great opportunity for strategic play. They
seem to eliminate the possibility of repetitive pattern-play, common to most maze
games.

ate (Williams Electronics If you've successfully defended your Humanoids against
an onslaught of Swarmers and Baiters, then you should challenge yourself to the Yllabian
Space Guppies, Space Hums, and Phreds of the new video game "Stargate." The same
people who brought you Defender (Williams Electronics) bring you this game Stargate.
And it requires the same talents that the original Defender does, especially your Defender
Fingers. The strategic complexities and fast-paced action go beyond Defender. The most
amazing advance is that, after four attack waves, a whole new confrontation begins: the
Yllabian Dog fight. Ifs fairly safe to say that only those with top Defender skills will ever
witness this "space battle unequalled in video history." A new secret weapon is available
with Stargate, the Inviso-Anti-Matter Cloaking Device. This, as the name implies, makes
you invisible for a period of time. Stargate is not a game for the meek of heart. And it
should appeal primarily to the cream-of-the-crop Defender players.

Vanguard (Ceniuri) Vanguard literally talks you through an exciting multi-leveled video
experience. A commanding human voice sounds-off at critical points in the game.
Four-directional missiles are at your disposal to fire against enemy forces as you navigate
through the first of 12 tunnels to reach an energy zone of temporary safety. Succeeding
tunnels increase in difficulty, and point values increase. Unique strategies are required to
pass through rocky canyons, the Stick zone, and the Stripe zone with its enemy bases and
barriers. The constantly varying threats and the ever-changing strategies — along with
your own reflexive talents — make this a popular game world-wide.

63

Home Video Systems

If you like the arcade games, chances are you've
given some thought to the many home systems
available. While it's true that home systems are limited
in comparison with their sophisticated arcade
brethren, they are undoubtedly getting better. And
even as they stand, they're some of the best home
entertainment available.

Atari has the least-expensive system. It was hot stuff
when introduced, although it pales today in light of
competitive systems. Two outstanding things work in
Atari's favor. First of all, it's cost. You get a lot of
entertainment at a bargain-basement price. Second,
Atari has developed a knack for obtaining the
authorized licenses for popular arcade games. Part of
the reason is that Atari manufactures some of those
arcade games (Asteroids, Missile Command,
Centipede, and Tempest, to name a few). We're not
quite sure how they obtained such famous licenses as
Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Although the home
versions differ — at times drastically — from the arcade
versions, the programs are as close as they can
successfully make them.

Here are our gripes with the Atari system: (1) There
are too many wires connecting too many parts (to the
TV, the wall outlet, the joysticks, and the paddles). (2)
The TV makes a lot of static when a cartridge is
removed. (3) Animation is quite poor. (4) Too many
game options are packed into each cartridge, and
you must scan through it all to find the one you want
to play. (5) Play action is slower than in competitive
home systems. Although these problems may be
nagging, they're probably worthwhile for budget-tight
gamesters. You'll still have a lot of fun with it.

Atari is introducing a new system come summer
(1982). The price of the new system will be hefty
($349.95 retail). But the new Atari Video System X
promises to be worth every cent of it.

The advantages over the present Atari system are
clear. The attractive streamline console will require
only one electrical cord. And a built-in storage area
will make for a neat package. All controls will fit snugly
into this area when not in use. Other convenient
features include a switch on the console, which will
enable you to flip back-and-forth from game play to
TV viewing.

The revolutionary magic of the Atari System X,
however, concerns the games themselves.
Sophisticated microprocessors and innovative

Atari's new Video System X is classically simple.

designs should provide some of the finest graphics
and sound in the industry. Game characters and a
rainbow of colors will be clearer and sharper than
ever before. Sounds will range from "musical notes to
shuddering explosions." Atari says, "An innovate chip
will eventually give it the ability to reproduce voice
and speech."

At least ten cartridges will be available when the
first machine is introduced. These will include Space
Invaders, Missile Command, and Asteroids. In addition
some popular arcade favorites will also be available,
including Pac-Man, Galaxian, and Defender.

Our advise, therefore, is wait: Wait until you can test
the new Atari System X yourself. Our initial reports are
quite positive.

Odyssey is the mid-priced home video game
system. And it is probably the most unusual system of
the bunch. One of the most attractive reasons for
going Odyssey are the games themselves. Although
they haven't obtained licenses for popular arcade
games, they have manufactured some truly exciting
original games, like Monkey Shines and Pachinko.
Sports games are generally weak, although Volleyball
is surprisingly good. UFO and K.C. Munchkin are their
best sellers, and for good reasons.

Some Odyssey games come equipped with
keyboard overlays and—game boards: you play part
of the game on a separate board. The keyboard
overlays make it especially easy to use the proper
keys. And their keyboard has 49 characters (alphabet
and numbers). Quest for the Rings and Conquest of
the World are two video/board games.

Odyssey deserves a hard look by anyone interested
in video games. The company is obviously going
places, and their innovative approach to home video
is exciting.

Intelllvlslon (Mattel Electronics, Inc.) has sat proudly
at the top of the home video market for quite a spell.
They're also the most expensive system. Many of Atari's
new System X features were standard in Intellivision.
And Intellivision isn't sitting still.

The Intellivision video graphics are the best in the
marketplace. Their sports games are legends, and
deservedly so. The actions and graphics are simply
superb. The reason the Intellivision displays are so
exceptional is that they use more space in their
cartridges for one game. Remember how Atari put
several games on one cartridge. In a sense,
Intellivision uses all that computer space for one
fascinating game. Each cartridge comes with two
overlays for your keyboard controls.

And hold onto your seats. Intellivision will soon be
introducing Intellivoice: an attachment for your home
system. Believe it or not, expressive male and female
voices will become a regular part of your games.
These voices will offer tips and advice on your game
play. And the tone of the voice will be either calm or
panicky, depending on your situation.

Other home video entries include a variety of
games by Coleco, Entex and Bally Astrovlslon.
Coleco already has a tabletop version of Pac-Man
out. It will also be marketing cartridges for other home
systems. Entex may surprise us all with their new Entex
Arcade System. These systems will be self-contained
with their own TV monitors. The first cartridge they
promise is Defender.

64

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