Battlezone is an arcade game released by Atari in November 1980 [1] . The game uses vector three-dimensional graphics with a horizontal black and white vector monitor (with a red-green overlay). Thanks to the novelty of the gameplay and graphics, the game has been popular for a long time.
| Battlezone | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Atari |
| Publisher | Atari |
| Date of issue | Arcade November 1980 Atari 2600  1983  1983 |
| Genre | Tank simulator |
| Creators | |
| Game Designers | Ed rothberg Owen Rubin (exploding volcano) Roger Hector (graphics tank and enemies) |
| Technical details | |
| Platforms | Arcade , Atari 2600 |
| Game modes | single player |
| Control | 2 joysticks with 2 directions (up and down), 1 button |
| Type of shell | vertical , horizontal |
| Display | horizontal black and white vector monitor with color pad |
| CPU | 6502 |
| Sound | POKEY and discrete circuits |
Content
Development
Vector game technology is very similar to that used in games like the Asteroids . The game designer was Ed Rotberg ( Ed Edberg ), who developed many games for Atari Inc., Atari Games and Sente .
A version called The Bradley Trainer (also known as Army Battlezone or Military Battlezone ) was also released, which was intended for use by the US Armed Forces to train M2 Bradley shooters [2] . Some Atari developers refused to work on this project because of its connection with the armed forces [3] , in particular, the main developer of the original Battlezone, Ed Rothberg [4] . Rothberg agreed to participate in the development only after he was promised that he would no longer do anything for the military in the future [5] . Only two machines with this game were produced: one was placed in the armed forces and is considered lost, the second is stored in the private collection of Scott Evans [6] [7] , who found him in a garbage can on the back of the Midway Games. This version of the game is very different from the original and includes helicopters, rockets and machine guns; in addition, the tank does not move in it, only the guns rotate.
Due to the use of pseudo-three-dimensional graphics from the first person, as well as the "viewfinder", which the player puts the face to, Battlezone is considered the first game using virtual reality technology [8] .
Gameplay
The game takes place on the plain. On the horizon there are mountains and an erupting volcano, a sickle of the Moon, and various geometric bodies (for example, pyramids or parallelepipeds). The screen also has a radar on which enemies are marked with dots. The player must find and destroy slow-moving tanks and fast-moving supertanks. In addition, there are saucer-shaped UFOs and self-guided missiles, the destruction of which gives bonus points. UFOs do not shoot the player and do not appear on the radar. If a player is shot, he can hide behind an object or make quick maneuvers to get an opportunity to make a return shot. The obstacles in the game are indestructible and can block the movement of a player’s tank. They are useful in sheltering from enemy fire.
Slot Machine
Battlezone used the usual vertical machine with an unusual " periscope ", in which the player had to look. In a later version, the periscope was removed for easy observation of the game and improvement of the position of players who did not reach the periscope. A smaller version of the machine with a screen tilted up and without a periscope was also presented. The horizontal version was tested as a prototype, but did not go into the series. The control consisted of left and right joysticks that could move only along the vertical axis. Each joystick controlled the movement of one tank track. On one of the joysticks was a button to shoot at the enemy.
See also
- Battlezone , a three-dimensional remake of 1998.
- Battlezone II: Combat Commander .
Notes
- ↑ Production Numbers . Atari (1999). The date of circulation is March 19, 2012. Archived on January 27, 2013.
- ↑ www.safestuff.com/bradley.htm . The date of circulation is September 17, 2007. Archived on January 27, 2013.
- ↑ Jung, Robert The Army Battlezone Q & A (not available link) . The date of circulation is September 17, 2007. Archived October 31, 2007.
- Ague Hague, James Halcyon Days: Ed Rotberg Unc . The date of circulation is September 17, 2007. Archived September 27, 2007.
- ↑ Kent, Steven L. The Ultimate History of Video Games. - Prima Publishing , 2001. - P. 153-155. - ISBN 0-7615-3643-4 .
- ↑ Evans, Scott Bradley Trainer . The date of circulation is September 17, 2007. Archived on January 27, 2013.
- ↑ MAWS Bradley Trainer ROM set info (inaccessible link) . The appeal date is October 9, 2007. Archived October 16, 2007.
- ↑ Dan Harries. The New Media Book. - British Film Institute, 2002.
Links
- Battlezone in The Great Game Database
- Battlezone Series in the links directory Open Directory Project (dmoz)
- Battlezone in Arcade History database
- BattleWorld StrategyWiki Guide