Battlezone (arcade game)
| Battlezone | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Studio | Atari |
| Publisher | Atari |
| Senior Developer | Ed Rotberg and Morgan Hoff |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1980 |
| genre | Shoot 'em up |
| Game mode | 1 player |
| control | two 2-way joysticks ; 1 button |
| casing | Standard, mini and cocktail |
| Arcade system |
Atari System 16 = Main CPU : 6502 (@ 1.5 MHz) Sound CPU: Sound Chips: Atari POKEY , Custom |
| monitor | Vectors , resolution: not applicable (no raster graphics), color palette: none (white line graphics colored by overlay film) |
| information | first commercial 3D game |
Battlezone is an arcade game that was produced by Atari in 1980 . It is a 3D tank simulation with vector graphics , which is displayed on a black / white monitor with green and red overlay foils. An additional depth effect is created by the variable brightness of the line graphics, which makes objects that are further away appear darker. The game was the first with (stylized) 3D graphics and also the first commercial 3D game.
description
The player controls a tank from the first person perspective . While the (inaccessible) background scenery consists of a green line landscape with mountains, active volcanoes and a crescent moon, pyramids and cuboids are scattered on the (seemingly unlimited) playing field in " wire mesh " representation, which on the one hand form obstacles, on the other hand also as a cover can serve against enemy fire. The target optics of your own periscope are displayed in the middle . At the top of the screen there are displays (colored red with foil) for warning messages, radar, points already scored and reserve tanks still available. The viewing angle is around 45 degrees.
The aim of the game is to hit and destroy enemy tanks and homing missiles. The enemy objects appear one after the other; In addition, (non-attacking) UFOs sometimes appear, which do not appear on the radar, but are indicated acoustically. You do not have to kill them, but they bring you bonus points. The next own shot can only be fired when the previous one has disappeared or hit the horizon. The player can hide behind objects, but can also be blocked by them (e.g. when driving backwards) and prevented from continuing.
If the number of points reached at the end of the game (loss of all vehicles) is high enough, the player can enter up to three initials in the highscore table . The list is volatile and is reset when the device is switched off and on.
technology
The monitor is a QuadraScan monitor with a screen diagonal of 19 inches. A special board calculates the graphics, the so-called Mathbox . The outlines of the objects (vectors) generated by the electron beam of the picture tube are "written" consistently from one end to the other, ie they are real lines and not rows of pixels composed of raster points. There are therefore no "steps", no matter how small, in the image display.
The standard arcade version of the slot machine has a window with a periscope view in front of it. The monitor lies horizontally in the housing, its (reversed) image is diverted to the front by a mirror installed at a 45-degree angle. A cockpit is simulated around the screen using cardboard panels with imprinted instrument dummies. To increase the atmospheric effect, the visible interior of the play equipment is illuminated by a concealed black light tube. Various sound effects (engine noises, shots, UFOs, radar pings) are emitted via loudspeakers with strong bass.
Your own vehicle is controlled via a 2-way joystick each for the left and right drive: synchronous deflection causes driving forwards or backwards, operation in the opposite direction causes rotation on the spot. The right joystick is also equipped with the fire button.
particularities
As the first training computer for the US Army , there were two special devices called The Bradley Trainer , also called Army Battlezone or Military Battlezone . It served as a training device for the drivers of the Bradley armored personnel carrier . There were also two other prototypes ( Future Tank and Moon Tank ).
The game is in the TOP-100 Killer List of Videogames in 12th place.
It is one of the first real virtual reality games.
In July 2013 it became known that Rebellion Developments had acquired the rights to Battlezone in an auction of Atari components.
See also
- Red Baron (flight simulator with the same hardware)
Web links
- Battle Zone (arcade game) in the Killer List of Video Games (English)
- The "Battlezone" series at MobyGames (English)
- Battle zone mIRC addon ( Memento from September 27, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- neXGam article
- Youtube video of the game
Individual evidence
- ↑ Wargaming, Rebellion and Stardock all bid on Atari assets on gamasutra .com July 22, 2013 "Battlezone franchise: Successful bid from Rebellion Interactive Games, with back-up bid from Tommo Inc"
- ↑ http://bzforum.matesfamily.org/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1872