Overkill (computer game)
| OverKill | |
|---|---|
| Studio | Tech noir |
| Publisher | Epic MegaGames |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1992 |
| platform | DOS |
| genre | Shoot 'em up |
| Game mode | Single player |
| control | Joystick , keyboard |
| medium | 3.5 " floppy disk , CD-ROM |
| language | English German |
Overkill ( spelling : OverKill ) is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up for PC ( DOS ) that was distributed as shareware by Epic MegaGames (today: Epic Games ) in 1992 . In Germany the full version was u. a. sold by CDV-Software as well as Pearl Agency . There is also an official version that is completely localized in German. It was later published as a retail version (1994, USA) and on CD-ROM (Germany).
Overkill was the first known vertically scrolling space shoot 'em up from one of the major shareware publishers of the time. It wasn't until about a year after Overkill that the “competitor” Apogee released a similar game called Major Stryker .
In 2008, Overkill was released as freeware by Ste Cork, the programmer of the game (known among others from Xenon , Bitmap Brothers and designer for Call of Duty: Ghosts ) .
Game flow
The player controls a spaceship and is tasked with destroying hostile aliens on six different planets (the shareware version only contains two planets / episodes). By collecting the appropriate power-ups , the spaceship can be upgraded with protective shields and better weapon systems. A special feature of the weapon system is that the player can select the desired weapon (or protective shield, auxiliary drones ) at the touch of a button or joystick button (comparable to Gradius ). When hit, the spaceship is not immediately destroyed, but loses energy with each hit until the energy bar is exhausted.
technology
Overkill has 16-color EGA graphics, which were considered outstanding for the time (although VGA graphics were already widespread at the time). Furthermore, CGA and - Tandy -1000 graphics cards usable. The resolution is 320 × 200 pixels. Supported sound cards for background music are AdLib and (unusual for shareware games at the time) Roland MT-32 . Sound effects, on the other hand, are generally only output via the PC loudspeaker . On current PCs, the game runs in an emulator such as DOSBox .
reception
- In its 3/1993 issue, Computer Gaming World magazine positively highlighted the graphics, background music and gameplay of Overkill.
- RGB Classic Games thinks the graphics are “quite impressive” .
Others
- Due to a legal dispute with the original publisher for the European market, the developer removed all references to this publisher from the screen pages of the game in newer versions of the game. Not least because of this, different versions exist. The latest version is version number 2.0.
- The name of the second planet, Gallifrey , is a reference to the home planet of Doctor Who .
Web links
- Overkill (computer game) at MobyGames (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ OverKill at MobyGames - Publications. Retrieved May 21, 2015 .
- ↑ Biography at MobyGames. Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
- ↑ a b c OverKill at classicdosgames.com. Retrieved May 31, 2015 .
- ↑ epicgames.com/faq/overkill.htm at Archive.org. Archived from the original on February 6, 2003 ; accessed on May 31, 2015 .
- ↑ Computer Gaming World, March 1993, pp. 110f. Retrieved May 21, 2015 .