Paradroid

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Paradroid is a computer game written in 1985 for the C64 by Andrew Braybrook and released by Hewson Consultants ; In 1990 the remake Paradroid 90 was released for the Amiga (also by Andrew Braybrook). With Freedroid Classic and another game, there are also two free versions of this game that were released under the GNU GPL .

Gameplay

In Paradroid, it is the player's task to clean a spaceship of robots , whereby you also use one yourself. The enemy robots have different strengths in terms of speed, armor and firing power, from weak service robots to strong security robots.

The player's robot, with which the game is started, is called the influence device of the 001 series. In contrast to the opposing robots, this one is very weak. He has the ability to couple to opposing robots in order to control them after a successful takeover. The player then has the abilities of the robot he has taken over at the same time. There are a total of 24 robot types in ten classes. Enemy robots can either be taken over or destroyed by shooting or ramming. The respective chances of winning depend on your own robot class, which can be read from the first of the three digits. In order to get into the takeover mode, the action button must be pressed continuously and touch contact with another robot must be established. The game is over when all enemy robots in the spaceship have been destroyed. The spaceship has a total of 16 decks, some of which have several separate sections. It also has eight elevators that give access to various decks. Once an entire deck has been freed of robots, the background turns gray. To solve the game, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the structure of the spaceship, which can be viewed at the terminals. The levels of difficulty of the individual decks are also very different, which demands a more systematic cleaning from the player.

takeover

To successfully take over a robot, the player must pass a little logic game on a circuit diagram. At the beginning the player can select the side (left is yellow, right is purple) of the circuit. The circuit diagram is created on a random basis. There are lines that can reach two fields through switching branches with an energy capsule or, conversely, require several capsules for activation through line merging. The player places so-called energy capsules in the shape of triangles on the ends of the cables, which energize the cables (if they are not interrupted). The number of energy capsules available depends on the respective robot class. The rectangle on the center bar lights up in the color of the player who is currently in the lead. The winner is the one who can have more than six fields in his color after the time has elapsed. If the middle line is controlled from both sides with the same number of triangles (both six fields) after the time has expired, there is a tie and the transfer is repeated with a new circuit diagram. If the player has fewer than six fields after the time has expired, he loses the takeover and the previous host robot is destroyed. If the player does not pass the takeover with the 001 device, the game is lost.

reception

According to Mathias Mertens, the game was catchy. Its tile and tube design offered perfect simplicity in buttery smooth scrolling . Everyone could choose a favorite robot suitable for their own fighting style. For Mertens, Paradroid is an example of the emergence of early computer games.

See also

Web links

supporting documents

  1. ^ Mathias Mertens: We were Space Invaders: Stories of Computer Games. Blumenkamp Verlag, Göttingen 2006, ISBN 3-9810685-0-5 , p. 147.
  2. Mathias Mertens : Computer games are not interactive. In: Christoph Bieber, Claus Leggewie: Interactivity: A transdisciplinary key term. Campus Verlag, 2004 ISBN 3593376032 , page 287.