Spelunker
| Spelunker | |
|---|---|
| Original title | ス ペ ラ ン カ ー |
| Studio | Micro graphic image |
| Publisher | Micro graphic image |
| Erstveröffent- lichung |
1983 |
| platform | Atari 8-Bit , C64 , MSX , NES , Nintendo 3DS , Wii |
| genre | Jump 'n' run |
| Game mode | Single player |
| medium | Cartridge , download |
| language | English |
Spelunker (OT: Japanese ス ペ ラ ン カ ー , Superankā ) is a computer game for Atari 8-bit home computers , which was also adapted for the Commodore 64 and the NES . It's a platform game like Pitfall! or Curse of Ra . The title word, for which there is also the verb "spelunking", means something like " cave explorer ".
Gameplay
The scenario of Spelunker is set in a huge cave system , whereby the player starts at the top of the cave entrance and works his way down, walking and jumping, into the cave, which becomes more and more difficult with increasing depth and at the bottom of which he suspects a treasure . The area is teeming with natural hazards: water, uneven soil, air currents, narrow ledges, crevices , deadly pits and large rocks to be removed. To make matters worse, there are large bats , which drop deadly guano .
The spirit of another explorer of the cave, who failed fatally because of it, now makes the cave unsafe. Now and then this spirit comes out and wants to transport you into the shadowy world. By pressing the SPACE button (or the B button on the NES controller) the player performs a strange shoo gesture (in the NES version he uses a lightning weapon in this animation) to exorcise the ghost . The execution of this summoning takes a few seconds, during which the "Spelunker" cannot move from the spot and is defenseless against the other threats. Another difficulty lies in the fact that the player always has to be concerned about his steadily decreasing oxygen level, which he can only refill at certain points.
Objects that can be picked up are: dynamite sticks , torches , keys (in 2 different colors). With the "D" key the dynamite is used, e.g. B. for blasting large rocks. Torches are used with an "F" and drive away bats. The game would have been a lot easier if the "Spelunker" could jump higher and fall lower than just a little bit. Precise jumping is particularly important.
The game is described by many players (until today 2012) as extremely difficult.
Levels
The cave is divided into six levels . These merge seamlessly, but the player is notified of a level change by displaying the level name. He also receives an extra life and a number of points as bonuses, but the latter is not fixed. The levels:
- The Elevator : A lift on the left is freely available.
- The Ropes : Ropes hanging from the ceiling allow the player to jump from rope to rope.
- The Falls : A large waterfall has to be accessed with a barrel .
- The Shaft : A huge geyser is the focus of this level.
- The Pyramid : The doors of a pyramid must be unlocked with keys to reach the top.
- The Treasure : The last level that separates the player from the treasure.
Development history
The developers were Tim Martin and Micro Graphic Image . Originally published by Micro Graphic Image in 1983 . The game was re-released by Brøderbund in 1983 , and Ariolasoft was licensed to publish it in Europe . The arcade version was also licensed to Irem .
Spelunker is one of the few games that first appeared on a home computer and only then in the arcade .
Under the name Spelunker HD , an HD remake was released on the PlayStation 3 in the PlayStation Store. On January 31, 2014, Square Enix announced that a successor called Spelunker Z would be released on March 19 in Japan for the PlayStation 4 .
Trivia
- The start screen on the Atari was backed by music by Modest Mussorgsky : Pictures at an Exhibition (a piano cycle).
- The arcade system is the same as Kung-Fu Master , namely Irem M-62 .
Minna de Waiwai! Spelunker
In January 2017, Square Enix announced a version for the Nintendo Switch based on the PlayStation 4 game Spelunker World . The Japanese release is on April 20th, 2017. No release date has yet been announced for Europe and the US.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Spelunker HD for PlayStation 3 . Metacritic. November 23, 2012. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved on September 3, 2012.
- ↑ Project Code Z revealed: Spelunker Z for PlayStation 4 . JPGames. January 31, 2015. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
- ↑ Japan: Minna de Waiwai! Spelunker will be released on April 20, 2017 for Nintendo Switch. Retrieved January 18, 2017 .
