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Robby Roto
''The Adventures of Robby Roto!'' (''Robby Roto'' for short) is a 1981 arcade video game produced by Bally/Midway. In ''Robby Roto'', the player digs through a dirt-filled maze collecting items while avoiding pursuing creatures. It is one of the few games made available to legally download on the official website of video game emulator MAME. Gameplay left, Robby is at the top center. Two enemies are in dirt-filled tunnels with only their eyes visible. The player controls the titular character who enters an underground maze to rescue trapped miners and collect treasures. The mine is initially filled with dirt, which Robby digs away as he moves through it, clearing a path behind him. The entire mine is shown without dirt briefly as each new level starts. As he digs, Robby will sometimes bump into rocky areas which he cannot dig out, in which case small arrows appear indicating the directions he can move. Scattered in the mine are three trapped miners, represented by frowny fac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Midway Games
Midway Games Inc., known previously as Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known as simply Midway, was an American video game developer and publisher. Midway's franchises included ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Rampage (series), Rampage'', ''Spy Hunter'', ''NBA Jam (series), NBA Jam'', ''Cruis'n (series), Cruis'n'', and ''NFL Blitz''. Midway also acquired the rights to video games that were originally developed by WMS Industries, Williams Electronics and Atari Games, such as ''Defender (video game), Defender'', ''Joust (video game), Joust'', ''Robotron 2084'', ''Gauntlet (series), Gauntlet'', and the ''Rush (video game series), Rush'' series. The company was founded as Midway Manufacturing in 1958, as an amusement game manufacturer. The company was then purchased by Bally Manufacturing in 1969, and used the Bally Midway name in the 1980s. In 1973, Midway moved into the interactive entertainment industry, Video game developer, developing and video game publisher, publishing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jamie Fenton
Jamie Faye Fenton (born Jay Fenton) is a game programmer best known for the 1981 arcade game '' Gorf'' and for being one of the creators of MacroMind's VideoWorks software (since renamed Macromedia Director). Jamie has been active in the transgender community and transitioned from male to female around 1998. Biography Fenton was drawn to computer technology while in school because its highly predictable nature appealed to her and it provided a haven from being picked on by other students. In 1975,while studying computer science in the University of Wisconsin, Jamie and fellow student Tom McHugh volunteered to work at Dave Nutting Associates, who enlisted their help to redesign pinball machines and the Japanese arcade game ''Western Gun'' using Intel's 8080 microprocessor, she also later worked on the Bally Astrocade. In 1978, Jamie created an early example of glitch art entitled ''Digital TV Dinner.'' In 2018 ''Digital TV Dinner'' was exhibited in Chicago New Media 1973-1992 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Nutting
David Judd Nutting (December 26, 1930 – September 23, 2020) was an industrial design engineer who played a role in the early video game industry. He was a graduate of the Pratt Institute with a degree in industrial design. Career After leaving the Army Corps of Engineers, Nutting joined the design firm of Brooks Stevens Associates. During his time there he was involved in a wide variety of projects, working on everything from Evinrude Outboard Motors, Mirro cookware, Bolens tractors, Studebaker, and 3M. For Willys, Nutting designed Jeep Grand Wagoneer, and went on to design the Enstrom Helicopter. In 1967 Dave Nutting became involved in the coin-operated games industry through his operation Nutting Industries selling the ''I.Q. Computer'' (1967) which he co-designed with engineer Harold Montgomery. The quiz machine used a film-strip to display various questions and answers which participants would select to accrue score. Through the next few years Nutting would update this te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Maze Video Games
Maze game is a video game genre description first used by journalists during the 1980s to describe any game in which the entire playing field is a maze. Quick player action is required to escape monsters, outrace an opponent, or navigate the maze within a time limit. After the release of Namco's ''Pac-Man'' in 1980, many maze games followed its conventions of completing a level by traversing all paths and a way of temporarily turning the tables on pursuers. Overhead-view maze games While the character in a maze would have a limited view, the player is able to see much or all of the maze. ''Maze chase games'' are a specific subset of the overheard perspective. They’re listed in a separate section. First-person maze games Maze chase games This subgenre is exemplified by Namco's ''Pac-Man'' (1980), where the goal is to clear a maze of dots while being pursued. ''Pac-Man'' spawned many sequels and clones which, in Japan, are often called "dot eat games". Other maze chases don ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bally Astrocade
The ''Bally'' ''Astrocade'' (also known as ''Bally Arcade'' or initially as ''Bally ABA-1000'') is a second-generation home video game console and simple computer system designed by a team at Midway, at that time the videogame division of Bally. It was originally announced as the "Bally Home Library Computer" in October 1977 and initially made available for mail order in December 1977. But due to production delays, the units were first released to stores in April 1978 and its branding changed to "Bally Professional Arcade". It was marketed only for a limited time before Bally decided to exit the market. The rights were later picked up by a third-party company, who re-released it and sold it until around 1984. The Astrocade is particularly notable for its very powerful graphics capabilities for the time of release, and for the difficulty in accessing those capabilities. History Nutting and Midway In the late 1970s, Midway contracted Dave Nutting Associates to design a vide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arcade Video Game
An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an arcade cabinet, and located in amusement arcades alongside other kinds of arcade games. Until the late 1990s, arcade video games were the largest and most technologically advanced segment of the video game industry. Early prototypical entries ''Galaxy Game'' and ''Computer Space'' in 1971 established the principle operations for arcade games, and Atari, Inc., Atari's ''Pong'' in 1972 is recognized as the first successful commercial arcade video game. Improvements in computer technology and gameplay design led to a golden age of arcade video games, the exact dates of which are debated but range from the late 1970s to mid-1980s. This golden age includes ''Space Invaders'', ''Pac-Man'', and ''Donkey Kong (video game), Donkey Kong''. The arcade in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arcade Video Game
An arcade video game takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. Most arcade video games are coin-operated, housed in an arcade cabinet, and located in amusement arcades alongside other kinds of arcade games. Until the late 1990s, arcade video games were the largest and most technologically advanced segment of the video game industry. Early prototypical entries ''Galaxy Game'' and ''Computer Space'' in 1971 established the principle operations for arcade games, and Atari, Inc., Atari's ''Pong'' in 1972 is recognized as the first successful commercial arcade video game. Improvements in computer technology and gameplay design led to a golden age of arcade video games, the exact dates of which are debated but range from the late 1970s to mid-1980s. This golden age includes ''Space Invaders'', ''Pac-Man'', and ''Donkey Kong (video game), Donkey Kong''. The arcade in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
MAME
MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to recreate the hardware of arcade game systems in software on modern personal computers and other platforms. Its intention is to preserve gaming history by preventing vintage games from being lost or forgotten. It does this by emulating the inner workings of the emulated arcade machines; the ability to actually play the games is considered "a nice side effect". ''Joystiq'' has listed MAME as an application that every Windows and Mac gamer should have. The first public MAME release was by Nicola Salmoria on 5 February 1997. It now supports over 7,000 unique games and 10,000 actual ROM image sets, though not all of the games are playable. MESS, an emulator for many video game consoles and computer systems, based on the MAME core, was integrated into MAME in 2015. History and overview The MAME project was started by Italian programmer Nicola Salmoria. It began as a project ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frowny Face
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such as emoticons. The smiley began as two dots and a line to represent eyes and a mouth. More elaborate designs in the 1950s emerged, with noses, eyebrows, and outlines. A yellow and black design was used by New York-based radio station WMCA for its ''" Good Guys"'' campaign in the early 1960s. More yellow-and-black designs appeared in the 1960s and '70s, including works by Franklin Loufrani and Harvey Ross Ball.Ethridge, Mark. “Several Firms Claim to Be Originators of Smile Button.” ''Nashua Telegraph''. September 9, 1971. https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-sep-09-1971-3502894/ Today, The Smiley Company holds many rights to the smiley ideogram and has become one of the biggest licensing companies globally. In October of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smiley
A smiley, sometimes referred to as a smiley face, is a basic ideogram that represents a smiling face. Since the 1950s it has become part of popular culture worldwide, used either as a standalone ideogram, or as a form of communication, such as emoticons. The smiley began as two dots and a line to represent eyes and a mouth. More elaborate designs in the 1950s emerged, with noses, eyebrows, and outlines. A yellow and black design was used by New York-based radio station WMCA for its ''" Good Guys"'' campaign in the early 1960s. More yellow-and-black designs appeared in the 1960s and '70s, including works by Franklin Loufrani and Harvey Ross Ball.Ethridge, Mark. “Several Firms Claim to Be Originators of Smile Button.” ''Nashua Telegraph''. September 9, 1971. https://newspaperarchive.com/other-articles-clipping-sep-09-1971-3502894/ Today, The Smiley Company holds many rights to the smiley ideogram and has become one of the biggest licensing companies globally. In October o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 Video Games
Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensive, gaining control of most of Morazán and Chalatenango departments. * January 15 – Pope John Paul II receives a delegation led by Polish Solidarity leader Lech Wałęsa at the Vatican. * January 20 – Iran releases the 52 Americans held for 444 days, minutes after Ronald Reagan is sworn in as the 40th President of the United States, ending the Iran hostage crisis. * January 21 – The first DeLorean automobile, a stainless steel sports car with gull-wing doors, rolls off the production line in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. * January 24 – An earthquake of magnitude in Sichuan, China, kills 150 people. Japan suffers a less serious earthquake on the same day. * January 25 – In South Africa the largest part of the town La ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
