''Eradicator'' is a 1996

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

-themed video game developed by

Accolade The accolade (also known as dubbing or adoubement) ( la, benedictio militis) was the central act in the rite of passage ceremonies conferring knighthood in the Middle Ages. From about 1852, the term ''accolade'' was used much more generally to ...

for

MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...

compatible operating systems. The game was re-released on

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...

in 2014 and on

GOG.com GOG.com (formerly Good Old Games) is a digital distribution platform for video games and films. It is operated by GOG sp. z o.o., a wholly owned subsidiary of CD Projekt based in Warsaw, Poland. GOG.com delivers DRM-free video games through its ...

in 2016 with support for

Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...

macOS macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...

, and

Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...

Gameplay

Players choose to play as one of three characters: Kamchak the alien Treydan warrior, human mine engineer Dan Blaze, and mercenary Eleena Brynstaarl. Players then have to complete a series of unique objectives and puzzles within each level. Perspective can be set between

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and third-person, as well as additional options such as

picture-in-picture Picture-in-picture (PiP) is a feature that can be found in television receivers, personal computers and smartphones, consisting of a video stream playing within an inset window, freeing the rest of the screen for other tasks. For televisions, pic ...

. The game allows for the use of twenty different weapons through twenty five levels set within a mysteriously reactivated alien fortress on the planet Ioxia, source of the valuable mineral element Mazrium. ''Eradicator'' also features the ability to remotely control various apparatus and projectiles, among other unique power ups. Areas are themed as defense and miscellaneous bases, factories and refineries, and biological research laboratories. Enemies are ground- and air-based cybernetic mechanisms and alien creatures. Visually and mechanically, the game is sector-based

2.5D 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensional) perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little to no access to a third dimension in a space that otherwis ...

, comparable to ''

Doom Doom is another name for damnation. Doom may also refer to: People * Doom (professional wrestling), the tag team of Ron Simmons and Butch Reed * Daniel Doom (born 1934), Belgian cyclist * Debbie Doom (born 1963), American softball pitcher * L ...

'' and the contemporary ''

Duke Nukem 3D ''Duke Nukem 3D'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by 3D Realms. It is a sequel to the platform games ''Duke Nukem'' and ''Duke Nukem II'', published by 3D Realms. ''Duke Nukem 3D'' features the adventures of the titular Duke Nuke ...

''. Multiplayer gameplay over modem and LAN is supported; the game includes several deathmatch levels.

Release

Tommo Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO In ...

purchased the rights to this game and digitally publishes it through its

Retroism Tommo Inc. is an American video game publisher based in City of Industry, California. Founded in 1990, Tommo started out as a small independent distributor of imported video games. Since 2006, Tommo also operates a publishing subsidiary, UFO I ...

brand in 2015. On February 26, 2016 it was released onto

DRM DRM may refer to: Government, military and politics * Defense reform movement, U.S. campaign inspired by Col. John Boyd * Democratic Republic of Madagascar, a former socialist state (1975–1992) on Madagascar * Direction du renseignement militai ...

-free retailer

with support for

OS X macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and lapt ...

and

through

DOSBox DOSBox is a free and open-source emulator which runs software for MS-DOS compatible disk operating systems—primarily video games. It was first released in 2002, when DOS technology was becoming obsolete. Its adoption for running DOS games i ...

. Despite its limited uptake, the game received positive reviews from

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

and ''

GameRevolution ''GameRevolution'' (formerly ''Game-Revolution'') is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots ...

'', as well as Coming Soon Magazine, The Computer Show and VrEOnline.

Development

The game was originally conceived by

Joe Ybarra Joseph Ybarra (born ~1954) is an American producer and designer of video games. He left Apple Computer in 1982 to work at the new Electronic Arts that was founded by his fellow ex-employee Trip Hawkins. He was the original producer of the first ...

's Creative Insights as “

Marble Madness ''Marble Madness'' is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide a marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limi ...

with a 3rd-person view” with the player character being a frog, but this was scrapped in favour of the final darker design upon the project's purchase by Accolade. This brought about the game's conversion to first-person primacy, although the original wholly third-person design lived on in the game's emphasis on platforming. Some developers from the game went on to create ''

Slave Zero ''Slave Zero'' is a 1999 Action game, action video game developed and published by Accolade (company), Infogrames North America. The game was originally designed to work with Windows 95 and Windows 98. A fan following had developed a number of CD ...

'', a similar third/first person hybrid. Voice actors were brought in from the game '' Deadlock: Planetary Conquest''.

References

External links

''Eradicator'' product page
from Retroism *{{moby game, id=/eradicator, name=Eradicator
''Eradicator''
at

Giant Bomb ''Giant Bomb'' is an American video game website and wiki that includes personality-driven gaming videos, commentary, news, and reviews, created by former ''GameSpot'' editors Jeff Gerstmann and Ryan Davis. The website was voted by ''Time'' mag ...

''Eradicator'' demo
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

1996 video games Accolade (company) games DOS games First-person shooters Games commercially released with DOSBox Linux games MacOS games Science fiction video games Single-player video games Sprite-based first-person shooters Third-person shooters Tommo games Video games about extraterrestrial life Video games developed in the United States Video games set on fictional planets Video games with 2.5D graphics Windows games