''Plaque Attack'' is a 1983
video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
for the
Atari 2600 that was made by
Activision. The player must shoot food to protect teeth inside a person's mouth.
Steve Cartwright
Steve Cartwright is an American video game designer. He is best known as one of the original Activision game designers, credited with such games as ''Barnstorming'', ''Megamania'', ''Seaquest'' and ''Hacker''.
Activision
In 1982, Cartwright joi ...
, who designed the game, said that game was meant to help people develop good dental habits.
Gameplay
The player controls a tube of
toothpaste
Toothpaste is a paste or gel dentifrice used with a toothbrush to clean and maintain the aesthetics and health of teeth. Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene: it is an abrasive that aids in removing dental plaque and food from the teeth, a ...
, defending teeth against various types of food, such as hamburgers and
french fries
French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips ( Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. Th ...
. The objective is to fire toothpaste at
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
intent on destroying the teeth. If the food touches a tooth, it begins breaking down the tooth. If the player is fast enough to shoot the piece of food as soon as it starts breaking down the tooth the player will be able to save the tooth. If not, the tooth will decay and disappears from the screen. The food comes in waves, and the movements become more complicated. Destroying the food scores points, as does the number of teeth and the amount of toothpaste left at the end of each wave.
After a certain number of points is scored, users gain bonus teeth. Bonus teeth are applied at the end of each wave. If all eight teeth are still present, the additional teeth will be placed on the sides of the mouth. Otherwise the teeth will replace any teeth lost. Play continues until all the teeth are gone, at which point the game is over.
Activision patch
Players who scored more than 35,000 points could send a screenshot of their accomplishment to Activision to receive a "No Plaque Pack" patch and congratulatory letter.
Reception
''Videogaming Illustrated'' described the game as "cute and busy, but nothing more" and gave it B-B+ for gameplay. ''Video Games'' magazine described it, in their review, as "another slide and shoot".
See also
*
List of Atari 2600 games
This is a list of games for the Atari Video Computer System, a console renamed to the Atari 2600 in November 1982. Sears licensed the console and many games from Atari, Inc., selling them under different names. A few cartridges were Sears exclu ...
*
List of Activision games: 1980–1999
*''
Tooth Invaders
''Tooth Invaders'' is a video game released by Commodore International for its VIC-20 home computer in 1981 and later for the Commodore 64 in 1982. It was developed in association with Camelot Marketing Group in order to positively reinforce the p ...
'' for the Commodore 64
*''
Tooth Protectors
''Tooth Protectors'' is a rare video game for the Atari 2600 video game console. It was released exclusively via mail order in 1983 by American pharmaceutical and consumer goods manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.
Background
Released in 1983, ''T ...
'' for the Atari 2600
References
External links
*{{IAg, atari_2600_plaque_attack_1983_activision_steve_cartwright_ax-027
1983 video games
Atari 2600 games
Atari 2600-only games
Medical video games
North America-exclusive video games
Shoot 'em ups
Video games about food and drink
Video games developed in the United States
Video games designed by Steve Cartwright