''Triple Action'' is an

action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

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 ...

produced by

Mattel Electronics The Intellivision is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. The name is a portmanteau of "intelligent television". Development began in 1977, the same year as the launch of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. In 1984, ...

for its

Intellivision The Intellivision is a home video game console released by Mattel, Mattel Electronics in 1979. The name is a portmanteau of "intelligent television". Development began in 1977, the same year as the launch of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. I ...

video game system A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a t ...

1981 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 offensiv ...

. The game actually includes three separate games—racing, tank combat and flying—where two players compete against each other for the best score.

History

During the game's development, it was known internally as ''Some of Theirs'', as many of the games proposed for the title were clones of games produced by Mattel's main competitor,

Atari Atari () is a brand name that has been owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by French publisher Atari SA through a subsidiary named Atari Interactive. The original Atari, Inc. (1972–1992), Atari, Inc., ...

. The limited amount of memory available lowered the number of proposed games from six to five. Ultimately, three games remained after an internal review by the company's attorneys determined that two of the games, a ''Breakout''-style game and a ''Pong''-style game, could have prompted a lawsuit from Atari. Prior to release, the game was called ''3-in-1 Arcade'' before being changed to ''Triple Action''.

Gameplay

''Triple Action'' contains three separate games: "Battle Tanks," "Car Racing" and "Biplanes." Players choose the desired game from an on-screen menu, then choose from available options for that particular game. In "Battle Tanks," players maneuver their tanks around the battlefield, with the first player to shoot their opponent 15 times being declared the winner. The game's options adjust the range of the players' shots and can enable them to ricochet off of obstacles. If ricocheting shots are selected, players may be hit by their own shots, which would score points for the opponent. "Car Racing" is a race that spans , with each player on a separate section of road. Players must dodge traffic in order to reach the finish line before their opponent. Players can adjust the amount of vehicle traffic prior to the start of the race. The object of "Biplanes" is to score 15 points by shooting down the balloon or the enemy's biplane. Before the game begins, players can choose between short-range and long-range shots.

Legacy

''Triple Action'' is included in the ''

Intellivision Lives! ''Intellivision Lives!'' is a compilation of over 60 Intellivision video games, originally produced by Mattel Electronics and INTV Corporation between 1978 and 1990. Using original game code and software emulation, ''Intellivision Productions' ...

'' compilation for computers and video game consoles, including the

PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...

and

GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...

. In June 2010,

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

made the game available through its ''

Game Room Game Room was a social gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room let players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores. ...

'' service for

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...

and

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 ...

Reception

''Triple Action'' was favorably reviewed in 1982 by ''

Video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

'' magazine where it was described as "a completely legitimate effort" on behalf of Mattel to create another tank game after the success of ''

Armor Battle ''Armor Battle'' is a video game written by Chris Kingsley for the Intellivision and published by Mattel in 1979. One of the earliest games available for the console, ''Armor Battle'' pits two players against each other in a contest to see whi ...

''. Although the tank and air-combat portions of the game were characterized respectively as "pure arcade action" and "delightful in many respects", the cars portion was dismissed by reviewers as "nothing major". ''Triple Action'' would go on to be honored with a Certificate of Merit in the category of "Best Video Game Audiovisual Effects" a year later at the 4th annual

Arkie Awards An electronic game is a game A game is a structured form of play (activity), play, usually undertaken for enjoyment, entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as pro ...

References

{{reflist

External links

''Triple Action''
at IntellivisionLives 1981 video games Intellivision games Intellivision-only games Mattel video games Multiplayer video games North America-exclusive video games Tank simulation video games Video games developed in the United States