Tempest (arcade game)
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''Tempest'' is a 1981
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
by
Atari Inc. Atari, Inc. was an American video game developer and home computer company founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. Atari was a key player in the formation of the video arcade and video game industry. Based primarily around the Sun ...
, designed and programmed by
Dave Theurer David Theurer is a game designer and computer programmer. In 1980, he created the ''Missile Command'' and ''Tempest'' arcade games for Atari, Inc., considered two of the major releases from the Golden age of arcade games. Theurer also designed '' ...
. It takes place on a three-dimensional surface divided into lanes, sometimes as a closed tube, and viewed from one end. The player controls a claw-shaped "blaster" that sits on the edge of the surface, snapping from segment to segment as a rotary knob is turned. ''Tempest'' was one of the first games to use Atari's Color-
QuadraScan A vector monitor, vector display, or calligraphic display is a display device used for computer graphics up through the 1970s. It is a type of CRT, similar to that of an early oscilloscope. In a vector display, the image is composed of drawn ...
vector display technology. It was also the first to let players choose their starting level (a system Atari called "SkillStep"). This feature increases the maximum starting level depending on the player's performance in the previous game, essentially allowing the player to continue the previous game. ''Tempest'' was one of the first video games with a progressive level design where the levels themselves varied rather than giving the player the same layout with increasing difficulty.


Gameplay

The goal in ''Tempest'' is to survive for as long as possible, and score as many points as possible, by clearing the screen of enemies that appear on the playing field. The player controls a blaster at the near end of the field, moving it left and right using a rotary knob. The player's blaster can rapid-fire shots down individual lanes of the field, destroying any enemies within the same lane. The blaster is also equipped with a "Superzapper" which, once per level, destroys all enemies currently on the field. A second use of the Superzapper in the same level destroys one random enemy, and the Superzapper is recharged between each level. The game features sixteen unique levels of different shapes, including simple geometric shapes, a flat line, and the symbol for
Infinity Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol . Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions amo ...
. Some levels are closed tubes that allow the player to loop throughout it continuously, while others have definite left and right endpoints. When all sixteen levels have been played, the sequence repeats with a different color scheme and higher difficulty. One set of levels (65 through 80) is "invisible" (black). After reaching Stage 99, the level counter stops increasing and each successive level shape is picked randomly. Enemies first appear on the screen as swirling dots beyond the far end of the field, appearing on the field one at a time. There are seven types of enemies in the game, each with their own behavior pattern. Flippers attempt to catch the player's blaster and drag it to the far end of the playfield. Pulsars periodically electrify the lane that they occupy - if the blaster is in that lane at that moment, it is destroyed. Fuseballs jump forward and back unpredictably along the edges of each lane, moving slowly between them to give the player a brief opportunity to shoot them. Spikers roll toward the player and extend spikes into a lane, which the player can wear down by shooting it. After the first few levels, each level starts with short spikes at the far end of the field. Later levels also feature Fuseball and Pulsar Tankers, which split into two Fuseballs or two Pulsars when hit, respectively. Most enemies can shoot bullets at the blaster, destroying it upon impact. When all enemies on the field have been destroyed, the player "warps" to the next level by traveling down the field and into the space beyond it. The player must avoid or destroy any spikes that are in the way - hitting one will destroy the blaster and force them to try the warp again. The player loses a life when their blaster is destroyed or captured, and the game ends when all lives are lost. Bonus blasters (up to six at a time) are awarded at certain score intervals.


Development

The game was initially meant to be a
first person First person or first-person may refer to: * First person (ethnic), indigenous peoples, usually used in the plural * First person, a grammatical person * First person, a gender-neutral, marital-neutral term for titles such as first lady and first ...
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
of '' Space Invaders'', but early versions had many problems, so a new design was used. Theurer says the design came from a
nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...
where monsters crawled out of a hole in the ground.Tempest - Videogame by Atari
The International Arcade Museum
This led to him coming up with the design concept, stating he "basically just took ''Space Invaders'' and wrapped the surface into a circle," while monsters "come down the tunnel at you, out of the hole, and you ryto kill them before they etout." During the prototype stages the game was called ''Aliens'', then ''Vortex'', and finally ''Tempest''. Three different cabinet designs exist for ''Tempest''. The most common is an upright cabinet that, viewed from the side, is in the shape of a right triangle sitting on a rectangle. This cabinet sported colorful side art. A shorter, less flashy cabaret-style cabinet was also released with optional side art. A cocktail-style table cabinet allowed two players to play at opposite ends of the table; the screen automatically flipped for each player. In the first games Atari shipped there were glitches in one or more of the ROM chips. The problem code allowed a player to do unintended things when ending their score in certain two-digit combinations. According to ''Joystik'' magazine, which detailed these combinations, the most useful were the ones that earned the player 40 free credits (06, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18) and the "jump to green" trick (46). Another useful combination mentioned was 05 which allowed the player to play the game in the attract mode. In this scenario pausing at one the combinations would cause the effect to take place immediately without losing the balance of the player's lives. Also, in the attract mode, pausing at an end score of 48 gave the player 255 extra lives. After this issue was discovered, Atari corrected the problem so that further shipping machines were incapable of allowing the end score tricks. It was also noted in ''Joystik'' that Atari shipped updated chips to be replaced in the field.


Ports

An official port was released for the
Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...
. An official port that bears the Atari logo was released by Superior Software for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron in 1985, and another by Electric Dreams for the
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...
and Amstrad CPC in 1987. Versions for the Atari 2600 and 5200 were in the works in Atari, Inc. during 1984, and unfinished
prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
s exist for both of them. The game was released for
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3.x as part of the '' Microsoft Arcade'' package. It has 14
secret level Sega Studios San Francisco, formerly known as Secret Level, Inc., was an American video game developer based in San Francisco, California. It was founded in December 1999 by Jeremy Gordon, Otavio Good, and Josh Adams. History Before being pur ...
s. The original ''Tempest'' was included as part of '' Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 1'' for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
,
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, and Super NES. In 2001, Infogrames and
Digital Eclipse Digital Eclipse is an American video game developer based in Emeryville, California. Founded by Andrew Ayre in 1992, the company found success developing commercial emulations of arcade games for Game Boy Color. In 2003, the company merged wit ...
ported 12 Atari arcade games (one of them being the original ''Tempest'') under the compilation title '' Atari Anniversary Edition'', released for PC and Dreamcast. A PlayStation compilation titled ''
Atari Anniversary Edition Redux ''Atari Anniversary Edition'' is a video-game compilation of Atari arcade games. It was developed by Digital Eclipse Digital Eclipse is an American video game developer based in Emeryville, California. Founded by Andrew Ayre in 1992, the comp ...
'' was also released with the same number of games plus two exclusives to the Redux edition. A handheld compilation, titled
Atari Anniversary Advance 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., founded in Sunnyvale, Calif ...
, was released in 2002 for the Game Boy Advance with half the games of the console compilation, including ''Tempest''. In 2005, the original ''Tempest'' is part of ''
Atari Anthology ''Atari: 80 Classic Games in One!'', known as ''Atari Anthology'' on consoles, is a video game collection developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Atari Interactive. The title is a compilation of 80 video games previously published by Atari, I ...
'' for the
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and
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 ...
; the PC version also includes the Atari 2600 prototype. The 2600 port was also released as part of the
Atari Greatest Hits The ''Atari Greatest Hits'' series is composed of two compilations of retro Atari arcade games & Atari 2600 games ported to the Nintendo DS. While listed on the Atari web site as free for iOS & Android, ''Atari Greatest Hits'' has been remo ...
compilation for
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
and
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devices. Also in 2005, a port and graphical "remix" of the original ''Tempest'' was included as part of ''
Retro Atari Classics ''Retro Atari Classics'' is a collection of Atari video games for the Nintendo DS developed by American studio Taniko and released in 2005 by Atari, Inc. (1993–present), Atari. The game features classic Atari games as well as remake, updated ver ...
'' for the
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
. This version deviates significantly from the basic rules and experience of the original game. ''Tempest'' was released 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 ...
on December 19, 2007, which was available for purchase through Xbox Live Arcade for 400 MS Points. This version includes the original arcade game (emulated) and an "evolved" version with updated graphics. After the unfinished 5200 prototype was found in 1999, its original programmer, Keithen Hayenga, resumed work on finishing the port. It was published by
AtariAge AtariAge is a website focusing on classic Atari video games. The site features gaming news, historical archives, discussion forums, and an online store. It was founded in 1998. Taking its name from the 1982–84 '' Atari Age'' magazine, the site ...
in 2013 for US$50.


Reception

Chris Crawford wrote in 1982 that unlike ''
Pac-Man originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...
'', ''Tempest'' "intimidates many beginners because it appears to be unwinnable"; its smoothly increasing difficulty, however, encourages players to continue playing. In 1995,
Flux Flux describes any effect that appears to pass or travel (whether it actually moves or not) through a surface or substance. Flux is a concept in applied mathematics and vector calculus which has many applications to physics. For transport ph ...
magazine ranked the game 6th on their Top 100 Video Games. They lauded the game saying: "The best vector coin-up machine for white knuckle intensity, bar none, was Tempest." In 1996, ''
Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...
'' listed the arcade version as number 74 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", commenting that "it's very fast, it has abstract, color vector graphics that remain unequaled to this day, and its novel 'paddle' controller makes playing ''Tempest'' effortless. The game's difficulty advances smoothly, and the play is extremely well balanced". ''Tempest'' is #10 on the KLOV's list of most popular games, tied with ''
Centipede Centipedes (from New Latin , "hundred", and Latin , " foot") are predatory arthropods belonging to the class Chilopoda (Ancient Greek , ''kheilos'', lip, and New Latin suffix , "foot", describing the forcipules) of the subphylum Myriapoda, an ...
''. The game has been cited as an influence on the careers of video game designers Jeff Minter and John O'Neill.


Legacy

Shortly after the original game was released, an arcade owner named Duncan Brown hacked the level data and made an altered, more difficult version: ''Tempest Tubes''. It was eventually included with ''Tempest'' in the Hasbro compilation ''Atari Arcade Hits: Volume 1'' for PC in 1999.


Sequels

Jeff Minter created two authorized games, released long after the original game: ''
Tempest 2000 is a tube shooter video game originally developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari Corporation for the Atari Jaguar in North America on 13 April, 1994. It was released in Europe on 27 June and in Japan on 15 December of the same year, with t ...
'' (1994) for the Atari Jaguar (renamed ''Tempest X3'' for the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
port), and ''
Tempest 3000 ''Tempest 3000'' is a remake of the 1981 '' Tempest'' arcade game released exclusively for the Nuon on December 12, 2000. Written by Jeff Minter, it is an enhanced version of Minter's own earlier ''Tempest 2000 is a tube shooter video game or ...
'' (2000) for Nuon enhanced DVD players. In July 2018, ''
Tempest 4000 ''Tempest 4000'' is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari, SA. It is a modern reimagining of the classic arcade game Tempest, which was released in 1981. In ''Tempest 4000'', players control a spaceship and navig ...
'' was released for multiple platforms. Minter also wrote two games inspired by ''Tempest'': '' Space Giraffe'' (2007) and '' TxK'' (2014) After ''TxK'' was released for the
PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...
, the current incarnation of Atari blocked release of the game for additional platforms until it was reworked as ''
Tempest 4000 ''Tempest 4000'' is a shoot 'em up video game developed by Llamasoft and published by Atari, SA. It is a modern reimagining of the classic arcade game Tempest, which was released in 1981. In ''Tempest 4000'', players control a spaceship and navig ...
'' some years later.


Clones

1980s home computer clones include ''Web War'' for the Acorn Electron and BBC Micro published by
Artic Computing Artic Computing was a software development company based in Brandesburton, England from 1980 to 1986. The company's first games were for the Sinclair ZX81 home computer, but they expanded and were also responsible for various ZX Spectrum, Commodo ...
in 1985, ''
Tubeway ''Tubeway'' (also known as ''Tubeway ] ') is game for the Apple II series, Apple II programmed by David Arthur Van Brink and published by thumb.html" ;"title="image:Tubeway.png.html" ;"title="Tempest_(video_game).html" "title="Datamost in 1983. ...
'' (1982) for the Apple II, ''Storm'' (1984) for the Tandy Color Computer, and ''Livewire!'', an
Atari 8-bit family The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers introduced by Atari, Inc. in 1979 as the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The series was successively upgraded to Atari 1200XL , Atari 600XL, Atari 800XL, Atari 65XE, Atari 130XE, Atari 800XE, ...
type-in game printed in ''
ANALOG Computing ''ANALOG Computing'' (an acronym for Atari Newsletter And Lots Of Games) was an American computer magazine devoted to the Atari 8-bit family of home computers. It was published from 1981 until 1989. In addition to reviews and tutorials, ''ANAL ...
'' in 1983. The ''Tempest''-inspired ''
Axis Assassin ''Axis Assassin'' is a video game written by John Field for the Apple II and published by Electronic Arts in 1983. Ports for the Atari 8-bit family and Commodore 64 were released alongside the Apple II original. The game is similar in concept and ...
'' (1983) was one of the first five releases from Electronic Arts. ''Arashi'' is a 1992
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clone for the Apple Macintosh running
classic Mac OS Mac OS (originally System Software; retronym: Classic Mac OS) is the series of operating systems developed for the Macintosh family of personal computers by Apple Computer from 1984 to 2001, starting with System 1 and ending with Mac OS 9. The ...
. ''Whirlwind'' (1994) is a commercial game that ''
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'' described as "a clone of ''Tempest''".


In popular culture

*''Tempest'' is part of a plot thread in the 1984 film ''
Night of the Comet ''Night of the Comet'' is a 1984 American science fiction comedy horror film written and directed by Thom Eberhardt. It stars Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran, and Kelli Maroney as survivors of a comet that has turned most people into ei ...
''. *''Tempest'' is featured prominently in the music video for
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's 1982 song " Subdivisions". * Parzival must beat Anorak's high score of 728,329 on ''Tempest'' (1980 cabinet) in the first part of the final challenge inside the Crystal Gate in the book '' Ready Player One''. * In the
pilot episode A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
of the television series '' Numbers'',
Larry Fleinhardt Larry Fleinhardt, Ph.D., is a fictional character in the CBS crime drama ''Numb3rs'', played by Peter MacNicol. He is the best friend and colleague of Charlie Eppes. Dr. Lawrence Fleinhardt holds the Walter T. Merrick Chair of Theoretical Physic ...
plays ''Tempest'' while advising someone on a mathematical problem. Larry is later seen playing the game in the season four episode "End Game". * Tempest is one of the video games in the TV comedy '' Silver Spoons''. * Tempest is seen in " Twilight Zone: The Movie" played by Jeremy Licht as Anthony in the Segment 3 remake of the original Episode "
It's A Good Life "It's a ''Good'' Life" is a short story by American writer Jerome Bixby, written in 1953. In 1970, the Science Fiction Writers of America selected it for '' The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One'', as one of the 20 best short stories in ...
" and later, the game's sounds can be heard when Anthony's powers fully manifest. * Tempest is referenced by, and is believed to be a partially inspiration for the urban legend
Polybius Polybius (; grc-gre, Πολύβιος, ; ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic period. He is noted for his work , which covered the period of 264–146 BC and the Punic Wars in detail. Polybius is important for his analysis of the mixed ...
.


See also

*
Golden age of video arcade games The golden age of arcade video games was the period of rapid growth, technological development and cultural influence of arcade video games, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The period began with the release of ''Space Invaders'' in 1978, ...
* History of video games


References


External links

*
''Tempest''
at the Arcade History database *

to
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and document an
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version of the game {{DEFAULTSORT:Tempest (Arcade Game) 1981 video games Arcade video games Amstrad CPC games Atari arcade games Atari ST games BBC Micro and Acorn Electron games Cancelled Atari 2600 games Cancelled Atari 5200 games Fixed shooters Superior Software games Third-person shooters Vector arcade video games Video games developed in the United States Xbox 360 Live Arcade games ZX Spectrum games Commercial video games with freely available source code Vertically-oriented video games Multiplayer and single-player video games