''High Noon'' (''Highnoon'' on the title screen) is a western-themed
shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em ups (also known as shmups or STGs
) are a sub-genre of action games. There is no consensus as to which design elements compose a shoot 'em up; some restrict the definition to games featuring spacecraft and certain types of charac ...
game written for the
Commodore 64 and published by
Ocean Software
Ocean Software Ltd was a British software development company that became one of the biggest European video game developers and publishers of the 1980s and 1990s.
The company was founded by David Ward and Jon Woods and was based in Manchester. ...
in 1984. Originally advertised on both the Commodore 64 and
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 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 the ''ZX81 Colou ...
, the game itself was only ever released on the Commodore 64.
The game has five
levels. The player takes the role of the good (white)
sheriff in the
American Old West. He must defend his town against
outlaws looking to abduct women from the local ''"Saucy Sue's
Saloon"'' and
rob the local bank, by shooting them. Shooting can be done in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal direction.
The background music is “Do Not Forsake Me: The Ballad of High Noon,” from the movie ''
High Noon'', and arranged for the game by David Dunn.
[https://lacoste42.itch.io/high-noon]
Gameplay
Image:C64 high noon screenshot1.gif,
Image:C64 high noon screenshot2.gif,
Image:C64 high noon screenshot3.gif,
Image:C64 high noon screenshot4.gif,
The game consists of five levels. In each level, the difficulty is increased:
* Level 2 introduces outlaws on horseback
* Level 3 introduces outlaws planting sticks of
dynamite
* Level 4 features outlaws hiding behind windows
After each level there is a bonus
duel, featuring the sheriff and an outlaw, requiring a fast reaction time from the player. In level 1 through 4, an
undertaker
A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as ...
from ''"
Rig+ Mortis Undertakers"'' collects any bodies lying around during the game.
Level 5 takes place in a different setting. The stage is set in a field surrounding a central cave opening, from which outlaws may appear. After surviving level 5, the game returns to level 1.
References
External links
*
{{High Noon
1984 video games
Cancelled ZX Spectrum games
Commodore 64 games
Commodore 64-only games
Ocean Software games
Video games about police officers
Video games set in the United States
Western (genre) video games
Video games developed in the United Kingdom