''Dodge 'Em'' is a driving-themed maze game programmed by Carla Meninsky and published in 1980 by Atari, Inc. for the Atari VCS (later renamed to the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...

). Similar to

Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...

's 1979 '' Head On'' arcade game, ''Dodge 'Em'' is played on a single screen of four concentric roadways.

Sears Sears, Roebuck and Co., commonly known as Sears ( ), is an American chain of department stores and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...

released the game for the "Sears Video Arcade" as ''Dodger Cars''. The ''Dodge 'Em'' cartridge includes three versions of the game, accessible through the ''Game Select'' switch on the

. The first game is for one player, and the remaining two are for two players. The second game has the two players, one player playing the role of the player's car, alternating turns. In the third game, one player plays one car the other player controls the other car at the same time, alternating turns.

Gameplay

The player controls one car and has to drive counter-clockwise, avoiding computer-controlled cars whose sole aim is to produce a head-on collision. The goal of the player is to collect all the dots from the maze. Each roadway of the maze has four gaps in it, at the top, bottom, left, and right of the screen. The player can use the gaps to change lanes in order to pick up dots or to avoid the computer-controlled cars. The player's car can travel at two speeds, a normal speed which is the same speed as computer-controlled cars, or a fast (doubled) speed activated by pressing the controller button. The computer-controlled cars have only one speed. Players change lanes by pushing the controller in the appropriate direction when their car is near one of the gaps in the roadway. The difficulty switches adjust the speed and the starting position of the computer-controlled car. Screens 1 and 2 have a single opposing car; 3 through 5 feature two. Screen 6 is as if going back screen 1, losing one life. The point counter resets at 1,000, although it reads as "00" (with the hundreds digit blank) due to an error. A

kill screen Since the origin of video games in the early 1970s, the video game industry, the players, and surrounding culture have spawned a wide range of technical and slang terms. 0–9 A ...

occurs at "80" (1080 points) even if a player plays perfectly.

Reception

''Dodge 'Em'' was reviewed by ''

Video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...

'' magazine in its "Arcade Alley" column where it was described as "one of those rare videogames that is exciting in either one- or two-player versions". Although the reviewers suggested that "the early stages of each ''Dodge 'Em'' game can become predictable" for some players, the game was recommended to

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 game of skill, games of skill and in ...

fans who were familiar with frequently replaying early levels in order to master them. It would go on to be given Honorable Mention in the category of "Best Solitaire Game" at the 3rd annual

Arkie Awards ''Electronic Games'' was the first dedicated video game magazine published in the United States and ran from October 15, 1981, to 1997 under different titles. It was co-founded by Bill Kunkel, Joyce Worley, and Arnie Katz. History The h ...

References

{{reflist, refs= Dodge 'Em - Atari 2600 - Atari - Color Box Style
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813055025/http://www.atariage.com/box_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=144, date=2011-08-13. AtariAge.com. Accessed 8 March 2009. {{cite journal , last1= Kunkel , first1= Bill , author-link1= Bill Kunkel (journalist), last2= Laney, Jr. , first2= Frank , author-link2= Arnie Katz, date= May 1981 , title= Arcade Alley: 'I Want To Be Alone' - Solo Video Games , journal=

, publisher= Reese Communications, volume= 5, issue= 2, pages= 24, 107–108, issn= 0147-8907 {{cite journal , last1= Kunkel , first1= Bill , author-link1= Bill Kunkel (journalist), last2= Laney, Jr. , first2= Frank , author-link2= Arnie Katz, date= January 1982 , title= Arcade Alley: The Third Annual Arcade Awards , journal=

, publisher= Reese Communications, volume= 5, issue= 10, pages= 28, 76–77, issn= 0147-8907 {{cite web , url = http://www.atariage.com/programmer_page.html?ProgrammerID=37 , title = Programmers: Carla Meninsky , first = Albert , last = Yarusso , work =

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 ...

, accessdate = December 3, 2010 , archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121016082815/http://www.atariage.com/programmer_page.html?ProgrammerID=37 , archive-date = October 16, 2012 , url-status = dead {{cite web, title=Dodge 'Em Manual, url=https://atariage.com/manual_thumbs.php?SoftwareLabelID=144, website=AtariAge 1980 video games Atari 2600 games Atari games Maze games Multiplayer and single-player video games Sears video games Video game clones Video games developed in the United States

Gameplay

Reception

See also

References