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HI, THERE!

Welcome to the first issue of Arcade Express, the electronic gaming newsletter. Every two weeks, Arcade Express will feature all the latest news, reviews of games and equipment, and full coverage of what’s going on in the industry. We’ll pull no punches, make no bones, and in general, spare no effort to give you the best and most honest coverage of the electronic gaming world that we possibly can. There is a vast amount of information crossing our desks everyday at Electronic Games magazine. Arcade Express will rush this information to you every two weeks, to help you keep aware of what’s happening in our favorite hobby. And in return, maybe you can help us: Send us the news you learn. Tell us your high scores. Give us your opinions. With your help, this will be the hottest, most timely news source in the industry. And we’ll all have fun together!

Joyce Worley, Editor

EMERSON INTRODUCES THE ARCADIA 2001

Emerson Radio Corp., long a household name because of radios, television sets, electric fans and other useful gadgets, has thrown its hat into the videogame arena. The new system, called the Arcadia 2001, and its family of game cartridges, was introduced at Consumer Electronic Show.

The machine features keypad controllers and a removable joystick. This allows the user the option of playing with the joystick or using the thumb-controlled disk. The console includes a 12-volt system for use in trailers, campers, vans and boats, so the arcader can take it with him on vacation.

The Arcadia 2001 has 8K resident random access memory to provide top-level graphics and advanced play capabilities. The senior programmable videogame system is intended to compete with Astrocade and Intellivision, and lists for $200. The company expects to have 30 cartridges available by the end of this year, and 20 additional games marketed in 1983.

NEW ATARI GAMES

“Berserk” will be published by Atari in August and FOR VCS should be in the stores before the end of the month. This is the home version of the popular coin-op from Stern Electronics that has been wowing the arcaders for the past two years. Just as “Berserk” comes to the VCS, a super deluxe version of this maze shootout called “Frenzy” is going into the arcades.

“Star Raiders” premiere date is September. It will be packaged with a new controller (much in the same way that “Indy 500” was marketed), and is priced at $39.95. The new controller is a keypad type with a disk. Company sources characterize “Star Raiders” as a mindblower, with outstanding visuals and hot play action.

SUPERCHARGER FOR THE VCS

A Supercharger for the Atari VCS is being marketed by Arcadia. This RAM cart plugs into the game slot to increase the graphic resolution capabilities of the VCS, making it possible to move more objects around on the screen simultaneously.

The Supercharger connects to an ordinary tape recorder, and games will be marketed on cassette for about $15 each. Among the releases is a whacky invasion game called “Communist Mutants From Outer Space”, and a space pilot game that’s said to outdo “Star Raiders”.

The Supercharger retails for around $70, and comes packaged with one game.

TIGER PLANS VCS CARTRIDGES

Tiger Electronic Toys is one of the newest entrants into the video cartridge sweepstakes! Tiger has formed a videogame cartridge division called Tigervision, for development and marketing of cartridges for the Atari VCS.

Long on the fringes of the electronic game business, Tiger plans to emphasize arcade-style action coupled with superior graphics. “Jawbreaker” has chomping sets of teeth eating candy dots in this maze-chase game. “King Kong” requires the gamer to rescue Faye Wray from Kong by climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, while leaping the bombs Kong throws. In “River Patrol”, the gamer steers a leaky boat up the Congo, saving refugees and avoiding obstacles. “Threshold” is a vertical scrolling shootout in space, and “Marauder” requires you to maneuver through mazes while killing or avoiding the robot guards.

Randy Rissman, President of Tiger, says, “Tigervision’s cartridges will aim to be among the best in graphic quality and play value.”

ODYSSEY² NAMED OFFICIAL VIDEOGAME OF WORLD’S FAIR

Odyssey² has been named the Official Videogame of the 1982 World’s Fair. The exhibit at the Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee, is located in the pavilion for America’s Electrical Energy Exhibit, near the U.S. Pavilion on the fairgrounds.

Odyssey has made available more than 40 different game titles at 15 play stations. Each has an Odyssey keyboard and joystick controls with a color Magnavox t.v. monitor. Each station contains about a half-dozen games. Visitors to the Fair are invited to try their skill at educational, sports, strategy and arcade-style games.

INTELLIVISION MEETS ATARI

Mattel Electronics has developed a new line of videogame cartridges for the Atari VCS. Mattel claims the new games, named the M Network, are designed to fully utilize the capabilities of the VCS. The M Network games use the themes of Intellivision cartridges, both currently popular games and carts that are soon to be released.

The first M Network cartridges entered distribution in mid-July. Some of the titles to be released in 1982 include “Astroblast”, “Space Attack”, “Super Challenge Baseball”, “Super Challenge Football”, and “International Soccer. The company plans 11 M Network games in 1982.

Mattel promises appealing game themes and advanced programming techniques for the new videogame series. Joshua Denham, President of Mattel Electronics, says, “M Network offers owners of Atari VCS units access to markedly improved graphics, gameplay, and extended enjoyment.”

PAC-MAN GOBBLES UP THE WHOLE COUNTRY

Midway’s “Pac-Man”, the smile button of the 80’s, is continuing its omnivorous trip across America. Everywhere you look, Pac-Mania has been there before you! Some of the unlikely places we’ve recently seen the gobbler is on Lemon Ice from Popsicle; Pac-Man Air Fresheners, Pac-Man highball glasses, Pac-Man t.v. trays, sheets, beach towels, even telephones and radios! Start your own endless list—Pac-Man just keeps coming on!

COLECOVISION ON TARGET

ColecoVision went into distribution at the end of July, right on schedule, says Mike Katz, spokesman for Coleco. Mike scotched a rumor that circulated through the electronics industry earlier this year. Detractors of the new system had predicted that Coleco would only produce 50,000 units this year, and that in fact ColecoVision would not be available except in a few test market cities.

In actual fact, over a half-million ColecoVision units will be shipped this fall. The new senior programmable home videogame system will be widely available all across the country in electronic, department and specialty stores.

The company is supporting the introduction of ColecoVision by an advertising campaign, including t.v. commercials, newspaper ads, and special promotional events. This is one system that won’t pass unnoticed with all the media attention it’s bound to receive, suggests the Coleco executive.

ATARI MAKES DEAL WITH LUCASFILM

Atari has entered into a joint venture with filmmaker George Lucas for development and marketing of a new line of games. The imaginative concepts of the Lucas studios (which brought us the Star Wars Saga and “Raiders of the Lost Ark”) will be coupled with Atari’s expertise to produce a revolutionary series of games. These will be marketed through all three Atari divisions, Coin-Op, Computer, and Video Game.

The Star Wars titles will not be included in this venture, since they have been licensed to Parker Brothers for VCS cartridges. Parker Brothers released “The Empire Strikes Back” for the Atari VCS earlier this summer.

The first Lucas/Atari cartridges will be forthcoming sometime in mid-1983.

“RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK” FINDS THE ATARI VCS

Even before entering into the joint venture with George Lucas, Atari obtained the license to produce a game based on “Raiders of the Lost Ark”. It will be ready in December, and industry spokespersons predict it will be as true to the movie as a videogame can be.

Gamers will assume the role of Indiana Jones in this joystick-controlled adventure game. Indiana must go into 13 different settings and face a test of skill in each. He’ll have weapons to assist him against the dangers he finds, including that trusty whip. And, yes, there will be snakes!

ODYSSEY² TALKS BACK

Odyssey² will soon add a new dimension to game play with its introduction of a speech and sound effects module. The Voice sells for under $100, and attaches to any Odyssey console. Fully self-contained with its own speaker and volume control, it simply plugs into the game portal of the unit. Once installed, it need never be removed since it’s completely compatible with all other Odyssey cartridges.

Odyssey will offer a variety of cartridges for The Voice this year. Educational carts teach children to spell and do math. The “Type & Tell” cartridge brings anything typed on the Odyssey keyboard to life. Just type in your message and hear it spoken. A series of game cartridges making use of The Voice will “speak your own language”, both with speech and enhanced sound effects.

ATARI GETS SPORTY

Coming this fall from Atari for the VCS is an entire new line of sports cartridges featuring better graphics and true-to-life action. The first cartridges set for release will be “Baseball” and “Football”. These will be followed by “Volleyball” and then “Soccer” sometime early next year. Atari says it has still more sports games under development and predicts that this new line will challenge the best-of-the-best that’s now available.

BARGAIN BASEMENT PRICE FOR TINY COMPUTER

Timex, best known until now because of its family of wristwatches, has entered an arrangement with Sinclair for the marketing of the Timex Sinclair 1000. This 40-key computer retails for $99.95, making it the lowest priced system on the market today. Its 2K memory can be expanded to 16K with the addition of a RAM module for the same price, and the company advises that a printer, also around $100, will soon be marketed to complete the package.

So far there’s not much in the way of games for the Sinclair. What is available is not too advanced. The gamer uses the t.v. set as the display screen and an audio cassette recorder as the program input device. The available games are in black & white, use two keys for controls, and lack scoring. But keep watching this space: Arcade Express will let you know if games get better for this low-low-low priced 12-oz. micro.

CLIMBING THE WALLS WITH SPIDERMAN

Parker Brothers’ next addition to its library of game cartridges for the Atari VCS will be “Spider-man”. They’ve purchased the license for a “Spider-man” videogame from Marvel Comics. In this adaptation, arcaders assume the role of the superhero and battle his arch-enemy, the Goblin. Spidey shoots webs and swings from building to building in an attempt to defuse timebombs left by the Goblin, in this joystick-controlled action game. Look for it in September.

FILM MAKER PLANS FOXY GAMES

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation has formed Fox Video Games, Inc., to develop and market a line of cartridges for use with the Atari VCS. Four new games will be marketed in the Fall.

Sirius Software designed four new games for Fox. In “Deadly Duck”, programmed by Ed Hodapp, crabs bomb a duck with bricks, and the duck must shoot back with a gun. “Beany Bopper”, programmed by Grady Ward, has a stun-fire laser for the gamer to shoot at propeller beany-creatures. In “Worm War I”, programmed by David Lubar, gigantic worms terrorize a city. The gamer fights back using a tank. “Fast Eddie”, by Mark Turmell, challenges arcaders to gather treasure by climbing up and down ladders to different levels, while evading Sneakers trying to run him down and stomp on him.

COLECO MINI-ARCADES GO GOLD

The next two Coleco mini-arcades are now shipping. “Frogger” hopped down the road to distributors at the end of July, and “Donkey Kong” will be climbing into the marketplace during the month of August. These two mini-arcade units are translations of the arcade versions, following in the path of “Pac-Man” and “Galaxian”, released earlier this year.

Coleco currently has orders for over 3 million of these mighty minis, spread among the four units. Of this total, “Pac-Man” accounts for a million and a half, making this the first mini-arcade to “go gold”. Coleco has already actually shipped over a million “Galaxian” and “Pac-Man” games.

TRON TOURNAMENT

The Tron Videogame Tournament, sponsored by Bally Midway Manufacturing, Bally’s Aladdin’s Castles, and Walt Disney Products, held its finals on July 6 and 7th in New York City. There were over a million plays in the competition around the country. The 16 regional finalists were flown to New York for the final event, where they vied for top honors on the Tron coin-op videogame.

The finals were made up of three rounds of play. The first two were played in the Grand Hyatt Hotel on July 6. The final round was at Madison Square Garden, in the Felt Forum, on the following day.

Top honors were taken by Richard Ross, of Jacksonville, Florida. He scored a wholloping 3,958,901 points for the first prize. Second place went to Scott Katkin of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, with 2,721,770 points, and Sterling Ouchi of Torrence, California, captured third place with 1,158,085 points.

First prize was a year’s worth of game tokens ($260), a Commodore computer, and a Tron Videogame. Other prizes in the tournament included Tron t-shirts, Tron digital watches, Tomy handheld Tron games, and an Intellivision Home Arcade with cassettes.

COIN-OP GIANTS IN JOINT VENTURE

Centuri is manufacturing and distributing a new arcade game designed by Atari, in a joint venture just started by the two companies. “Tunnel Hunt” is a first-person steering game in which the arcader zooms down twisted corridors while trying to blast oncoming enemy targets. As play continues all action speeds up, to provide increasing difficulty for the gamer.

Peter Nasca, spokesman for Centuri, expressed pleasure at obtaining the right to distribute what the Florida-based company considers an excellent original game.

ACTIVITY AT ACTIVISION

Diane Drosnes, formerly a key person in public relations at Activision, has been promoted out of P.R. and into the sales department. So far, her new position hasn’t been officially titled, and Diane herself can’t predict what it will be. But she’ll be working with Activision’s team of retail merchandising specialists, and her specific area will be promotional events around the country. Diane has a real flair for this type of work, and Arcade Express will keep you informed of the special events planned by Activision in the coming months.

COMING EVENTS

Upcoming Tournaments and Meetings

ASTROSMASH SHOOTOFF

Mattel will be sponsoring the Intellivision Astrosmash Shootoff September 11 and 12th. The competition will be in Houston at Astro Village (near the Dome). Sixteen semi-finalists, eight from the East and 8 from the West, will vie on the Astrosmash cartridge for over $100,000 in prizes.

VIDEO CHALLENGES

Mattel is hosting a series of 18 Video Challenges across the country during the summer of 1982. These will be parent/child contests; one parent/guardian and one child will team together in all-out competition for prizes. The Challenges will be on a variety of Intellivision games. They’ll be held in shopping malls in major cities around the U.S. Watch the papers for announcements of a Challenge in your city.

THE HOTSEAT

Reviews of New Products

TARO MYSTIC CARD READER/Stand-Alone/Fidelity Electronics

This fortune-teller is loosely based on a combination of astrology, the Kabbalah and, of course, Tarot. Insert cards into the slot of Taro, and a reading appears in the display window one line at a time. The readings are complex and satisfyingly lengthy, far better than any daily newspaper horoscope column. The exterior is a little on the cheap side, but Taro is guaran-teed fun at parties. Rating: 8

SCRAMBLE/Stand-Alone/Tomytronic

This home version of Stern’s famous coin-op boasts five different playfields through which the arcader must fly a ship. Phase #1 is a city in which the player avoids barriers while shooting enemy missiles and oil tanks. The second and third mini-scenarios are, respectively, meteors and UFOs. You must pilot your jet through an intricate maze in the fourth segment and then break through the barrier and destroy the alien base to complete the whole course. This is a riveting, engrossing stand-alone device that rates as one of the year’s best so far. Rating: 9

SPACE JOCKEY/Videogame Cartridge (Atari VCS)/Vidtec

The player commands a highly maneuverable attack saucer in this one-player scrolling shoot-out. Jets, prop planes and tanks provide the main opposition, through there are also helicopters, balloons and the odd bit of ground scenery to consider as well. The game has a small hitch in the form of a “perfect plan” strategy that almost guarantees 15,000-plus points in a game that was never intended to be such a high scoring affair. The problem is quickly remedied by always playing at the higher difficulty settings, however. Graphics are alright, perhaps a notch above “Air-Sea Battle”. Rating: 7

GANGSTER ALLEY/Videogame Cartridge (Atari VCS)/Spectravision

Criminals pop into and out of sight in the patchwork of various-sized windows which dominate this one-player target range. A prisoner darts back and forth across the top of the playfield, watching the action below and occasionally hurling a bomb. Failure to shoot the bomb out of the terrorist’s hand has dire consequences. The game ends when three such incendiary devices explode. Graphics are par for the VCS course. Rating: 6

FREEDOM FIGHTER/Videogame Cartridge (Odyssey²)/Odyssey

A good sequel to “UFO”, this is one of the few cartridges which allows two gamers to play cooperatively at the same time. As pilot and co-pilot of a powerful spaceship in this scrolling shoot-out, arcaders must try to destroy aliens and free comrades held in space prisons. It isn’t quite as thrilling as the earlier title, but it is definitely a strong addition to the Odyssey library of games. Rating: 7

STAR STRIKE/Videogame Cartridge (Intellivision)/Mattel

This is unquestionably the best new Mattel cartridge this year so far. The solitaire contest is an echo of the climactic scene in “Star Wars” in which the rebel fighter squadron is trying to hit a target on the Deathstar before it can line up its weapon for a planet-busting attack. Computer-controlled enemy ships attack in pairs, hoping to move the arcader’s craft out of the center of the trench, where it must be in order to have a chance of hitting the targets that roll past periodically. Very clever programming takes this one out of the simple aim-and-shoot class, and the graphics are fine. Rating: 7

THE INCREDIBLE WIZARD/Videogame Cartridge (Astrocade)/Astrocade

This home version of “Wizard of Wor” (Midway) could sell a lot of systems for Astrocade. It’s that good. Playable by one or two, it has just about everything that made the coin-op so great. “The Incredible Wizard” is the type of videogame you’ll want to play again and again. In fact, you may have trouble tearing yourself away from the screen. Rating: 10

LOCO MOTION/Coin-Op/Centuri

Wanna play choo-choo? You can in this offbeat arcade game. The best way to score points is to pick up commuters, though a special station that can only be reached for a limited time also scores a bonus. The action takes place on a brightly colored playing field, and the train chugs down the yellow tracks to the tune of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad”. It isn’t going to grab more quarters than “Pac-Man” or “Defender”, but “Loco Motion” is out of the ordinary and deserving of players’ attention. Rating: 6

FANTASY/Coin-Op/Rock-ola

A jukebox giant invades the commercial videogame field with a fantasy adventure that winds its way through 10 beautifully rendered playfields. The game begins when your fair lady, Cherie, is kidnapped right off your own personal Fantasy Island, and only ends when the arcader surmounts a varied array of dangers to rescue her. The really hardy can then begin the whole thing again. This is a charming game with a dash of humor. Rating: 8

GUARDIAN/Computer Game (Apple II)/Continental Software

This is a generally fine, though flawed, maze shoot-out that is in the same genre as games like “Berzerk”. The arcader’s character must get through a series of six increasingly challenging mazes. These sections are connected by teleportation chambers. There is always such a chamber in one corner of each section, though it changes location every time the Guardian fires his laser. The flaw: The Guardian begins each round surrounded by a horde of enemy creatures of all description. Once the hero uses his gun, the monsters converge on his position. Unfortunately, it’s possible for the Guardian to pass through this ring of foes and set up in a corner without risk of injury. Rating: 6

HONOR ROLL

The Nation’s Highest Scores

ELECTRONIC GAMES TOP SCORERS

Here are the top scores, as gathered by the editors of Electronic Games and Arcade Express. To compete, send a photo of the game screen showing the final score. Photos don’t have to be of publishable quality, just good enough for the judges to read the numbers. All photos become the property of Electronic Games and none can be returned. Include your name and address, and send to: Electronic Games, 235 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10003. Your scores will be tabulated by both Electronic Games and Arcade Express.

HOME GAMES

UFO/Odyssey/Odyssey²/Game #1 - 1,636, Lee Raymond (no address given)
Asteroids/Atari/Atari VCS/Game #6 - 199,930, Edward Semrad, Waukesha, Wisc.
Grand Prix/Activision/Atari VCS/Course #4 - 1:14.39, Mike Ratledge, Charleston, S.C.
USAC Auto Racing/Mattel/Intellivision/Course #1 - 2:58, John Bunk, Johnstown, Pa.
Galactic Invasion/Astrocade/Astrocade/Difficulty #1 - 99,999, Steve Sabolich, (no address given)
Spacechase/Apollo/Atari VCS/Game #1 - 38,500, Bill Kunkel, Kew Gardens, NY
Dragster/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #1 - 5:57, Todd Rogers, Bridgeview, Ill.
Skiing/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #3 - 27:64, Todd Rogers, Bridgeview, Ill.
Grand Prix/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #1 - 29:49, Todd Rogers, Bridgeview, Ill.
Grand Prix/Activision/Atari VCS/Game #2 - 50:95, Todd Rogers, Bridgeview, Ill.
K-Boom/Activision/Atari VCS - 999,999, Ken Vance, Las Vegas, Nevada
Stampede/Activision/Atari VCS - 157,000, Ken Vance, Las Vegas, Nevada

ARCADE GAMES

Astro Blaster/Sega Gremlin - 64,610, Phil Iati, Lakewood, Ca.
Gorf/Midway - 225,100, John Chandler, Hobbs, N.M.
Dig Dug/Atari - 846,840, Peter Fanning, Indianapolis, Ind.
Defender/Williams - 24,630,495, Joe Dearman, Cerritos, Ca.
Pac-Man/Midway - 5,579,350, Paul Pedrian, Cypress, Ca.
Armor Attack/Cinematronics - 319,670, John Hooper, Lakewood, Ca.
Scramble/Stern - 366,030, Matt Wheeler, Buffalo, NY
Phoenix/Centuri - 312,355, Keith Wade, Lakewood, Ca.
Battlezone/Atari - 5,899,000, Mike Johnston, Los Alamitos, Ca.
Missile Command/Atari - 52,246,260, Joe Fernandes, Artesia, Ca.