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KOOP BLASTS VIDEOGAMES

United States Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, undaunted by what he himself describes as a lack of scientific evidence, has decided to warn the nation that videogames might be hazardous to the health of young people whom, he alleges, are addicted to the games “body and soul”. Turning a blind eye to the numerous reports by leading doctors and scientists concerning the beneficial effects of electronic games on young Americans, Dr. Koop asserted that “more and more people are beginning to understand” the adverse mental and physical effects of videogames. Dr. Koop did not explain the nature of the danger or mention the names of any of the scientists who are ready to put the knock on the world’s fastest-growing hobby.

N.A.P. PREVIEWS NEWEST ODYSSEY

The Odyssey Division of North American Philips, which currently produces the Odyssey² standard programmable videogame system, has announced plans to introduce an upgraded unit under the Odyssey³ name by mid-1983. Although earliest advance reports billed this new entry as likely to signal N.A.P.’s move into the field of true computers, the Odyssey³ is better described as an enhanced and upgraded descendant of the current keyboard-equipped videogame now manufactured by the company.

The most encouraging news about this new system is that it is both upwardly and downwardly compatible with the Odyssey². That is, all cartridges produced for the Odyssey² will work in the Odyssey³ and vice versa. Of course, a cartridge designed for the newer machine will look and play better on the O³, but Odyssey² owners who buy it will still get a cartridge of the quality they expect.

The Odyssey³ is expected to boast several advantages over its predecessor. The most obvious is improved graphics capabilities. The new N.A.P. game machine boasts increased screen RAM that allows for software with much more intricately rendered backgrounds than could be provided with O² cartridges. It is likely that some existing titles such as “Pick Axe Pete” will be reissued in revised editions which utilize the increased ability of the O³ to present detailed illustration on the screen.

The new console will also be significantly more compact than the present one. It, like the O², will have the ability to interface with a speech synthesizer, but the add-on will attach less obtrusively to the back panel instead of sitting right on top of the basic unit.

“The keyboard is the key” has been an Odyssey advertising slogan for some time now, and this aspect of the Odyssey³ system hasn’t been neglected. The new system will offer the first full-size keyboard with buttons (as opposed to the current monoplanar design) in the videogame field.

HAVE A COKE AND A SMILE GAME

Everybody’s getting into the act. In 1983 Coca-Cola will introduce a new line of vending machines with special options designed to attract business. How? You guessed it—the vending machines will have a small screen videogame just above the coin slot. Buy a Coke and get a free game. There are two gaming options being offered to Coke bottlers, to outfit machines at a cost of less than $200 per option. In the first game option, a monkey hanging from a palm tree tosses cans of soda at a delivery man. The gamer moves the man left or right to catch the falling pop. The second videogame option requires players to stop and line up moving letters that spell Coke. Brian Dyson, President of Coke USA, says the games are “interesting and intriguing”, but goes on to warn that “if the games don’t attract business, they won’t be around very long.”

ADULT VIDEOGAMES DRAW FIRE FROM ATARI

The Swedish Erotica adult videogames are the cause of a great deal of controversy, both in and out of the electronics industry. The most recent salvo comes from Atari. The Atari Consumer Division issued a position paper to make perfectly clear its dismay with American Multiple Industries/ Mystique, the company marketing the offending titles, saying that Atari does not condone this use of its home videogame technology.

“Atari takes a very dim view of this use of our product. Unfortunately, some individuals take refuge behind certain legal precepts, to the dismay of the majority of the people,” according to Michael Moon, President of Atari. Moone further denied Atari’s responsibility for the objectional material, adding “To say that Atari is responsible for this occurrence would be as illogical as censoring a camera company because a few people take pornographic photographs.”

Atari is so serious about their unhappiness with the situation that they are entering a suit against the distribution and sale of the game cartridges. They want to be certain that the public realizes that the x-rated games are neither produced nor approved by Atari.

COIN-OP USES PYRAMID SCHEME FOR 3-DIMENSIONAL PLAY ACTION

The newest pay-for-play machine from Gottlieb is “Q*Bert”, a colorful coin-op combining fast play with strategic decisions for one or two persons. The arcader controls his on-screen character, Q*Bert, who starts on top a 3-D pyramid of brightly colored blocks. Q*Bert must jump on top of each block in the pyramid and change its color to the object hue displayed on the side of the screen. To complicate matters, several sinister characters chase Q*Bert through climbing sequences, making his redecorating more difficult. In higher levels of play, Q*Bert must hop on each block twice to make the change desired. Operators set the game at either moderate or fast speed levels, and gain additional Q*Berts at 6,000 points.

THREE TITLES FROM ACTIVISION STRESS ADVENTURE & WHIMSY

Activision will ship three titles in the next quarter that should follow their established route of whimsy combined with action-adventure, a formula that has proved successful for that company in the past. “River Raid”, the first game designed by Carol Shaw, requires the gamer to pilot an assault jet over a constantly changing river course, destroying gunships, helicopters, jets, bridges and oil depots. The course features 48 different river sections, sometimes clear and wide, and then so choked with islands that flight corridors shrink to a single wing span. “Spider Fighter” is another first game, this time from designer Larry Miller. A single player uses a bug blaster to dodge hostile arachnids before they steal his crop of fruit. Described as frenetic, a whorl of on-screen activity uses arcade-like features such as bonus points for surviving an insect wave with no loses, and a demonstration mode when the game ends. The third Activision release, “Sea Quest”, was designed by veteran programmer Steve Cartwright, who also gave us “Barnstorming” and “MegaMania”. The player controls a submarine to locate his team of scuba divers with their treasures. Then the arcader must rescue the divers from man-eating sharks and pirate subs, getting them to surface before the air supply runs out.

“River Raid” will be shipped in December, “Spider Fighter” in January, and “Sea Quest” will follow in February.

3-D BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE IS FEATURE OF DARK PLANET

“Dark Planet”, the latest coin-op from Stern, uses 3-D technology to stage battles on and above the planet’s surface. A starship beams through a conveyor tube, engaging enemy artillery with only directional and fire buttons to control the on-screen activity. The ship goes through these encounters as one or two players battle for high scores in a specially designed viewing area that replaces the traditional two-dimensional screen.

TRONIX TO PUBLISH GAMES FOR COMMODORE VIC-20

Tronix Publishing, Inc., a new venture, is marketing software for the VIC-20 computer. The company started shipping three titles early in November. “It became clear that there is a tremendous need for high-quality software in the low-end of the personal computer marketplace,” says John Reese, President of the new firm. “Our initial charter is to begin to fill this void with three of the fastest moving games ever designed for the VIC-20 system.”

Tronix is a subsidiary of Softsel Computer Products, but will function as an autonomous organization with a separate facility and staff. The first three games, created by designer Jimmy Huey, are “Swarm!”, “Sidewinder” and “Galactic Blitz”, featuring android wasps, helicopter commando space battles, and attacking killer aliens. Tronix spokesman Reese says the games feature “frenetic action, with colorful graphics and sound effects”.

WHEN IS A FAMILY FEUD NOT A DRAG? WHEN IT’S A VCS CARTRIDGE!

The Great Game Company says their line of VCS-compatible cartridges are the only videogames already on t.v. They’re based on popular t.v. game shows, and closely follow the televised contests. Pat McBride, Vice President for Creative Development, says “Although to a certain degree they are word games, Great Game Company is making sure there’s a large reward factor for the players.” For example, the “Family Feud” videogame starts with a view of the scoreboard and gameshow name, then the familiar m.c. comes on screen and greets the four contestants on stage, shaking hands with the men and kissing the ladies before he turns to blow a kiss to the unseen audience. When two gamers compete, the computer presents a face-off round, and whoever pushes the button first wins the right to compete. Game questions are multiple-choice. A cursor moves among the responses until the arcader chooses the correct answer by pushing the joystick button. The game boasts theme music from the t.v. series, plus various sound effects and graphic enhancements to keep it interesting.

Is this a “good answer, good answer” to gamer’s needs? We’ll all find out in February when the Great Game Company introduces the line.

SUPERCHARGER INTRODUCES MULTI-LOAD GAMES

Starpath Corporation has come up with a new system of design for Supercharged games, trademarked “Multi Load”. Using the “Multi Load” system, a series of games based on a single theme are put on one cassette. Each game loads sequentially, adding new characters, scoring and objectives while increasing levels of difficulty, like chapters of a book. “The ‘Multi Load’ concept is to cartridge videogames what the LP album is to the single 45 record,” says Alan Bayley, Starpath President. “Just as the Supercharger opened a new arena for home videogames, so has ‘Escape From the Mindmaster’, the first ‘Multi Load’ game ever.”

“Escape From the Mindmaster” traps the player inside six increasingly complex mazes where he must solve puzzles and tests while avoiding an alien creature trying to eliminate him. “To be successful with a ‘Multi Load’ game, a player must show dexterity and analytical skills,” explained Bayley. “Until now, it’s been impossible to have this level of technology available for home video sets. But Starpath’s Supercharger has changed all that.”

IMAGIC DEMONS ATTACT VIC-20 COMPUTER

Imagic is adding Commodore VIC-20 to the list of hardware systems the company designs for, by marketing videogames for the popular-priced home computer early in 1983. The first release for the VIC-20 will be the Arcade Award-winning hit, “Demon Attack”.

Imagic entered the videogame software market early in 1982 with designs for Atari’s VCS and Mattel’s Intellivision. The company announced earlier this Autumn that Imagic will also create games for the Atari 400/800 computers and the Odyssey² in 1983.

SEGA GOES TO THE SOUTH POLE FOR VIDEO CARTOON CHARACTER

You don’t have to be Admiral Byrd to take inspiration from the Frozen South. Sega raided Anarctica for cartoon characters for “Pengo”, a whimsical coin-op. Bright blue ice blocks provide the background for Pengo, the gallant red, white and yellow penguin hero, and his enemies the aggressive Sno-Bees. Pengo must maneuver the ice blocks and avoid being stung. Eliminating Sno-Bees while arranging the ice blocks into the proper patterns scores points for the gamer through fourteen levels of play.

STRATEGY EDITOR TAKES VIDEOGAMES TO HANDICAPPED

Electronic Games videogame strategy editor Frank Tetro, Jr. has also got on the bandwagon to bring electronic gaming to the handicapped. In a special demonstration set up by Coleco, Frank visited the New York Toy Center, the greatest architectural monument to fun ever conceived by man, and spent a day playing and teaching some 15 deaf children from a local hospital with the latest ColecoVision smashes.

At several points, Frank intentionally “threw” a contest, but the kids didn’t fall for it. “What do you think I am?” grinned one boy as he relayed his message in sign language, “Stupid?”

THE SUN STILL BEAMS ON BANDAI

Bandai’s first two compact games, “Invaders of the Mummy’s Tomb” and “Escape From the Devil’s Doom”, sparked so much excitement that the company decided to carry the design a little further. Look for another solar-powered Bandai bandit to steal all your money next spring. It will have a couple of big differences from the originals—joystick controlled play action, with a screen nearly twice the size of the first pair of games, but still small enough for ease of handling, says Susan Mohrmann, Bandai’s Marketing Coordinator. The best news for gamers is that the new unit, like the first pair, won’t need any batteries at all; the mighty midget is sol-y sun-powered.

PHILADELPHIA VIDEOTHON BENEFITS POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE

Delaware Valley enjoyed its first Videothon in Philadelphia’s JFK Plaza, for the benefit of the Police Athletic League. The tournament was sponsored by Activision, the Philadelphia Daily News, WYSP-FM, and R&S Distributing Company. It drew over 2500 participants despite the rainy skies over Philly, where they competed on ten Activision games. Each contestant was allowed co try each game once, for two minutes of timed play.

There were ten first prize winners who received Atari VCS units plus “Pitfall” and “Mega-Mania”. Ten second prize winners received five games each, and 50 runners-up (five on each of the ten contest games) received one cartridge each. Then the names of all tournament participants were entered into a random drawing for the grand prize—a four-day all-expense-paid trip to Florida’s Disney World, for two. The grand prize was won by Mr. George O’Connor, who was also one of the 71 high-scorers in the competition.

NEW SOFTWARE COMPANY WILL DEVELOP PROGRAMS FOR ALL MICRO COMPUTERS

Warner Publishing has formed a new computer software division called Warner Software, Inc., to develop and distribute software programs for all micro computers. The new venture will be headed by Albert B. Litewka, former President of MacMillan’s General Books Division. William Sarnoff, Chairman of Warner Publishing, comments on the new division: “Warner Software will broaden the perspective of our publishing and distribution business. We plan to develop and distribute a whole new range of electronic information, education and entertainment, made possible by the coming computerization of the American home.”

Warner Publishing is a subsidiary of Warner Communications, the parent company of Atari.

RONALD McDONALD HOUSE GETS VIDEOGAMES

MVS Amusements is joining forces with Williams Electronics to donate two coin-op game machines to the Indianapolis Ronald McDonald House. The new R.McD. House is the 40th and largest in the country so far, providing a home-like atmosphere for families whose children are in- or out-patients in Indianapolis hospitals.

The “Make Trax” and “Robotron” games provided by MVS Amusements and Williams Electronics will provide entertainment and therapy for older children, particularly for young outpatients undergoing chemotherapy, and for their parents who will be able to avail themselves of the comfort of the Ronald McDonald House, rather than sleeping on couches in hospital lounges. The R.McD. House, dubbed “The house that love built”, was funded by McDonald’s restaurants and contributions from area businesses and private individuals.

“Robotron” and “Make Trax” are hit coin-op games created by Williams Electronics. MVS Amusements is one of the country’s leading distributors of amusement games.

APPLE WILL INCREASE EMPLOYMENT IN NEW FISCAL YEAR

While many companies are forced to cut back on employment in the current economy, Apple Computer is moving the opposite direction. Mr. A. Markkula, President of Apple, has announced that the company plans to increase its work force to 4,900, up from 3,500, during its just-begun fiscal year. Markkula says more employees are needed in all levels of the company because of new products to be introduced early in 1983.

According to Mr. Markkula, Apple will spend $55 Million in capital investments in 1983, mostly for factory automation and expansion of facilities.

DATA EAST AND BALLY/MIDWAY COMBINE TALENTS ON BURGER TIME

“Burger Time” will be marketed simultaneously by Data East and Bally/Midway, according to a joint announcement issued by the two companies. Bally/Midway is to market the coin-op version, while Data East releases it as a cassette, in an unusual cooperative venture.

Bob Lloyd, General Manager of Data East, explained the move: “When we got the initial test results of ‘Burger Time’, we knew it was too big a game for Data East to handle on its own. Therefore we chose to license the dedicated rights to a major company so that we could maximize its distribution.”

Meanwhile, Dave Marofski, President of Bally/Midway, said, “We at Bally/Midway look forward to establishing a productive working relationship with Data East.”

FREE MEMORY MODULES OFFERED WITH ATARI 800 COMPUTERS

Two 16K RAM Memory Modules, normally priced at $99.95 each, are being offered free with the purchase of an Atari 800 Home Computer until the end of the year, according to Keith Schaefer, Vice President of Sales for Atari’s Home Computer Division. “This promotion means that our customers will be able to buy an Atari 800 computer with 48K of RAM for $899, the price it normally sells for with 16K RAM,” says Schaefer.

The promotion began October 22 and will run through the end of 1982, providing $200 in savings to computer purchasers.

BALLY HAS RECORD YEAR; MR. & MS. PAC-MAN HAVE BABY

Bally expects record earnings for 1982, based on the figures so far this year. Nine-month earnings for 1982 jumped 29%, to $81.8 Million. In 1981, full-year profits totaled $81.7 Million, so it’s not hard to see that the company is having a good year.

Robert Mullane, President of Bally, attributes much of the recent growth to successful coin-op games, including “Space Invaders” and “Pac-Man”. This year, “Ms. Pac-Man” sold 106,000 units, compared with 96,000 “Pac-Man” units, a record sale for this company.

Meanwhile, Bally is keeping the Pac-family growing with “Pac-Baby”, a combination videogame/pinball machine that Mullane describes as a radical departure from previous games. “Pac-Baby” should start showing up in local arcades this winter.

SPACE ACTION GAME FOR IBM’S P.C.

Digital Marketing Corp. has a space-action game to bring smiles to the faces of most IBM Personal Computer owners. “Astro Dodge” calls on gamers to battle meteoroids and hostile spaceships, in a contest that requires the player to have nerves of steel. The object is to score points by destroying the on-screen antagonists and floating space debris. But the hostiles are aggressive, and sometimes the only way to escape is with Hyperdrive. Yet that’s risky; it could put your on-screen fighter right inside a meteoroid!

“Astro-Dodge” requires an IBM Personal Computer with 64K of RAM, a Color-Graphics card, and separate black & white or color monitor.

INVASION GAME INTRODUCED FOR RADIO SHACK COLOR COMPUTER

“Space Raiders” is a new rendition of the arcade classic for the Radio Shack Color Computer and the new TDP-100 machine. Produced by Mark Data Products, the program is available on cassette and disk, featuring selectable skill levels, hi-res graphics, and what the company calls “great sound and tense, exciting action”. The new invaders-type game is available now.

THE HOTSEAT

Reviews of New Products

CHASE-N-COUNTER/Stand-Alone/GCE

When the folks at GCE decided to build a pocket game-playing calculator, they went all out on the project. The result is a full-functioned calculator, with a clock built in, that also plays three very unusual adventure games. A slide mechanism exposes the calculator keys when pushed to the left. Move it to the right to reveal the viewscreen, fire button and the miniature joystick controller. The three games are delightfully diverting. “Treasure Trek” presents a map of a village. Enter any building to search for treasure, then escape the snakes, arrows and boulders to get to the next house on the block. “Chomp’n Chase” uses six game fields to create a maze. Avoid monsters and eat power spots, then advance to faster, more difficult rounds of play. The last game, “Double Cross” is completely unexpected in this tiny format. Cross your cursor over a busy four-lane highway without getting run over, then back again to complete the round. This highly entertaining game-playing math tool has the most imaginative programming to date in a pocket-sized calculator. A great job by the masters of miniature at GCE! Rating: 9

DONKEY KONG/Stand-Alone/Coleco

“Donkey Kong” is on the loose again! He’s captured Mario’s girl and taken her to the top of a skyscraper. Mario must climb up and rescue her. But Stupid Kong is raining barrels on poor Mario’s head; he must leap over each one in order to survive. When Mario reaches the top, the ape goes higher, and Mario must conquer another screen of obstacles if he’s going to save his lady. This version of the Nintendo coin-op classic lacks the sophisticated graphics of the original and the home videogame versions. Because of the limitations of matrixing, the ladders can’t have rungs; grabbing the hammer only gives points (but no help against the pesky barrels), and Mario loses his life when the barrel reaches the space next to him instead of when they actually collide. But it’s a good try and if you’re a real “Donkey Kong” fan, you’ll get a kick out of this, the latest in the Coleco series of mini-arcades. Rating: 7

REALSPORTS VOLLEYBALL/Videogame Cartridge (for Atari VCS)/Atari

This is one of three sports cartridges for the 2600 programmable videogame system which Atari has produced to refute criticisms that the VCS is weak in the area of sports games. Unlike Atari’s new “Football” and “Baseball”, this is not a title to replace an existing low-quality one, but an attempt to extend the scope of the line. This very, very difficult solitaire or two-player contest gives each coach a two-person team for a spirited game of volleyball down on the beach. The graphics are excellent, among the best jobs ever seen on an Atari VCS cartridge. It will take most gamers quite a bit of practice before they get the knack of passing the ball around to set up an unreturnable shot, but it can be a lot of fun learning. Rating: 8

MONSTER MASH/Computer Game (for Apple II)/The Software Farm

Dave Eisler takes computerists down to the graveyard for this wholly unique action contest in which the player must keep a horde of cavorting creatures from spilling out of the local cemetery and overrunning the nearby town. The solo gamer employs the numerical keys of the Apple II to control a pair of systems that can keep the monster population in check. Each gravestone is fitted with a monster masher. If the player presses the proper key when a creature scoots past a monument, it is mashed into oblivion. The arrangement of the fence barriers which surround each grave site is changed using another bank of keys. The idea is to channel the monsters into the graveyard by manipulating the fences, and then dispose of them with the monster mashers. After each wave of creatures feeds the mashers, the program cues up a new round that’s just a little bit harder. And if the player is really sailing through the program at a particular difficulty setting, the game will gently suggest that the next wave take place at a harder setting. Don’t overlook this prize title from a small software publisher, because it offers a brand of action found in no other computer game. Rating: 9

GALACTIC GLADIATOR/Computer Game (for Apple II)/Strategic Simulations

This is the first program to carry the “Rapid Fire” designation, which is the way SSI is identifying its new series of programs which combine elements of both strategy and action electronic games. This one presents the always fascinating situation of combat between small fire teams with differing abilities and weaponry. The menu-driven program makes it fairly simple to create your own team of champions, and the rulebook also provides suggestions for linking individual encounters into a sort of adventure. Games like “Galactic Gladiator” are not only fun to play, but they offer a ray of hope for those players whose reflexes aren’t quite quick enough to give them victory in contests that primarily rely on hand-eye coordination. Rating: 8

SKY JINKS/Videogame Cartridge (for Atari VCS)/Activision

Activision, which has really churned out a string of hits since mid-1982, takes several giant steps backward with this entry. With apologies to the usually excellent designer Bob Whitehead, this looks like a game that has sat on the shelf for months waiting for the last few tweaks needed to transform it into the usual Activision hit—and should still be there, waiting. There just isn’t enough to this contest, in which the player must steer an aircraft so as to avoid on-coming obstacles, to hold the continuing interest of the superior player. “Sky Jinks” isn’t an awful cartridge by any means, but it looks like it could’ve been tossed off by any of a half-dozen publishers of VCS-compatible software, not style-setter Activision. Rating: 5

DARK CAVERN/Videogame Cartridge (for Atari VCS)/Mattel M-Network

This is the VCS version of the well-received “Night Stalker” Mattel published for use with its Intellivision system early this year. It’s a rather atmospheric maze shoot-out in which the player roams through the tunnels of the cave-like playfield dueling with armed robots. Since the only knock against “Night Stalker” was the fact that it made use of the somewhat clumsy Intellivision control system, many will actually find this edition preferable, even though the graphics do not, of course, come up to the level of the original. “Dark Cavern” maintains a high degree of excitement throughout play and is certainly the best arcade-style contest produced by the M-Network so far. Rating: 8 SMITHEREENS/Videogame Cartridge (for Odyssey²)/Odyssey This two-player artillery battle, originally produced for the European home videogame market, is another in the series of cartridges which Odyssey is offering for use with its Voice speech-synthesis module. Though “Smithereens” will tend to interest the younger home arcaders more than the more mature ones, clever artwork is blended so skillfully with the enhanced soundtrack that even adults will find exchanging a few salvos to be quite enjoyable. Rating: 7

GUEST EDITORIAL: COPING WITH DR. KOOP

The Surgeon General’s unsupported accusations against videogames are a source of surprise and consternation for the editors and publishers of Arcade Express and Electronic Games. When Dr. C. Everett Koop targetted videogames as “a potential hazard” to our nation’s youth, he failed to present one single shred of evidence to back his wild claims. Similarly, Dr. Koop could not substantiate his allegation that many youngsters are “addicted” to videogames “body and soul”.

It is particularly upsetting to see the Surgeon General, this country’s supposed guide in questions relating to health, operating in this irresponsible, shoot-from-the-hip manner. How much credibility will Dr. Koop have with the American public the next time a really serious health question arises? If Dr. Koop has concrete scientific proof to back his anti-videogame attack, let him produce it at nationwide public hearings, where pro-videogame forces will have the opportunity to introduce data supporting the world’s fastest-growing hobby.

Electronic Games is sponsoring a write-in campaign to acquaint the Surgeon General—and the president who appointed him—with the way Americans feel about Dr. Koop’s intemperate assault on videogames. The magazines February 1983 issue will have a special editorial by Arnie Katz and a coupon which readers can fill out, clip and send to EG. Once thousands of such coupons are collected, they’ll be presented to the Surgeon General. (The same coupon will appear in the next issue of Arcade Express). Now is the time for electronic gamers across the land to make their voices heard. Let’s prevent misguided nay-sayers from unplugging our fun.

—Arnie Katz, Co-Publisher, Arcade Express

LATE BREAKING

Games By Apollo, the Texas-based firm making VCS-compatible cartridges, NEWS FLASHES has filed for Chapter 11 (bankruptcy). This is the first major software company to hit the rocks…John Matthias, formerly with K-Byte, has joined Commodore. He will be responsible for developing a line of games for the Commodore family of computers…Peter Nelson has left the Atari Computer Division; no word yet on his replacement.

Details on these stories, and more, in the next issue of Arcade Express.