Arcade Video game published 36 years ago:
Star Wars (c) 1983 Atari, Incorporated.
Star Wars is a single-player 3-D shoot-em-up based on the legendary movie franchise of the same name. This game is specifically based on the very first Star Wars movie, 'Episode IV: A New Hope'. The player takes on the role of Luke Skywalker (Red Five) whose goal is to blow up the infamous "Death Star" by firing a Proton Torpedo into an exposed exhaust port situated on the Death Star's surface.
Before reaching the exhaust port, players must survive three attack phases.
PHASE 1 : The game begins in outer space above the Death Star. Players must engage in a dog fight with Darth Vader and numerous enemy TIE Fighters. All but Vader's fighter can be shot and destroyed. Incoming enemy fire must be avoided or shot to prevent damage to the player's Deflector shields.
PHASE 2 : The X-Wing flies down to the surface of the Death Star and is confronted with a barrage of laser turrets and towers as the X-Wing flies across the Death Star's surface. Any collisions with either the towers or incoming enemy shots will cause damage to the player's Deflector Shields.
The laser tower tops have a progressive scoring incentive that is displayed at the top center of the screen, along with the number of remaining laser tower tops that need to be destroyed before the X-Wing enters the exhaust port trench. If the player manages to destroy all of the towers, a sizeable point bonus is awarded.
PHASE 3 : The X-Wing begins its approach down the trench of the Death Star, heading for the exhaust port situated at the end of the trench. The trench walls are lined with red laser-gun turrets that fire at the player as he makes his approach. Incoming fire must either be avoided or shot. Trench catwalks of varying shapes and heights also appear in later trench runs. These must be avoided as any collision results in damage to Red 5's deflector shields.
If the player survives the trench run, the voice of 'Han Solo' will advise that 'You're all clear, Kid' and the player must quickly shoot the exhaust port to destroy the Death Star. If a trench run is completed without the player having fired any shots other than the shot into the exhaust port, a sizeable point bonus is awarded for 'using the force'. If the exhaust port is missed, Red 5 will plough through the wall at the end of the trench and lose one deflector shield, after which the trench run will start over.
If the player succeeds in blowing up the Death Star, Red 5 makes its escape before turning to view the colourful explosion. Bonus points for Remaining Shield Energy is now scored.
The player is then returned to the fray and whole process begins again. Each successive Death Star run greatly increases in difficulty; TIE Fighters shoot more often, there are more Laser towers and batteries in successive rounds and there are many more obstacles and laser fire during the trench run.
- TECHNICAL -
[Upright model]
Game ID : 136021
Main CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.512 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.512 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (4x) POKEY (@ 1.512 Mhz), Texas Instruments TMS5220 (@ 640 Khz)
Screen orientation : Horizontal
Players : 1
Control : Flight Yoke (Custom Specs)
Buttons : 4
The Star Wars Yoke pivots left to right to control the X position. But unlike normal fight yokes which slide (linear) in and out... the handles instead rotate (circular) forwards and backwards to control the Y position.
The Yoke uses 2 Pots for tracking.
X Pot = Left & Right Aim movement
Y Pot = Up & Down Aim movement
Button 1 (Left Forwards) = Fire
Button 2 (Left Rear) = Fire
Button 3 (Right Forward) = Fire
Button 4 (Right Rear) = Fire
- TRIVIA -
Star Wars was released in May 1983. 10,245 Upright units were sold ate the price of $2,295.
Also released as "Star Wars [Cockpit model]".
The basic game engine for Star Wars was converted from a 2-year old space game project called 'Warp-Speed', which was designed to develop 3-D image capabilities. The controls were adapted from the controls used for Army "Battle Zone".
Star Wars was the first Atari game to have speech. The game featured several digitized samples of voices from the movie. The most memorable was the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, after losing the game, stating 'The force will be with you--always'.
Hidden In-game Message : On odd-numbered levels, when approaching the Death Star and right after hitting the exhaust port, the message 'MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU' is visible on the surface of the Death Star. On even-numbered levels, the programmer's names appear on the Death Star :
'HALLY'
'RIVERA'
'MARGOLIN'
'AVELLAR'
'VICKERS'
'DURFEY'
Attract mode has the following screens :
FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS TO RED FIVE
1. YOUR X-WING IS EQUIPPED WITH AN INVISIBLE DEFLECTOR SHIELD THAT WILL PROTECT YOU FOR 6 COLLISIONS.
2. DEFLECTOR STRENGTH IS LOST WHEN A FIREBALL IMPACTS YOUR SHIELD OR WHEN YOU STRIKE A LASER TOWER OR TRENCH CATWALK.
3. AIM YOUR LASERS WITH CURSOR TO EXPLODE EMPIRE TIE FIGHTERS, LASER TOWER TOPS AND TRENCH TURRETS.
4. SHOOT FIREBALLS BEFORE THEY IMPACT YOUR SHIELD.
5. THE REBEL FORCE IS DEPENDING ON YOU TO STOP THE EMPIRE BY BLOWING UP THE DEATH STAR.
OBI-WAN KENOBI IS GONE BUT HIS PRESENCE IS FELT WITHIN THE FORCE. THE EMPIRE’S DEATH STAR, UNDER THE COMMAND OF DARTH VADER, NEARS THE REBEL PLANET. YOU MUST JOIN THE REBELLION TO STOP THE EMPIRE. THE FORCE WILL BE WITH YOU. ALWAYS
Default high score table (Princess Leia's Rebel Force):
1. OBI 1285353
2. WAN 1110986
3. HAN 1024650
4. GJR 872551
5. MLH 813553
6. JED 704899
7. NLA 518000
8. EJD 492159
9. EAR 384766
10. RLM 380655
A sequel was planned as 'Star Wars II' the same year (idea form only) with a serial communication concept (link between 2 or more cabinets) - this idea never was born.
The default high score screen of "Cyberball 2072" features names of many Atari arcade games, including STARWARS.
A Star Wars upright unit appears in the 1984 movie 'Gremlins'.
- SCORING -
TIE fighters : 1000 points
Darth Vader's ship : 2000 points per hit
Laser bunkers : 200 points
Laser towers : 200 points, increasing by 200 points per tower
Trench turrets : 100 points
Fireballs : 33 points
Exhaust Port : 25000 points
Destroying all tower tops : 50000 points
End of wave bonus :
5000 points per shield remaining
Starting on medium difficulty (wave 3) : 400000 points bonus
Starting on hard difficulty (wave 5) : 800000 points bonus
'Use the Force' : bonus for not shooting in the trench until the very end :
Wave 1 : 5000 points
Wave 2 : 10000 points
Wave 3 : 25000 points
Wave 4 : 50000 points
Wave 5 and above : 100000 points
- TIPS AND TRICKS -
* In the tower scene, you can shoot fireballs that are hidden behind the towers. In the trench scene, you can shoot fireballs through the catwalks.
* Moving the flight yoke far left and far right during the attract mode will switch between the instructions and the high score list.
* In the trench you can 'use the force' and get bonus points by not shooting ANYTHING until you reach the exhaust port. The text 'USE THE FORCE' is shown at the top of the screen until you shoot. The bonus is actually awarded just before you have to shoot the exhaust port, so it's possible to take out some of the gun turrets at the end, too.
- SERIES -
1. Star Wars [Cockpit model] (1983)
1. Star Wars [Upright model] (1983)
2. Return of The Jedi (1984)
3. The Empire Strikes Back (1985)
- STAFF -
Designed by : Mike Hally (MLH)
Programmed & developed by : Greg Rivera (GJR), Norm Avellar (NLA), Erik Durfey (EJD), Jed Margolin (JED), Earl Vickers (EAR), Rick Moncrief (RLM)
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
[US] Atari 2600 (1983) [Model PB5540]
Colecovision [US] (1984) [Model 9940]
[US] Atari 5200 (1984) [Model 9040]
Atari XEGS
Nintendo GameCube [US] (2003, "Star Wars Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike Limited Edition Preview Disc [Model DOL-DLSE-USA]")
Nintendo GameCube [US] (oct.15, 2003; "Star Wars Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike [Model DOL-GLRE-USA]"
[EU] Nintendo GameCube (nov.7, 2003; "Star Wars Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike [Model DOL-GLRP-EUR]"
Nintendo GameCube [JP] (nov.21, 2003; "Star Wars Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike [Model DOL-GLRJ-JPN]"
NOTE: "Star Wars Rogue Squadron III - Rebel Strike" for the Nintendo GameCube contains the original game accessible via a password.
* COMPUTERS:
[EU] Commodore C64 (1983)
[US] Commodore C64 (1983) [Model PB1840]
BBC Micro [EU] (1987)
Tandy Color Computer [US] (1984, "Space Wrek")
Atari ST [US] [EU] (1987)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1987)
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1988)
Commodore Amiga [US] [EU] (1988)
[US] Commodore C64 [EU] (1988)
PC [MS-DOS] [US] (1988)
- CONTRIBUTE -
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