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Barrier

  1. Game infos
  2. Sound
  3. Driver
  4. Inputs
  5. Controls
  6. Display
  7. Dipswitchs
  8. Roms list
  9. Chips list
  10. Samples list
  11. Categories
  12. MAMEinfo
  13. History
  14. High scores
Download barrier.zip (5 KB)
Snapshot

Game infos

Description Barrier
Name barrier
Manufacturer Cinematronics (Vectorbeam license)
Year 1979
Runnable yes
System arcade /
Number of players 2P alt
Added to MAME .035b06
Romset size 5 KB
Romset file 8 files
Romset zip 3 B
Language English
Evaluation 30 to 40 (Amendable)
Genre Puzzle

Sound infos

Sound_channels 1

Driver infos

Driver status imperfect
Driver emulation good
Driver color good
Driver sound imperfect
Driver graphic good
Driver cocktail
Driver protection
Driver savestate yes

Inputs infos

Input service no
Input tilt no
Input players 2
Input buttons
Input coins 1

Controls infos

type ways minimum maximum sensitivity keydelta reverse
joy 4 no

Display infos

type rotate flipx width height refresh pixclock htotal hbend hbstart vtotal vbend vbstart
vector 270 yes 38

Dipswitchs

Roms list

console name bios size crc md5 merge sha1 region offset status optional
arcade barrier.p7 2048 aec142b5 b268936b82e072f38f1f1dd54e0bc88bcdf19925 maincpu 1 good no
arcade barrier.t7 2048 7c3d68c8 1138029552b73e94522b3b48096befc057d603c7 maincpu 0 good no
arcade prom.c14 32 07492cda 32df9148797c23f70db47b840139c40e046dd710 proms 140 good no
arcade prom.d14 32 9a05afbf 5d806a42424942ba5ef0b70a1d629315b37f931b proms 120 good no
arcade prom.e14 32 29dbfb87 d8c40ab010b2ea30f29b2c443819e2b69f376c04 proms 100 good no
arcade prom.e8 32 791ec9e1 6f7fcce4aa3be9020595235568381588adaab88e proms 180 good no
arcade prom.f14 256 9edbf536 036ad8a231284e05f44b1106d38fc0c7e041b6e8 proms 0 good no
arcade prom.j14 32 a481ca71 ce145d61686f600cc16b77febfd5c783bf8c13b0 proms 160 good no

Chips list

name tag type clock
Cinematronics CPU maincpu cpu 4980750
Samples samples audio
Speaker mono audio

Samples list

name
enemmove
playmove
playrdie

Categories

MAMEinfo

0.35b6 [Aaron Giles, Zonn Moore, Jeff Mitchell, Neil Bradley]


Artwork available

Samples required


WIP:

- 0.147u4: hap fixed manufacturer in Barrier.

- 0.147u2: hap added Barrier color overlay.

- 7th November 2007: Mr. Do - The old artwork for Barrier was based off of a lo-res flyer, so we got a good scan of that one, too. Only thing, though, is the photo on the flyer was of the cabinet straight on, and the artwork is at about a 45-degree angle, so the screen never really displayed correctly on it. It's been given a bump up in quality, and stretched to line up more accurately with the game screen. Not perfect, but about as good as we're going to get unless we find the real thing.

- 4th August 2006: Mr. Do - Converted Barrier artwork from MAME.net.

- 0.87u3: Aaron Giles added sound to Barrier, Star Hawk, War of the Worlds and Boxing Bugs (note that samples don't exist yet, but I'm working with Zonn Moore to get them for everything except Barrier). Added Samples sound (playrdie, playmove and enemmove.wav).

- 0.37b2: Added 5x 'Unknown' dipswitch.

- 0.35b6: Aaron Giles, Zonn Moore, Jeff Mitchell and Neil Bradley added 'Barrier' (Vectorbeam 1979).

- 7th March 1999: Brad Oliver has finally sent in the Cinematronics vector games driver with working support for Space Wars, Barrier, Star Castle, Tailgunner, Rip Off, Armor Attack, War of the Worlds, Warrior, Star Hawk and Solar Quest.


PLAY INSTRUCTIONS:

- The player attempts to reach the top of the grid without being hit by the computer enemies. When the top is reached, you scroll 'around' to the bottom and begin again.


Other Emulators:

* AAE

* Cinelator

* CINEMU

* Retrocade


Recommended Games (Maze 5):

Barrier

Spectar

Targ

Pulsar

Solar Fox

Space Bugger

Ten Spot (Survivor)

Ixion

Net Wars

Pickin'

Zeroize (DECO Cassette)

Motos

Raiders5

Opa Opa

Raimais

Metal Freezer

History


Arcade Video game published 40 years ago:

Barrier (c) 1979 Vectorbeam.

The basic idea behind Barrier is that you have to move your little marker to the end of a grid, while avoiding the other markers. Actually that is the only idea. The game is played on a 3x9 grid that is displayed at angle to make it appear to be in 3-D. You move your little triangle around on the grid, while attempting to avoid the little diamonds that are also moving around on the grid. Reaching the end of the grid teleports you back to the front of the grid.

- TECHNICAL -

Barrier ran on the Cinematronics hardware platform, which also ran such games as "Warrior", "Speed Freak", and "Star Hawk". It used a huge X-Y monitor that was almost entirely covered with a monitor bezel that only allowed the small triangular playfield to show through. Around 70 percent of the monitor's total area was hidden from the player. The monitor was too large for the cabinet, it actually poked out through a notch in the back door. The control panel featured a Start button and four directional buttons, even though this title would have been better with a 4-Way joystick. The sideart shows a picture of a blue wizard who has the playfield of the game as his body, and the same wizard is repeated on the monitor bezel that blocks out most of the screen. This game had a metal marquee that did not light up. The marquee graphics were also repeated directly below the control panel, just in case you didn't see them on top of the machine.

Cabinet dimensions : 69'' (175cm) high x 25'' (64cm) wide x 26,5'' (67cm) deep.

Main CPU : CCPU (@ 5 Mhz)

Screen orientation : Vertical

Players : 2
Buttons : 4
=> Up, Left, Down, Right

- TRIVIA -

Released in August 1979.

The 2nd programmer hired by Tim Skelly, Rob Patton, was only 17 when he joined Cinematronics. This game is very reminiscent of the old Mattel hand-held football games from the late 70's. The gameplay is not as deep, though :o). Vectorbeam didn't have a game to ship after "Speed Freak" and needed a product to sell so Cinematronics sold them "Barrier" and in the words of Tim Skelly, 'laughed our asses off about it'.

- STAFF -

Designed & programmed by : Rob Patton

- CONTRIBUTE -

Edit this entry: https://www.arcade-history.com/?&page=detail&id=185&o=2

High scores

MAMESCORE records : 02/04/2017 13:01

sawys_____________________________191