Cabal (video game): Difference between revisions
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==Legacy== |
==Legacy== |
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''Cabal'' was somewhat innovative in that it featured a 3D perspective in which the player was situated in the foreground, similar to modern [[First-person shooter|FPS]] games except with an over-the-shoulder camera view. Although it is sometimes compared to contemporary games such as ''[[Commando (game)|Commando]]'' and ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'', it differs in that the player cannot move forward of his own volition; an area would first have to be cleared of enemies before advancing. Another interesting twist was that players could not move the character while firing (holding down the fire button gives players control of the aiming cursor), and when moving the character to avoid incoming bullets, the aiming cursor also moved along with your weapon. This meant that gameplay became a careful balance between offensive and defensive tactics, separating it from simple "platform" shooters which relied more on reflexes. Advanced gameplay involved destructible asset management in balancing dodging (which got riskier as the number of enemy projectiles on screen increased) with the safer alternative of taking cover behind a protective but limited durability wall. Overall it was somewhat popular and did respectably well in the [[video arcade|arcade]]s. |
''Cabal'' was somewhat innovative in that it featured a 3D perspective in which the player was situated in the foreground, similar to modern [[First-person shooter|FPS]] games except with an over-the-shoulder camera view. Although it is sometimes compared to contemporary games such as ''[[Commando (game)|Commando]]'' and ''[[Ikari Warriors]]'', it differs in that the player cannot move forward of his own volition; an area would first have to be cleared of enemies before advancing. Another interesting twist was that players could not move the character while firing (holding down the fire button gives players control of the aiming cursor), and when moving the character to avoid incoming bullets, the aiming cursor also moved along with your weapon. This meant that gameplay became a careful balance between offensive and defensive tactics, separating it from simple "platform" shooters which relied more on reflexes. Advanced gameplay involved destructible asset management in balancing dodging (which got riskier as the number of enemy projectiles on screen increased) with the safer alternative of taking [[Cover system|cover]] behind a protective but limited durability wall. Overall it was somewhat popular and did respectably well in the [[video arcade|arcade]]s. |
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''Cabal'' was followed in {{vgy|1990}} by ''[[Blood Bros.]]'', though the sequel had a [[Western fiction|western]] theme as opposed to ''Cabal''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Vietnam war|Vietnam]]-era theme. |
''Cabal'' was followed in {{vgy|1990}} by ''[[Blood Bros.]]'', though the sequel had a [[Western fiction|western]] theme as opposed to ''Cabal''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Vietnam war|Vietnam]]-era theme. |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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*[[Blood Bros.]], considered the "[[spiritual sequel]]" to ''Cabal'' |
*''[[Blood Bros.]]'', considered the "[[spiritual sequel]]" to ''Cabal'' |
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*[[ |
*''[[Gears of War]]'', a game which ''Cabal'' influenced |
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*''[[Wild Guns]]'', a SNES game featuring similar gameplay |
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*''[[Zombie Panic in Wonderland]]'', another similar game released on the [[Wii]]'s ''[[WiiWare]]'' download service. |
*''[[Zombie Panic in Wonderland]]'', another similar game released on the [[Wii]]'s ''[[WiiWare]]'' download service. |
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Revision as of 07:27, 18 October 2011
| Cabal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | TAD Corporation Special FX (C64, ZX Spectrum) |
| Publisher(s) | Arcade version: TAD Corporation |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, C64, ZX Spectrum, MS-DOS, NES |
| Release | 1988
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| Genre(s) | Shooting gallery |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, 2 player Co-op |
Cabal is a video game developed by TAD Corporation. In this game, the player controls a commando, viewed from behind, trying to destroy various enemy military bases. The game was innovative for the era, and a modest success in sales.
Gameplay
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The player assumes the role of an unnamed commando trying to destroy several enemy military bases. The player's character is seen from behind and initially starts behind a protective wall (the wall can get damaged and shattered by enemy fire). The player must use a limitless ammunition gun and a limited number of grenades to fend off enemy troops and damage the base. An enemy gauge at the bottom of the screen depletes as foes are destroyed and certain structures (usually the ones that collapse when destroyed, rather than simply shattering) are brought down. At the successful completion of a level by fully depleting the enemy gauge, all the remaining buildings onscreen collapse and the player progresses to the next stage. Boss fights, however, start from the beginning if a player dies. (A feature criticised by many players. It can be circumvented, however, if two players play simultaneously and at least one stays alive at a given moment.)
Power-ups appear from time to time, being released from objects destroyed onscreen. Some power-ups give special weapons: One of them is an extremely fast machinegun and other one is an automatic shotgun with a slightly lower firing rate, but has a larger crosshair, allowing it to strike a wider area with each shot. Others grant extra grenades or additional points.
Two players could play this game, cooperatively, simultaneously.
The arcade cabinet is a standard upright. Each player uses a trackball to move the player from side to side, and move the crosshairs about the screen. On later board revisions, a joystick was installed instead with an optional sub-pcb for use with a trackball. With a trackball, rolling (an invincible movement during which the player could not attack) is done by pushing the trackball to maximum speed.
Stages
There are 5 stages with 4 screens each.
Ports
Cabal was ported to several home computers of the era, including the MS-DOS, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Atari ST and Amiga. It was also ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System console, which was ported by Zippo Games. The quality of these ports varied based on the target system's capabilities.
Legacy
Cabal was somewhat innovative in that it featured a 3D perspective in which the player was situated in the foreground, similar to modern FPS games except with an over-the-shoulder camera view. Although it is sometimes compared to contemporary games such as Commando and Ikari Warriors, it differs in that the player cannot move forward of his own volition; an area would first have to be cleared of enemies before advancing. Another interesting twist was that players could not move the character while firing (holding down the fire button gives players control of the aiming cursor), and when moving the character to avoid incoming bullets, the aiming cursor also moved along with your weapon. This meant that gameplay became a careful balance between offensive and defensive tactics, separating it from simple "platform" shooters which relied more on reflexes. Advanced gameplay involved destructible asset management in balancing dodging (which got riskier as the number of enemy projectiles on screen increased) with the safer alternative of taking cover behind a protective but limited durability wall. Overall it was somewhat popular and did respectably well in the arcades.
Cabal was followed in Template:Vgy by Blood Bros., though the sequel had a western theme as opposed to Cabal's Vietnam-era theme.
See also
- Blood Bros., considered the "spiritual sequel" to Cabal
- Gears of War, a game which Cabal influenced
- Wild Guns, a SNES game featuring similar gameplay
- Zombie Panic in Wonderland, another similar game released on the Wii's WiiWare download service.
External links
- Rareware page
- Cabal at the Killer List of Videogames
- Cabal at MobyGames
- Cabal at SpectrumComputing.co.uk
- arcade history page
- Cabal compared to its 2002 spiritual successor, Gamshara