Spider Fighter
| Spider Fighter | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Activision |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Programmer(s) | Larry Miller[1] |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Release | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Fixed shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Spider Fighter is a fixed shooter designed by Larry Miller for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1982.[1] The manual states that "Larry is the newest addition to the Activision design team."[2] He went on to create the Atari 2600 racing game Enduro for Activision, released in 1983.[1]
The object of Spider Fighter is to protect an orchard containing fruit—grapes, strawberries, oranges, and bananas—from four kinds of bugs.[2] Digital Press described it as "much like the coin-op game Stratovox but w/o the voice."[3]
Gameplay
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2018) |
At the time of release, a photo of the TV screen showing a score of 40,000 points or higher would earn the player a patch for the Activision "Spider Fighters."[2]
Reception
Spider Fighter was not as successful as Activision's other fixed shooter released earlier the same year, Megamania.
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games gave the game 3 out 4 joysticks in the May 1983 issue.[4] A June 1983 Electronic Games review was more critical, claiming it a "keen disappointment" and a "mediocre title from a superior game company."[5] Joystik took the middle road, calling it "a better than average bottom-shoot game that somehow looks like it should be more difficult than it is."[6]
In an AtariHQ review long after the game's release, Keita Iida said "2600 players who are familiar with Activision's usual efforts (which are exceptional overall) might feel a bit let down by Spider Fighter."[7]
References
- ^ a b c Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
- ^ a b c "Spider Fighter Manual". archive.org.
- ^ "The Digital Press Virtual Collectors Guide". Digital Press.
- ^ Wiswell, Phil (May 1983). "Spider Fighter". Electronic Fun with Computers & Games: 64.
- ^ "Spider Fighter". Electronic Games: 40. June 1983.
- ^ Gorzelany, Jim (July 1983). "The Home Front: Spider Fighter". Joystik. 1 (6): 61.
- ^ Iida, Keita. "Spider Fighter". AtariHQ.
External links
- Spider Fighter at Atari Mania
- Spider Fighter can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
- Spider Fighter TV commercial (1983)