[stella] Game ideas

Subject: [stella] Game ideas
From: Nick S Bensema <nickb@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1998 18:24:04 -0700 (MST)
I was playing with the Commodore 64 emulator.... came across a game called 
R1D1 Unit Attack.  I first played it after "borrowing" a copy from my
sixth grade teacher.  This game looks as if it were designed for the Atari 
2600, or based on a 2600 game I haven't seen yet.... not because of 
graphics or sound; those are pretty good.  In fact, the music just rules 
the universe.

But ehe screens.... well, first of all, they're screens, it doesn't scroll.
There are 10 screens, arranged from left to right; the player controls an
Artoo-Detoo ripoff that starts on an "IN" sign on the top left corner,
and must get to an exit on the bottom right corner of the level.  Each
screen is four floors deep; other floors are accessed either by falling
or by an elevator which moves vertically and even shows up when it's
embedded in the floor tiles.  Walls are erected some places, taking the
shape of vertical columns.... I've seen up to three on a single floor
in a screen, but in a way that could be easily handled by the 2600's
repeat registers, or by the playfield if that wouldn't be prudent.

Each screen may contain one key and one locked door.  Keys are not taken
or dropped as such; they are swapped with the player's current key when
the joystick is moved down.  The player starts with a white key.  Locked
doors are removed from the game when they are opened.

On each floor, an enemy may appear, coming in from the right or
the left.  The enemy does not switch floors; it does not even fall
through holes in the floor.  It can only move forward and fire a
weapon.  Both the enemy and its discharge can be shot and destroyed.

The background color and enemy color on each floor are different, but
remain constant from room to room.  The floors and walls do not change
in color.

The only things that I don't think would fit in the 2600 are the
detail of the graphics, the awesomeness of the music, and the color
cycling that happens in the background when R1D1 gets killed.  The
gameplay, though.. even the levels, I think, could be reproduced
perfectly.  Perhaps they already have.

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about?  If not, get out your
C64 emulators, visit your favorite C64 games site and pick up R1D1
and see if it looks familiar, and see if you don't agree that this
could probably reproduced quite well on the 2600.

What I don't know, though, is whether there is more than one level.
I remember beating the game long ago but not anything else about it.


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