Nostalgic Game Design Focus - Megaroids

pathforger (56)in #retro-gaming • 9 years ago (edited)

Here is a classic among classics.

A faithful-and-improved "clone" of 'Asteroids', anybody who is familiar with and likes that game will enjoy this one.

This also harkens back to a time when games weren't always published by studios.

Welcome. This is 'Nostalgic Game Design Focus' a series where I get to think back and comment upon games that I had played when I was much younger - mostly from a game-design perspective.

Title: Megaroids

Developers: Mike & Mitch Bunnell

In Association With Megamax C Compiler

Released: 1984 (Atari Port 1985)

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'Asteroids' is a game that I got to experience before we were gifted our Atari STfm.

Back then, once in a very blue moon we'd head over to Bristol to visit relatives - and they had an Atari system. It was mostly used for work purposes but it 'did' include a copy of 'Asteroids'. It proved a challenge. A welcome challenge.

I am fairly sure that we got 'Megaroids' at some point after we moved to Malta.

I do not properly recall.

I can tell you that the 'welcome challenge' factor was in no way diminished when I finally got around to trying my hand at it again.

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Objective

The aim of Megaroids is to last out against ever more dense waves of asteroids while annihilating them and any aliens in the process.

Its premise is paper-thin, as was typical in the era. You are a lonely ship in the vastness of space - and it appears that you are a magnet for asteroids in the vicinity.

Massive rocks hurtle around the screen. You need to destroy them to survive until the next wave of asteroids.

Your ultimate aim is to achieve the high score.

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A Game of Mechanics

As scant as the story-line is, the execution of the mechanics of the game is actually quite good.

While there are only a handful of mechanics at play, they are implemented so well as to carry the game through and make it something rather special. Lets go through these.

Your Space Ship

The protagonist in this game is a little space ship floating around a screen with a black backdrop - simply representing the vast emptiness of space. In 'Megaroids' this ship looks like two triangles glued together - but it looks nice nonetheless.

Controlling the ship is via keyboard:

'Z' & 'X' rotates the ship left and right accordingly

'?' or '/' (same key) accelerates the ship. The ship does not slow down when one lets go of the accelerator. It keeps going in the same direction. The only way to change direction or slow and halt a space ship (short of ramming it into an enemy) is to provide thrust in a different or opposite direction.

'Shift' shoots 'bullets' or 'missiles' or possibly 'chemical lasers'. I've not decided.

'Space bar' activates hyperspace - changing the location of your ship on screen instantaneously. I do not recall if hyperspace also halts any on-going movement.

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Asteroids

How much mechanics can a rock have attributed to it? Well 'Megaroids' gives us a good baseline.

Destructible Rocks - When a rock gets hit by a bullet, it breaks and splits into two smaller pieces, often but not always at a faster pace. The direction and speed of the split quite depends on the angle from which it got shot.

Size - In general, the larger the rock, the slower the rock. There are three different sizes of rock and only the smallest and fastest of the three vanishes rather than splits when shot.

Smashy - If the asteroid touches your ship - you lose a ship - and you have a limited number of ships.

Pulverizing and dodging asteroids becomes hard work fast - but there is more to contend with.

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Flying Saucers

Alien space ships often enough try to get in the way of you and your asteroid pulverizing ambitions.

As a level progresses, an ominous two-tone sound repeats subtly in the background, gaining in pace. Much as the iconic soundtrack associated with shark movies, this two-tone sound and its building up serves to build tension. You know that any second now you'll be faced with a flying saucer - but which one and from which direction shall it approach?

There are two kinds of aliens to contend with and they come from the right or left.

Larger Ones These float in and lazily float up or down, firing occasionally in a random direction.

Smaller Ones These float in and also float up or down, firing more often and more directly at your ship. They also count for a lot more points if destroyed.

Both kinds of flying saucers will float sideways for a short pit and then float diagonally for a bit before floating horizontally, and so on - until it reaches the end of the screen.

Once a saucer has escaped or been dealt with - the pace of the two-tone music resets.

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Levels

You begin the game with a couple of asteroids floating in on screen for you to destroy.

Every time you defeat a level (by destroying all the asteroids on screen) - the next level proceeds a couple of seconds later.

Asteroids (of a different colour) simply float in from the edge of the screen - and as before it is your job to pulverize them before they pulverize you.

Every 10,000 points scored gives you an extra life - which will help at later levels.