| Atlantis FH | |
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| |
| Developers | Imagic (original) Thomas Jentzsch (hack) |
| Publishers | Imagic (original) Freeware (hack) |
| System | Atari 2600 |
| Release dates | 1982 (original) 2003 (hack) |
| Modes | Single player Two players simultaneous |
| Media | Cartridge (original) ROM file (hack) |
Background[]
Atlantis was a game that was released for the Atari 2600 in 1982. Its gameplay involved enemy Gorgon ships that flew over the city of Atlantis, dropping closer with each time they made it to the other end of the screen; if they got too close, they would fire a deathray that could start taking out the Atlantis installations that the player is trying to protect. If all of the installations got destroyed and the player had no more left in reserve then the game would end. Players could defend themselves with up to three firing Posts located at the bottom of the screen which fired upwards at enemy vessels.
Atlantis FH is a gameplay hack where the controls to firing the Posts were reversed. Other than that, the game plays exactly the same as the original.
Gameplay[]
Enemy Gorgon ships will start flying overhead once a game starts. If they are to make it to a screen edge before the player can destroy it with one of their Posts, the ship will drop an notch closer to the planet’s surface and wrap around to the other side of the screen. If the player is unable to destroy a Gorgon ship once it reaches a screen edge for the third time, once the ship starts its fourth pass, it will fire a deathray, which could take out the player’s center Command Post, which also doubles as a shield. Once the center Post is destroyed, then the six installations on the planet are vulnerable to attack. If all other installations are destroyed and there are no more installations left in reserve then the game will end. A reserve installation is earned with every 10,000 points scored.
Also during a wave, a Bandit Bomber could also appear, which is signaled by its loud warning sound and it moves faster than the large Gorgon ships. If destroyed, however, it will take out all other onscreen Gorgon vessels.
The player can control up to three Posts (except on game three; see Game variations section below): the left Post fires towards the top right corner of the screen, the right Post fires towards the left top corner, and the middle Command Post fires straight upwards. The player can only fire two shots at a time.
Game variations[]
- Game 1–standard game
- Game 2–center Post will not fire
- Game 3–two player version; left player fires left Sentry Post, right player fires right Sentry Post, Command Post will not fire
- Game 4–Easier version, does not speed up as much as on game 1
Scoring[]
- Large Gorgon vessels–200 points (Sentry Post shot), 100 points (Command Post shot)
- Bandit Bomber–2000 points (Sentry Post shot), 1000 points (Command Post shot)
- Each installation still standing after wave–500 points
Controls[]
- Fire left Sentry Post–right on joystick
- Fire right Sentry Post–left on joystick
- Fire Command Post (when applicable)–button
- Select game–Game Select switch
- Start game–joystick button or Game Reset button
Trivia[]
- The original Atlantis was sold in four label variations: text, a blue label, and two picture labels, being a day and night scene. This version comes as a ROM file only to be played on Atari emulators or flashcarts.
- Manuel Polik came up with the idea, whereas Thomas Jentzsch created the hack.
Links[]
Atlantis FH Atari Age page (/download ROM)