| Space Ace | |
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| Developer | Atari (original) Dr. Kwack (hack) |
| Publisher | Atari (original) Freeware (hack) |
| System | Atari 2600 |
| Release Date | 1983 (original; from Pigs in Space cartridge) 2004 (hack) |
| Modes | Single player Two players alternating |
| Media | Cartridge (original) ROM file (hack) |
Pigs in Space is a cartridge for the Atari 2600 that was based on a recurring segment of the same name from The Muppets tv show. It is comprised of three mini-games that are clones of other games, such as Chickenvaders, which is a clone of Space Invaders.
At the start of each new game, the player is given the choice of choosing between the onscreen Muppet character icons of Link Hobthrob, Miss Piggy or Dr. Strangepork, and with pressing the button on their controller that will start a game. Choosing Hobthrob will start a game of Chickenvaders, choosing Miss Piggy takes the player to Pastaroids, and choosing Strangepork will start a game of Escape From Planet of the Gonzoids.
Once the player meets the goal of a mini-game (clearing a screen of chickens, getting Miss Piggy back to her ship, or making it to the end of the Planet of the Gonzoids) they’re taken back to the main menu screen where they can pick a game again to play.
Space Ace is a hacked version of the Pigs in Space cartridge, where sprites are changed to resemble various characters of the arcade game of Space Ace.
Chickenvaders hack[]
The player controls Ace at the bottom of the screen who must destroy enemies by shooting at them. The enemies fire at Ace in turn; if Ace gets hit by a shot, he runs off the screen. Borf will appear in his command saucer overhead and can be shot for bonus points.
Getting “invaded” takes longer than on most Space Invaders-type games, as Ace keeps on sinking deeper and deeper into the planet as the game progresses.
Scoring[]
- Row 1 invader–10 points
- Row 2 invader–20 points
- Row 3 invader–50 points
- Row 4 invader–70 points
- Row 5 invader–100 points
- Borf–300 points
- Eliminating all invaders–1000 points
Controls[]
- Move Ace–joystick (left and right only)
- Fire–button
Other included games[]
Pastaroids hack[]
Dexter had been accidentally ejected into space, which he must maneuver his way back through a storm of Digger Droids to return to his ship at the top of the screen.
The player must maneuver Dexter around the Droids to get to the ship before it leaves. Every time the player gets hit by anything they will get knocked down a bit on the screen. However, Dexter can smack the entities away as well.
Escape From Planet of the Gonzoids hack[]
The player must maneuver a ship through a mine. As the screen scrolls down, the player must stay away from the walls and projectiles tossed by enemies. The player can shoot the enemies with a unique weapon that curves towards the enemies.
If the player makes it far enough, they will come to a clearing, earn a bonus (as with completing all mini-games) and will be taken back to the main title screen to choose another game to play.
Trivia/notes[]
All of the mini-games from the original Pigs in Space cartridge are clones of previously released games, as Pastaroids is a clone of the first stage of the Atari 2600 game Cosmic Creeps, and Escape From Planet of the Gonzoids is a clone of the 2600 game Fantastic Voyage and Caverns of Mars (although the latter is in reverse, as the screen would scroll from top to bottom on that game) for the Atari 8-bit computer line.
Links[]
- Atari Age Pigs in Space page
- Chickenvaders page
- Atari Age Space Ace page