Gridiron Fight

Last updated
Tehkan Gridiron Fight
Developer(s) Tehkan
Publisher(s) Tehkan
Designer(s) Shin-ichiro Tomie
Programmer(s) Michihito Ishizuka
Artist(s) Rie Ishizuka (Rie Yatomi)
Composer(s) Michihito Ishizuka
Platform(s) Arcade
Release
Genre(s) Sports (American football)
Mode(s) Single-player, two-player

Gridiron Fight, [lower-alpha 1] also known as All American Football, [3] [4] is an American football video game developed and released by Tehkan (later known as Tecmo) for arcades in 1985. It is a one or two player game based on gridiron football (American football), and was released in a cocktail cabinet form factor. The game uses trackball controls, used to determine the speed and direction at which the player runs.

Contents

Designed by Shin-ichiro Tomie and programmed by Michihito Ishizuka, with background graphics by his wife Rie Ishizuka (Rie Yatomi), the same team went on to develop the association football game (soccer game) Tehkan World Cup later the same year. It was also a precursor to the American football game Tecmo Cup (1988).

Gameplay

Tehkan Gridiron Fight is a two-dimensional top-down scrolling American football game in which the player(s) control the virtual player on their team who is closest to the ball, with the trackball determining the speed and direction at which the player runs. A single push-button labeled "Kick" causes the virtual player in possession to release the ball with the same force and direction in which he is currently running. (This button is duplicated on either side of the trackball for left or right-handed players.) The Player 1 (red trackball) side contained two additional push-buttons for choosing between Single or Two-Player games. Before each play, players are invited to select from a variety of formations, e.g. "Sweep" or "Draw". The formation selected is displayed on a seven-segment LED on the player's control panel.

Although the graphics are two-dimensional, the height of the ball can be determined by its growing larger while its shadow appears on the ground. Also on the side of the screen is the score and a clock which counts down to zero, the point where the current game ends.

Hardware

Two slightly different cabinet shapes were released - one with straighter edges and vertices in profile and one with more rounded edges akin to its stablemate, Tehkan World Cup.

Processors and sound — Tehkan Gridiron Fight used two Z80C 8-bit CPUs at 4.608 MHz for processing. For sound, it employed one Z80C at 4.6 MHz, two AY-3-8910s at 1.536 MHz and one M5205 at 384 kHz for FM and samples. Although this produced three-channel music plus sound effects, all sound was fed through a mono amplifier in the cabinet housing. As machines aged the amplifier was known to fail, resulting in silent gameplay.

Screen and resolution — The screen was a horizontally mounted 20" color raster CRT monitor fed at 256 x 224 pixels by 768 colors by 60 Hertz.

Trackballs — The game unit consists of two 3" optical trackballs. These are made of semi-transparent plastic, and illuminated from below such that they shine blue or red, depending on the color of the ball.

Development

Gridiron Fight was developed by Tehkan. The game was designed by Shinichiro Tomie, [5] [6] and programmed by Michihito Ishizuka, who was also responsible for sound design, having previously programmed the sound driver for Bomb Jack (1984). [7] His wife Rie Ishizuka (also known as Rie Yatomi) was responsible for the background graphics, along with other female staff members. Michihito and Rie Ishizuka had previously worked together on Senjyo (1983) and Bomb Jack. [7]

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Gridiron Fight on their April 15, 1987 issue as being the second most-successful table arcade unit of the month. [9]

Jay Carter of Cash Box magazine compared the game favorably to the classic Atari Football (1978), stating that Gridiron Fight updates its essential elements. He said it has "everything from full color screen action to glowing track-balls and a full selection of both offensive and defensive plays that should stir up some strong head-to-head competition when the school semester ends and the kids are looking for some rainy day challenges and excitement." [8]

Legacy

Tehkan World Cup

Tehkan World Cup (1985) was an association football video game (soccer game) released later the same year, featuring almost identical hardware. It employed the same twin trackballs with an action button duplicated on either side and a similar cocktail cabinet design with horizontal screen. The primary hardware difference was the absence of the seven segment LED adjacent to the action buttons. The software of the two games exhibited a similar top-down two-dimensional window-on-the-field graphical design.

Both games were developed by several of the same team members. Both were designed by Shinichiro Tomie, who was a big association football (soccer) fan. After designing Gridiron Fight, he immediately wanted to adapt the gameplay format of Gridiron Fight for a soccer game. [6] [5] Michihito Ishizuka reprised his role as the programmer, while his wife Rie Ishizuka worked on the character design and background graphics. [7] [5] The team felt the trackball controls of Gridiron Fight was complex, so they decided to simplify the controls, making it so that the player can run with the trackball and press one button to kick. This led to Tehkan World Cup becoming a major arcade hit. [6]

Tecmo Bowl

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: グリダイアンファイト, Hepburn: Guridaian Faito

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atari 7800</span> Home video game console

The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a home video game console officially released by Atari Corporation in 1986 as the successor to both the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200. It can run almost all Atari 2600 cartridges, making it one of the first consoles with backward compatibility. It shipped with a different model of joystick from the 2600-standard CX40 and Pole Position II as the pack-in game. Most of the announced titles at launch were ports of 1981–1983 arcade video games.

<i>Marble Madness</i> 1984 video game

Marble Madness is an arcade video game designed by Mark Cerny and published by Atari Games in 1984. It is a platform game in which the player must guide a marble through six courses, populated with obstacles and enemies, within a time limit. The player controls the marble by using a trackball. Marble Madness is known for using innovative game technologies: it was Atari's first to use the Atari System 1 hardware, the first to be programmed in the C programming language, and one of the first to use true stereo sound.

A sports video game is a video game that simulates the practice of sports. Most sports have been recreated with video games, including team sports, track and field, extreme sports, and combat sports. Some games emphasize playing the sport, whilst others emphasize strategy and sport management. Some, such as Need for Speed, Arch Rivals and Punch-Out!!, satirize the sport for comic effect. This genre has been popular throughout the history of video games and is competitive, just like real-world sports. A number of game series feature the names and characteristics of real teams and players, and are updated annually to reflect real-world changes. The sports genre is one of the oldest genres in gaming history.

<i>Tecmo Bowl</i> 1987 video game

Tecmo Bowl is an American football video game developed and released by Tecmo. Originally released as an arcade game in 1987, the game features a large dual screen cabinet with up to four players between two fictitious teams. A port for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in 1989 and was the first console game to include real National Football League players, via a license from the NFL Players Association. A Game Boy version developed by Sculptured Software followed in 1991. The NES version was extremely popular, spawning various sequels, starting with 1991's Tecmo Super Bowl. The NES original has been cited as one of the best sports video games ever made. The NES and arcade versions have been re-released for various platforms, including mobile phones, the Virtual Console, the NES Classic Edition, and Nintendo Switch.

<i>Track & Field</i> (video game) 1983 arcade video game

Track & Field, also known as Hyper Olympic in Japan and Europe, is a 1983 Olympic-themed sports video game developed by Konami for arcades. The Japanese release sported an official license for the 1984 Summer Olympics. In Europe, the game was initially released under the Japanese title Hyper Olympic in 1983, before re-releasing under the US title Track & Field in early 1984.

<i>Cabal</i> (video game) 1988 arcade video game

Cabal is a 1988 arcade shooter video game originally developed by TAD Corporation and published in Japan by Taito, in North America by Fabtek and in Europe by Capcom. In the game, the player controls a commando, viewed from behind, trying to destroy various enemy military bases. The game was innovative for the era, but only a mild success in the arcades, and became better known for its various home conversions.

<i>Crystal Castles</i> (video game) 1983 video game

Crystal Castles is an arcade game released by Atari, Inc. in 1983. The player controls Bentley Bear who has to collect gems located throughout trimetric-projected rendered castles while avoiding enemies, some of whom are after the gems as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcade cabinet</span> Housing within which an arcade games electronic hardware resides

An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or a coin-op cabinet or coin-op machine, is the housing within which an arcade game's electronic hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the Japanese Amusement Machine Manufacturers Association (JAMMA) wiring standard. Some include additional connectors for features not included in the standard.

The following article is a broad timeline of arcade video games.

1985 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Super Mario Bros. and Kung Fu, along with new titles such as Commando, Duck Hunt, Gauntlet, Ghosts 'n Goblins, Gradius, Hang-On, Space Harrier, Tetris and The Way of the Exploding Fist. The year's highest-grossing arcade video games were Hang-On and Karate Champ in the United States, and Commando in the United Kingdom. The year's best‑selling home system was the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom) for the second year in a row, while the year's best‑selling home video game was Super Mario Bros.

Tecmo World Cup Soccer is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1990 by Tecmo, as its name suggests it is a soccer game focusing on the World Cup. It is a port of Tehkan World Cup, released on arcades in 1985.

<i>Konami Collectors Series: Arcade Advanced</i> 2002 video game

Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Advanced, known in Europe as Konami Collector's Series: Arcade Classics, is a compilation video game created by Konami. It was first released on March 22, 2002 for the Game Boy Advance. A version was also released as a plug & play by Majesco Entertainment in 2004.

<i>Bomb Jack</i> 1984 video game

Bomb Jack is a platform game published by Tehkan for arcades and later ported to home systems. The game was a commercial success for arcades and home computers. It was followed by several sequels: the console and computer game Mighty Bomb Jack, the arcade game Bomb Jack Twin, and Bomb Jack II which was licensed for home computers only.

<i>SegaSonic the Hedgehog</i> 1993 video game

SegaSonic the Hedgehog is a 1993 arcade game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series by Sega. Controlling Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, the player must escape an island after they are kidnapped by the villain, Doctor Eggman. The game uses an isometric perspective. Players use a trackball to move the characters while dodging obstacles and collecting rings. The game was developed by Sega's arcade division, Sega AM3. It is one of four Sonic games with the SegaSonic name and was inspired by the 1984 game Marble Madness.

<i>Tecmo Cup Soccer Game</i> 1988 video game

Tecmo Cup Soccer Game, known as Captain Tsubasa in Japan and Tecmo Cup Football Game in Europe, is an association football sports video game released in 1992 by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The objective of the game is for the player to fight his way from junior league all the way to the finals of the World Cup.

<i>MicroProse Soccer</i> 1988 video game

MicroProse Soccer is an association football video game published by MicroProse in 1988. The original Commodore 64 version was developed by Sensible Software and ported to other systems. In the United States, the game was released as Keith Van Eron's Pro Soccer, named after Keith Van Eron.

<i>Vimana</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Vimana is a vertically scrolling shooter arcade video game developed by Toaplan and published in Japan by Tecmo and Europe in June 1991. It is notable for being one of the few titles by Toaplan that has not received any official port to home consoles as of date and for its unique combination of science fiction with brief Hindu references. In the game, players assume the role of the titular warriors taking control of powerful ancient space fighter crafts in order to reclaim their home planet by fighting against military machines gone wild. The title received positive reception from critics and reviewers alike after release in regards to the gameplay. However, it was considered a flop in arcades. As of 2019, its rights are owned by Tatsujin, a company founded in 2017 by former Toaplan member Masahiro Yuge and now-affiliate of Japanese arcade manufacturer exA-Arcadia alongside many other Toaplan IPs.

<i>Football</i> (1978 video game) 1978 video game

Football is a 1978 American football video game developed and released by Atari, Inc. for arcades. Players are represented by Xs and Os. While predated by Sega's World Cup, Football is credited with popularizing the trackball controller and is also the first non-racing vertically scrolling video game. It distributed in Japan by Namco in 1979.

<i>Tehkan World Cup</i> 1985 video game

Tehkan World Cup, originally released as World Cup in Japan, is an association football video game released to arcades in 1985 by Tehkan, the former name of Tecmo. It features multiplayer gameplay and trackball controllers. It was released in both upright and table arcade cabinets, but was most commonly released in a cocktail cabinet form factor. Its arrival coincided with the buildup to the 1986 FIFA World Cup. It featured the then colors of several of the world's top teams such as West Germany, Argentina and Brazil, although it did not mention any team by name.

References

  1. ↑ "Gridiron Fight (Registration Number PA0000308670)". United States Copyright Office . Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Akagi, Masumi (October 13, 2006). アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005) [Arcade TV Game List: Domestic • Overseas Edition (1971-2005)] (in Japanese). Japan: Amusement News Agency. p. 138. ISBN   978-4990251215.
  3. 1 2 Sharpe, Roger C. (June 15, 1985). "Critic's Corner: Enticing players; plus six games to ponder" (PDF). Play Meter . Vol. 11, no. 11. pp. 32–6.
  4. ↑ "All American Football - Tehkan (Video Game, 1985)". Killer List of Videogames . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Tehkan World Cup (set 1)". Mini MAWS. MAME. Archived from the original on 2011-10-07. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  6. 1 2 3 "Talking Game Design with Fukio "MTJ" Mitsuji". Gamest (in Japanese). 1989.
  7. 1 2 3 "Interview with a Wonder Boy - Michihito Ishizuka". Game Side: Ultimate Game Life Magazine (in Japanese). 9. Micro Magazine. December 2007.
  8. 1 2 Carter, Jay (1985-08-24). "The Great Screen Test Of 1985". Cash Box . Cash Box Pub. Co. pp. 39, 41.
  9. ↑ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 306. Amusement Press, Inc. 15 April 1987. p. 21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.