| Hangman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Alan Miller |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Puzzle |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, two-player |
Hangman is a video game based on the pen-and-paper game of the same name released in 1978 by Atari, Inc. for the Atari VCS (renamed to the Atari 2600 in 1982). [1]
The game was programmed by Alan Miller, who later cofounded Activision, [2] with cover art by Susan Jaekel. [3] The game was coded in assembly code. [4]
As in the traditional game of Hangman, the player must guess the letter of a hidden word, with each wrong guess resulting in a piece being added to a gallows, with the game ending either when the gallows is completed or when the word has been fully guessed. The player can select from a range of four difficulty levels from first grade to high school. The words have a maximum length of six characters. [1] Instead of the traditional man to be hanged being shown in the picture, a monkey is shown hanging from the gallows by its arm. Hangman contains 510 words divided into four difficulty levels. [2] A timed mode where the player has to guess before a time limit expires is also available. [3]
The game may be played in single-player mode, or in a two-player mode where the players play together. [1] In one-player mode the player has 11 attempts at guessing before the gallows is constructed. In two-player mode, guessing may go on until one player wins. [2]
Contemporary reviewers were unimpressed with the game. UK-based TV Gamer described it as "poor value for money" as it differed little from the pen-and-paper version of the game. [5] A review in the 1983 Book of Atari Software described it as a "nice implementation of the classic game" but also criticised the graphics, and gave the game a rating of "B" overall. [4]
In a retrospective review in Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide, Brett Weiss described it as "a passable rendition of a classic game. [1]
Combat is a 1977 video game by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System. In the game, two players controlling either a tank, a biplane, or a jet fire missiles at each other for two minutes and sixteen seconds. Points are scored by hitting the opponent, and the player with the most points when the time runs out wins. Variations on the gameplay introduce elements such as invisible vehicles, missiles that ricochet off of walls, and different playing fields.
River Raid is a video game developed by Carol Shaw for the Atari Video Computer System and released in 1982 by Activision. The player controls a fighter jet over the River of No Return in a raid behind enemy lines. The goal is to navigate the flight by destroying enemies while collecting fuel and not crashing.
Basic Math is an educational video game for the Atari Video Computer System. The game was developed at Atari, Inc. by Gary Palmer. The game involves a series of ten arithmetic problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. The player can edit different game play modes to alter how the numbers in the problem are chosen, or if their questions are timed. The game was released in 1977 as one of the earliest releases for the console.
Pressure Cooker is a video game for the Atari 2600 designed by Garry Kitchen and released by Activision in 1983. The player is a short-order cook at a hamburger stand who must assemble and package hamburgers to order without letting ingredients or hamburgers fall to the floor.
Skeet Shoot is a skeet shooting video game for the Atari 2600 and the first game released by Games by Apollo in December 1981. Players assume the role of a skeet shooter shooting clay pigeons. There is a two-player mode where the players alternate.
Surround is a video game programmed by Alan Miller and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System. The game played similar to the arcade game Blockade (1976) which allowed players to navigate a continuously moving block around an enclosed space as a wall trails behind it. Every time the opposite player had their brick hit a wall, the opposing player would earn a single point with the winner being the first to collect ten points.
Brain Games is a collection of memory video games programmed by Larry Kaplan and released by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 2600 in 1978. It is a group of memory games, in which the player is faced with outwitting the computer in sound and picture puzzles. It can be played as either a one or two player game. In place of using the standard joystick, Brain Games utilizes the 12-button keypad controller.
Lost Luggage is a 1982 action video game developed and published by Games by Apollo for the Atari 2600. The player controls skycaps working at an airport and tries to collect pieces of luggage that fall overhead from a frantic luggage carousel. A two-player mode, in which the second player controls the direction the luggage falls, is also available.
Z-Tack is a shoot 'em up for the Atari 2600 from Asia-based developer Onbase Co. and published under its Bomb label in 1983. The player controls an alien ship flying above a city with a goal of destroying bases nestled in the buildings. There are six different city-landscapes. The game received mixed reviews from critics and was described as an inverted version of Imagic's Atlantis.
Fire Fighter is a video game written by Brad Stewart for the Atari 2600 published by Imagic in 1982. The player uses fire fighting equipment in an attempt to extinguish the fire in a tall building and rescue the occupants.
Fireball is a Breakout clone video game developed by Arcadia for the Atari 2600. The game was released on cassette tape and required the Starpath Supercharger add-on to play.
Human Cannonball is a non-military variant of an artillery video game released in 1979 by Atari, Inc. for the Atari VCS. The goal is to launch a performer from a cannon so they land in container of water supported by a tower. The game was in the first wave of Atari VCS games after the original nine launch titles. It was also among the first games for the console to be discontinued by Atari.
Backgammon is a video game adaptation of the board-game backgammon developed by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System and released in 1979. The game was one of the earliest electronic versions of Backgammon.
Codebreaker is a video game released in 1978 by Atari, Inc. for the Atari VCS. It was in the first wave of Atari VCS games to follow the original nine launch titles. It was one of three cartridges to accompany the introduction of the Atari keyboard controller, an add-on launched in response to claims of false advertising that the VCS is a "computer".
Flag Capture is a video game published in 1978 by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System. It is based on the traditional game Capture the flag. The game was designed and programmed by Jim Huether. The cover art for the game is by John Enright.
Othello is a 1980 video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for its Atari Video Computer System. It is based on the variant of Reversi of the same name, originally created in 1971. The VCS game was programmed by Ed Logg and Carol Shaw.
Pigs in Space is a three-in-one 1983 video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 2600. It is based on the "Pigs in Space" sketch series on the then-popular television series The Muppet Show. The game is the last in a series of children-friendly games developed by Atari for the Atari 2600. Atari marketed the games as being good for the development of hand-to-eye coordination.
Radar Lock is a 1989 video game developed and published by Atari for the Atari 2600.
Sentinel is a 1990 video game developed by Imagineering and published by Atari for the Atari 2600. It is the only light gun game ever released for the Atari 2600 platform. It was re-released with improved graphics for the Atari 7800 in 1991.
Space Invaders is a 1980 video game based on Taito's arcade game of the same name for the Atari 2600. It was developed and released by Atari, Inc. and designed and developed by Rick Maurer. The game is based on the arcade game in which a player operates a laser cannon to shoot at incoming enemies from outer space. Maurer's version has unique graphics and offers some gameplay variations. These include a two-player mode and variations that allow for invisible enemies and moving shields, and for enemies shots to zig zag and potentially hit players.
