Hydra (video game)

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Hydra
Hydra arcade flyer.jpg
North American arcade flyer
Developer Atari Games [a]
Publisher
Atari Games
Producer Milt Loper
Programmers Dennis Harper
Andrew Burgess
Artists Chuck Eyler
Deborah Short
Nick Stern
Composers Brad Fuller
Don Diekneite
Platforms Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Atari Lynx
ReleaseArcade
Home computers
Lynx
Genre Vehicular combat
Mode Single-player
Arcade system Atari G1 [3]

Hydra is a 1990 vehicular combat video game developed and published by Atari Games for arcades. The player pilots a hovercraft, trying to deliver top secret items while avoiding mines, other hovercraft, and logs. The player can collect money and fuel and the game uses X-Y yoke control.

Contents

Gameplay

Arcade screenshot ARC Hydra (Baja California).png
Arcade screenshot

In Hydra, thieves are trying to steal the treasures from a museum which contain secrets to a weapon, and it is up to the player to stop them. The player is issued an experimental speedboat to navigate the rivers and retrieve the treasures from checkpoints. [4] There are nine levels of rivers and oceans. While playing the game, the player can collect money bags for extra cash and crystals for extra fuel. [5] The obstacles are gun embankments, enemy crafts and other nuisances that will slow the player down and may cause the cargo to be dropped and float downstream which will need to be retrieved. [6] [5] At the end of each level, the player drops off the cargo and can buy upgrades from a shop to improve the Hydra speedboat. [7]

Development and release

In May 1991, the game received its first home conversions for the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. [2] The Amiga, Atari ST, and C64 versions were developed by ICE Software, while the CPC and ZX Spectrum versions were developed by Moonstone Interactive; all home computer versions were published by Atari's console port division Tengen in association with Domark Limited. The Atari Lynx version was developed by NuFX and published by Atari Corporation in 1992.

Reception

Robert Jung reviewed the Atari Lynx version of the game which has been published on IGN. He went on to say the game borrowed "heavily from RoadBlasters ", but he found it fun and gave a score of 8 out of 10. [5] Game Zero Magazine reviewed the game and gave a score of 82 out of 100. [8]

Notes

  1. ↑ Amiga, Atari ST, and Commodore 64 versions developed by ICE Software; Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum versions developed by Moonstone Computing; Atari Lynx version developed by NuFX.

References

  1. ↑ 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. 111. ISBN   978-4990251215.
  2. 1 2 "Preview: Hydra". Computer and Video Games . No. 115. June 1991. p. 126.
  3. ↑ "Hydra". arcade-history.com. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  4. ↑ Hydra Instruction Manual. Atari. p. 1.
  5. 1 2 3 Robert A. Jung (July 6, 1999). "Another excellent arcade adaptation from Atari. Read the full review below". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  6. ↑ Hydra Instruction Manual. Atari. p. 3.
  7. ↑ Hydra Instruction Manual. Atari. p. 4.
  8. ↑ "Hydra review". Game Zero Magazine. Vol. 1, no. 3. September 1992.
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