| Miniature Golf | |
|---|---|
 Cover art by Cliff Spohn | |
| Developer(s) | Atari, Inc. [1] |
| Publisher(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Tom Reuterdahl [2] [ better source needed ] |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Release | 1979 |
| Genre(s) | Golf |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, 2 players alternating |
Miniature Golf is a golf video game developed for the Atari VCS (later called the Atari 2600) by Tom Reuterdahl[ citation needed ] and published by Atari, Inc. in 1979. [1]
There are nine playable holes in Miniature Golf. The goal of each hole is to get the ball into the cup. Each time the player hits the ball, a stroke is added to their score. The number of strokes the player may take are unlimited. A par represents the number to strokes the player ideally must take to complete the hole. [3]
Miniature Golf was released in 1979 and published by Atari, Inc. [1] [4] For the Sears Tele-Games release of the game published by Sears, the game was re-titled Arcade Golf. [4] [5]
The cover art of Miniature Golf was done by Cliff Spohn. [6] Spohn started working as a freelancer for Atari in 1977 through Palo Alto-based agency called Steven Jacobs Design. [7] Spohn recalled that he went out to a local miniature golf course and took photographs of everything around him to get images for the cover. [6]
From retrospective reviews, Brett Weiss in his book Classic Home Video Games 1972-1984 wrote that the game had unimaginatively laid out courses and that it had "some of the worst graphics in the history of video games", specifically noting the simple squares for objects and holes. [1]
The Atari 2600 is a discontinued home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System, it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridges, a format first used with the Fairchild Channel F in 1976. The VCS was bundled with two joystick controllers, a conjoined pair of paddle controllers, and a game cartridge—initially Combat and later Pac-Man. Sears sold the system as the Tele-Games Video Arcade. Atari rebranded the VCS as the Atari 2600 in November 1982 alongside the release of the Atari 5200.
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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.
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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 gameplay 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.
Blackjack is a video game simulation of the card game blackjack. It was designed by Bob Whitehead for the Atari Video Computer System. The game allows up to three players to play a variation of blackjack. Each player is given 200 chips where they can bet 1 to 25 of each round. The game ends for a player when they either run out of chips or earns 1000 chips or more.
Super Breakout is a sequel to the 1976 video game Breakout released in arcades in September 1978 by Atari, Inc. It was written by Ed Rotberg. The game uses the same mechanics as Breakout, but allows the selection of three distinct game modes via a knob on the cabinet—two of which involve multiple, simultaneous balls in play. Both the original and sequel are in black and white with monitor overlays to add color. It was distributed in Japan by Namco and Esco Trading.
Superman is a video game programmed by John Dunn for the Atari Video Computer System and released in 1979 by Atari, Inc. The player controls Superman, whose quest is to explore an open-ended environment to find three pieces of a bridge that was destroyed by Lex Luthor, capture Luthor and his criminal gang, and return to the Daily Planet building. The game world is populated by antagonists such as a helicopter that re-arranges the bridge pieces and roving kryptonite satellites that cause Superman to revert into Clark Kent.
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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".
Home Run is a 1978 sports video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari Video Computer System. It was the first baseball-themed game released for an Atari platform. The game received mostly negative critical reception due to its unrealistic portrayal of the sport. It was one of the games used by console competitor Mattel to show the quality improvement of Intellivision sports games over the Atari VCS.
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.
Slot Machine is a 1979 video game written by David Crane for the Atari VCS and published by Atari, Inc. Along with Star Ship and Miniature Golf, it was one of the first Atari VCS games to be discontinued.
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Miniature Golf: In an interpretation of the popular family pastime, players attempt to putt their golf ball around nine playfields populated with tricky boundaries and moving obstacles. Released in 1979, Miniature Golf ("Arcade Golf") in its Sears Tele-Games release) still enjoys a following for its accessible mechanics and enduring challenge.
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