Phasor Zap

Publisher(s)	The Elektrik Keyboard
Programmer(s)	Chris Oberth
Platform(s)	Apple II
Release	1978
Mode(s)	Single-player

Last updated July 01, 2019

Phasor Zap is a game for the Apple II family of computers, created in 1978 by programmer Chris Oberth and published by The Elektrik Keyboard of Chicago, Illinois.^[1]

The Apple II series is a family of home computers, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer, and launched in 1977 with the original Apple II. In terms of ease of use, features, and expandability, the Apple II was a major advancement over its predecessor, the Apple I, a limited-production bare circuit board computer for electronics hobbyists. Through 1988, a number of models were introduced, with the most popular, the Apple IIe, remaining changed relatively little into the 1990s. A 16-bit model with much more advanced graphics and sound, the Apple IIGS, was added in 1986. While compatible with earlier Apple II systems, the IIGS was in closer competition with the Atari ST and Amiga.

The Elektrik Keyboard was a computer and musical instrument store located on North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, Illinois in the 1970s and 1980s. In the late '70s it added personal computers and MIDI music to its lineup, and began publishing Apple II computer software written by programmer Chris Oberth. The software, advertised in the company's catalog and sold on cassette, largely consisted of games including some that emulated popular arcade titles.

Game play

Phasor Zap presents the player with a purple-tinted starfield that represents the view from the player's spacecraft. Enemy spacecraft appear from the edges of the screen and move straight across it, and it's up to the player to use to the paddles to focus four "phasor" beams onto each ship to destroy it, earning points. The player begins with a limited amount of phasor energy, one point of which is consumed each time the player shoots. When the amount of remaining energy reaches zero, the phasor is depleted and the game is over.

A paddle is a game controller with a round wheel and one or more fire buttons, where the wheel is typically used to control movement of the player object along one axis of the video screen. A paddle controller rotates through a fixed arc ; it has a stop at each end.

When an enemy ship crosses either the vertical or horizontal center line of the screen, it fires, scoring a hit. When this happens, the word "ZAP!" briefly fills the screen. If the player hasn't already run out of phasor energy, the game will end when the enemies score 99 hits.^[1]^[2]

The term "phasor" alludes to the phaser energy weapons used in the Star Trek science fiction series.

Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) to distinguish the show within the media franchise that it began.

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References

1 2 The Elektrik Keyboard (catalog). Chicago, Illinois: The Elektrik Keyboard. c. 1979.
↑ Chris Oberth (1978). Phasor Zap. Apple II. The Elektrik Keyboard.

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[ek-1] 1 2 The Elektrik Keyboard (catalog). Chicago, Illinois: The Elektrik Keyboard. c. 1979.

[pz-2] Chris Oberth (1978). Phasor Zap. Apple II. The Elektrik Keyboard.