Space Hawk | |
---|---|
Developer(s) | Mattel |
Publisher(s) | Mattel |
Designer(s) | Bill Fisher [1] |
Platform(s) | Intellivision |
Release |
|
Genre(s) | Multidirectional shooter |
Mode(s) | Single-player |
Space Hawk is a multidirectional shooter released by Mattel for its Intellivision console in 1982. The game is a re-worked version of a previously planned clone of Asteroids in which the player, in a rocket-powered space suit, is drifting in space and shooting down or avoiding targets, including the titular hawks. [1] [3]
Space Hawk was also released by Sears for the "Super Video Arcade," its private-label version of the Intellivision console.
The object of Space Hawk is to survive as long as possible while drifting in the middle of outer space. The player is equipped with a rocket-powered space suit and a "gas blaster" for protection. Three user-selectable settings control the player's interaction with the game. The blaster can fire single shots manually or can be set to automatic rapid fire. The player's movement can include or ignore inertia. Lastly, the rotation of the space suit can either be instantaneous (by pushing the controller in the desired direction) or gradual (by holding the controller to the left or right until the desired attitude is reached). Each setting can be changed during the game as often as desired. [4]
The player is attacked by large and small mechanical hawks, which must be shot three times before they are destroyed. There are also gas bubbles and comets that can be shot or avoided. In later stages, space amoebas appear that are impervious to the player's weapons and can only be avoided. A collision with any obstacle will cost the player one life. As a last resort, the player's space suit is equipped with a hyperspace function, that will randomly relocate the player to another section of space; however, the player loses points when the hyperspace function is used. Also, from time to time, the player may encounter invisible black holes that will trigger hyperspace automatically. [4]
The player starts with a score of 500 points. Points are earned whenever targets are destroyed and lost whenever the player is destroyed or enters hyperspace. As score increases, multipliers are applied and difficulty increases. [4]
Space Hawk was the second attempt at crafting a version of Atari's popular arcade game Asteroids. [3] After company lawyers demanded changes for fear of a lawsuit, the first re-working became Astrosmash . [1] Programmer Bill Fisher began working with the previous prototype with the intent of developing a game similar to Asteroids while being different enough to avoid legal action. [1]
During development, a bug was discovered that would randomly trigger hyperspace even when the corresponding button on the controller was not pressed. [1] It was determined that simultaneously pressing the controller disc in a certain direction and using the controller's side action buttons was being interpreted by the console as pressing the key on the keypad that activated hyperspace. [1] Ultimately, as the bug could not be removed completely, the developers added the "black holes" to explain why the player would sometimes jump to hyperspace at random. [1]
The game was re-released as part of the Intellivision Lives! collection for personal computers and newer-generation game consoles, and in March 2010, Space Hawk was one of the launch titles for Microsoft's now-defunct Game Room service on its Xbox 360 console and on Games for Windows Live.
Asteroids is a space-themed multidirectional shooter arcade game designed by Lyle Rains and Ed Logg released in November 1979 by Atari, Inc. The player controls a single spaceship in an asteroid field which is periodically traversed by flying saucers. The object of the game is to shoot and destroy the asteroids and saucers, while not colliding with either, or being hit by the saucers' counter-fire. The game becomes harder as the number of asteroids increases.
The Intellivision is a home video game console released by Mattel Electronics in 1979. The name is a portmanteau of "intelligent television". Development began in 1977, the same year as the launch of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. In 1984, Mattel sold its video game assets to a former Mattel Electronics executive and investors, eventually becoming INTV Corporation. Game development ran from 1978 to 1990 when the Intellivision was discontinued. From 1980 to 1983, more than 3 million consoles were sold.
BurgerTime, originally released as Hamburger in Japan, is a 1982 arcade game developed by Data East initially for its DECO Cassette System. The player is chef Peter Pepper, who must walk over hamburger ingredients located across a maze of platforms while avoiding characters who pursue him.
Mouse Trap is a 1981 arcade maze game developed by Exidy. The game design is similar to Pac-Man, replacing Pac-Man with a mouse, the dots with cheese, the ghosts with cats, and the energizers with bones. The unique elements of Mouse Trap are that color-coded doors in the maze can be toggled by pressing a button of the same color, there is a hawk that can fly across the maze, and the bones do not immediately power up the mouse but instead are activated by pressing a button.
Astrosmash is a fixed shooter video game for the Intellivision console, designed by John Sohl, and released by Mattel Electronics in 1981. The player uses a laser cannon to destroy falling meteors, bombs, and other targets.
Shark! Shark! is an Intellivision game originally designed by Don Daglow, and with additional design and programming by Ji-Wen Tsao, one of the first female game programmers in the history of video games. The player is a fish who must eat smaller fishes in order to gain points and extra lives while avoiding enemies such as larger fishes, sharks, jellyfish, lobsters and crabs. After eating a certain number of fish, the player's fish grows in size and is thus able to eat a larger selection of fish. However, while the larger fish becomes a bit faster, he is less agile than the small fish and has a harder time avoiding enemies.
Reactor is an arcade game released in 1982 by Gottlieb. The object of the game is to cool down the core of a nuclear reactor without being pushed into its walls by swarms of subatomic particles. Reactor was developed by Tim Skelly, who previously designed and programmed a series of vector graphics arcade games for Cinematronics, including Rip Off. It was the first arcade game to credit the developer on the title screen. Reactor was ported to the Atari 2600 by Charlie Heath and published by Parker Brothers the same year as the original.
Blaster is the first-person rail shooter video game, released for arcades by Williams Electronics in 1983. It was developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar. A vague sequel to Robotron: 2084, the game is a shoot 'em up set in outer space. The goal is to destroy enemies, avoid obstacles, and rescue astronauts in twenty levels to reach paradise.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons is an Intellivision game; it was one of the first Advanced Dungeons & Dragons games to be licensed by TSR, Inc. It was later retitled to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain to distinguish it from the sequel, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin. It is the first Intellivision cartridge to use more than 4K of ROM.
Loco-Motion, known as Guttang Gottong in Japan, is an arcade puzzle game developed by Konami in 1982 and released by Sega in Japan. The North American rights were licensed to Centuri. In Loco-Motion, the player builds a path for their unstoppable locomotive by moving tracks which will allow it to pick up passengers.
Space Lords is a video game released in arcades by Atari Games in 1992. It is a first-person perspective space combat video game.
Solar Quest is a monochrome vector arcade game created by Cinematronics in 1981. It was designed and programmed by Scott Boden, who previously worked on Star Castle. It had a home release for the Vectrex system in 1982.
Armor Battle is a video game written by Chris Kinglsey for the Intellivision and published by Mattel in 1979. One of the earliest games available for the console, Armor Battle pits two players against each other in a contest to see which player can eliminate their opponent's stock of tanks first.
Basketball is a multiplayer sports video game produced by Mattel and released for its Intellivision video game system in 1980. The players each control a basketball team competing in four timed quarters of game play. Mattel obtained a license from National Basketball Association and used the NBA logo in its box art, making it first basketball video game to be licensed by the NBA. NBA Basketball does not use any official team or player names. It was sold by Sears for its private-label version of the Intellivision console, the "Super Video Arcade," without the NBA name or logo.
Triple Action is an action video game produced by Mattel Electronics for its Intellivision video game system in 1981. The game actually includes three separate games—racing, tank combat and flying—where two players compete against each other for the best score.
Buzz Bombers is a fixed shooter video game developed by Mattel Electronics for its Intellivision system and released in 1982. Mattel's reaction to Atari's popular Centipede, the player controls a can of bug spray trying to ward off swarms of bees.
Auto Racing is a racing video game written by Larry Zwick and released by Mattel for its Intellivision video game console in 1980. Auto Racing pits two players against each other using a top-down perspective on one of five different race courses. Auto Racing was released under the same name by Sears for its private-label version of the Intellivision console, the "Super Video Arcade."
Skiing is a sports video game produced by Mattel and released for its Intellivision video game system in 1980. Up to six players compete individually on either a downhill or slalom course to see who can complete the course the fastest. For the game's initial release, Mattel obtained a license from the U. S. Ski Team and used its name and logo in the game's box art. In 1988, INTV Corporation released an enhanced version of the game entitled Mountain Madness: Super Pro Skiing.
Snafu is a video game released by Mattel for its Intellivision video game system in 1981. One of a number of snake games released in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Snafu features players controlling ever-lengthening serpents as they attempt to corner their opponents and trap them.
Sharp Shot is a video game released by Mattel for its Intellivision video game system in 1982. Specifically marketed towards younger children, Sharp Shot is a collection of four simple games where the object is to score points by correctly timing shots at various targets.
You can hardly blame Coleco for attempting to cash in on the popular space game. Mattel did the same thing with its Space Hawk cartridge[...]