Survivor (1982 video game)

This article is about the 1986 Synapse Software game. For other games with the same title, see Survivor (disambiguation).
Survivor
Developer(s) Richard Carr (Atari), Peter Adams (C64)
Publisher(s) Synapse Software
Platform(s) Atari 8-bit, Amstrad CPC, MSX, MSX 2, ZX Spectrum
Release date(s) 1982
Genre(s) Shooter game
Mode(s) Single player

Survivor is an shooter game released in 1982 by Synapse Software. It was originally for the Atari 8-bit computers and was ported to the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC, MSX and ZX Spectrum.

The player controls a spaceship attacking a number of fortresses, attempting to destroy the fort's guns without being hit. The game is notable for its optional cooperative play, which allows one user to control the motion of the spaceship while another controls its gun.

Gameplay

Survivor takes place on a scrolling map consisting of several areas walled off to form separate but closely spaced fortresses. The fortresses are randomly shaped and bristle with guns that fire continually. The fortresses are also surrounded by a protective wall made of blocks, which take several shots to destroy.

The player begins in space outside the forts. They begin the action by moving towards one of them and shooting enough of the blocks to provide access to the fort within. They then enter the inner area and shoot out the guns. Some of these may be located on interior sections or in locations close to the wall where they may be difficult to attack. When all of the guns on a fort are destroyed, it explodes and awards the player with two "smart bombs". The player then moves onto another fort, and continues until all of the forts on the map are destroyed and the mission ends.

The player can be destroyed by the fortress guns, or any of the numerous moving enemies. These enemies can be destroyed with the ship's gun, or by using up one of the smart bombs, which destroy all of the enemies on the screen. Some enemies are also blocked by the protective wall, making them easy to avoid by shooting open only small passages in the walls. Others can move through the walls and present more of a challenge. Since some of the fort guns can only be attacked from angles that demand additional holes be punched in the walls, the play can become hectic.

The game begins with three lives and four smart bombs. Another life is awarded with every 10,000 points. At the end of a round, any lives over three award an additional 3000 points.

In single player mode the player uses the joystick to move in the eight cardinal directions. When the fire button is held down, the ship continues moving in the last direction while slowing down, and the joystick instead fires the gun in those same eight directions. In two player mode, the first player controls motion while the second controls firing, allowing motion and firing at the same time. The Atari version allowed up to four players in a single mission, giving each additional user control over a different guns or weapons.

Reception

Survivor was one of Synapse's earliest releases, in a time when magazines for the various platforms were just starting up. Thus it appears that no contemporary reviews of the original Atari version of game are available. The only known review of the C64 release is modern, covered by the retrogaming sight The Videogame Critic, who awarded it a B- grade with several comments on its basic graphics.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Survivor". The Videogame Critic. 2011.
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