Spider Fighter
{{Short description|1982 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Spider Fighter
| image = Spider Fighter cover.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| developer = Activision
| publisher = Activision
| programmer = Larry Miller{{cite web|title=The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers|url=https://dadgum.com/giantlist/ |last1=Hague |first1=James}}
| released = 1982
| genre = Fixed shooter
| modes = Single-player
| platforms = Atari 2600
}}
Spider Fighter is a fixed shooter designed by Larry Miller for the Atari 2600 and published by Activision in 1982. The game is a re-themed version of the arcade video game Stratovox. The object of Spider Fighter'' is to protect an orchard containing fruit—grapes, strawberries, oranges, and bananas—from four kinds of bugs.{{cite web|title=Spider Fighter Manual|url=https://archive.org/details/Spider_Fighter_1983_Activision|website=archive.org|year=1983 }}
According to the manual, Miller was "the newest addition to the Activision design team." He went on to create the Atari 2600 racing game Enduro for Activision, released in 1983.
Gameplay
File:Spider Fighter Atari 2600.jpg
In each level, the player protects three pieces of fruit using a blaster that moves horizontally along the bottom of the screen. The joystick button fires a shot upward toward four types of attackers. Each level contains a set number of "master nests": enemies which can grab a piece of fruit and drag it off the left side of the screen. A nest drops the fruit when shot. The game ends if all fruit has been stolen or all of the blasters are destroyed. The type of fruit varies per level: grapes, strawberries, oranges, and bananas.
There is an option to have the shots move horizontally with the blaster after being fired, allowing them to be steered.
At the time of release, anyone who sent a photo showing a score of 40,000 or more points received a patch for the Activision "Spider Fighters".
Reception
Spider Fighter was not as successful as Activision's other fixed shooter released earlier the same year, Megamania.
Electronic Fun with Computers & Games gave the game 3 out 4 joysticks in the May 1983 issue.{{cite journal |last1=Wiswell |first1=Phil |title=Spider Fighter |url=https://archive.org/stream/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_07_1983-05_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer__Games_Vol_01_No_07_1983-05_Fun__Games_Publishing_US#page/n61 |page=64 |date=May 1983|journal=Electronic Fun with Computers & Games}} A June 1983 Electronic Games review was more critical, claiming it a "keen disappointment" and a "mediocre title from a superior game company."{{cite journal|title=Spider Fighter|journal=Electronic Games|date=June 1983|page=40|url=https://archive.org/stream/electronic-games-magazine-1983-06/Electronic_Games_Issue_16_Vol_02_04_1983_Jun#page/n39/mode/2up}} Joystik took the middle road, calling it "a better than average bottom-shoot game that somehow looks like it should be more difficult than it is."{{cite journal |first1=Jim |last1=Gorzelany |title=The Home Front: Spider Fighter |journal=Joystik |date=July 1983 |volume=1 |issue=6 |page=61 |url=https://archive.org/details/joystik_magazine-1983-07/page/n61/mode/2up/}}
In a retrospective look, Digital Press described it as "much like the coin-op game Stratovox but w/o the voice".{{cite web|title=The Digital Press Virtual Collectors Guide|url=http://www.digitpress.com/video-game-guide/?mode=GameInfo&gameid=24229|website=Digital Press}} Writing for AtariHQ, Keita Iida said "2600 players who are familiar with Activision's usual efforts (which are exceptional overall) might feel a bit let down by Spider Fighter."{{cite web|last1=Iida|first1=Keita|title=Spider Fighter|url=http://www.atarihq.com/reviews/2600/spider_fighter.html|website=AtariHQ}}
See also
{{Portal|Video games|1980s}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{atarimania|id=18083}}
- {{internet archive game|atari_2600_spider_fighter_1982_activision_larry_miller_ax-021}}
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxPCeiz9gqA 1983 TV commercial]
Category:Atari 2600-only games
Category:Video games about food and drink
Category:Video games about insects
Category:Video games developed in the United States