Threshold (1981 video game)
{{short description|1981 fixed shooter video game}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Threshold
| image = Threshold_1981_box_art.jpg
| alt = Several fictional spaceships illustrated in front of several fictional planets. The word "Threshold" is printed at the top, and "SierraVision" is printed at the bottom.
| caption = Box cover with a C64 sticker
| developer = On-Line Systems
| publisher = On-Line Systems
Tigervision (2600)
France Image Logiciel (Thomson)
| designer = Warren Schwader
| programmer = Apple II
Warren Schwader
Ken Williams
Atari 8-bit
Peter Oliphant
| released = 1981: Apple, Atari, VIC
1982: 2600
1983: C64
1984: ColecoVision, Thomson
| genre = Fixed shooter
| modes =
| platforms = Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari 2600, VIC-20, Commodore 64, ColecoVision, Thomson
}}
Threshold is a space-themed fixed shooter written by Warren Schwader and Ken Williams for the Apple II and published by On-Line Systems in 1981. Based on Sega's Astro Blaster arcade video game, Threshold introduces many enemy ship types and wave formations as the game progresses. Reviewers found the variety distinguished the game from similar shoot 'em ups.
Ports to other systems were released on ROM cartridge: Atari 8-bit computers and VIC-20 in 1981, Commodore 64 in 1983, and ColecoVision and Thomson computers in 1984. An Atari 2600 adaptation was published by Tigervision in 1982. It is unique in allowing the player's ship to move vertically.{{cite web |title=Atari 2600 VCS Threshold |url=http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-threshold_16952.html |website=Atari Mania}}
Schwader also wrote the 1983 Apple II platform game Sammy Lightfoot.
Gameplay
The player moves a spaceship, the Threshold, left and right along the botton of the screen and uses its laser weapon to destroy waves of aliens attacking from above. When a wave is eliminated, another appears. As in Astro Blaster, firing the laser increases its temperature, and it cools when not in use. If the temperature bar fills completely, then the weapon is disabled until it fully cools. Once per ship, pulling back on the joystick activates a "warp drive" that briefly slows the action.
In the Atari 2600 conversion, the ship can be freely moved in eight directions in the lower portion of the screen, but lacks the warp drive ability.
Development
The game was inspired by Ken Williams playing an Astro Blaster arcade machine in a store and calling Warren Schwader. In an interview in Halcyon Days, Schwader said: {{quote|Instead of trying to duplicate the game in every detail, I set out to just take the concept and run with it–after first playing Astro Blaster for hours on end though. No matter how hard we tried, we never could get to the end of that game. There were always more new creatures to discover and that kept us coming back. We set out to provide the same experience for Threshold players.}}
It took two months to implement. Williams only worked on the project for two weeks of that time, writing the Apple II animation routines.
Reception
On-Line Systems sold approximately 25,000 copies of Threshold.
Reviewing the Apple II original for Creative Computing, David Lubar wrote, "The animation in Threshold is superb", and he found the number of enemy types and waves to be a strong point. The magazine's Steve Williams said that the VIC-20 version "is a fine action game with a few interesting twists ... one of the best Galaxian derivatives available for the Vic".{{Cite magazine |last=Williams |first=Steve |date=September 1984 |title=Threshold |url=https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1984-09/page/n119/mode/1up?view=theater |access-date=2025-03-21 |magazine=Creative Computing |publisher=Ziff-Davis |pages=118,120 |volume=10 |number=9}} The Book of Atari Software 1983 gave the Atari 8-bit port a B rating: "It's the usual scenario, with this exception: the game offers unusual depth and variety."{{cite book |title=The Book of Atari Software 1983 |date=1983 |publisher=The Book Company |page=91 |url=https://archive.org/details/book_atari_software_1983/page/n81/mode/2up}} They found they sometimes mistook the stars in the animated background for enemy bullets. In Ahoy! magazine, R.J. Michaels led off his review with, "Only humor saves this game from being a run of the mill slide-and-shoot burn-the-alien-invaders game."{{cite magazine |magazine=Ahoy! |last1=Michaels |first=R.J. |issue=3 |date=March 1984 |page=65 |title=Reviews: Threshold |
url=https://archive.org/details/ahoy-magazine-03/page/n63/mode/2up}}
Appraising the Atari 8-bit computer version, Electronic Games noticed the Astro Blaster connection and wrote "The graphics in Threshold are tremendous."{{cite journal |last1=Goldstein |first1=Leigh |title=Computer Gaming: Threshold |journal=Electronic Games |date=November 1982 |volume=1 |issue=9 |page=79 |url=http://www.digitpress.com/library/magazines/electronic_games/electronic_games_nov82.pdf}} The reviewer disliked the loading that occurs every so often between levels and found the game overall too difficult.
=Atari 2600=
Tigervision's Atari 2600 adaptation received a "Certificate of Merit" in the "Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Videogame" category of the 1983 Arcade Awards.{{cite journal |title=1983 Arcade Awards |journal=Electronic Games |date=January 1983 |volume=1 |issue=11 |page=23 |url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Games_Volume_01_Number_11_1983-01_Reese_Communications_US/page/n21/mode/2up}}
JoyStik magazine gave the 2600 version four out of five stars and wrote: "Finally, a bottom-shoot space game where you can move vertically, as well as horizontally!"{{cite magazine |magazine=JoyStik |date=January 1983 |title=New Games '83 |page=59 |url=https://archive.org/details/joystik_magazine-1983-01/page/n59/mode/2up}}
References
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External links
- {{atarimania|id=5355}}
- [http://gb64.com/game.php?id=7893&d=18&h=0 Threshold] at Gamebase 64
- [https://archive.org/details/1982-08-anticmagazine/page/n49/mode/2up Review] in Antic
- [https://archive.org/details/softalkv2n04dec1981/page/114/mode/2up Review] in Softalk
- [https://archive.org/details/creativecomputing-1982-08/page/n43/mode/2up Review] in Creative Computing
- [https://archive.org/details/Creative_Computing_1984-09/page/n115/mode/2up Review] in Creative Computing
Category:Video games about alien invasions
Category:Atari 8-bit computer games