Atlantis

Atlantis
Title Screen Atari 2600
Developer	Imagic
Publisher	Imagic Activision Philips do Brasil
Release date	Jul 1982
Platforms	Atari 2600 Atari 8-bit Intellivision Odyssey 2 VIC-20

First Release: 1982, ATARI 2600

Story

Plot involve players in defending the city of Atlantis against invasion of enemy Gorgon ships that flew over it.

"The ancient city of Atlantis, a city beneath the sea, a civilization greater than any the world has ever seen....
One day a low drone is heard throughout the ocean metropolis. The stars go out. Gorgon vessels fill the sky, pounding the city mercilessly. A cry reaches every citizen-
'Defend Atlantis' - before it becomes a watery grave!"
--- Game Manual ^Atari2600

"An ominous sound penetrates the sea surrounding the city. The Gorgon Fleet, fierce warriors intent on demolishing Atlantis, attack in force. How long can the city withstand the assault?"
--- Game Manual ^Atari2600

Gameplay

Goal

"Defend Atlantis! Blast Gorgon vessels before they come close enough to demolish Atlantis with the deathray."

―Game Manual^Atari2600

• Protect city structures by shooting down enemy ships
• Shoot as many ships as possible, as long as possible
• Gain highest score

Rules

• Enemy Gorgon ships start flying overhead once a game begins.
• If not destroyed, they escape and drop closer to the planet’s surface in the next flight.
• When a ship manages to circle down on a fourth lane of approach it reaches the closest level to the city and fires a deathray.
• First destroyed city structure is centrally located Acropolis Command Post, which also generates a force field over other buildings that shields them. After that the six installations on the planet are vulnerable to attack.
• Two Sentry Posts guards sides of the city and cannot be destroyed.
• Game ends when all seven of Atlantis' installations are destroyed.
• Earning reserve installation: with every 10,000 points scored a destroyed part of Atlantis is restored at the end of the current wave of attack.
• Shooting down a Bandit Bomber will take out all other onscreen Gorgon vessels.

Player

ATARI 2600 & ATARI 8-bit:

Depending on the game mode player controls up to three Atlantean defense installations which fire upwards at enemy vessels.

The Acropolis Command Post in the middle defends the center of Atlantis and fires fires straight upwards.

The left Post fires towards the top right corner of the screen, the right Post fires towards the left top corner.

name	image		attack	defense
	[ATARI 2600]	[ATARI 8-bit]
Acropolis Command Post			- fires single shots straight upwards - infinite ammo	none; generates force field that protects city structures
Sentry Posts			- fires single shots towards the top right diagonal - infinite ammo	indestructible
Sentry Posts			- fires single shots towards the top left diagonal - infinite ammo	indestructible

The player can only fire two shots at a time.

Base structures

ATARI 2600 & ATARI 8-bit:

There are three city districts and 3 generators that must be defended by the player or players.

The Acropolis Command Post projects a powerful force field that protects the other six underwater Atlantean installations. As a result, the Gorgon deathray must demolish it before the rest of Atlantis becomes vulnerable to attack.

name	image		durability
	[ATARI 2600]	[ATARI 8-bit]
Aqua Plain			- primarily protected by Command Post force field - destroyed by a single deathray shot - one gets restored at the end of enemy wave for every 10 000 points scored
Bridged Bazaar
Domed Palace
Generators
Force Field			deactivated when Command Post is destroyed, becomes penetrable

Game Environment

Levels

• One map
• Waves of Enemy Vessels

map	name	features
[ATARI 2600] [ATARI 8-bit]	Atlantis City	- 3 shooting posts - 7 buildings to defend (1 shooting post) - enemies moves faster at next wave - end of a wave is marked by five short and four long beeps sound - at the and of a wave the game action pauses and score is adjusted for bonus points.

"Atlantis, fabled city of antiquity, lies in peaceful waters. The major districts of the city-the Aqua Plain, the Domed Palace and the Bridged Bazaar-murmur with activity while vital generators whirl. Three defense posts guard the skies over the metropolis."

―Game Manual^Atari2600

Items

None.

Interactable Objects

None.

Enemies

Mechanics: All ships fly from side to side. If not destroyed each next fly is a lane lower, up to fourth. They do not attack until they reach lane four.

name	image		features
	[ATARI 2600]	[ATARI 8-bit]
Large Gorgon Vessel			ATTACK: - deathray (only at fourth lane of approach) DURABILITY: - destroyed at a single shot from any cannon LOOT/SCORE: - Gorgon Vessels: --- no loot --- 100 points (Command Post shot) --- 200 points (Sentry Post shot) - Bandit Bomber: --- no loot --- 1000 points (Command Post shot) --- 2000 points (Sentry Post shot) LEVEL ENCOUNTER: - from the start - all waves
		-
	-
	-
Gorgon Bandit Bomber

Bandit Bomber SPECIAL FEATURES:

• explodes when destroyed, eliminating all onscreen Gorgon vessels
• appearance is signaled by its loud warning sound
• moves faster than the large Gorgon ships

Characters

None.

UI

Game modes

ATARI 2600:

No regular difficulty levels.

There are 4 game variations:

• 1-Player Games:
  • Game 1: The real challenge: wave after wave of Gorgons attack. Every next wave the foes are faster. The two sentry posts and the Acropolis Command Post fires.
  • Game 2: Identical to game 1, but the Acropolis Command Post has been disabled and cannot fire.
  • Game 4: The prefect game for learning to play Atlantis. Game 4 does not increase in speed as rapidly as the other versions, while still remaining a challenge. Later waves are a test for any player.

• 2-Player Games
  • Game 3: Special Team Version: two player variation, with each player controlling a side Post: the left joystick fires the left sentry post, the right joystick fires the right sentry post, the Acropolis Command Post does not fire. (NOTE: the right joystick fire - automatic when the red button is hold down; the left joystick fire - the red button must be pressed each time)

ATARI 8-BIT:

COMMODORE VIC-20:

INTELLIVISION:

ODYSSEY 2:

Save Options

None.

HUD

Score counter.

Controls

ATARI 2600:

peripheral	button/key	action
Joystick	Left + Fire	Fires Left Sentry Post
	Right + Fire	Fires Right Sentry Post
	Fire (joystick centered)	Fires Acropolis Command Post

ATARI 8-BIT:

COMMODORE VIC-20:

INTELLIVISION:

ODYSSEY 2:

Scoring

ATARI 2600 & ATARI 8-bit:

score	action
100	shooting any Gorgon Vessel with Command Post
200	shooting any Gorgon Vessel with Sentry Post
500	for each part of Atlantis that survives the Gorgon assault; bonus counts at each end of a wave
1000	shooting Gorgon Bandit Bomber with Command Post
2000	shooting Gorgon Bandit Bomber with Sentry Post
0	for Gorgon Vessels destroyed by Bandit Bomber explosion

SCORE REWARD:
- gained for every 10 000 points
- one destroyed city structure is restored at the end of a wave
- Command Post has a rebuilding priority
- if no building was destroyed, award counts towards future building damages (is used at next waves during which city do suffer losses)
- in Atari 8-bit when score exceeds 90 000, cities are no longer restored

Releases & Credits

platform	first release
	box cover		date	developer	publisher	authors
Atari 2600			1982 Jul	Imagic	Imagic	Design: Dennis Koble Program: Dennis Koble
Intellivision			1982 Oct	Imagic	Imagic	Original Design: Dennis Koble Program: Pat Ransil Sound: Dave Durran
Atari 8-bit (400/800/1200)			1983 Jan	Imagic	Imagic	Design: David Johnson (Dave Johnson)
Odyssey 2			1983 May	Imagic	Imagic	Design: Dennis Koble Program: Jeff Ronnie
VIC-20			1983 May	Imagic	Imagic	Design: Bruce Pedersen

OTHER RELEASES:

platorm	box cover		date	publisher	country
Atari 2600			1988	Activision
Odyssey 2			1984	Philips do Brasil Ltda

Manual

language	file
English [EN]

Game Series

• Atlantis II
• Cosmic Ark

Additional Info

• At the end of the game, a saucer is seen flying off. According to the story in the instructions for the game, the saucer is flying off with the remnants of the last remaining citizens of Atlantis in hopes of repopulation. This is a direct tie-in to Cosmic Ark (also released for the 2600), where, along with defending the Cosmic Ark from meteor showers, in the second stage of the game, players would use the same saucer to beam up creatures from planets' surfaces in hopes of saving them and repopulating their race.
• Atlantis TV commercial 1982: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVcxOA9iMOw

Gallery

Cartridge