Megamania

Megamania
Title Screen Atari 2600
Developer	Activision
Publisher	Activision
Release date	1982
Platforms	Atari 2600 Atari 5200 Atari 8-bit

First Release: 1982, Atari 2600

FULL TITLE:
Megamania (A Space Nightmare)

Gameplay

Player control a mobile Blaster at the bottom of the screen as enemy objects appear overhead. Their attack patterns varied, as many objects would horizontally scroll from the left to the right side of the screen, although with every other wave, other objects (such as Cookies) would travel horizontally for a few seconds, then dip down closer to the player blaster and reverse direction. Also, if not all of these objects were destroyed by the time they reached the bottom of the screen, they would reappear at the top over and over again (which this act is called the “MegaSphere”).

Once player faced all enemy objects and made it past the final of the 8 waves, the Space Dice, the game would start back over at the first wave (which is called the “MegaCycle”), but at a higher level of difficulty, as attack patterns would change, such as the Hamburgers would start pausing during a wave, then move across the screen at a faster rate for a second or two, rather than just scrolling across the screen horizontally without stopping as they did originally. Other enemies that moved downwards from the top of the screen (like the aforementioned Cookies) would dive down this time around, Space Dice would no longer travel straight down vertically any more, but at about a 45 degree angle, etc. And if players could make it through the MegaCycle a second time, dive-bombing enemies began traveling even faster towards the bottom of the screen, along with their shots moving faster as well.

Players also had an energy bar that would constantly drain during a wave, which, if the bar became totally depleted, the player would lose that mobile blaster. Successfully completing a wave would recharge the bar though. If a player’s(s’) blaster came in contact with any enemy or their missiles they would also lose a blaster and the game would end if there were no remaining blasters in reserve.

Player

Blaster
Atari 2600	Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
FEATURES: - attack: straight or guided single fire - defense: none (one shoot kill)

Moves

Basic Moves

• attack (single fire)
• move (left/right0

Special Moves

None.

Forbidden Moves

• move upwards

Weapons

Game mode dependent:

• guided missiles (mode 1 and 2)
• straight missiles (mode 3 and 4)
• single shot
• fire rate changeable with difficulty switch

Game Environment

Levels

map	name	features

Items

None.

Interactable Objects

None.

Enemies

All enemies:

• attack: descending in different patterns, occasionally shooting
• durability: one shoot kill

Hamburger		Deluxe Hamburger
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
FEATURES: - score: 20 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 1 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Cookie		Ice Cream Sandwich
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
		[ADD ME]
FEATURES: - score: 30 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 2 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Bug		Refrigerator Magnet
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
FEATURES: - score: 40 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 3 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Radial Tire
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
FEATURES: - score: 50 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 4 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Diamond		Diamond Ring
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
FEATURES: - score: 60 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 5 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Steam Iron
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
		[ADD ME]
FEATURES: - score: 70 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 6 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Bow Tie		Party Bow Tie
Atari 2600		Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
		[ADD ME]
FEATURES: - score: 80 points (first cycle), 90 points (next cycles) - level encounter: 7 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance differs at even and odds cycles

Space Dice	Dreaded Space Dice
Atari 2600	Atari 5200	Atari 8-bit
	[ADD ME]
FEATURES: - score: 90 points (every cycle) - level encounter: 8 wave in every cycle - Atari 2600 appearance does not differ at even and odds cycles

Bosses

None.

Dangers

No obstacles.

Characters

None.

UI

Menu

main menu		submenu
image	options

Game modes

Games 1-2 allow players to guide missiles after they have been fired, which game two is for two players alternating turns. Games 3-4 allow players to fire straight missiles (with game four being for two players), although players have to press the controller button every time they want to shoot, as holding down the button to fire does not work in these variations as they do for games 1-2.

The player firing rate can also be slowed down by setting the Difficulty Switch(es) in the A position.

HUD

name	image	description

Controls

peripheral	button/key	action

Scoring

score [Atari 2600 and Atari 5200]		action
first cycle:	next cycles:	shooting down:
20 points	90	Hamburger [Atari 2600] = Deluxe Hamburger [Atari 5200]
30 points	90	Cookie [Atari 2600] = Ice Cream Sandwich [Atari 5200]
40 points	90	Bug [Atari 2600] = Refrigerator Magnet [Atari 5200]
50 points	90	Radial Tire [Atari 2600 and Atari 5200]
60 points	90	Diamond [Atari 2600] = Diamond Ring [Atari 5200]
70 points	90	Steam Iron [Atari 2600 and Atari 5200]
80 points	90	Bow Tie [Atari 2600] = Party Bow Tie [Atari 5200]
90 points	90	Space Dice [Atari 2600] = Dreaded Space Dice [Atari 5200]

SCORE REWARD:
- gained for every 10 000 points
- add one blaster in reserve (+1 life)
- maximum 6 reserve blasters onscreen

MAXIMUM SCORE:
- Atari 2600: 999999 (the game ends)
- Atari 5200: ?
- Atari 8-bit: ? (above 1 milion)

Releases & Credits

platform	first release
	box cover		date	developer	publisher	authors
Atari 2600			1982	Activision	Activision
Atari 5200			1983	Activision	Activision
Atari 8-bit			1983	Activision	Activision

OTHER RELEASES:

platorm	box cover		date	publisher	country

Manual

language	file
English [EN]

Additional Info

• At the time of its release, Megamania was one of the very few bottom of the screen shooters for the Atari 2600 where objects that the player(s) had to shoot down had their attack patterns change with every new enemy that was introduced. And rather than the common sci-fi theme where players faced aliens and/or spaceships, a more whimsical route was taken this time around, as players faced the everyday items of Hamburgers, Bow Ties, Steam Irons, etc. instead.
• The game was published in many compilations (Activision Anthology, Activision Hits: Remixed) and on various additional modern platforms (Game Boy Advance, digiBlast, PlayStation 2, etc.) years later.
• Pirated versions of the game were released by CCE, Digivision, Dynacom, H. E. S., Polyvox, Tron and Zirok. And due to Hack-o-Matic and the like programs, people can change graphics and even play elements of video games nowadays, which several hacks were done of Megamania. A few include Ventrra Invaders 2002 (changing Megamania enemies into various Space Invaders incarnations), Intellivision Lives? (players control an Intellivision Blaster that must rid Atari characters), and Nitemare (giving the game a Halloween theme).
• Megamania programmer Steve Cartwright was reportedly influenced by Astro Blaster.
• During the game’s original release, players that could score 45,000 points or more for both the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200 versions could send a photo of their score to Activision to receive a Megamaniacs patch. Some virtual patches can be earned with the modern re-release of the game nowadays as well.
• This original version came in a picture and blue label, the latter of which is a bit more rare.

Gallery

Megamania cartridge