Random Game O' the Day (poll edition): Centipede
Day 9.
Who can forget the first time they saw this frantic game, with what may be considered to be the first "boss" character in gaming? It's one of the legends of classic gaming and it has stood the test of time very well, turning up again and again in various compilations and even in the modern era under Hasbro's direction. So what do you think of the game? What was your favorite version? What home console did the best job of representing? Can you remember the first time you saw the game or played it? Share your thoughts and write your mini-review here!
DP Guide sez:
Centipede (Arcadia 2001, by Unknown) $0/R0
Based on the 1980 Atari coin-op. This is a vaporware game announced by Hanimex, planned for release soon after the console had been launched. After the first 17 titles were released, it was going to be part of a second wave of game releases along with "Galaga" and "Jungler". As with most of the announced games that fell victim to copyright infringement lawsuit fears, this game's release plans altered. Past experiences with this global software library, however, support the idea that they could have in fact been completed before their release plans changed. A number of similar titles prove this. The ROM software archiving and system research experience Ward has done with this library leads him to feel it is worthwhile to continue to hold out some level of hope that we will one day see this title in its original form. At one point it seemed like a pipe dream to ever expect to see a copy of "Crazy Climber" to show up. and yet it did. As we all gained more experience with this console group, a pattern began to emerge. It appears that while Emerson may have given up all hope of being able to release these game titles within the U.S. game market, that one or more of the overseas companies followed through on the early plans. We now see it as the norm for this library to find two copies of any arcade title. one that seems to blatantly infringe someone's arcade game copyrights, and another that appears to be a copy based on that title. The second is modified just enough to "legalize" it for release. In some instances, such as "Crazy Climber," they did not bother to attempt to hide the game's origins. They just released the original version that they had created. Our hope is that if you cannot find a given game ROM through one company, to keep looking. You may find some other company that did put it out, somewhere in the world. We did manage to locate what appeared to be unmodified ROM chips within cartridges made for the MPT-03 and Ormatu game consoles, but even this varies by company and regional area. (This is only helpful if it is the ROM image you are searching for. It does not necessarily do a game cartridge collector much good!) One other speculative possibility is that this particular game was written, in part or in full, and then the source code was recycled to become part of the released game "Spiders". Keep your eyes open! If you know the publisher of this title, please let us know! We don't like holes in the database, you see. PERIODICALS: UK-based "Computer and Video Games" magazine announced this game in a June 1982 article but nothing more has ever been heard about it since then (see the Emerson FAQ).
Centipede (Atari 2600, by Atari) $2/R1
Based on the 1980 Atari coin-op. Packaged along with a Centipede mini-comic. The 1985 release has an unusual label condition: unlike all of the other titles released around this time, the end label has the title in orange lettering instead of red. Shooter/Fixed-Screen. PERIODICALS: Named by Electronic Fun Magazine as one of the "50 Best Games" in March 1984. #CX2676.
Centipede (TI-99/4A, by Atarisoft) $5/R4
Based on the 1980 Atari coin-op. Original arcade game designed by Ed Logg. It was first ported to the Atari 800 by Dave Getreu in 1982, and would ultimately be ported to just about every other home computer or game playing machine of the early 1980s. Centipede was also a popular program
to clone, with perhaps six other games being created that were direct takeoffs from its theme. Was sold in the larger 10 1/2" x 7 1/2" box. Shrink-wrapped. As with all Parker Brothers cartridges sold for the TI-99/4A, the only place you can find the product number for an Atarisoft cartridge is on the box. The cartridge itself does not bear anything but the game title, brand of computer it was manufactured for, and the usual copyright info. While I have no production figures for Centipede or any Atarisoft cartridge produced for the TI-99/4A, it would seem logical that quantities would be on the low side, at least when compared to what TI produced, since TI had more years to do so. Atarisoft only existed from Mid-1983 until sometime in 1984, when new Atari owner Jack Tramiel laid off 95% of the Atari staff (1,100 employees down to 200 employees), which means they only had about a year to crank out cartridges for computers other than the Atari line. In my mind, this makes any Atarisoft cartridge for the TI-99/4A less common that most of the popular TI-produced games. Released Q4 1983. Shooter/Fixed-Screen. PERIODICALS: Named one of the "50 Best Games" (on all systems) by Electronic Fun Magazine in 1984. #RX8503.
Centipede (VIC-20, by Atarisoft) $2/R2
Based on the 1980 Atari coin-op. Original arcade game designed by Ed Logg. Released in 1983. 16k cart. Shooter/Fixed-Screen. PERIODICALS: Computer Games said in their January 1985 issue: "The classic arcade game in all its glory. Or most of it, anyway. This is one of the fastest shooting games that exists. Your shooter is at the bottom of the screen, and you've got to wipe out mushrooms, centipede segments, bouncing spiders and scorpions. Very addicting". #RX8504.
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Anyhow, Millipede was ok, but it just didn't capture the magic of the first game for me. 