Play Meter

Issue: 1981 November 01 - Vol 7 Num 20

Voices, tun and
torebodlna
Centuri, Inc. , has just completed
another licensing agreement with a
leading Japanese firm and will
manufacture Vanguard, a new video
space game.
The agreement with the Osaka-
based SNK Corp. (Shin Nihon
Kikaku) gives Centuri the exclusive
rights to manufacture and sell
Vanguard in North, South, and
Central America and the Caribbean
Islands, said Centuri President Ed
Miller in a recent announcement.
In Vanguard, players mus t
traverse 12 tunnels (or rounds), each
containing several stages of play.
The first tunnel alone contains eight
playing stages, and the number
varies with each remaining tunnel.
"Bon Voyage!" bids Vanguard's
commanding voice as play begins at
the opening stage of the first tunnel,
which is bordered by mountains of
blue and green-hued cubes, enemy
forces attack. The spaceship
protects itself with its four -
directional missiles and by passing
through the "Energy Zone." Once
"energized ," it is able to withstand
crashes into enemy rockets and
missiles and the bordering
mountains.
Succeeding stages are in-
creasingly more difficult and more
rewarding as points increase with the
added danger. Through the blue and
white rocky canyons of the Rainbow
Zone, the orange and green peaks of
the Stick Zone , around the
mountains of the Stripe Zone with its
city of enemy bases and barriers, the
spaceship accounts one threat after
another, and must overcome them
all to avoid being destroyed.
Finally, the player's ship enters
stage VJII, the Dock Zone ruled by
the enemy Gond. When Gond 1s
successfully attacked and destroyed
a commanding ·voice booms out:
"Congratulations." The spacecraft is
then cleared for the start of another
tunnel.
Centuri , Inc. is a Hialeah-based
manufacturer of high-technology
video games and other electronic
devices.
Fau wrau's
new uldeo
Nintendo's newest electronic video
game, Donkey Kong, offers players a
unique and fun-filled change from the
plethora of space adventure games
on the market.
Donkey Kong has become the
best-selling video game in Japan and
test marketing in the United States
has proven it to be extremely
popular with men, women and
children of all ages, according to
Nintendo.
Loosely based on the theme of
"King Kong," this original game is
unlike anything around. As Donkey
Kong climbs to the top of a building
structure carrying a pretty girl in his
arms, he is chased by a little man
who is trying to rescue her. As the
little man climbs to the top, he must
avoid the barrage of obstacles that
come his way- fireballs, attack
vessels and exploding barrels being
thrown at him by Donkey Kong. To
add to the amusing action on the
screen, Donkey Kong runs back and
forth, beating his chest with joy,
especially when he is able to hit the
little man with one of his barrels.
As the pursuer is bombarded with
obstacles in rapid-fire succession, he
must escape by jumping over them
or fendi ng them off with a hammer he
finds on the structure. Extra bonus
points are awarded for direct hits
with the hammer. Also, the faster the
little man gets to the top, the higher
the score.
Donkey Kong has four different
play boards with varying degrees of
difficulty. One or two persons can
play and each gets three little men
per game. However, the operator
can adjus t this number at h1s
discretion, to provide up to six men
per player. Operator flexibility is
further enhanced by the ability to
award an extra man at any of the
following levels: 7,000, 10,000, 15,000,
or 20,000 points. Adjustable coi~age
from 25q: to $1.25 is also pOSSible.
Donkey Kong is available in 3
models: upright, cocktail , and
cabaret.
51
PLAY METER , November 1, 1981
Pin-shooting
at the blacll hole
Kermit areen
with enuu?
With Sega/ G remlin 's latest
computer video game, F rogger,
players meet some unique chal-
lenges from a frog's-eye point of
view.
Frogger is a one- or two-player,
MultiPhase video game designed to
appeal to players of all ages.
music, "frog sounds," and vivid,
complex color contribute to
Frogger's entertaining play.
Players race the clock as they
attempt to guide, in succession,
intrepid frogs safely across a busy,
four-lane highway and treacherous
river to their abodes. Along the way,
frogs must dodge whizzing cars and
hop aboard swimming turtles and
floating logs.
The skill level of this Sega/ Gremlin
game increases with each successive
round. The pace of highway traffic
accel erates and deadly snakes,
otters, crocodiles, and diving turtles
appear to imperil Frogger's
progress.
Players score points for each safe
jump and each frog which reaches
home within the time allowed. Bonus
points are scored for escorting home
a lady frog, consuming insects
'
returning all frogs safely home.
"Flash Bank," "Black Hole," "Solar
Target," "Solar Gun," and "Alien
Eject" are among the weapons
players must utilize to control the
action on Solar Fire, Williams' new
multi-level, multi-ball pingame.
Conquering Williams' unique, high
scoring "Flash Bank" is the first
challenge that players face. The top
level playfield four-bank drop targe ts
feature a roving bonus lamp which
cycles past scores of 20,000, 40,000,
60,000, 80,000, and 100,000 points.
The test is to hit a target at the
crucial moment when the light is
flashing at its highest point level; this
stops the light flashing on that score.
Completing the entire bank within
the time limit collects the lit score-
up to possible 600,000 points.
Still on the upper level playfield
area, completing the 3-bank targets
advances the "Black Hole" value
from 25,000 to 50,000 to Drain
Shield. Fast shooting players can
achieve even higher scores by
knocking down the 3-bank while the
timer light is on; this spots a letter in
F-1-R-E for 20 seconds of double
scoring across the entire playfield.
Completing F-1-R-E lights the lower
level Bullseye Target for Special.
Moving to the lower level, the
"Solar Target" located by the left
lamp is the player's next objective.
Hittinq the "Solar Tarqet" while the
lights cycle lights a letter in S-0 -L-A-R
for a progressive Bonus Multiplier of
2X to 6X for each letter achieved.
Completing S-0-L -A -R allows
automatic Extra Ball.
Players would then utilize their
"Solar Gun" to shoot down the Solar
Fire menace. Complete either lower
3-bank within the time limit to
advance the "Solar Gun" timer 3
seconds, 5 seconds to 10 seconds.
Hit the "Solar Gun" charger to
activate the captive ball and score
10,000 points for every second the
"Solar Gun" shoots.
Having arranged the playfields for
the highest possible scoring, players
can set two or even three balls loose
for Multi-Ball play by continuing to
concentrate on the lower level 3-
banks. Completing a bottom 3-bank
~t any time during play, randomly
lights one of the three "Alien Eject"
holes for multi-ball play.
PI A y MFTFR · N o vember 1, 1981
t

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