Play Meter

Lunar
has land.d"
~~Th.
Declaring a "new generation" of
video games, Atari introduces Lunar
Lander and its technical vehicle, the
Quadrascan display system . Quadra-
scan is a random scan display system
intended to allow more realistic
animation and three-dimensional
efMcts . The new system permits
complete control of the beam from
the main PCB rather than internal
control by the monitor.
The system also brags of a
simplified construction. There are
fewer hardware components on the
monitor boards than similar systems,
and three boards for the Quadrascan
display : power supply , deflection ,
and high voltage .
The overall visual advantages of
the Quadrascan display result in a
picture with finer detail , greater
resolution , and smoother move-
ment.
Lunar Lander also provides a four
level selection of difficulty in defer-
ence to gravity, friction , and rotation
features . Using thruster and rotation
buttons , the player controls the
altitude, horizontal speed , and verti-
cal speed of his craft to attempt a
perfect touchdown . The player can
select bonus score touchdown spots
on the monitor while trying to
conserve fuel units by not using the
abort button .
Fuel units are bought according to
the add-a-coin feature , to which the
player is alerted by a warning signal
when his fuel is running low .
The touchdown is enhanced by
picture magnification on the monitor,
messages from the control center
notify the player of his landing status ,
and imperfect landings in Visually
spectacular crashes with explosions
and debris hurling into outer space .
74
Aladdin's
girlfriend
The release of Genie , Gottlieb's
first wide-body , 4 -player flipper , has
been announced by the company's
marketing group .
The game is based on an Arabian
Nights story , the legend of Genie and
the escape trom the magic bottle .
The theme lends itself beautifully to
the backglass artwork that is almost
classic in nature .
The arrangement of playfield
elements is highlighted with the unit's
"game-within-a-game, " a feature
wherein a section in the upper left
hand corner of the playfield features
its own flippers and drop targets .
These particular drop targets have
alternate colors . Completing the reds
lights the "special" target and scores
10,000 points . Completing the white
drop targets lights the right "extra
ball" target , resetting the red and
white targets and scoring 10,000
points .
There are two sets of A ,B,C ,D
roll overs which can score either
2,000 or 5 ,000 pOints when lit. This
also lights the left "extra ball" target ,
which when lit resets the A,B,C,D
rollovers .
Hole values are 10,000 pOints .and
rollover buttons and pop bumpers
score 2 ,000 pOints each . Bonus can
go as high as 29 ,000 points and can
be multiplied 5 times by hitting
certain drop targets when lit.
PLAY METER, October, 1979