Slot Racers
Encyclopedia
Slot Racers is a 1978
video game cartridge for the Atari 2600
video game console
. It was developed by Warren Robinett
, who also went on to develop one of Atari
's most successful games for the 2600, Adventure
.
Slot Racers is a joystick
-controlled action game, with a total of nine game variations programmed within the cartridge.
The object of the game is to pilot your car
through a maze
, while attempting to fire missile
s at your opponent's car, as well as evading the missiles your opponent fires at your car. Each time one of the respective cars is struck by a missile, the player controlling the other car receives one point. Victory is achieved through the scoring of twenty-five points. The game itself has four different mazes, and options concerning missile speed, and other factors, within the context of its nine variants, selectable via the Game Select switch. The Difficulty Switches control the rate of fire each car is capable of.
1978 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* June - Taito Corporation releases the Space Invaders arcade game in Japan.* October - Namco releases their first arcade game, Gee Bee, in Japan.* Cinematronics releases the Space Wars vector graphics arcade game....
video game cartridge for the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. It was developed by Warren Robinett
Warren Robinett
Joseph Warren Robinett, Jr. is a designer of interactive computer graphics software, notable as the developer of the Atari 2600's Adventure — the first graphical adventure video game — and as a founder of The Learning Company, where he designed Rocky's Boots and Robot Odyssey...
, who also went on to develop one of Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
's most successful games for the 2600, Adventure
Adventure (Atari 2600)
Adventure is a video game for the Atari 2600 video game console and is considered the first action-adventure game. Its creator, Warren Robinett, also introduced the first widely-known Easter egg to the gaming world.-History and design:...
.
Game play
Joystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
-controlled action game, with a total of nine game variations programmed within the cartridge.
The object of the game is to pilot your car
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
through a maze
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
, while attempting to fire missile
Missile
Though a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
s at your opponent's car, as well as evading the missiles your opponent fires at your car. Each time one of the respective cars is struck by a missile, the player controlling the other car receives one point. Victory is achieved through the scoring of twenty-five points. The game itself has four different mazes, and options concerning missile speed, and other factors, within the context of its nine variants, selectable via the Game Select switch. The Difficulty Switches control the rate of fire each car is capable of.