Swoop (8-bit computer game)
Encyclopedia
Swoop is an 8-bit
computer game written by David Elliot and published in the UK by Micro Power
. It was first released on the BBC Micro
in 1982 and ported to the Acorn Electron
for its launch in 1983 and the Commodore 64
in 1984.
with the invading aliens taking the form of wing-flapping Birdmen. Swoop differs from other Galaxian clones in that the Birdmen will lay explosive eggs if they successfully reach the bottom of the screen. If the eggs are touched by the player's laser base then a life is lost, so they effectively confine the movement of the laser base until they disappear after some pre-set time.
There are a total of eight levels (called 'phases' in the cassette inlay instructions), each successively more difficult than the last. The most difficult level has a total of two Birdmen and eight missiles raining down on the player simultaneously.
8-bit
The first widely adopted 8-bit microprocessor was the Intel 8080, being used in many hobbyist computers of the late 1970s and early 1980s, often running the CP/M operating system. The Zilog Z80 and the Motorola 6800 were also used in similar computers...
computer game written by David Elliot and published in the UK by Micro Power
Micro Power
Micro Power was a British company established in the early 1980s, best known as a video game publisher but they also produced and sold many types of computer hardware and software through their Leeds...
. It was first released on the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
in 1982 and ported to the Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
for its launch in 1983 and the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
in 1984.
Summary
The game is a clone of GalaxianGalaxian
is an arcade game developed by Namco in 1979. It was published by Namco in Japan and was imported to North America by Midway in 1980. A fixed shooter-style game in which the player controls a spaceship at the bottom of the screen and shoots enemies descending in various directions, it was designed...
with the invading aliens taking the form of wing-flapping Birdmen. Swoop differs from other Galaxian clones in that the Birdmen will lay explosive eggs if they successfully reach the bottom of the screen. If the eggs are touched by the player's laser base then a life is lost, so they effectively confine the movement of the laser base until they disappear after some pre-set time.
There are a total of eight levels (called 'phases' in the cassette inlay instructions), each successively more difficult than the last. The most difficult level has a total of two Birdmen and eight missiles raining down on the player simultaneously.