Tutankham
Encyclopedia
Tutankham is a 1982 arcade game
developed by Konami
and released by Stern in the US. This game is also known as Horror Maze on Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
for the Nintendo DS
. The game was originally titled Tutankhamen, but the publisher discovered the full name could not fit on the arcade cabinet, so the title was shortened.
Tutankhamun
's tomb. The player is chased by creatures such as asps
, vultures, parrots, bat
s, dragons and curses that kill the player on contact. The player may move in four directions, but can only fire in two directions, left and right, making the player helpless in vertical shafts. The player is also endowed with a single flash bomb per life and level to destroy all the enemies on a screen. The player must grab keys to open large doors to advance in a level, and may optionally grab treasures for bonus points. Each level features a timer; when it reaches zero, it removes the explorer's ability to fire. It also measures the bonus for escaping each level.
, Atari 8-bit computers
, ColecoVision
, IntelliVision
, Odyssey 2, Vic-20 and the original arcade game is one of the games available in Microsoft
's Game Room
.
in Ottumwa, Iowa
, on November 7, 1982. The photo, which also included Donkey Kong
, Tempest, Centipede
, Defender and Ms. Pac-Man
, featured the top video game superstars of the 1982-era, gathered for a group photograph. The Tutankham champion in the photo was Mark Robichek, of Mountain View, California
. The resulting photo is considered one of the most famous in video game history and was the subject of a 2007 Sundance documentary titled Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade
. Archival footage from this photograph session also appeared in another documentary film titled The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
, which was released at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival
.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
and released by Stern in the US. This game is also known as Horror Maze on Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits
Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits, released as Konami Arcade Collection in Japan and Konami Arcade Classics in Europe and Oceania, is a collection of 15 classic arcade games by Konami for the Nintendo DS.-Lineup:...
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. The game was originally titled Tutankhamen, but the publisher discovered the full name could not fit on the arcade cabinet, so the title was shortened.
Gameplay
The player plays an explorer grave robbingGrave robbing
Grave robbery, grave robbing, or tomb raiding is the act of uncovering a tomb or crypt to steal artifacts or personal effects. Someone who engages in this act is a grave robber or tomb raider...
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun , Egyptian , ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...
's tomb. The player is chased by creatures such as asps
ASPS
ASPS may refer to:* Advanced sleep phase syndrome, a sleep disorder in which patients feel very sleepy early in the evening* American Society of Plastic Surgeons, the largest plastic surgery specialty organization in the world...
, vultures, parrots, bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s, dragons and curses that kill the player on contact. The player may move in four directions, but can only fire in two directions, left and right, making the player helpless in vertical shafts. The player is also endowed with a single flash bomb per life and level to destroy all the enemies on a screen. The player must grab keys to open large doors to advance in a level, and may optionally grab treasures for bonus points. Each level features a timer; when it reaches zero, it removes the explorer's ability to fire. It also measures the bonus for escaping each level.
Ports
Tutankham was ported to the Atari 2600Atari 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...
, Atari 8-bit computers
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
, ColecoVision
ColecoVision
The ColecoVision is Coleco Industries' second generation home video game console which was released in August 1982. The ColecoVision offered arcade-quality graphics and gaming style, and the means to expand the system's basic hardware...
, IntelliVision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
, Odyssey 2, Vic-20 and the original arcade game is one of the games available in Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
's Game Room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
.
History
Tutankham was one of six games chosen to appear in the famous LIFE magazine photo-session conducted at Twin GalaxiesTwin Galaxies
Twin Galaxies is an American organization that tracks video game world records and conducts a program of electronic-gaming promotions. It operates the Twin Galaxies website and publishes the Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records, with the Arcade Volume released on June...
in Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
, on November 7, 1982. The photo, which also included Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong
is a fictional gorilla in the Donkey Kong and Mario series. He is roughly twice the size of a normal gorilla, weighing approximately 800 pounds. Donkey Kong first appeared in Nintendo's popular 1981 video game of the same name. Since then he has appeared in over 20 games in his own series, as well...
, Tempest, Centipede
Centipede (video game)
Centipede is a vertically-oriented shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1980. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female...
, Defender and Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licensor Namco as an official title...
, featured the top video game superstars of the 1982-era, gathered for a group photograph. The Tutankham champion in the photo was Mark Robichek, of Mountain View, California
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
. The resulting photo is considered one of the most famous in video game history and was the subject of a 2007 Sundance documentary titled Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade
Chasing Ghosts: Beyond the Arcade is a documentary film directed by Lincoln Ruchti about the golden age of video arcade games. The film premiered January 22, 2007 at the Sundance Film Festival and has also been shown at the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival, as well as other film...
. Archival footage from this photograph session also appeared in another documentary film titled The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is a 2007 American documentary film that follows Steve Wiebe as he tries to take the world high score for the arcade game Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell...
, which was released at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival
Slamdance Film Festival
As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent in the film industry; it is also the only major film festival fully programmed by filmmakers. Slamdance counts among its alumni many notable writers and directors who first gained notice at the...
.