Alpiner

Infobox VG
title=


caption=Opening Screenshot of Alpiner
developer=Texas Instruments
publisher=Texas Instruments
designer=Janet Srimushnam
released=vgy|1982
genre=Adventure

"Alpiner" is a video game produced by Texas Instruments for the TI 99/4A home computer system that was released in 1984. The video came as a solid state cartridge, the video game box, and an 18 page (including front and back cover) manual of instructions. Some have compared Alpiner to Nihon Bussan Co. Ltd's coin-operated arcade game Crazy Climber. [http://www.atariguide.com/menu/tiAlphaframe.htm]

Object

The object of the game Alpiner, is for the player to navigate his mountain climber, known as the Alpiner, from the base of a tall mountain all the way up to the summit. The player has to avoid various hazards along the way. [http://ti.mysweetweb.com/index.php/Games/Alpiner]

Gameplay

Alpiner challenges the player to climb six of the world’s tallest peaks. Each mountain presents the player with unique dangers and challenges. To pass one mountain and continue on to the next, the player must successfully reach the summit, without being plunged back to the hill’s base due to interaction with the game’s obstacles. The game starts at the shortest mountain, and progresses to the taller. The game offers 18 different levels of play (the player faces each mountain three times).

The Alpiner

The player controls the mountain climber, called the Alpiner. The Alpiner is operated by using either a remote control connected the the TI 99/4A, or by using the keyboard keys. The Alpiner ascends 46 meters upward for each upward step that the game displays. Different obstacles make the player fall backwards a unique number of steps (with each step representing 46 meters). Some obstacles make the Alpiner fall to the very base of the hill, resulting in the lose of one Alpiner that the player can use. If using the TI 99/4A’s keyboard, the player would use one of the following two key sets to operate their Alpiner (the two player game option would require that both sets be used, one to control each of the Alpiners). The keys used to move each Alpiner are described below (arrows point the direction that the key moves the Alpiner).

The player is awarded a new Alpiner every time he/she reaches the summit of Mount Everest.

Bonus Points

Each level of the game is timed. For each remaining second left at the end of the round, bonus points are awarded. The bonus equals twice the points given for each step of the level just completed for each second remaining. For example, for mount Hood on level one, if there are 20 seconds remaining at the end of the round, the player is awarded 20 X 10 X 2 points or a total of 400 points.

Alpiner also award target bonuses. Green targets will appear on the claws of the bears and mountain lions and on the hoof of the rams. However, the targets flash on and off quite unpredictably, so touching them requires significant skill. Touching the target for a bear earns the player 500 bonus points, 750 for touching a mountain lions, and 1000 for each target from a ram.

References

External Links

* [http://www.videogamehouse.net/alpiner.html TI-99/4A Videogame House – "Alpiner"] (videogamehouse.net)
* [http://www.atariguide.com/menu/tiAlphaframe.htm Atari Guide – "Alpiner by Texas Instruments"] (AtariGuide)
* [http://ti.mysweetweb.com/index.php/Games/Alpiner "Alpiner -- Clayton's TI 99/4A Tribute Page"] (Clayton's TI 99/4A Tribute Page)