Caverns of Mars (computer game)

Infobox VG| title = Caverns of Mars


developer = Greg Christensen
designer = Greg Christensen
publisher = Atari Program Exchange
engine = Assembler
released = 1981, 1982, 1983
genre = scrolling shooter
modes = single player
ratings =
platforms = Atari 8-bit
media = floppy disk, cassette, cartridge
requirements = Atari 8-bit computer with 16K, cartridge, cassette, disk drive (32K)
input = joystick

"Caverns of Mars" is a computer game for the Atari 8-bit computers, programmed by Greg Christensen and published by Atari Program Exchange (APX) in 1981. Christensen, a high-school student at the time, won a $3,000 prize from Atari, and his first royalty check was $18,000. He would go on to receive over $100,000 in royalties from the game, making it the most popular APX title. [Steve Fulton, [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3766/atari_the_golden_years__a_.php?page=17 "Atari: The Golden Years -- A History, 1978-1981"] , "Gamasutra", 21 August 2008, pg. 17]

"Caverns of Mars" is a derivative of the arcade game "Scramble". Due to the particulars of the hardware-assisted smooth scrolling on Atari home computers, it is much easier to scroll vertically than horizontally. Christensen thus changed the orientation of the caverns from "Scramble", having the player fly down into them as opposed to sideways through them. Using a joystick, the player controls a ship descending into the tunnels of Mars, firing at targets along the way. Unlike "Scramble", the targets generally did not move relative to the map. There are several different sections of the map, with easier skill levels removing the more difficult sections from the areas through which the player has to fly. At the end of the map is a reactor, which the player lands on and thereby sets to explode. The player then has to reverse course and fly up and out of the cavern to escape before the reactor explodes.

Christensen followed "Caverns" the next year with a lesser-known sequel, "Caverns of Mars: Phobos". "Phobos" was effectively a modification of "Caverns" with improved graphics, although there were other minor modifications as well. For instance, the levels were broken down into sub-levels with letters as names; after being killed the action restarts at the top of the sub-level, as opposed to the top of the whole level. The system is similar to the one used in "Moon Patrol". It appears "Phobos" was never released commercially, although it can be found in most Atari software archives.

Although side-scrolling was more difficult on the Atari home computer, it was by no means impossible, and Christensen followed up the success of "Caverns" with the side-scrolling "Caverns of Mars II" in 1982. This version was much more similar to the original "Scramble", including rockets that launched upwards from the ground, "Scramble"'s main opponent for most of the game.

In 1983, Atari released "Caverns of Mars" on a cartridge (RX8021) as an official Atari product, one of the few user-submitted programs to ever become an official Atari product. In 2005, a version of "Caverns of Mars" was included on the Atari Flashback 2 classic game console. In 2006 a homebrew version of the original "Caverns of Mars", titled "Conquest of Mars", was released in cartridge form via AtariAge for the Atari 2600 system.

References

External links

* [http://www.atariarchives.org/APX/showinfo.php?cat=20084 atariarchives.org] Caverns of Mars - APX Cat. No. 20084
* [http://atarihq.com/reviews/atari8/caverns_of_mars.html atarihq.com] review - Caverns of Mars
* [http://www.atariarchives.org/APX/thorlininterview.php atariarchives.org] Interview with Fred Thorlin, Director of APX
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwGSVzqLCg4 Caverns of Mars] , play-through on Novice settings