Locomotion (arcade game)

Infobox VG
title=Locomotion


caption=A screenshot from the original arcade version of the game.
width = 224px
developer=Konami
publisher=Centuri/Konami
distributor=
designer=
version=
released=1982
genre=Puzzle
modes=Up to 2 players, alternating turns
ratings=
platforms=Arcade game
media=
requirements=
input=4-way joystick
cabinet=Standard upright
arcade system=
cpu=z80|1|3.072
sound=2x AY-3-8910 (mono) @ 1.789772 MHz
display= Vertically oriented, 224 × 256, 96 palette colors

"Locomotion" is an arcade game developed by Konami in 1982 and licensed to Centuri.

Overview

The player builds a path for their unstoppable locomotive by moving tracks which will allow it to pick up passengers.

Description

"Locomotion" is basically an updated version of a sliding block puzzle game where the player can moves pieces horizontally or vertically within a frame to complete a picture. However, in this game, everything's moving. The player controls the playfield and the aim is to guide their locomotive around the tracks to collect the passengers waiting at the stations located around the edges of the screen.

The player uses a joystick to slide a piece of the track into the vacant square. The locomotive is always moving, but the player has the option of making it move faster to get to the passengers more quickly by using a button next to the joystick. The player must avoid crashing the locomotive into the dead end pieces of track (marked with a yellow 'X'), and also ensure that it does not run off the edge of the screen, either of which costs a life.

Eventually, the passengers waiting too long at one of the stations will be replaced by a countdown timer. If the player collects the passengers before the timer counts down, the value of the counter is added to the score. If the timer reaches zero, a moving wagon is added to the track and the player must prevent the locomotive from crashing into it. When there is more than one wagon on screen, there is the possibility to make them crash into each other and score a bonus.

As the player moves the pieces of track around, the route the locomotive will take is highlighted in yellow up to any dead end.

On higher levels, there are special pieces of tracks that have one entrance and 3 different exits. The player cannot choose which exit the locomotive takes from these, as it is picked randomly. Bonus points are awarded each time the locomotive crosses one of these pieces of track, but they do make it tricky to plan a route to a station.

A level is cleared when all passengers are collected, and the player then moves onto the next level which is a different layout, bigger or smaller with more dead ends. Also, the bonus stations appear more frequently and, on later levels, more than one wagon is on screen at the start of the level.

If the player creates a closed loop of track on which the locomotive is caught, a loop sweeper appears which moves around the loop behind it. If the loop is not broken before the sweeper reaches the locomotive, the player lose a life.

An extra life is awarded at 30,000 and every 70,000 points.

coring

Bonus station points are randomly determined, with a beginning high of 2,470 points.

Ports

The Intellivision and the Tomy Tutor were the only platforms on which "Locomotion" was ported. While they were working on a release, Activision was also secretly working on one called "Happy Trails" which is not exactly like "Locomotion", but has similar gameplay. "Happy Trails" was released first and got great reviews, so Intellevision was forced to release "Locomotion" at a reduced price. [ [http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/1983b.html "Loco-Motion"] at IntellivisionLives.com]

M-network also made a prototype [ [http://www.atariprotos.com/2600/software/locomotion/locomotion.htm "Loco-Motion"] from AtariProtos.com] for the Atari 2600 video game system, but the graphics were no match against the Intellivision version. On July 5 1983, Atari decided to drop the attempt to release the game. [ [http://www.intellivisionlives.com/bluesky/games/credits/atari3.shtml#loco M Network Atari 2600 Titles: "Loco-Motion"] at IntellivisionLives.com]

References

External links

*KLOV game|id=8439|name=Locomotion
* [http://www.mameworld.net/maws/set/gutangtn Technical information on "Locomotion"]
* [http://www.centuri.net/locomotion.htm"Locomotion"] entry at the Centuri.net Arcade Database