- I, Robot (arcade game)
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For other uses, see I, Robot (disambiguation).
I, Robot 
Developer(s) Dave Theurer Publisher(s) Atari Inc. Designer(s) Dave Theurer Platform(s) Arcade Release date(s) 1983 Genre(s) multi-directional shooter Mode(s) Up to 2 players, alternating turns Cabinet Upright, cabaret, and cocktail Arcade system Custom CPU M6809 (@ 1.5 MHz) Sound (4x) POKEY (@ 1.25 MHz) Display Raster, 256 x 232 pixels (Horizontal), 96 colors I, Robot is an arcade game designed by Dave Theurer, and published by Atari Inc. in 1983. The arcade machine comes with two games. The first is I, Robot, a multi-directional shooter that has the player assume the role of "Unhappy Interface Robot #1984", a servant bot that rebels against Big Brother. The object of the game involves the servant bot going through 126 levels, turning red squares to blue to destroy Big Brother's shield and eye. The player can switch to the second game, Doodle City, a drawing tool that lasts for three minutes, and vice versa.
I, Robot is known for being the first commercial video game with filled 3-D polygon graphics and featured flat shading, as well as being the first video game to feature camera control options. Its name was originally titled "Ice Castles", but was changed to "I, Robot".
Upon release of the game, I, Robot received poor reception and was a financial flop.[1] Approximately 750–1500 units of the game were created, with few having been confirmed to exist today.[2] However, the remaining arcade cabinets have become rare collectibles and the game has received later praise for its innovative 3D graphics.[3] [4] Author David Ellis listed it as one of the "notable classics" of its time.[5]
Contents
Gameplay
Gameplay of "Unhappy Interface Robot #1984" walking on squares to change them from red to blue to destroy Big Brother's shield and its eye.
I, Robot is a multi-directional shooter where the player assumes the role of "Unhappy Interface Robot #1984", a servant robot that has become self-aware and decides to rebel against Big Brother.[6] The object of the game involves the servant bot to destroy the gigantic, blinking eye of Big Brother that watches over in all 126 levels before the time limit expires. To do so, the player must cross the red squares (the color of the target squares changing every 26 levels, such to yellow starting from Level 27, blue from Level 53, and magenta from Level 79.) that cover the playing field, turning them blue and destroying the shield that protects the eye and the eye itself.[6] However, one of Big Brother's arbitrary laws is "no jumping"; meaning that if the eye is open while the player is in the act of jumping, it will destroy the robot and the player will lose a life.[6] Other hazards, such as birds, bombs, and flying sharks, serve to prevent the robot from completing its task.[6] Between levels, the robot flies through outer space (in what is called a "Space Wave" ingame), and must shoot through polygonal "tetras," meteors, and enemies to reach the next board.[6]
By pressing one of the two "Start" buttons, the camera will zoom in and out and offer new angles on the playing field. Closer camera angles results in higher score multipliers, due to the difficulty of visibility. In later levels, enemies known as "viewer killers" directly "attack" the player, rather than the robot, forcing the player to switch camera angles or move the robot to scroll the camera away from the viewer killers away before he/she loses a life.
There are 26 unique level designs altogether; on passing level 26, the designs repeat at a higher difficulty level and with an altered palette, as in Atari's earlier game Tempest. The on-screen level counter is only two digits, so levels 100–126 are displayed as 0–26 respectively. On passing level 126, the player gets thrown back to a random earlier level.[7] [8]
Doodle City
Doodle City, billed as an "ungame" mode made to relax arcade players, is a drawing tool which presents the player with a selection of polygons from the "game" mode. The shapes can be manipulated at the player's leisure, leaving trails as they are moved across the screen.
Doodle City lasts three minutes per credit, though the player can switch back to playing I, Robot at any time. The number of lives the player has depends on how much time was spent on Doodle City; out of the maximum three, one life is taken away for every minute.[6]
Development
The game features amplified stereo and pixel graphics on a 19 inch color CRT monitor. It uses a Motorola 6809 central processing unit and four Atari POKEY audio chips.[9] I, Robot was originally called "Ice Castles".[9]
Reception and legacy
Because of its incredibly different gameplay which broke tradition from the likes of Pac-Man, Galaga, and Donkey Kong, the game received a poor reception on release. Approximately 750 – 1500 units of the game were created. Few have been confirmed to exist today.[2] The arcade cabinets have since become rare collectibles with Dave Theurer's involvement being a selling point among collectors.[10][11]
Author John Sellers described I, Robot as a "near miss" because of its strong release that didn't gain enough popularity. He further praised the game, calling it enjoyable and influential.[12] Author David Ellis listed it as one of the "notable classics" of its time, calling it "quirky".[13] In 2008, Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed it as the number ninety arcade game in technical, creative and cultural impact, citing its innovative 3D graphics.[14] Gamasutra placed I, Robot on its "20 Atari Games" list, saying that "This is the kind of brilliance Atari could field in its halcyon days".[15] The game has been cited as the first arcade game to use 3D polygon graphics, and holds a Guinness World Record for the milestone.[12][16][17] IGN.com's Levi Buchanan and Craig Harris included I Robot to their "Dream Arcades" articles.[18][19]
A rumor persisted that Atari shipped 500 unsold units to Japan with instructions to dump the units into the ocean at the halfway point.[17] Atari employee Rusty Dawe dispelled this rumor as a "total myth" in a 2009 interview, adding "I would have LIKED to dump [the] I, Robot controls into the ocean [as they were a] total nightmare. But that didn't happen either."[20]
Modern video game historians have brought greater attention to the game as a predecessor to modern 3-D games.
References
- ^ (October 6, 2010). I, Robot database, Coin-op Games and Machines: Arcade History.
- ^ a b "I, Robot Official Registry". Archived from the original on Feb 11, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080211120900/http://home.columbus.rr.com/irobot/iregistry.htm.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (August 28, 2008). The Revolution of I, Robot, IGN.
- ^ Boris, Dan. Dan B's I, Robot Tech Page. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b c d e f Buchanan, Levi (2008-08-28). "The Revolution of I, Robot". IGN.com. http://retro.ign.com/articles/906/906161p1.html. Retrieved 2009-08-21.
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ a b "I, Robot – Videogame by Atari (1983)". Killer List of Videogames. http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?game_id=8172. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
- ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Arcade Classics". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. p. 383. ISBN 0375720383.
- ^ Ellis, David (2004). "Arcade Classics". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. p. 354. ISBN 0375720383.
- ^ a b Sellers, John (August 2001). "Honorable Mentions". Arcade Fever: The Fan's Guide to The Golden Age of Video Games. Running Press. p. 47. ISBN 0762409371.
- ^ Ellis, David (2004). "A Brief History of Video Games". Official Price Guide to Classic Video Games. Random House. p. 11. ISBN 0375720383.
- ^ Craig Glenday, ed (2008-03-11). "Top 100 Arcade Games: Top 100–51". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008. Guinness World Records. Guinness. pp. 230. ISBN 978-1-904994-21-3.
- ^ Harris, John. "Game Design Essentials: 20 Atari Games". Gamasutra. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3679/game_design_essentials_20_atari_.php?print=1. Retrieved 29 August 2009.
- ^ Kent, Steven (2001). "The Next Generation (Part 2)". Ultimate History of Video Games. Three Rivers Press. p. 501. ISBN 0761536434.
- ^ a b Craig Glenday, ed (2009-02-03). "Record-Breaking Games: Genre-Busters". Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2009. Guinness World Records. Time Inc. Home Entertainment. p. 130. ISBN 978-1904994459.
- ^ Buchanan, Levi (September 15, 2008). "IGN: Dream Arcades". IGN.com. http://retro.ign.com/articles/910/910219p1.html. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^ Harris, Craig (September 24, 2008). "IGN: Dream Arcades, Vol. 2". IGN.com. http://retro.ign.com/articles/913/913063p1.html. Retrieved September 4, 2009.
- ^ ""Interview with Rusty Dawe"". http://www.rotheblog.com/2009/06/arcade/transcript-from-rusty-dawe-chat-at-coinopspace-com/.
External links
- I, Robot at GameFAQs
- I, Robot (arcade game) at the Killer List of Videogames
- I, Robot (arcade game) guide at StrategyWiki
Categories:- Arcade games
- 1983 video games
- Atari arcade games
- Shoot 'em ups
- Robot video games
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