Tower Of Babel (computer game)

Tower Of Babel (computer game)

"Tower Of Babel" is a computer game for the Amiga, Atari ST and Acorn Archimedes systems programmed by Pete Cooke, developed by Rainbird Software and released by Microprose Software in 1990. It is a puzzle game played on a three-dimensional tower-like grid viewed in vector graphics with filled polygons.

Background Story

The plot of the game is based on the biblical story of the Tower Of Babel. At the height of the tower's construction, while it failed in its original purpose to directly contact God, it caught the attention of a passing Zantorian alien spaceship. The Zantorians descended and left three spider-like robots to help the Shinarians in constructing the tower. However, distrust broke out among the two species, and the humans betrayed the robots, stealing their energy packs (called "Klondikes"). Playing the robots, it is your job to find the energy packs to be able to get back home to Zantor.

Gameplay

The actual game play bears no relation at all to Christian belief, but is purely puzzle-based. The famous Tower Of Babel itself does not actually appear, instead you can play over literally hundreds of differently-configured 8*8*4 towers (four floors of 8*8 squares each).

The Zantorians robots are called the Grabber, the Pusher and the Zapper. Each of these has different abilities. The Grabber can collect Klondikes and operate various devices, the Pusher can push things further away, and the Zapper can destroy things. In a tower, you can be assigned any combination of these robots, depending on the tower's design. Towers with Klondikes to collect need the Grabber, but the other robots can sometimes be superfluous.

Everything in the game is viewed in a realistic 3D vector graphics view, but the actual movement in the game is far more contained than in games usually associated with such graphics, only allowing square-by-square movement in rectangular directions and vertical movement using special lifts.

To make matters more interesting, various devices, sentry mechanisms and autonomous robots also inhabit each tower. Some of these can be used to your advantage, while some hinder your progress.

Editor

"Tower Of Babel" also includes a construction kit where you can design your own towers to your heart's content and save them to disk for later play and distribution. The towers can be password-protected to avoid spoiling them by looking directly at the design.

A great feature of the game is the ability to program the robots. Each robot can be given up to eight orders (for example: Forward, Forward, Left, Fire, Right, Forward). In some levels, programming the robots is mandatory, as they need to coordinate their actions in order to solve the level. Watching the robots solve a given level automatically after being programmed is very satisfying.

Game objects

; Block : Can be pushed around but cannot be shot.; Converter : Changes laser beams into pushing beams and vice versa.; Exchanger : When activated by the Grabber, switches places with it and vanishes. Deflects laser beams back to their source.; Flag : Does nothing but fly in the wind and get in the way. Its only use is to be destroyed.; Force up/down : When activated by the Grabber, moves all lifts not currently holding something either up or down.; Freezer : When activated by the Grabber, temporarily freezes everything in the tower except your robots and the lifts.; Glass block : Can be pushed around. Shooting at it deflects the laser beam back to its source, destroying whoever shot at it.; Hopper : Hops around in a random fashion. Can be destroyed by shooting it.; Klondike : The robots' energy pack. Can be collected by the Grabber.; Lizard : Constantly moves in a straight line. When changing direction, eats away a floor tile. Cannot be shot.; Mine : When it is pushed next to an object, or an object is pushed next to it, it explodes, destroying everything it touches.; Prism : Deflects laser beams at a 90° angle. Can be pushed.; Pushing cannon : Constantly fires a pushing beam. Comes in two varieties, fixed and rotating. Cannot be shot.; Time bomb : When the timer reaches zero, it explodes, destroying everything it touches. Can be pushed.; Watcher : Moves around in a random fashion. Cannot be shot.; Wiper : When activated by the Grabber, eats away all floor tiles in a cross-shaped pattern with itself at the centre.; Worm : Constantly moves in a straight line. Shooting at it makes it reverse direction.; Zapping cannon : Constantly fires a lethal laser beam. Comes in two varieties, fixed and rotating. Can be destroyed by shooting it.

Legacy

"Triogical" is a Freeware puzzle game for Microsoft Windows inspired by "Tower Of Babel".

Due to its unique nature and the easily usable editor the game has acquired a small, but very dedicated community of fans. Thanks to emulation software like WinUAE the game can be played on modern PCs and homemade towers swapped via the internet. Currently there are two remakes in the making.

External links

*moby game|id=/tower-of-babel|name="Tower of Babel"

* [http://www.triogical.com/ Triogical] 2D remake
* [http://www.tower-of-babel.info/ Tower of Babel Remake Project] and info at tower-of-babel.info
* [http://www.tob2.com Tower of Babel 2 project] at tob2.com


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Tower of Babel (disambiguation) — The Tower of Babel in the Old Testament was a tower built by a united humanity to reach the heavens.Tower of Babel may also refer to:In gaming:* Tower of Babel (board game), board game by Reiner Knizia * Tower Of Babel (computer game), computer… …   Wikipedia

  • literature — /lit euhr euh cheuhr, choor , li treuh /, n. 1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays. 2.… …   Universalium

  • List of Parasite Eve characters — This article details fictional characters of the Parasite Eve series of video games. Contents 1 Main characters 1.1 Aya Brea 1.2 Eve 1.2.1 Maya Brea/Melissa Pearce/Second Eve …   Wikipedia

  • Constructed language — This article is about the creation of planned or artificial natural languages. For information about the linguistic field of language planning and policy, see language planning. Artificial language redirects here. For non natural languages, see… …   Wikipedia

  • CBS — This article is about the broadcast network. For its parent company, see CBS Corporation. For other uses of CBS, see CBS (disambiguation). CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) Type …   Wikipedia

  • Xuanyuan Jian — (Chinese: 軒轅劍, literally Sword of Yellow Emperor ) refers to a series of Chinese console style role playing games for personal computers developed by DOMO group of Softstar, Inc. based in Taiwan. These games are based on pre history Chinese… …   Wikipedia

  • Richard Mitchell — Dr. Richard Mitchell (April 26, 1929 ndash; December 27, 2002) was a professor, first of English and later of classics, [Sources are unclear on this subject. See the section Life for details.] at Glassboro State College in Glassboro, New Jersey.… …   Wikipedia

  • Universal translator — The universal translator is a fictional device common to many science fiction works, especially on television. Its purpose is to offer an instant translation of any language. Like hyperdrive, a universal translator is a somewhat improbable… …   Wikipedia

  • language — /lang gwij/, n. 1. a body of words and the systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition: the two languages of Belgium; a Bantu language; the French… …   Universalium

  • Night Wizard! — 2nd ed. cover Designer(s) Takeshi Kikuchi, F.E.A.R. Publisher(s) Enterbrain Publication date 2002 (1st edition) 2007 (2nd edition) Ge …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”