Swordquest Airworld theory

[AtarinDave]

So as I understand Atari sold the company and ended the Swordquest series. Therefore the last game of the series, 'Swordquest: Airworld' was cancelled.

 

Now there have been "Sightings" of the prototype cartridge, which turned out to be fake. I've seen many forums and discussions on that topic, no one knows where it is, and in what form the program was saved(disk, cartridge, etc.). So it got me thinking for a bit, once the news spread in the company of Atari, makes you wonder if the game was even saved, or if it was thrown away or burnt.

 

 

I could very well be wrong, but it's just a thought of mine.

 

Tell me your thoughts.

Edited July 20, 2014 by AtarinDave

[jaybird3rd]

There have indeed been a few "sightings", all of which were confirmed to be fake. Tod Frye provided some details about his concept for the unfinished Swordquest Airworld the last time someone came along claiming to have a prototype cartridge (all that this person produced were doctored screenshots hosted on a now-defunct website):

 

From: Tod Frye

To: 'John Hardie'

Subject: RE: Atari 2600 Airworld

Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2002 12:18:38 -0700

 

all bogus.

 

airworld was started, but never completed. the screens shown on this website are variants of the fireworld concepts.

 

airworld prototypes never reached the playable stage. in the real airworld,

there was a screen where one flies about, and the centers on a hexagram on the horizon. one then flies into the hexagram, which zooms to fill the

screen, and then plays one of 64 scenarios - one per hexagram.

 

this website is a completely bunk.

 

so saith me, who knows.

 

tod frye

hello.

 

this is me. Tod Frye. Really. i mean, check the e-mail address...

 

that Airworld cart i saw? screenshots look like Earthworld, with some

modifications to the graphics data. this would not be all that hard for a

moderately competent 'hacker' to do. just find the data tables in ROM, and

patch them.

 

EarthWorld was the first one. it was coded by Dan Hitchens, under my design

direction. based on the Zodiac - 12 rooms, one for each sign, that sort of

stuff.

 

AirWorld did get started, and i was digging it, but i got asked to port

Xevious to the 2600 after 2 other programmers gave up on it. The Xevious

port had some REALLY cool 2600 tech...

 

AirWorld was based on the I Ching. As far as i got, it was never fully

playable. But i was psyched to be doing it. One flew around in a (sort of)

first person flying scenario with 64 hexagrams on the horizon, dodging some

stuff in the air, and picking some other stuff. When you picked up a certain

token, you entered the 'in hexagram' phase, where you locked on a hexagram

of your choice on the horizon, and it zoomed up to fill the screen, where

you played one of 64 simple games (the 64 simple games never got finished,

to ambitious).

 

So, what the heck. Those screen shots were almost defintitely from a

modified EarthWorld.

 

There is no AirWorld. I would be really surprised if it were even possible

to find the code for the initial AirWorld prototypes. But if anyone ever

does find them, let me know- maybe they are near my 2600 BallBlazers

prototype - 2600 BallBlazers was the coolest 2600 tech i ever did, and i

have lost my only listing of the code

 

thanks,

tod frye

(The second message was posted by the guy who claimed to have the cartridge, and I didn't see any independent confirmation of its authenticity in the thread, but it looks legitimate.)

[freewheel]

I seem to recall Tod saying something like 20% was completed, so basically nothing. Still would be neat to see, but not exactly a useful prototype.

 

I've always been far more interested in the 2600 BallBlazer comment. When a programmer says "the coolest tech I ever did", I'm intrigued.

[Rex Dart]

makes you wonder if the game was even saved, or if it was thrown away or burnt.

Flushed, perhaps?

[Zwackery]

What I'm just as equally interested in is if the Airworld comic book was ever written/drawn/inked.

[Tempest]

I thought someone looked into the comic and they said no it wasn't, just a rough plot outline was done.

[Zwackery]

I thought someone looked into the comic and they said no it wasn't, just a rough plot outline was done.

 

I've never really heard anything definitive, but even looking at a rough plot outline would be interesting. It's too bad this series was never finished (in game or comic form).

[Tempest]

I've never really heard anything definitive, but even looking at a rough plot outline would be interesting. It's too bad this series was never finished (in game or comic form).

 

Ok I found the quote from the artist when someone asked him about it:

 

 

“No, there was no "AirWorld" story ever written or drawn. The whole SwordQuest project was terminated by Atari before we could even start on the art. Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, the original writers of the comics, may have worked out some sort of plot synopsis dealing in the generalities of that final chapter for Atari approval, but it never got to plot form. “

[Crazy Climber]

Would be a good one for a Homebrewer to tackle. I know a LOT of work goes into programming a game so it's not like they could just casually make Airworld in a weekend or something but seriously, think about how many people would be interested in this If you wanted to get some serious recognition for making a game, do Airworld and convince Nathan to make a mini comic for it, you would go down in Homebrew History as royalty

[high voltage]

Airworld remake came out on the 5200 if I remember right

Edited September 3, 2014 by high voltage

[godzillajoe]

Airworld remake came out on the 5200 if I remember right

 

https://atariage.com/development_page.html?InDevelopmentID=8

 

Was it ever finished and released?

[IHATETHEBEARS]

Airworld for the 5200 was an abandoned project. Somewhere buried in these forums you'll find a post of mine. Back in 2008 maybe, I contacted the people who were making the game. I copied and pasted their response. If memory serves one of the main programmers backed out. And the project just fell apart.

[Supergun]

Well, at the very least, this statement here is actually false:

 

“...The whole SwordQuest project was terminated by Atari before we could even start on the art..."

 

Because there are 3 samples of Airworld artwork on the Atarimania listing of the game.

[lapetino]

Well, at the very least, this statement here is actually false:

 

“...The whole SwordQuest project was terminated by Atari before we could even start on the art..."

 

Because there are 3 samples of Airworld artwork on the Atarimania listing of the game.

I talked to the artist who did a lot of the artwork for Atari games (including SQ Waterworld) and that piece for Airworld was just a rough sketch and color study. It wasn't finished, but he said he thought someone else did some work on it to move it forward in that image. The bottom image on the mentioned Atarimania page (http://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-2600-vcs-swordquest-airworld_20304.html) that he calls a poster is not from Airworld. It was a promo piece created by comic book artist George Perez to be used on the AtariAge magazine, as the cover. It doesn't specifically represent Airworld.

[Rom Hunter]

Yes, the poster at the bottom is on each SwordQuest game page.

 

It's not specifically AirWorld.

 

[AtarinDave]

Airworld for the 5200 was an abandoned project. Somewhere buried in these forums you'll find a post of mine. Back in 2008 maybe, I contacted the people who were making the game. I copied and pasted their response. If memory serves one of the main programmers backed out. And the project just fell apart.

I asked Dutchman himself, he said that infogrames did not approve. Plus his team developer quit.

[doctorclu]

What if the Airworld game could be included in the Atari Flashback 8 which would have all the SwordQuest series AND the "long lost" AIRWORLD!

 

Sure it would be by fans but would make a great selling point for the Christmas shopper. Just got to know how to spin this stuff.