New 8-bit and 5200 game release - Alien Assault 2121 by A/W/A

[rra]

Alien Assault 2121.XEX (8-bit)

Alien Assault 2121.ROM(Atari 5200)

 

 

Alien Assault 2121 is the latest assembly language game by the team of Anschuetz/Weisgerber/Anschuetz.  This is the 5th out of 15 games that we intend to release this year.  We are going to pick up the pace during the last half of the year to make sure they all get released, so in the coming months we will probably be releasing 2 games per month.

 

Alien Assault 2121 is a game that has elements of both missile command and duck hunt!  We originally wrote this game in BASIC in about 1983. - one of the first games we ever wrote.  We submitted this to some magazines but it wasn't accepted.  The original BASIC version is available on Atarimania.com.  At the time, we only had a 410 cassette recorder for backup and no disk drive.  When we wrote the BASIC version, we allocated memory right on top of where Atari DOS gets loaded, so the game didn't work with disk-based systems.  We saved the program to our PC with SIO2PC about 20 years ago and placed the file on an Atari DOS 2.0 disk, but couldn't play it and the 3 of us forgot the details of the game because we couldn't play it. About 3 or 4 years ago, Robert used a utility to create a .CAS wave file so we could finally play Alien Assault it again without DOS.  Eric then re-wrote the memory issues in BASIC so we could play a version on an .ATR file.  It was a pretty good game for BASIC which featured rough parallax scrolling and featured a clever algorithm for drawing the random mountains and placing the satellites.

 

Be sure to read the instructions on the title page to learn how to play.  It is fairly simple, but there are two pieces of information displayed at the bottom of the screen that must be kept track of during game play.  The main object of the game is to complete as many levels as possible while increasing your score.  Each level features increasing numbers of bombs that drop from the sky that are aimed at the satellites that you are protecting - indicated by the "Bombs" count.   Each level allows fewer satellites to be destroyed before your game is over - indicated by the "Nuked" count.

 

Updates from the BASIC version to the Assembly version include:

·         Added instruction screen

·         Support for both the Atari 8-bit and Atari 5200

·         Custom font

·         No limit to the number of shots you can fire

·         Added a row of UFOs to the top of the playfield that can be shot

·         Added a cannon at the bottom where the shots originate from

·         Smooth scrolling horizontally instead of course scrolling

·         Added music playing in the background and sound effects

·         Smooth dropping bombs compared to choppy movement in the original

·         Much faster pace of play

 

 

[darwinmac]

Thanks for releasing these games. I have had fun with the earlier games. I see you have moved 100 years in the future since the earlier games were 2021. ?

 

Seriously, thanks for sharing these games with the Atari community. 
 

Bob C

[jetset]

Thank you for this! Always great having new games for the 5200. Is there a link to the other released games?

[rra]

@jetsetHere are the previously posted Anschuetz/Weisgerber/Anschuetz games from 2021:

 

Sokoban 2021

 

Night Rescue 1941

 

Overflow 2021

 

Kooky Diver 2021

 

 

[jetset]

3 minutes ago, rra said:

@jetsetHere are the previously posted Anschuetz/Weisgerber/Anschuetz games from 2021

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by jetset

[jefffulton]

Really cool, and the Pokey tune is devine! 

Edited August 13, 2021 by jefffulton

[phuzaxeman]

Thank you for releasing for the 5200.  While my XL still works great after all these decades, I prefer my 5200 today.

Edited August 14, 2021 by phuzaxeman

[+ZeroPage Homebrew]

EXCLUSIVE WORLD PREMIERES

& INTERVIEW WITH A/W/A

 

ZeroPage Homebrew is playing the Exclusive World Premiere of both Kooky Klimber and Robot Dungeon 2121 from the programming team of Eric Anschuetz, Robert Anschuetz and John Weisgerber on tomorrow's stream LIVE on Twitch!

 

We also have a LIVE INTERVIEW with the A/W/A team where we will talk about the 14(!) games they released this year that are assembly updates of Atari Basic games they created in the 1980's, three of which were in Antic Magazine! Hope you can join us!

 

Tue Nov 16 @ 6PM PT | 9PM ET | 2AM GMT+1Day

WATCH: https://www.twitch.tv/zeropagehomebrew/

Games:

• Kooky Klimber (2021 Exclusive World Premiere | A8) by Eric Anschuetz @eea, Robert Anschuetz @rra, John Weisgerber @jjw
• Robot Dungeon 2121 (2021 Exclusive World Premiere | A8) by Eric Anschuetz @eea, Robert Anschuetz @rra, John Weisgerber @jjw

(WATCH AT 1080P60 FOR FULL QUALITY)