Climber 5 is a port by Dennis Debro of an Atari 8-bit computer game that originally appeared in COMPUTE! magazine back in 1987. In Climber 5 you play the role of a baseball player. The baseball has been hit to the upper rafters of a building under construction. Your job is to climb the ladders and retrieve the ball. Of course, there are obstacles along the way that you need to avoid or you lose a life and must start over at the bottom right corner. Once you successfully retrieve the ball, the level changes and becomes more difficult. You can view a screenshot from the original Atari 8-bit version (which you can see here) and can read the original COMPUTE! article here.
Climber 5 features three game modes, Original, Normal and Advanced. In the Original game mode, play closely mimics the original Atari 8-bit version. In Normal mode, the ladder positions and girder movements are random. You also have a timer that counts down and you must reach the baseball before time runs out. The Advanced option is similar to Normal, but adds falling obstacles. Some obstacles are harmful, whereas the player is rewarded for retrieving others. How far can you get?
Climber 5 features a professionally printed label and full-color, 16-page manual. The Climber 5 label artwork by Jason Dvorak was a result of the Climber 5 Label Contest held last year on AtariAge. The manual by Dale Crum includes a four page comic also created by Jason Dvorak.
Includes cartridge and full-color manual. Available in NTSC and PAL television formats, please specify above when ordering.
Author | Dennis Debro |
Number of Players | 1 |
Controller | Joystick |
Cartridge Size | 4K |
Label Design | Jason Dvorak |
Manual Design | Dale Crum |
There are variations of this theme with random placement of ladders and girders, timers, and falling objects that give this game a lot of replayability. Best of all NO FLICKER!!! A really top notch homebrew.
But Dennis Debro also added two improved versions to the cart. The "Normal" version adds a timer, randomized girders and ladder positions, and the ability for the player to change the girders' directions (which takes extra time away from you). For those looking for an added challenge, the "Advanced" version also adds falling objects that you need to either avoid, or catch to earn more time. This third version is where Climber 5 really begins to shine. The falling objects transform it into a really well-rounded and challenging game, where strategy and good timing become indispensable.
The player's speed on the first level feels really sluggish, but that picks up starting in the second level. The graphics are decent, and in keeping with the original game. The sounds are about average for a 2600 game. Ultimately though, it's the gameplay that will keep you returning to Climber 5 - especially the "Advanced" version.
Best of all there is enough challenge and replay value in Climber 5 to keep you playing it for hours!
Climber 5 is a can't miss hit that belongs in EVERY Atari collection.