software.wikisort.org - Video_game

Atic Atac is an arcade-adventure video game developed and published by Ultimate Play the Game, released for the ZX Spectrum and the BBC Micro in 1983. The game takes place within a castle in which the player must seek out the "Golden Key of ACG"[lower-alpha 1] by unlocking doors and avoiding enemies. It was Ultimate's second game to require 48K of RAM; most of their previous games for the Spectrum ran on unexpanded 16K models.

Atic Atac
ZX Spectrum cover art
Developer(s)	Tim and Chris Stamper
Publisher(s)	Ultimate Play the Game
Platform(s)	ZX Spectrum BBC Micro
Release	ZX Spectrum WW: 1983[1] BBC Micro UK: 1983
Genre(s)	Arcade adventure Maze
Mode(s)	Single-player

The game was written by Tim Stamper and its graphics were designed by Chris Stamper. Atic Atac received praise from critics upon release, mostly for its graphics and gameplay. It was later included in Rare's 2015 Xbox One retrospective compilation, Rare Replay. The game served as inspiration for the critically acclaimed adventure game show Knightmare.

Gameplay

The game is presented in a top-down perspective and is set inside a labyrinth of a complex castle. The player has been trapped inside and needs to collect three pieces of the "Golden Key of ACG" in order to escape. They can choose from three different characters; a Wizard, Knight or Serf.[2][3] Each character has different ground friction, a different weapon to kill common enemies and access to a secret passage unique to them, meaning that navigating the castle is different for each one.[4][5]

There are a number of items scattered around the castle, of which the player may carry up to three at a time. Some of these are always in the same place at the start of the game, whereas others are distributed randomly.[4] Items include differently-coloured keys which will unlock their respective doors, the three pieces of the ACG key, and other items that affect certain enemies or are mere red herrings.[2] Common enemies appear in each room upon entering and will attack the player on sight. Collision with these enemies destroys them but drains a portion of the player's health. There are also stationary poisonous fungi which will drain health constantly if the player is in contact with them, and enemies that require special items in order to either distract, repel or kill them, otherwise they remain in the room, invulnerable to conventional attacks, and rapidly drain the player's health if touched.[3]

The player has three lives upon starting the game, and should they die a gravestone will appear at their location and stay in place for the remainder of the current game.[4] Health can be replenished by collecting food scattered throughout the castle, however it will constantly drop the more the player moves, thus the player may eventually lose a life from starvation if they have not escaped the castle in time.[2]

Development

Ultimate Play the Game was founded by brothers Tim and Chris Stamper, along with Tim's wife, Carol, from their headquarters in Ashby-de-la-Zouch in 1982. Under the trading name of Ultimate Play the Game, they began producing multiple video games for the ZX Spectrum throughout the early 1980s.[6] Prior to founding Ultimate, the Stamper brothers had backgrounds in designing arcade machines, but no marketing experience in the video game sector.

The operations of Ultimate were secretive and the Stamper brothers rarely gave interviews.[6][7] Computer and Video Games noted that during development of Atic Atac, staff would work in "separate teams" to ensure quality control; one team would work on graphics whilst the other would oversee gameplay or sound.[2] The Stamper brothers worked seven days a week with little sleep in order to devote more time into developing video games, and would frequently re-use the same mechanics of their earlier games in newer ZX Spectrum games.[6]

Reception and legacy

The game received a positive critical reception upon release. Micro Adventurer mainly praised Ultimate's capabilities of developing high quality games, saying that Atic Atac was "bound to fix their name firmly into the minds of adventurers", further recommending the game "without reservation".[7] Crash enjoyed the game's colourful graphics, heralding the detail and objects of the game to be "marvellous". However, they criticised the difficult joystick control and vague instructions, adding that the entire game is a "learning experience".[8] Computer and Video Games stated that the game was "the best yet from Ultimate",[4] and later in 1984 described it as "the favourite arcade adventure amongst computer gamesters".[2] Personal Computer Games wrote that it was "another blockbuster game",[10] while Sinclair User praised both the depth of plot and the advanced graphics, citing them both as "superb".[11]

In 1991, Atic Atac was ranked as the 79th best ZX Spectrum game of all time by Your Sinclair,[12] and was voted the 8th best game of all time by the readers of Retro Gamer Magazine for an article that was scheduled to be in a special Your Sinclair Tribute issue.[13] In 2007, Eurogamer described it as a prime example of "what passion can do when properly digitised".[14] The game was Ultimate's fourth consecutive number one in the UK Spectrum sales chart,[15] following the first two Jetman games and Tranz Am. In 2015, the game was included in Rare Replay, a collection of 30 Rare-designed games released for the Xbox One gaming console.[16]

The game was a major inspiration for the critically acclaimed CITV game show Knightmare, with producer Tim Child realising that if a ZX Spectrum could run a compelling adventure game, then a television programme with pre-rendered graphics could revolutionise the genre.[17][18] Sabre Wulf, which was released for the ZX Spectrum by Ultimate Play the Game later in 1984, was noted for having similar gameplay to Atic Atac, including its similar themes of a continuous maze.[3] In a retrospective interview with Retro Gamer, Rare designer Greg Mayles asserted that their 2003 game Grabbed by the Ghoulies was not inspired by Atic Atac, despite their similar themes of a haunted mansion.[19]

Notes

References

External links

• Atic Atac can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
• Atic Atac at MobyGames
• Atic Atac at SpectrumComputing.co.uk

На других языках

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- [en] Atic Atac

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[es] Atic Atac

Atic Atac es un videojuego de terror de ZX Spectrum realizado en 1983 por la compañía Ultimate Play The Game, nombre comercial de Ashby Computers&Graphics, se trata de una de las compañías más valoradas de software de 8 bits. El juego fue desarrollado por los hermanos Tim y Chris Stamper, creadores de la compañía en 1982.

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[fr] Atic Atac

Atic Atac est un jeu vidéo d’action-aventure développé et publié par Ultimate Play the Game sur ZX Spectrum et BBC Micro en 1983. Le jeu se déroule dans un château que le joueur doit explorer afin de retrouver la « Golden Key of ACG ». Pour cela, le joueur doit déverrouiller des portes et éviter des ennemis. Le jeu a été programmé par Tim Stamper et ses graphismes ont été conçus par Chris Stamper. À sa sortie, le jeu reçoit un accueil plutôt positif de la presse spécialisée, les critiques saluant notamment ses graphismes et son système de jeu. En 2015, le jeu a été republié dans une compilation publiée sous le titre Rare Replay sur Xbox One.

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[it] Atic Atac

Atic Atac è un videogioco d'avventura dinamica[2][5] sviluppato e pubblicato nel 1983 dalla software house inglese Ultimate Play the Game, la futura Rare, per gli home computer ZX Spectrum[4] e BBC Micro. Il giocatore deve farsi strada tra le insidie e i nemici di un castello medievale, per trovare la "Chiave dorata dell'ACG".

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