Tempest (video game)
Tempest is a 1981 arcade game by Atari Inc., designed and programmed by Dave Theurer. It takes place on a three-dimensional surface divided into lanes, sometimes as a closed tube, and viewed from one end. The player controls a claw-shaped "blaster" that sits on the edge of the surface, snapping from segment to segment as a rotary knob is turned.
| Tempest | |
|---|---|
North American arcade flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Publisher(s) | Atari, Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Dave Theurer |
| Programmer(s) | Dave Theurer |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, ZX Spectrum |
| Release | October 1981: Arcade 1985: Spectrum, BBC 1987: Amstrad 1989: Atari ST |
| Genre(s) | Tube shooter |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players, alternating turns |
Tempest was one of the first games to use Atari's Color-QuadraScan vector display technology. It was also the first to let players choose their starting level (a system Atari called "SkillStep"). This feature increases the maximum starting level depending on the player's performance in the previous game, essentially allowing the player to continue the previous game. Tempest was one of the first video games with a progressive level design where the levels themselves varied rather than giving the player the same layout with increasing difficulty.