Invader X

Invader X
Developers	Imagic (original) neotokeo2001 (hack)
Publishers	Imagic (original) Freeware, neotokeo2001 (hack)
System	Atari 2600
Release Dates	1982 (original) 2004, 2012 (hack)
Modes	Single player Two players alternating Two players simultaneous
Media	Cartridge (original and hack) ROM file (hack)

Story/background

(from the Demon Attack manual) "Marooned on the ice planet Krybor, you watch legions of eerie creatures scream overhead. They hover ominously. They give you no quarter. Attack and destroy them–or be destroyed! Armed with your Laser Cannon, you confront the ultimate challenge: Survive!"

Demon Attack was originally released for the Atari 2600. Invader X was a graphical hack changing various graphics, scoring and a sound effect. The game was also released in limited quantities on cartridge in late 2012.

Gameplay

The player’s(/s’) Laser Cannon faces an unending assault against Invaders, which materialize out of thin air, appearing in groups of three. The invaders vary in size, shape and attack patterns, as at first they stay confined to three areas of the screen: at the top, middle, and near players’ Cannons at the bottom. After a while, whenever a player destroys the lowest invader, the next higher invader will drop down to replace the closest invader. They also start splitting when shot, turning into two smaller invaders, only one of the two will fire at the player, along with diving down at the player’s(/s’) Cannon.

If a Laser Cannon is hit by an invader or their fire, the Cannon is destroyed and the game will end if there are no more reserve Cannons (called "bunkers"). An extra bunker is awarded with every wave of invaders a player destroys without losing a Cannon, with a maximum of six reserve bunkers possible.

Controls

In-game

• Move Laser Cannon–joystick (left/right)
• Fire–button
• Steer shot–joystick (for variations with tracer shots only)

Variables

• Select game–Game Select switch
• Start game–left joystick button or Game Reset switch
• Change difficulty level–Difficulty Lever (A for "Aggressive Action", or the hardest setting)

Game variations

There are variations for a regular Invader X game, along with tracer shots variations, which allow players to steer their shots after they have been fired. There are also variations for two players competing (which players’ turns alternate with the end of every wave), co-op (the Laser Cannon control alternates every four seconds per player, which the player’s turn is indicated by a color change of the Cannon), these options with tracer shots, and when a player gets hit, their partner scores an additional 500 points on the last two games (as this version has 10 games in all).

Changes from original

In this hack, the invaders look totally different than the demons on the original, as certain invaders have eyes that open and close, and a few are hard to see/partially invisible, while others are space ships. The invaders' fire is bigger and blocky at times, the player’s Laser Cannon was changed, as well as the sound effect when an extra bunker is acquired, plus the Cannon also starts off shooting quickly, then shots start slowing down after several waves. The scoring is also drastically reduced, as the score for large invaders begins at one point, while split invaders are two and diving invaders are four.

Other hacks

Due to programs being available to change games around, several other hacks were made of Demon Attack, being Custer's Revenge 2 (parents, Atari fans and the like are angry over the controversial game of Custer’s Revenge for the system), and Extinction (the demons were made into dinosaurs).

Links

Invader X Atari Age page