Alcatraz (video game)
Encyclopedia
For other uses, see Alcatraz (disambiguation)
Alcatraz is an action video game created by 221B Software Developments and published by Infogrames
. It was released on the PC DOS
, Atari ST
and Amiga
in 1992, as a spiritual sequel
to Infogrames' 1988 game Hostages.
, former site of the famous prison, to bring down Miguel Tardiez, a notorious drugs trafficker and warlord who is now based there. Alcatraz has been taken over by him and turned it into his base of operations for his drugs cartel, gun running and money laundering
operations. The two operatives, Bird and Fist, must make their way from one end of the island to the other, destroying drug caches, before finally apprehending or eliminating Tardiez, then making their escape via the awaiting helicopter, all within 2 hours upon reaching their intrusion point.
mode, whilst many levels adopt the familiar side-scrolling perspective in which the commandos may hide in shadows from the enemies. This also allows you to change your weapons, which you pick up from the enemies you dispatch.
was more positive, commenting: "as a whole, Alcatraz is an improvement on Hostages" and adding that "the scrolly shooty bits are absolutely brilliant" and the game's 3D sections "are not as good, but still fun".
in 2010. It is a first-person shooter
.
Alcatraz (disambiguation)
Alcatraz Island, or simply Alcatraz, is the historical site of the Alcatraz penitentiary, in San Francisco Bay, California.Alcatraz may also refer to:*Alcatraz , a 1992 sequel to the Infogrames game Hostages...
Alcatraz is an action video game created by 221B Software Developments and published by Infogrames
Infogrames
Infogrames Entertainment SA was an international French holding company headquartered in Paris, France. It was the owner of Atari, Inc., headquartered in New York City, U.S. and Atari Europe. It was founded in 1983 by Bruno Bonnell and Christophe Sapet using the proceeds from an introductory...
. It was released on the PC DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
, Atari ST
Atari ST
The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was released by Atari Corporation in 1985 and commercially available from that summer into the early 1990s. The "ST" officially stands for "Sixteen/Thirty-two", which referred to the Motorola 68000's 16-bit external bus and 32-bit internals...
and Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
in 1992, as a spiritual sequel
Spiritual sequel
A spiritual successor, sometimes called a spiritual sequel or a companion piece, is a successor to a work of fiction which does not directly build upon the storyline established by a previous work as do most traditional prequels or sequels, but nevertheless features many of the same elements,...
to Infogrames' 1988 game Hostages.
Story
Two U.S. Navy SEALs operatives land on Alcatraz IslandAlcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. Often referred to as "The Rock" or simply "Traz", the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal...
, former site of the famous prison, to bring down Miguel Tardiez, a notorious drugs trafficker and warlord who is now based there. Alcatraz has been taken over by him and turned it into his base of operations for his drugs cartel, gun running and money laundering
Money laundering
Money laundering is the process of disguising illegal sources of money so that it looks like it came from legal sources. The methods by which money may be laundered are varied and can range in sophistication. Many regulatory and governmental authorities quote estimates each year for the amount...
operations. The two operatives, Bird and Fist, must make their way from one end of the island to the other, destroying drug caches, before finally apprehending or eliminating Tardiez, then making their escape via the awaiting helicopter, all within 2 hours upon reaching their intrusion point.
Gameplay
The game takes place over a number of levels, which changes it's perspective to adjust to the corresponding mission, i.e.: inside buildings to find drugs, money and weapon caches, the viewpoint adjusts to first personFirst person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
mode, whilst many levels adopt the familiar side-scrolling perspective in which the commandos may hide in shadows from the enemies. This also allows you to change your weapons, which you pick up from the enemies you dispatch.
Reception
According to a review in Amiga Action, "many people will find the gameplay outdated and will soon become bored with it", whereas Amiga ComputingAmiga Computing
Amiga Computing was a monthly computer magazine of a serious nature, published by Europress and IDG in both the UK and USA. A total of 117 issues came out. The games section was called Gamer, although later Amiga Action was incorporated into the magazine and became the games section.- External...
was more positive, commenting: "as a whole, Alcatraz is an improvement on Hostages" and adding that "the scrolly shooty bits are absolutely brilliant" and the game's 3D sections "are not as good, but still fun".
Remake
An unofficial remake of the game was published by City InteractiveCity Interactive
City Interactive is an international publisher and the largest Polish developer of computer and video games for platforms including Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. The company was created in 2002 by combining a publishing house with two computer game developer studios. The...
in 2010. It is a first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
.
External links
- Alcatraz at MobyGamesMobyGames-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
- Alcatraz Amiga - HOL database