Atic Atac
Encyclopedia
Atic Atac is a ZX Spectrum
video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game
in 1983
. It takes place within a flip-screen
castle
in which the player must seek out the "Golden Key of ACG". It was written originally by Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper, and later ported to the BBC Micro
.
The choice is not only cosmetic - each character has access to a secret passage
unique to them, meaning that navigating the castle is different for each character. In addition, the Serf is the only character to have momentum
and will continue to run briefly, unlike the others who come to a dead stop as soon as a direction key is released.
Similar to other Ultimate games, common enemies appear in each room after the player has entered and randomly attack the player, collision with these destroys them but drains a portion of health. There are also stationary poisonous fungi who will drain health constantly if the player is in contact with them. There are also enemies who cannot normally be killed and must be avoided, however certain special items will distract, repel or kill these enemies. Contact with bosses drains health as long as the player is in contact with them. These generally guard pieces of the ACG key, or attack the player.
The player has a number of lives and health can be replenished by collecting food scattered around the castle, however as health constantly drops and food is limited and does not replenish the player must eventually escape or die of attrition.
Doors randomly open and close in each room, and it is possible to be briefly trapped in a room whilst the life meter ticks down. Upon death the player is replaced by a gravestone which stays in place for the remainder of the game.
said "it is one thing - FANTASTIC!" and rated it at 92%. Computer and Video Games
said it was "the best yet from Ultimate", and later in 1984 described it as "the favourite arcade adventure amongst computer gamesters". Personal Computer Games
wrote that it was "another blockbuster game", while Sinclair User
said that "the depth of plot and the GAS graphics make it a superb game."
In 1991, Atic Atac was ranked as the 79th best ZX Spectrum game of all time by Your Sinclair
., while in 2007, Eurogamer
described it as "a prime example of what passion can do when properly digitised" and rated it 8/10.
The game was a major inspiration for the Children's ITV
show Knightmare
. The wellways accessing different levels were a direct lift from the game, and the 'life force' featuring a disintegrating human face was based on the game's rotting chicken graphic.
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
video game developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game
Ultimate Play the Game
Ultimate Play The Game was a critically acclaimed video game developer of the early home computer era. "Ultimate Play The Game" was the trading name of Ashby Computers & Graphics Ltd. , a software company founded in 1982 by two ex-arcade game developers Tim and Chris Stamper...
in 1983
1983 in video gaming
-Events:* A major shakeout of the video game industry begins. By 1986, total video games sales will decrease from US$3.2 billion to US$0.1 billion.* MCA Universal files suit against Nintendo, claiming that the latter company's video arcade hit Donkey Kong violated Universal's copyright on King Kong...
. It takes place within a flip-screen
Flip-screen
In video games, flip-screen is a principle whereby the playing environment is divided into single-screen portions...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in which the player must seek out the "Golden Key of ACG". It was written originally by Tim Stamper and Chris Stamper, and later ported to the BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
.
Introduction
Typically for an Ultimate release, players are given a tantalising and cryptic introduction :- "I never did believe in Ghosts or Monsters ...
- Not until now, not until the Main doors of the Castle closed and locked themselves behind me ...
- There's no key here!!! I'm trapped!!!
- HELP!!! ... HEELLLPPPP!!! ...
- No-one can hear me ... I'm alone ... Why do the doors open and slam shut??!! ... Is anybody there?? ... HHEELLLLPPPP!!! ...
- I can see strange shapes materialising on the other side of the room ... Evil eyes glaring at me ... Footsteps ... Something is coming down the corridor ... Something large ... Something cold ... I must run quickly ...
- QUICKLY ... HHEELLLLPPPP!!!! ...
- I must escape before it's too late!!!!!"
Gameplay
The player can choose from three different characters:- Wizard
- KnightKnightA knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
- SerfSerfdomSerfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
The choice is not only cosmetic - each character has access to a secret passage
Secret passage
Secret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel. Such passageways are sometimes inside buildings leading to secret rooms. Others allow occupants to enter or exit buildings without being seen...
unique to them, meaning that navigating the castle is different for each character. In addition, the Serf is the only character to have momentum
Momentum
In classical mechanics, linear momentum or translational momentum is the product of the mass and velocity of an object...
and will continue to run briefly, unlike the others who come to a dead stop as soon as a direction key is released.
Similar to other Ultimate games, common enemies appear in each room after the player has entered and randomly attack the player, collision with these destroys them but drains a portion of health. There are also stationary poisonous fungi who will drain health constantly if the player is in contact with them. There are also enemies who cannot normally be killed and must be avoided, however certain special items will distract, repel or kill these enemies. Contact with bosses drains health as long as the player is in contact with them. These generally guard pieces of the ACG key, or attack the player.
The player has a number of lives and health can be replenished by collecting food scattered around the castle, however as health constantly drops and food is limited and does not replenish the player must eventually escape or die of attrition.
Doors randomly open and close in each room, and it is possible to be briefly trapped in a room whilst the life meter ticks down. Upon death the player is replaced by a gravestone which stays in place for the remainder of the game.
Critical reception
Atic Atac was almost universally praised on its release. Micro Adventurer said "this game can be recommended without reservation", while CRASHCRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
said "it is one thing - FANTASTIC!" and rated it at 92%. Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
said it was "the best yet from Ultimate", and later in 1984 described it as "the favourite arcade adventure amongst computer gamesters". Personal Computer Games
Personal Computer Games
Personal Computer Games was a multi-format UK computer games mag of the early/mid eighties.-History:It is famous for launching the careers of several notable games journalists of the '80s including Bob Wade, Peter Connor and Chris Anderson. Anderson would later launch Amstrad Action, and Future...
wrote that it was "another blockbuster game", while Sinclair User
Sinclair User
Sinclair User, often abbreviated SU, was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum...
said that "the depth of plot and the GAS graphics make it a superb game."
In 1991, Atic Atac was ranked as the 79th best ZX Spectrum game of all time by Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
., while in 2007, Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
described it as "a prime example of what passion can do when properly digitised" and rated it 8/10.
The game was a major inspiration for the Children's ITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
show Knightmare
Knightmare
Knightmare is an English television program for children, produced by Broadsword Productions for Anglia Television and was broadcast on ITV from 7 September 1987 to 11 November 1994...
. The wellways accessing different levels were a direct lift from the game, and the 'life force' featuring a disintegrating human face was based on the game's rotting chicken graphic.
External links
- Atic Atac at Ultimate Wurlde
- A walkthrough video of Atic Atac on the ZX Spectrum at Google VideoGoogle VideoGoogle Videos is a video search engine, and formerly a free video sharing website, from Google Inc. Before removing user-uploaded content, the service allowed selected videos to be remotely embedded on other websites and provided the necessary HTML code alongside the media, similar to YouTube...
- Atic Atac remake for the PCPersonal computerA personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...