Attack of the Mutant Camels
Encyclopedia
Attack of the Mutant Camels was a surrealist
computer game released for the Commodore 64
and Atari 8-bit computers
in the 1980s by Jeff Minter
's Llamasoft. It is a horizontally-scrolling shooter.
s before they reach the home base. Doing so requires several dozens of shots. The camels retaliate by shooting fireballs from their mouth.
Each camel required several shots to destroy; if a camel reached the base, the game was over. Once all camels on a level had been killed, the player had to survive a "hyperspace" sequence which required avoiding high-speed missiles. Upon successful completion, the next level presented a new wave of camels, with slightly harder gameplay.
The game is perhaps inspired by the AT-AT attack sequence in The Empire Strikes Back
, and gameplay is very similar to that of the Atari 2600 game based on the film
.
A sequel exists, named Revenge of the Mutant Camels
.
Confusingly, a very different game from Jeff Minter's Gridrunner series was also released in the US under the name Attack of the Mutant Camels.
In 2011, Attack of the Mutant Camels was chosen to be featured in the Smithsonian's "The Art of Video Games" exhibit.
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
computer game released for the Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
and Atari 8-bit computers
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
in the 1980s by Jeff Minter
Jeff Minter
Jeff 'Yak' Minter is a British computer/video game designer and programmer. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and his recent works include Neon , a non-game music visualization program that has been built into the Xbox 360 console, and the video games Space Giraffe , and Space Invaders...
's Llamasoft. It is a horizontally-scrolling shooter.
Summary
The player controls a small jetplane and has the task of killing giant yellow camelCamel
A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
s before they reach the home base. Doing so requires several dozens of shots. The camels retaliate by shooting fireballs from their mouth.
Each camel required several shots to destroy; if a camel reached the base, the game was over. Once all camels on a level had been killed, the player had to survive a "hyperspace" sequence which required avoiding high-speed missiles. Upon successful completion, the next level presented a new wave of camels, with slightly harder gameplay.
The game is perhaps inspired by the AT-AT attack sequence in The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 American epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
, and gameplay is very similar to that of the Atari 2600 game based on the film
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Parker Bros. game)
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back is a scrolling shooter video game published by Parker Brothers in 1982 for the Atari 2600 and in 1983 for the Mattel Intellivision. It was the first Star Wars video game.-Gameplay:...
.
A sequel exists, named Revenge of the Mutant Camels
Revenge of the Mutant Camels
Revenge of the Mutant Camels is a surreal horizontally-scrolling shooter computer game, designed and programmed by Jeff Minter and released on the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and IBM PC...
.
Confusingly, a very different game from Jeff Minter's Gridrunner series was also released in the US under the name Attack of the Mutant Camels.
In 2011, Attack of the Mutant Camels was chosen to be featured in the Smithsonian's "The Art of Video Games" exhibit.