Firetrack
Encyclopedia
Firetrack is a vertically-scrolling shoot 'em up
computer game programmed by Nick "Orlando" Pelling
and released for the BBC Micro
and Commodore 64
platforms in 1987 by Electric Dreams Software
. It was also ported to the Acorn Electron
by Superior Software
in 1989 as part of the Play It Again Sam 7 compilation. It resembles the 1984 arcade game Star Force
in style and gameplay. The game was technically advanced and very well received by critics.
s, although the rate of fire increases with more challenging levels.
As was usual in Orlando's games, the game pushed the limits of the hardware.
On the BBC Micro version, it automatically detects sideways RAM
expansion if present, which allows more detailed graphics on the levels, without any changes to the underlying gameplay. Innovative use of colour make the 8-colour palette of the BBC look much broader. The scrolling is smooth and flicker-free, and there is very little noticeable slowing, even when many enemies are displayed at once. If shadow RAM
is present, the graphics are double-buffered.
The Acorn Electron version exploits a division in the way the Electron handles its display — of the seven available graphics modes, two are configured so that the final two of every ten scanlines are blank and are not based on the contents of RAM. If 16 scanlines of continuous graphical data are written to a character-block-aligned portion of the screen then they will appear as a continuous block in most modes but in the two non-continuous modes they will be displayed as two blocks of 8 scanlines, separated in the middle by two blank scanlines. In order to keep track of its position within the display, the Electron maintains an internal display address counter. The same counter is used in both the continuous and non-continuous graphics modes and switching modes mid-frame does not cause any adjustment to the counter. Firetrack switches from a non-continuous to a continuous graphics mode part way down the display. By using the palette to mask the top area of the display and taking care about when it changes mode it can shift the continuous graphics at the bottom of the display down in two pixel increments (rather than the usual eight for vertical scrolling) because the internal display counter is not incremented on blank scanlines during non-continuous graphics modes.
gave an overall score of 88%, commenting that the game could "truly be said to be of arcade quality" and is "Fast, frenetic and extremely playable - easily the best vertically scrolling shoot 'em up to date". Electron User
, when reviewing the Play It Again Sam 7 compilation, were also very enthusiastic with reviewer Martin Reed praising the "amazingly smooth vertical-scrolling" and stating "The graphics are stunning and give an amazingly realistic 3D effect that I wouldn't have thought was possible on the Electron". In her second opinion, Janice Murray claimed it would be worth buying the compilation even if you already owned the other three games: "This technically brilliant piece of programming makes a fine game which proves to be very fast and addictive. The other titles can be considered bonuses thrown in for free".
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
computer game programmed by Nick "Orlando" Pelling
Nick Pelling
Nick Pelling is a British-born computer programmer, best known for a series of 1980s computer games for the BBC Micro written under the nom-de-plume Orlando M. Pilchard. He was educated at Brentwood School, and has both a BSc in Maths and Philosophy and an MBA with Distinction...
and released for 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...
and 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...
platforms in 1987 by Electric Dreams Software
Electric Dreams Software
Electric Dreams Software was a video game publisher established in 1985 by ex-managing director of Quicksilva, Rod Cousens and ex Software Manager of Quicksilva, Paul Cooper...
. It was also ported to the Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
by Superior Software
Superior Software
Superior Software is a video game publisher. It was established in 1982 by Richard Hanson and John Dyson, two graduates of the University of Leeds, England...
in 1989 as part of the Play It Again Sam 7 compilation. It resembles the 1984 arcade game Star Force
Star Force
is a vertical shoot 'em up arcade video game made in 1984 by Tehkan . In Japan, it is considered to be a monumental work among shooting games...
in style and gameplay. The game was technically advanced and very well received by critics.
Gameplay
The player controls a fighter ship which flies at constant speed and heading over a series of worlds. The player is faced with both airborne enemies (who approach in different attack formations) and ground-based enemies. Destruction of a whole attack wave results in bonus points, and destruction of specific ground targets (such as buildings marked with X) results in bonus points (and an occasional extra life) at the end of each level. Some enemies are indestructible and must be avoided. There are no power-upPower-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s, although the rate of fire increases with more challenging levels.
Development
Nick Pelling (aka Orlando) designed the game and programmed the BBC Micro and Commodore 64 versions which were released in 1987 by Electric Dreams Software. When including the game on the 1989 Play It Again Sam 7 compilation, Superior Software also commissioned a conversion to the Acorn Electron which was carried out by Chris Terran.As was usual in Orlando's games, the game pushed the limits of the hardware.
On the BBC Micro version, it automatically detects sideways RAM
Sideways address space
The "Sideways" address space on the Acorn BBC Microcomputer and Master-series microcomputer was Acorn's bank switching implementation, providing for permanent system expansion in the days before hard disk drives or even floppy disk drives were commonplace...
expansion if present, which allows more detailed graphics on the levels, without any changes to the underlying gameplay. Innovative use of colour make the 8-colour palette of the BBC look much broader. The scrolling is smooth and flicker-free, and there is very little noticeable slowing, even when many enemies are displayed at once. If shadow RAM
Shadow RAM (Acorn)
"Shadow RAM", on the Acorn BBC Microcomputer and Master-series microcomputer is a special framebuffer implementation to free up main memory and permit double-buffered graphics....
is present, the graphics are double-buffered.
The Acorn Electron version exploits a division in the way the Electron handles its display — of the seven available graphics modes, two are configured so that the final two of every ten scanlines are blank and are not based on the contents of RAM. If 16 scanlines of continuous graphical data are written to a character-block-aligned portion of the screen then they will appear as a continuous block in most modes but in the two non-continuous modes they will be displayed as two blocks of 8 scanlines, separated in the middle by two blank scanlines. In order to keep track of its position within the display, the Electron maintains an internal display address counter. The same counter is used in both the continuous and non-continuous graphics modes and switching modes mid-frame does not cause any adjustment to the counter. Firetrack switches from a non-continuous to a continuous graphics mode part way down the display. By using the palette to mask the top area of the display and taking care about when it changes mode it can shift the continuous graphics at the bottom of the display down in two pixel increments (rather than the usual eight for vertical scrolling) because the internal display counter is not incremented on blank scanlines during non-continuous graphics modes.
Critical reception
The game was very well received. Zzap!64Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
gave an overall score of 88%, commenting that the game could "truly be said to be of arcade quality" and is "Fast, frenetic and extremely playable - easily the best vertically scrolling shoot 'em up to date". Electron User
Electron User
Electron User was a magazine targeted at owners of the Acorn Electron microcomputer. It was published by Database Publications of Stockport, starting in October 1983 and ending after 82 issues in July 1990....
, when reviewing the Play It Again Sam 7 compilation, were also very enthusiastic with reviewer Martin Reed praising the "amazingly smooth vertical-scrolling" and stating "The graphics are stunning and give an amazingly realistic 3D effect that I wouldn't have thought was possible on the Electron". In her second opinion, Janice Murray claimed it would be worth buying the compilation even if you already owned the other three games: "This technically brilliant piece of programming makes a fine game which proves to be very fast and addictive. The other titles can be considered bonuses thrown in for free".