Llamatron
Encyclopedia
Llamatron is a computer game written by Jeff Minter
of Llamasoft, and released as shareware
in 1991 for the Atari ST
. The game was converted to the Commodore Amiga
and PC
(DOS
) the following year. It is very similar in gameplay to the 1982 arcade game
Robotron: 2084
, although filtered through Jeff Minter's distinctive style. The title screen gives the title as Llamatron: 2112.
which can move on a single-screen playfield. The llama constantly fires a stream of white energy bolts in the direction it is moving. The player can 'hold' the fire direction, so that the llama can move freely whilst firing in a direction; alternatively the player can control the game with two joysticks, choosing the move and fire directions independently.
A large flock of enemies attempt to attack the llama, and must all be destroyed in order to end the wave (level) and progress to the next wave. Contact with any enemy causes instant death. These enemies, referred to in the game as grunts, take a variety of forms, ranging from boxes of Rizla
cigarette papers to the Eye of Providence
, taking in cans of Coca-Cola, hamburgers and cutlery along the way.
As well as the main flock of 'normal' enemies, there can also be any number of other 'special' enemies and hazards on a level, including:
Like most of Jeff Minter's games, the graphics and sounds are rather psychedelic, with bright colours, strobing flashes and bizarre audio effects.
Llamatron 1MB
Rude Llamatron
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...
of Llamasoft, and released as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
in 1991 for the 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...
. The game was converted to the Commodore 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...
and PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
(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...
) the following year. It is very similar in gameplay to the 1982 arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084
Robotron: 2084 is an arcade video game developed by Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics in 1982. It is a shooting game that features two-dimensional graphics. The game is set in the year 2084, in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans...
, although filtered through Jeff Minter's distinctive style. The title screen gives the title as Llamatron: 2112.
Overview
The player controls a llamaLlama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
which can move on a single-screen playfield. The llama constantly fires a stream of white energy bolts in the direction it is moving. The player can 'hold' the fire direction, so that the llama can move freely whilst firing in a direction; alternatively the player can control the game with two joysticks, choosing the move and fire directions independently.
A large flock of enemies attempt to attack the llama, and must all be destroyed in order to end the wave (level) and progress to the next wave. Contact with any enemy causes instant death. These enemies, referred to in the game as grunts, take a variety of forms, ranging from boxes of Rizla
Rizla
RizLa+ , known in English as Rizla is a brand of rolling papers and cigarette tubes or blanks in which tobacco is rolled or stuffed to form handmade cigarettes....
cigarette papers to the Eye of Providence
Eye of Providence
The Eye of Providence is a symbol showing an eye often surrounded by rays of light or a glory and usually enclosed by a triangle...
, taking in cans of Coca-Cola, hamburgers and cutlery along the way.
Beasties
The player's secondary goal is to save the various ruminants (referred to as 'beasties') that wander each level, by collecting them into a docile herd which will then follow the player in a line for the rest of the level. This is not necessary except on certain special waves called Herd Waves, but saving all the beasties before the end of a wave gives a point bonus.Special enemies
- Green 'hedgehogHedgehogA hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...
s' with white spikes that are more resilient than normal enemies. When destroyed, they explode into four diagonally-moving spikes.
- Blue 'Brains' that turn the beasties into green 'Zombeasts', which then advance on the llama, firing some kind of homing projectile.
- Pulsating purple-yellow blobs that split into smaller and smaller blobs when shot.
- LaserLaserA laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
guns that float freely throughout the level. They come in two types - horizontal or vertical - and periodically fire a deadly laser beam across the full width or height of the screen, instantly obliterating the llama if it is lined up with the laser gun at the wrong time. On later levels, there can be both horizontal and vertical lasers in a single level, which fire simultaneously.
- Blue raindrops that fall diagonally through the level. To stop them, a number of umbrellaUmbrellaAn umbrella or parasol is a canopy designed to protect against rain or sunlight. The term parasol usually refers to an item designed to protect from the sun; umbrella refers to a device more suited to protect from rain...
s must be erected in the level, but the player has to catch them first.
- A large sixteen-ton weight that hovers at the top of the level and attempts to crush the llama when it passes underneath.
- A large MandelbrotMandelbrot setThe Mandelbrot set is a particular mathematical set of points, whose boundary generates a distinctive and easily recognisable two-dimensional fractal shape...
fractal, known as the "Screaming Mandy" that blinks in all colours and screams when you shoot it.
- A huge ToiletToiletA toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
that shoots toilet paper rolls with accompanying scatological sound effects and explodes in a shower of fecesFecesFeces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
when destroyed.
- The "alien in sheep's clothing", which acts similarly to the blue brains but masquerades as a beastie.
- The final boss: a snake composed of parts moving based on a particle algorithm - named the "Ozric Tentacle", a reference to the UK underground band Ozric TentaclesOzric TentaclesOzric Tentacles are an instrumental rock band from Somerset, England, whose music can loosely be described as psychedelic or space rock. Formed in 1983, the band has released 28 albums as of 2011, and become a cottage industry selling over a million albums worldwide despite never having major...
.
Additional features
The player can collect various bonus items which give extra lives, weapon improvements, smart bombs, and so on.Like most of Jeff Minter's games, the graphics and sounds are rather psychedelic, with bright colours, strobing flashes and bizarre audio effects.
Trivia
"Llamatron" became the name of a nightclub for Llamas in the surreal radio serial Clutter (1994-95) by Tim Gadd, after permission from Minter.Variants of Llamatron
Llamatron 512k- Format: Atari ST
- RAM needed: 512k
- STE required? No
- Notable notes: All sounds from 1MB version intact, but reduced quality to save space.
Llamatron 1MB
- RAM needed: 1024k
- STE required? Unknown
- Notable notes: Same sounds as 512k version, but with enhanced quality.
Rude Llamatron
- Same sounds as the 1MB version, but with the addition of profane sound effects encountered upon player death.
External links
- The subforum on the Llamasoft forum for Minter's older creations
- Llamasoft homepage
- The README.TXT file that came with Llamatron
- BBC review
- gamespy.com - "Classic Game Review"