Megamania
Encyclopedia
Megamania is an Atari 2600
game designed by Steve Cartwright
and published by Activision
in 1982. It took about six months to develop the concept, and another three months to fine tune the game. It was later released for the Atari 5200
and Atari 8-bit family
in 1983, ported
by Glyn Anderson
. The Atari 2600 version was also bundled in with the Activision Anthology
release in 2002.
. Rather than being aliens
or spaceships, however, the enemies in this game are various objects such as hamburger
s, bow tie
s, and steam irons
. The object is to shoot them down before the energy bar at the bottom of screen is depleted, all while avoiding the oncoming enemies and their own projectiles attacks. Each of the enemies fly in select patterns and as soon as they hit the bottom of the screen, they re-appear at the top until shot by the player.
Gameplay-wise and in terms of graphics, MegaMania bears a very strong resemblance to Sega
's 1981 arcade title "Astro Blaster
". Both games feature nearly identical patterns of approaching enemies with the player relying on an "Energy" meter. Also, the player's ship bears a remarkable similarity in both games.
If a player exceeds a score of 999,999 the game ends.
The Atari 8-bit family version was the same as the Atari 5200 version.
Game Room
service for its Xbox 360
console and for Windows-based
PC
s in May 2010.
performed a Megamania theme song in a 1982 television commercial advertising this game for the Atari 2600
system.
The lyrics are:
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
game designed by Steve Cartwright
Steve Cartwright
Steve Cartwright is an American computer and video game designer. He is best known as one of the original Activision game designers credited with such hits as Barnstorming, Megamania, Seaquest and Hacker...
and published by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
in 1982. It took about six months to develop the concept, and another three months to fine tune the game. It was later released for the Atari 5200
Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, commonly known as the Atari 5200, is a video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari Inc. as a higher end complementary console for the popular Atari 2600...
and Atari 8-bit family
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 1983, ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
by Glyn Anderson
Glyn Anderson
Glyn Anderson has designed, programmed, and managed the production of entertainment products for video game consoles starting with the Intellivision, as well as for PCs from the early MS-DOS days to the present...
. The Atari 2600 version was also bundled in with the Activision Anthology
Activision Anthology
Activision Anthology is a compilation of most of the Atari 2600 games by Activision for various systems. It also includes some games originally released by Absolute Entertainment and Imagic, as well as some homebrewed games. The Windows and Mac OS X versions are titled Activision Anthology Remix...
release in 2002.
Gameplay
In Megamania, the gameplay resembles that of Space InvadersSpace Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
. Rather than being aliens
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
or spaceships, however, the enemies in this game are various objects such as hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
s, bow tie
Bow tie
The bow tie is a type of men's necktie. It consists of a ribbon of fabric tied around the collar in a symmetrical manner such that the two opposite ends form loops. Ready-tied bow ties are available, in which the distinctive bow is sewn into shape and the band around the neck incorporates a clip....
s, and steam irons
Iron (appliance)
A clothes iron, also referred to as simply an iron, is a small appliance used in ironing to remove wrinkles from fabric.Ironing works by loosening the ties between the long chains of molecules that exist in polymer fiber materials. With the heat and the weight of the ironing plate, the fibers are...
. The object is to shoot them down before the energy bar at the bottom of screen is depleted, all while avoiding the oncoming enemies and their own projectiles attacks. Each of the enemies fly in select patterns and as soon as they hit the bottom of the screen, they re-appear at the top until shot by the player.
Gameplay-wise and in terms of graphics, MegaMania bears a very strong resemblance to Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's 1981 arcade title "Astro Blaster
Astro Blaster
Astro Blaster is a shoot 'em up arcade game released by Sega in 1981.-Gameplay:The player controls a ship which can fire and move left or right...
". Both games feature nearly identical patterns of approaching enemies with the player relying on an "Energy" meter. Also, the player's ship bears a remarkable similarity in both games.
Scoring
When Megamania was originally sold, anyone who scored above 45,000 points could send Activision a picture of their screen and become an official Megamaniac. They also would receive an Official Megamaniac emblem.If a player exceeds a score of 999,999 the game ends.
2600 vs. 5200
Megamania was released for both the Atari 2600 and Atari 5200. They both included the same general gameplay, but the 5200 boasted some differences as listed.- There is a title screen at the beginning of the game.
- The enemies are more detailed and most use a combination of colors instead of just one.
- The names of three of the enemies (as listed in the manual) have been changed. This may be due to the increase in graphical detail. There are "ice cream sandwichIce cream sandwichAn ice cream sandwich is a frozen confection composed of a layer of ice cream, usually vanilla , "sandwiched" between two biscuits/cookies or slices of cake, usually chocolate.-Australia:...
es" instead of "cookies," "refrigerator magnetRefrigerator magnetA refrigerator magnet is an ornament, often whimsical, attached to a small magnet which is used to post items such as shopping lists or report cards on a refrigerator door, or which simply serves as decoration. Refrigerator magnets come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, including but not...
s" instead of "bugs," and "diamond rings" instead of "diamonds."
The Atari 8-bit family version was the same as the Atari 5200 version.
Ports
Megamania was made available on Microsoft'sMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Game Room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
service for its Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console and for Windows-based
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
PC
Personal computer
A 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...
s in May 2010.
Marketing
The rock and roll group The TubesThe Tubes
The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band, whose 1975 debut album included the hit single, "White Punks on Dope". During its first fifteen years or so, the band's live performances combined quasi-pornography with wild satires of media, consumerism, and politics...
performed a Megamania theme song in a 1982 television commercial advertising this game for the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
system.
The lyrics are:
- Mega! Megamania. Megamania!!
- It's gonna drive you insane.
- You've got to shoot to survive,
- you've got to run to stay alive!
- You may regret it,
- the day you get it -
- it's never gonna let you alone!