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Slalom (video game)
Encyclopedia
Slalom is a skiing video game made by UK-based video game company Rare. It was first released by Nintendo
for the Nintendo Vs. System in 1986. It was then released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987. In Slalom, a player races downhill in a series of slalom run
s, and the object of each run is to navigate past flags and obstacles before time expires. The game was developed by Tim and Chris Stamper
, with music from David Wise. Slalom is notable for not only being Rare's first NES and video game console
title, but also being their very first video game developed. It received some coverage upon its release from Nintendo Fun Club News, which featured a basic description and tips. Later retrospectives would say that, even though the game did not make any large impact, it received some praise for its simplicity and enjoyability.
s. There are 24 downhill runs total that are evenly spread across three mountains: Snowy Hill, Steep Peak, and Mount Nasty. Before the game starts, players get to choose which mountain they wish to race down; Snowy Hill is for beginners, Steep Peak is for intermediate players, and Mount Nasty is for experts. The goal for each run is to race downhill to the finish line within the time allowed. Each run has a series of obstacles that players must avoid, such as trees, snowmen, sledders, and other skiers; hitting any of these obstacles will cause the racer to tumble and possibly fall, losing time. Each run also requires players to navigate through flags in order to maintain their speed. If players ski on the correct side of the flag as its arrow indicates, the racer will continue to ski at its current speed, but if they ski on the wrong side of the flag opposite of what the arrow indicates, the racer will snowplow and slow down, and hitting the flag will cause the racer to tumble and lose time.
Also located on the runs are mogul
s (bumps) that, when hit, causes the racer to go airborne and then slow down slightly when landing. While airborne, players can perform freestyle tricks
and earn bonus points; however, if the player fails to properly perform a trick, the racer may tumble and fall, losing time. At the end of each run, points are calculated based on the amount of time remaining on the run and any points scored from completing freestyle tricks. In qualifying runs, points earned transition to additional seconds of skiing while competing in solo runs. Each of the 24 runs have saveable high scores that disappear when the system is turned off.
. It was originally released in 1986 in the arcades as part of the Nintendo Vs. System and was titled Vs. Slalom. The arcade version featured an upright cabinet, a joystick, one jump button, monoural sound, and standard raster graphics
. The game was released by Nintendo
in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987. This was not only Rare's first title released for the NES as well as any video game console
, but it was also Rare's very first video game developed.
The game's music was composed by Rare's video game composer David Wise, his first composing job for an NES game. In a December 2010 interview, Wise said that he found the work on the NES sound boards for Slalom to be challenging, saying that he had to code the HEX values for the notes by hand and convert them into subroutine
s on his computer. Looking back at his first projects, he commented: "It sounded more like a door-bell to me at the time, but people are still making remixes of those tunes. Very humbling."
Slalom received preview coverage in early 1987 in the first issue of Nintendo Fun Club News – the predecessor to the company's house organ
Nintendo Power
– citing the arcade conversion to the NES. It was featured in the following Summer 1987 issue, where it gave a brief overview and basic tips on the game.
Years later, UK-based magazine Retro Gamer
looked back on the game, as it was Rare's first NES title. In January 2006, the magazine said that the release of Slalom "was hardly an auspicious occasion, greeted with trumpet fanfares and and buxom maidens riding on golden swans". In December 2010, as part of Rare's 25th anniversary, editor Stuart Hunt said that the game "fun but quite simplistic", noting the variety of courses and races. He said: "It showed even then how talented the studio was in getting the most out of the NES."
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo Vs. System in 1986. It was then released for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987. In Slalom, a player races downhill in a series of slalom run
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
s, and the object of each run is to navigate past flags and obstacles before time expires. The game was developed by Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
, with music from David Wise. Slalom is notable for not only being Rare's first NES and video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
title, but also being their very first video game developed. It received some coverage upon its release from Nintendo Fun Club News, which featured a basic description and tips. Later retrospectives would say that, even though the game did not make any large impact, it received some praise for its simplicity and enjoyability.
Gameplay
Slalom is a single-player game in which the player races downhill in a series of slalom raceSlalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
s. There are 24 downhill runs total that are evenly spread across three mountains: Snowy Hill, Steep Peak, and Mount Nasty. Before the game starts, players get to choose which mountain they wish to race down; Snowy Hill is for beginners, Steep Peak is for intermediate players, and Mount Nasty is for experts. The goal for each run is to race downhill to the finish line within the time allowed. Each run has a series of obstacles that players must avoid, such as trees, snowmen, sledders, and other skiers; hitting any of these obstacles will cause the racer to tumble and possibly fall, losing time. Each run also requires players to navigate through flags in order to maintain their speed. If players ski on the correct side of the flag as its arrow indicates, the racer will continue to ski at its current speed, but if they ski on the wrong side of the flag opposite of what the arrow indicates, the racer will snowplow and slow down, and hitting the flag will cause the racer to tumble and lose time.
Also located on the runs are mogul
Mogul skiing
Mogul skiing is a type of freestyle skiing where skiers ski terrain characterized by a large number of different bumps, or moguls.-Moguls:...
s (bumps) that, when hit, causes the racer to go airborne and then slow down slightly when landing. While airborne, players can perform freestyle tricks
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
and earn bonus points; however, if the player fails to properly perform a trick, the racer may tumble and fall, losing time. At the end of each run, points are calculated based on the amount of time remaining on the run and any points scored from completing freestyle tricks. In qualifying runs, points earned transition to additional seconds of skiing while competing in solo runs. Each of the 24 runs have saveable high scores that disappear when the system is turned off.
Development and reception
Slalom was developed by UK-based video game company Rare by Tim and Chris StamperTim and Chris Stamper
Tim and Chris Stamper are the co-founders of Ashby Computers & Graphics and later Rare...
. It was originally released in 1986 in the arcades as part of the Nintendo Vs. System and was titled Vs. Slalom. The arcade version featured an upright cabinet, a joystick, one jump button, monoural sound, and standard raster graphics
Raster graphics
In computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium...
. The game was released by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
in North America in August 1987 and in Europe on October 15, 1987. This was not only Rare's first title released for the NES as well as any video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, but it was also Rare's very first video game developed.
The game's music was composed by Rare's video game composer David Wise, his first composing job for an NES game. In a December 2010 interview, Wise said that he found the work on the NES sound boards for Slalom to be challenging, saying that he had to code the HEX values for the notes by hand and convert them into subroutine
Subroutine
In computer science, a subroutine is a portion of code within a larger program that performs a specific task and is relatively independent of the remaining code....
s on his computer. Looking back at his first projects, he commented: "It sounded more like a door-bell to me at the time, but people are still making remixes of those tunes. Very humbling."
Slalom received preview coverage in early 1987 in the first issue of Nintendo Fun Club News – the predecessor to the company's house organ
House organ
A house organ is a magazine or periodical published by a company for its customers or its employees...
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
– citing the arcade conversion to the NES. It was featured in the following Summer 1987 issue, where it gave a brief overview and basic tips on the game.
Years later, UK-based magazine Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Although launched as a quarterly publication, Retro Gamers soon became a monthly...
looked back on the game, as it was Rare's first NES title. In January 2006, the magazine said that the release of Slalom "was hardly an auspicious occasion, greeted with trumpet fanfares and and buxom maidens riding on golden swans". In December 2010, as part of Rare's 25th anniversary, editor Stuart Hunt said that the game "fun but quite simplistic", noting the variety of courses and races. He said: "It showed even then how talented the studio was in getting the most out of the NES."