Inspirations
Nothing here is ours. These are the games the arcade takes after — what they were, how they played, and what each of our builds owes them.
Scorched Earth
Wendell Hicken · MS-DOS
The Mother of All Games, and the reason a generation knows what windage is.
Taken after by Tankd
Read the homageMaster Mariner
Terminal Software · ZX Spectrum
A trading empire in 48K, one cargo at a time.
Taken after by Freight Manager
Read the homageLunar Lander
Atari · Arcade
A thrust button, a fuel gauge, and an argument with momentum.
Taken after by Orbital Salvage
Read the homageGravitar
Atari · Arcade
Gravity, but this time it shoots back.
Taken after by Orbital Salvage
Read the homageSuper Sprint
Atari Games · Arcade
The whole circuit, all at once, and three wheels to fight over.
Taken after by Rally Nine
Read the homageRally-X
Namco · Arcade
A maze you cannot see the edges of, and a radar that is the real game.
Taken after by Rally Nine
Read the homageCountdown's letters round
Channel 4, from the French format Des chiffres et des lettres · Television
Nine letters, thirty seconds, and nowhere to hide.
Taken after by Word Forge
Read the homageDoublets
Lewis Carroll · Parlour game, later Vanity Fair
Walk one word to another, a single letter at a time, never leaving English.
Taken after by Word Forge
Read the homageHunt the Wumpus
Gregory Yob · BASIC, on whatever you had
No graphics, no map, one arrow, and something asleep two rooms away.
Taken after by Depth Charge
Read the homageSilent Service
Sid Meier, MicroProse · Home computers
The Pacific war, fought on instruments, by someone who can hear you.
Taken after by Depth Charge
Read the homageRock Star Ate My Hamster
Codemasters · ZX Spectrum
A pop career assembled out of tabloid headlines, for £1.99.
Taken after by Heavy Rotation
Read the homage