#0037 Robotron 2084

Finally, a really good game. Not to say that that The Hobbit and Choplifter! Weren't good, but they never really kept my attention like, say, Donkey Kong. But hooooo boy is this an awesome game. Okay, today we're looking at Robrtron: 2084, a SHMUP developed by Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics, the same people behind Stargate and Joust.

Set in 2084, in a post-apocalyptic future where robots have turned against humans in a cybernetic revolt ala Terminator 2. You play as some as a genetically modified superhuman aimed with the task of saving the last human family from death at the hands of rogue appliances.

Drawing inspiration from games like Berzerk and even novels like 1984, co designers Eugene Jarvis, and Larry DeMar came up with a two-joystick control scheme to provide more precise controls, the left joystick controls your character while the right control stick aims your gun in any of the eight directions. One of the first arcade games to do so. In this game, you must face wave after wave of rogue robots bent on killing you, while trying to rescue civilians in the process. Each of the game's enemies are surprisingly unique in that no two serve the same function. There's grunts that are the standard enemies that chase you, Hulks can't be killed but only go after human civilians, Enforcers are annoying, as they actually shoot back at you, and even multiply, and Brains brainwash the humans on the stage. Each wave contains more enemies and obstacles than the last, making the game one of the most difficult and frantic I've ever played.

OMG Robotron, where have you been all my life? Guys, this is unlike any other game that came before it. I know I say that a lot in the Golden Age of Arcade games, but wow, this is what it means to be an action game. Unlike other SHMUPs, this game has enemies coming at you from all directions, resulting in a frenzied panic that's unlike anything we've ever seen in a game before this. The advancement of technology is really showing because there is just so much going on in this game. The fact that dozens of enemies can be on screen at the same time was practically unheard of just a couple years ago. 

There is just so much about this game that I love. I love the panic it ensues by constantly forcing you into corners, I love the action that comes from having to constantly be on your toes, I love the conflict that you must choose between saving the humans and gaining more points, or saving yourself. The size of the screen really has a lot going for it as well as nearly the entire thing is taken up by game. The actual HUD is surprisingly small, only a tiny bit is dedicated to lives and points. 

The fact that I've never heard of this game baffles me. As it was a huge sucess when it came out, but when the grwat arcade classics are brought up, people always mention Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Space Invaders, but nobody seems to mention Robotron, which is a shame because it's honestly become one of my favorite classic arcade games of all time.

Guys, I don't know how I never heard of this game before, but seriously, you have to play it. It seems that so many games even as far forward as Resident Evil 4 owe themselves to this style of swarming you with enemies from all directions. It kept me entertained for nearly an hour in one sitting, and let's just say that I’m glad MAME doesn't take quarters to run, otherwise I'd be out 50 bucks by now. Seriously, if you haven't yet, go check this out. You will not be disappointed.

Next up: Dig Dug