The Empire Strikes Back

Arcade Video game kit published 39 years ago:

The Empire Strikes Back (c) 1985 Atari Games.

The third arcade outing based on the legendary trilogy of films; "Empire Strikes Back" eschews Jedi's Zaxxon-inspired gameplay and returns once more to the 3D vector graphics of the first game. Empire features four stages of play, with the first two putting the player in control "Luke Skywalker's" SnowSpeeder, and the second two in control of "Han Solo's" Millennium Falcon.

* The first level, Probots, takes place on the ice planet of Hoth, with the player flying the Snowspeeder over the planet's surface to find and destroy the Empire's search droids that are sending signals to the Empire warning them of the rebels' presence.

* The second Snowspeeder stage sees the player taking on the Empire's "AT-AT" Imperial walkers, as well as a number of smaller, bi-pedal "AT-ST" walkers. On this level, as well as the standard guns, the Snowspeeder is armed with a limited number of harpoons; these can be fired at the AT-AT's legs to send them crashing to the ground. AT-ATs can also be destroyed by shooting a small, highlighted area on the AT-ATs' head.

* The third level has the player piloting the Millennium Falcon and is a repeat of the original game's in-space Tie Fighter battle.

* For the fourth and final level the player must pilot the Millennium Falcon safely through a densely packed and fast-moving asteroid field.

Bonus points can be earned by destroying a certain number of targets. A JEDI letter will also be awarded in addition to the bonus points. Once all the letters that spell the word 'JEDI' have been awarded, players will have attained true JEDI FORCE, making them invincible to the Empire's forces for a limited amount of time.

In all levels of play, collisions with objects and enemy shots will cause damage to the player's deflector shields.

- TECHNICAL -

The kit is designed to have a Darth Vader-esque feel. Its colour scheme is very dark and is covered with lines resembling the surface of an Imperial Star Destroyer. The side-art features a picture that includes Darth Vader, the Death Star, several Tie fighters and an X-Wing. Most machines will have a sticker placed somewhere on the side labelling them as "The Empire Strikes Back". The marquee shows a painted scene of a battle on Hoth that includes several AT-AT walkers and advertises that the game is 'New'.

Game ID : 136031

Main CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.512 Mhz)
Sound CPU : Motorola M6809 (@ 1.512 Mhz)
Sound Chips : (4x) POKEY (@ 1.5 Mhz), Texas Instruments TMS5220 (@ 640 Khz)

The game is displayed on an Amplione colour vector open frame monitor.

Players : 1
Control : stick
Buttons : 4

- TRIVIA -

The Empire Strikes Back was released in March 1985.

This title was sold only as a conversion kit for the original "Star Wars". Separate kits were available for both the upright and the cockpit versions. In total, 544 kits were produced. The selling price was $595.

'AT-AT' stands for 'All Terrain Armored Transport'.

Despite being based on the SECOND movie of the series, Empire game was actually the third game of the series, with "Return of the Jedi" being released a year earlier.

Attract mode :
IT IS A DARK TIME FOR THE REBELS. THE EMPIRE HAS LAUNCHED THOUSANDS OF PROBOTS IN SEARCH OF THE REBEL HIDEOUT. THE EMPIRE FEARS THE STRENGTH OF THE FORCE WITHIN ONE REBEL. ...LUKE SYWALKER...

FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS
1. YOU BEGIN WITH ENOUGH 'FORCE' TO PROTECT YOU FOR 4 COLLISIONS.
2. 'FORCE' STRENGTH IS LOST WHEN YOU COLLIDE WITH ENEMY SHOTS, WALKERS AND ASTEROIDS.
3. AIM YOUR LASERS WITH CURSOR TO EXPLODE PROBOTS, TRANSMISSIONS, WALKERS, TIE FIGHTERS AND SHOTS.
4. AVOID COLLISION WITH ASTEROIDS BY FLYING AROUND THEM.

Default High Score Table (Rebel Force Roster) :
1. OBI 285,353
2. WAN 170,936
3. HAN 154,650
4. MLH 140,212
5. GJR 127,645
6. NLA 113,710
7. ROB 100,175
8. DAR 88,614
9. JED 75,800
10. DES 62,436

David Palmer holds the official record for this game with 1,345,049 points.

- SCORING -

Probot : 25 points (10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter)
Fireball : 3 points
Transmission : 5 points
AT-ST : 50 points (10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter)
AT-AT : 75 points (10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter)
Flying bonus : Progressive 5,000 points
Star shot : 7 points
TIE Fighter : 100 points (10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter)
Wave completed : 2,500 points
JEDI letter : 5,000 points
JEDI bonus : 20,000 points

Starting on wave 2 (medium) : 100,000 points bonus
Starting on wave 3 (hard) : 250,000 points bonus

- SERIES -

1. Star Wars [Cockpit model] (1983)
1. Star Wars [Upright model] (1983)
2. Return of The Jedi (1984)
3. The Empire Strikes Back (1985)

- STAFF -

Product manager : Mike Hally
Programmed by : Greg Rivera, Norm Avellar
Technician : Rob Rowe

Special thanks to : Brad Fuller, Jed Margolin, Dave Ralston, Doug Snyder, Earl Vickers

- PORTS -

* COMPUTERS:
Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1988)
Commodore C64 (1988)
Amstrad CPC (1988)
Atari ST (1988)