NEW GAME: Terrahawks

[gazj82]

Please find my second Blitz Basic project in the zone "terrahawks.adf".



Aminet link




My second outing in Blitz basic. Terrahawks (Attack of the timelord in USA)is a great arcade shooter on the Phillips Videopac G7000 (Odessey 2 in USA).

Works with a min of 512+512 setup (i.e Amiga 500)
More sample speech will be loaded with 1MB of chip ram however.

Instructions below

EMERGENCY MESSAGE 

ALIEN FORCES FROM ALPHA  CENTAURI HAVE INVADED AND CAPTURED MARS STOP LEADER IS ANDROID "ZELDA" STOP ENEMY PLANS TO INVADE EARTH STOP PRIMARY OBJECTIVE TO DESTROY TEHRAHAWK ORGANISATION STOP 

You are now a member of the TERRAHAWK organisation, a relatively small elite group of thoroughly trained specialists with highly sophisticated space craft and weaponry, specially set up to 
defend earth against the dangers from outer space, 

ZELDA, leader of the alien forces, is planning a surprise attack on the HAWKNEST, home base ot the TERRAHAWKS. It's up to you now to head off the danger and destroy the enemy. Life on earth depends on you!


First battle phase 

During the first phase of the battle the flying saucers only use relatively simple rockets, coming straight down to earth. You have to move your turret to avoid them but you can also destroy them with your high energy beam. When you do, you score 2 points. 

The saucers keep circling in close formation. Every time you succeed in destroying a saucer, you score 5 points. 


Second battle phase 

When you are fast enough you may succeed in destroying the entire flotilla of flying saucers. If you do.  ZELDA returns to your screen. She is obviously upset and realises she has underestimated her opponent. 

She calls on the mother-ship again and commands it to launch another squadron of flying saucers. This time she is confident that her evil efforts will succeed because those saucers are now equipped 
with rockets and special, red "Antimatter" mines! These mines will not come straight down but will 
actually follow your turret, to some extent at least, making it harder to avoid them. If you destroy one of those Antimatter mines in the air, you score 4 points. 

You have hit and destroyed a flying saucer. It explodes in the air. 

It will not be easy, but when you keep your head cool you may head off the danger again by destroying the 'lying saucers one after the other... 


Third battle phase 

When ZELDA appears on the screen again, she does not hide her emotions. She feels humiliated and her anger shows! She orders her mother-ship to launch another squadron of flying saucers...

This time ZELDA's saucers will deploy the green Annihilators in addition to the rockets and 
Antimatter mines you have encountered earlier, it's a lethal weapon that will not explode immediately when it hits the earth surface. Instead it will slide towards you. They are quite treacherous and you will have to watch out. A good solution of course is to try and 
destroy them on their way down. If you do. you score 8 points! 

You really have to be pretty good lo survive this ordeal but then, after all you are a member of the elite TERRAHAWK group. So let us assume you actually succeed in shooting down all enemy spacecraft... 


Fourth battle phase 

ZELDA is obviously desperate and infuriated when she comes to the screen again to overlook the 
situation in disbelief. She realises that the time has come for her final weapon... 

ZELDA's fourth squadron carries the terrifying purple "Nucleonic Space Mines", along with the other weaponry you have been confronted with already, They have the unpleasant habit to zero in 
on their target! Things are getting pretty hectic at HAWKNEST. You will have to act fast and every mistake can easily be fatal! If you hit a Nucleonic space mine with your high energy beam, you score 16 points. 


Fifth and following battles 

If you live through the fourth invasion effort, you have really proven yourself to be a true member 
of the TERRAHAWK organisation.  But unfortunately it isn't over yet.  ZELDA returns again full of hatred and is determined to take HAWKNEST at any cost. She keeps 
sending in new squadrons. They attack more fiercely with every new wave... 


End of battle 

The battle ends when your turret is hit and destroyed. 


Next Invasion 

Another invasion effort starts immediately, going through the same cycle of battle phases as described above. 

Competition play 

You can give it another try yourself or turn the hand control over to a friend to see who stands up best to ZELDA's evil forces. 


Scoring points 

2 points for destroying a cluster of rockets 
(see battle phase 1) 

4 points for destroying an Antimatter mine 
(see battle phase 2) 

5 points for destroying a flying saucer 

8 points for destroying an  Annihilator 
(see battle phase 3) 

16 points tor destroying a nucleonic space mine 
(see battle phase 4) 


Good shooting! The eyes of the world are upon you!

[saimon69]

I don't remember if this was made with enhanced background for the 7400 but could you add one?
[EDIT]ok i did check and it has one:

[Shatterhand]

This game had a funny name here in Brazil, it was called "Senhor das Trevas" which could be translated as "Lord of Darkness"

[gazj82]

Originally Posted by saimon69

I don't remember if this was made with enhanced background for the 7400 but could you add one?
[EDIT]ok i did check and it has one:

I am aware of the G7400 background. I didnt have this version as a kid and it always seems a bit distracting from the main game. I did toy with putting a less vibrant background in tho.

[saimon69]

Since there was a Videopac reseller in my town, had occasion to see some of the games first hand and i actually was sorta fascinated from the potential the Videopac/odissey had and at the same time disappointed on the lack of titles (almost none outside the ones published by the Philips brand, just some Imagic and Parker Brothers ones)

[zzbylu]

Terrahawks gameplay:
[ Show youtube player ]

[Shatterhand]

Holy crap, judging by the video, this version looks a lot more "furious" than the original one!

Looks great to be honest

[Amiga1992]

Good stuff! I love simple, straight to the point arcade games like these!

[Shatterhand]

Originally Posted by Akira

Good stuff! I love simple, straight to the point arcade games like these!

Have you played the original this is based on? I played it for an online competition and I was surprisingly addicted by it. It's very simple but each game is so short (you have only 1 life),it has that "one more try" vibe to it.

I won that competition by the way, hehe

This Amiga version feels really great.

[earok]

Hey Gaz, I'm putting together a CD32 disc of various recent(ish) projects for Christmas, do you mind if I chuck your games on it? Cheers

[gazj82]

Originally Posted by earok

Hey Gaz, I'm putting together a CD32 disc of various recent(ish) projects for Christmas, do you mind if I chuck your games on it? Cheers

No of course not. Please make sure you get the later bugfixed version of KillerBees. I am sure I could improve the code on this again after learning a lot when doing Terrahawks. Although with work at the moment I probably won't be able to get around to that before you need it.

But yes it's all yours, you will find them both on Aminet.

[earok]

Cheers mate! I appreciate it

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by Shatterhand

Have you played the original this is based on?

No I have not, I might give it a try!

[gazj82]

Originally Posted by Akira

No I have not, I might give it a try!

The original is great. The enemy patterns are more elegant than mine. The only emulator I know of doesnt have accurate sound emulation unfortunately.

[Snyfls]

Gameplay is what matters and this game proves it. This is a great game, simple and addcitive, thanks!
Would love to play Missile Command created by you

[OmegaMax]

[commie1974]

Superb!!
Gary, thank you very much for this and for Killwer Bees!
I just noticed them, they are both great!

I know you're a Blitz BASIC programmer, but since you love the Videopac so much (and I understand you), isn't it time to check 68k assembly out and start writing a Videopac emulator on the Amiga??


Would it be THAT much for a poor A500 user like me to ask for?