Being
a lover of all types of Arcade games, I couldn't resist the opportunity to
review SHOOTING GALLERY, one of the first offerings from the ANALOG 400/800
software group. I was skeptical at first, after all, what could this game have
that was really exciting? I figured I would be bored after playing the game
several times and place it in my box of unused software (along with all the
other programs that sounded good in the advertisements but turned out to be
bombs). Upon receipt of the package, I loaded SHOOTING GALLERY and played ... I
played it again ... I'M STILL PLAYING!! Please allow me to describe this program
in detail in order to clarify my excitement.
THE
GAME
SHOOTING
GALLERY turns your ATARI into a carnival of fun. The documentation is well
written and is more than adequate in discussing how to load and operate the
game. There are seven types of targets presented to you to try your skill.
Rabbits, owls, ducks, pipes, a bull's eye, stars and a walking bear (more on the
bear later). The targets move on three levels in different directions. The top
level (worth 60 pts. when hit) moves from left to right, the middle level (40
pts.) moves from right to left, and the lower level (20 pts.) from left to
right. The point scores indicated above are for the animal type targets. The
bull's eye and stars, although not worth any points for scoring, provide
additional bullets with which to continue the game. The Bull's eye is worth 5
extra bullets and stars are worth 10 extra bullets when you hit them. The pipes
move from right to left at the top of the screen and are worth the value
indicated on the screen. This value decreases by ten each time you take a shot.
The gun, used to shoot these targets, is controlled with a joystick. There is no
need to worry about crooked barrels or bent sights with this gun.
THE
TARGET ANTICS
Rememberthe ducks I told you about? Well, they travel in straight, erect military
posture until they get to the bottom row. At this point, they take off and fly!
Wings flapping to and fro, back and forth, getting lower and lower. I won't
reveal what happens when they get too low, but it is advisable to shoot them as
soon as possible. And now the bear. The bear is worth 50 points. You will not
see him, however, until you clear the screen of all targets. Pipes are
considered targets so you must shoot all of them as well. When the screen is
clear you receive 50 points for any bullets remaining. The bear then wanders
onto the screen, walking slowly. Now is your
chance to go BIG GAME hunting! Hit the bear as many times as possible scoring 50
points for each hit. You have unlimited shots when shooting at the bear, so keep
shooting until he runs off the screen. Don't be fooled at his initial slow walk,
the bear can really move out quickly after a number of hits (I would too!!!).
When the bear disappears, a new screen full of animals and pipes appear for you
to shoot. The game ends when you run out of bullets. In addition to all the
action on the screen a calliope play in the background, providing music for the
parade of animals. The longer you play the higher the pitch of the tune goes. It
also speeds up in rhythm.
THE
VERDICT
There
is only one thing that I didn't enjoy about SHOOTING GALLERY and that is the
long wait for it to load. The program is only available on tape but I hope it
will soon be available on disk.* Other than this slight problem, the game is fun
to play!! It is a simple concept but there is a subtle strategy that must be
used if you want a high score. The graphics, colors and sound are combined very
well in this game. Animation is excellent as well as being entertaining. This is
not only my opinion but that of others. I called in the local neighborhood crew
for the critical test. This included the kids, parents, and fellow workers.
Everyone, without exception, was glued to the screen. Laughter, excitement and
just plain fun filled the room. The only problem we had was trying to keep
everyone from grabbing the joystick when a player was done. The game is well
worth the $21.95 price and should be part of everyone's software library.
Congratulations are in order for Phil Mork, the program author, and ANALOG
software, the distributors.