Centipede
Centipede is a vertically-oriented shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1980. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female player base. The player defends against swarms of insects, completing a round after eliminating the centipede that winds down the playing field.
SCREENSHOTS
PHYSICAL
HISTORY
Centipede is a 1998 shoot 'em up video game developed by Leaping Lizard Software and a remake of Atari's 1981 arcade game of the same name. It was published by Hasbro Interactive, their first under the Atari label after purchasing the brand and former assets.
Gameplay consists of a series of rounds that are completed once the player eliminates the centipede(s) that wind down the playing field. Obstacles such as spiders, fleas, and scorpions complicate the game. At the same time, a population of mushrooms grows between the player and each centipede. Optionally, the player is tasked with rescuing villagers and bystanders and preventing damage to key structures; although ignoring these tasks does not prevent the player from being able to complete the round regardless.
Gameplay
The game can be played in two game modes: "Arcade" and "Adventure" — the latter marking a departure from the original version. Arcade mode allows the player to experience a ported version of the original arcade Centipede, with some enhancements.
In the adventure campaign, one completes a series of levels linked by a storyline. Here, the player encounters both the original enemies (centipede, spider, flea, scorpion, poisonous mushroom) and a new array as well (dragonfly, butterfly, firebug, icebug, killer mushroom, etc.), some of which are capable of throwing projectiles to destroy the shooter, and others capable of altering mushrooms. If an enemy or projectile contacts the shooter, the player loses a life.
Campaign story
The story centers around a collective of villages known as "Weedom" and a prophecy that foretells their imminent destruction. Each century, an army of large insects invades Weedom at the hands of their leader, the Queen Pede. The player assumes the role of Wally Gudmunzsun, who is tasked with the destruction of the invading insect army, while piloting a craft known simply as "The Shooter".
Development and release
Centipede was conceived by Hasbro Interactive, the video gaming arm of Hasbro, following its purchase of former Atari Corporation assets from JTS. Development was done by Leaping Lizard Software, a small firm based in Maryland.
Released for Microsoft Windows, it was ported to PlayStation, Dreamcast, and later Macintosh.
Reception
The game received mixed reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. Chris Charla of NextGen said of the PlayStation version in its September 1999 issue, "A solid 3D shooter with a nice, if young, story makes this a great game for your little brother, but don't be surprised if you find yourself playing a few games, too." Five issues later, Adam Pavlacka said that the Dreamcast version "may look good in 3D, but the classic version of the game is still more fun." GamePro said of the same Dreamcast version: "Who will dig on Centipede, and who will bag on it? Old schoolers will feel the pull of sentimentality, and may find themselves caught up in the newer, fiercer version of Centipede contained within. Twitch[y] gamers will also enjoy Centipede, but anyone not in those two classes may find the game tiresome and repetitive. Give Centipede a chance, you might just catch the bug."
The PC version won Computer Games Strategy Plus' 1998 "Classic Game of the Year" award. The staff praised the graphics, addictive gameplay and the game's enhancements.
STORY
The Enchanted Forest
Once upon a time in a misty, enchanted forest, there lived a colony of good elves. These elves had a major problem, though. Their prized mushroom garden was infested with pests--a giant Centipede, a poison-spreading scorpion, a mischief-making spider, and a pesky flea. The good elves tried everything they could to rid their garden of these bugs. But nothing worked.
One day, an elf named Oliver was hacking away at a poisoned mushroom in the garden. Suddenly, he saw an unusual stick gleaming in the dirt. Just as Oliver picked up the stick, a spider jumped out from behind a mushroom and rushed at him. When Oliver waved his hands wildly to try to scare the spider away, sparks flew from his stick and the spider disappeared!
"How did that happen?" Oliver wondered out loud. "Could this be a magic wand?"
Soon Oliver had another chance to try the wand. When the scorpion scurried across a row of mushroom, poisoning every mushroom it touched, Oliver pointed the wand at the scorpion and shouted, "Be gone!" Instantly, the scorpion disappeared and the poisoned mushrooms were transformed back into normal mushrooms.
"This is great! This is the tool we need to clean up our mushroom garden" Oliver shouted ecstatically.
With his new found magic wand, Oliver hid behind a mushroom. "OK, you great big Centipede," he said. "Come out wherever you are. I'm ready for you now!"
--From the Atari 2600 Centipede instruction manual.
1CC RUNS
One-credit clears we point to as the benchmark for this game.
GAMEPLAY VIDEO
SCORES
ACHIEVEMENTS 4 sets
Tracked by RetroAchievements and earned in an emulator that reports to it. A game tracked on more than one machine gets a set for each, because they are different lists earned on different hardware.
RELEASES 12 systems
PHYSICAL RELEASES 1 box
