Tempest

Tempest didn't look like anything else in the arcade. Instead of sprites, glowing colored lines in the dark; instead of a joystick, a spinner you whipped around as fast as you could. You could spot that screen from the door, a neon tunnel pulling you in.

It was the cabinet for players who wanted something different, and who walked out with sore wrists from all that spinning.

History

Atari released it in 1981, designed by Dave Theurer. It used color vector graphics, a technology that drew lines straight onto the picture tube and gave it that signature glow.

It was one of the first games with differently shaped levels and let players pick their starting level, which was rare at the time.

How to play

You control a claw-shaped ship on the rim of a tube seen from above. The spinner moves you lane to lane around the rim, and the fire button shoots down the tube where enemies are climbing up.

Enemies crawl up the lanes toward the rim, and if they reach you, they grab you. You've got a Superzapper that clears the screen, once per level at full power. Finish a level and you dive down the tube to the next one, dodging any spikes left behind.

Fun facts

• Levels change shape: round tubes, squares, V-shapes and open flat webs.
• The spinner let you whip around the tube incredibly fast.
• Its neon look inspired plenty of games that came after it.

In the arcade

Tempest is on the UsuArcade wishlist, coming soon to the lounge. Vote with the 'I want to play it' button to bump it up the list.

Meanwhile, you can play Asteroids, another Atari classic from the same era, or shooters like Galaxian and Phoenix in the lounge, with chat, live spectators and an arcade high score board.

FAQ