Tempest 2000 - 5 years out of date and still rocking.
Well, actually, it's 11 years out of date. When it was released in 1994 Tempest 2000 was the best reason to own an Atari Jaguar.
It still is.
Criminally, I hadn't played this game for years before last Thursday when, out of sheer boredom with just about every other game in the house, I sat down for some good 'ol shoot 'em up action. This post is not actually a review (that would be more or less pointless now, anyway). However I was inspired to write about T2K, in fact start a blog in the first place, by how utterly fantastic this game is.
What struck me first is that the game is still so visually arresting, despite being run on a machine that is now out classed by most - if not all - mobile phones. Most of the graphics in the game are treated with patented 'Melt-O-Vision' (it's from the back of the box, I didn't make it up - honest), which makes them swell and fade out of the screen in hypnotic fashion. The main menus make ample use of this effect, as do pretty much all the power-ups and bonus games littered throughout the game.
The music is perhaps the only thing about this game that has dated a little - some tunes more than others. In one such piece a sample of someone saying 'bring the beat back' is used, which today would almost certainly - and quite rightly - result in the mob lynching of the offending composer. Most of the music is techno-dance themed, and will only ever have catered to those who liked it. Nowadays, though, it palls a little more than it did. This is especially evident if you happen to own, as I do, the sound track CD that was bundled with the Jaguar CD addon. It really is a cheese-fest, if you like that kind of thing (and I'm not adverse to it, I have to say).
The rest of Tempest 2000 has survived intact, though. Each of the levels is set on a grid-based shape of some kind, These range from simple circles, squares and flat plains to more esoteric shapes, some of which will cause problems in themselves. There are four game modes on the cart; Traditional, Tempest Plus, Tempest 2000 and Tempest Duel. It's Tempest 2000 that I'm concerned with, though. It starts off relatively tame, and remains that way for some twenty or so levels. However, the difficulty is ramped up steadily all the while. Though seasoned players will be able to finish the first two sectors with many lives remaining, the following onslaught will have you finished off in no time at all.
And yet you'll come back. Again and again. However, while the game is certainly hypnotic - as all great games are - I don't think I've ever managed to reach the stage where nothing else around me exists any more. This is a state that some gamers claim to get into when deeply involved in a game - shoot 'em ups especially. I'm not sure Tempest ever quite lets you as it's pace is so frantic. Your eyes are constantly darting around the screen, looking for the next power-up, trying to find where it's safe to leave your ship for a moment while you figure out your next move. All of this has to be done in a split second. And then your blasted off the grid and you have to ready yourself for the next try.
Jeff Minter is the man responsible for the Jaguar version of Tempest 2000. Most gamers of a certain age will know who he is. Suffice it to say that he has engraved himself in video game history, not just with this game. But that's for another post:-)
Tempest 2000 was ported to other platforms (Saturn, PlayStation and PC), but those versions never had the raw energy or potency of the original Jaguar remake.
Of course, the Atari Jaguar was axed a long time ago. However, those still keen to take up the Tempest 2000 gauntlet will find that searching eBay will yield some good results. You may even be able to buy a new and sealed copy of the game!
There is of course emulation for the more technically minded. Jaguar emulation has progressed at a somewhat slow rate compared to some systems, but there are working emulators that will happily run Tempest at full whack on a suitably powered PC.
Take a peek at the game by heading to www.atariarge.com and checking out the Jaguar section. There's plenty of other information about the Jaguar and other Atari platforms on the other side of that link. Enjoy.
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