''Batty Builders'' is a 1983

action video game An action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction time. The genre includes a large variety of sub-genres, such as fighting games, beat 'em ups, shooter games, rhythm games and ...

developed and programmed by M. D. Caballero and published by English Software Company for the

Atari 8-bit computers The Atari 8-bit computers, formally launched as the Atari Home Computer System, are a series of home computers introduced by Atari, Inc., in 1979 with the Atari 400 and Atari 800. The architecture is designed around the 8-bit MOS Technology 650 ...

. Players control a brickie on the ground who must catch falling patterned blocks and construct complete walls across eight increasing-difficulty levels.

Gameplay

Batty Builders uses a three-tier playfield split into a top conveyor belt, a middle partially built wall, and a bottom catch area. At the top, a conveyor belt carries multicolored patterned bricks (white, yellow, orange, and brown) moving from left to right. The player moves the joystick-controlled brickie along the bottom row to position under falling bricks. Pressing the joystick fire button raises the brickie’s arms and if timed correctly, this catches a single brick as it falls. Once a brick is held, the player can move beneath the incomplete wall and press the fire button again to launch the held brick skyward, aiming it into a gap. Perfectly matched rows of the same colour or pattern award bonus points, while misaligned bricks still fill gaps but reduce scoring potential. Each dropped brick that lands on the brickie deducts one of the five available lives. Completing the current wall advances play to the next stage. As levels progress, horizontally scrolling crates of TNT appear on the conveyor belt, requiring additional timing and dexterity to dodge while still catching and placing bricks.

Reception

''Home Computing Weekly'' (February 1984) observed that Batty Builders featured "excellent graphics but very little else going for it," praising the technical effort yet criticizing the gameplay as becoming tedious despite its eight-level design and bonus-pattern scoring. Bob Chappell in ''

Personal Computer News ''Personal Computer News'' (''PCN'') was a magazine publication which reviewed software and hardware for computers. It was published initially fortnightly, and during the boom period of home computing within the United Kingdom. It was published ...

'' (March 1984) lauded the game's originality in the tunnel-construction genre, describing its three-screen layout (conveyor, wall, and play area), the strategy of matching coloured bricks, and the escalating hazards of explosives on higher levels. He concluded that its unusual concept made Batty Builders "simple yet extremely addictive".

References

External links

{{atarimania, id=563 1983 video games Action games Atari 8-bit computer games Atari 8-bit computer-only games English Software games Single-player video games Video games developed in the United Kingdom