Secret Quest is an

action-adventure game The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...

developed by Axlon for the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocess ...

and published by Atari Corporation in 1989. The player controls a humanoid character that fights monsters and gathers items on a series of space stations. It was one of the last cartridges released for the console and has a larger ROM capacity than most 2600 games plus a small amount of RAM. The box credits

Nolan Bushnell Nolan Kay Bushnell (born February 5, 1943) is an American businessman and electrical engineer. He established Atari, Inc. and the Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre chain. He has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame and the Consum ...

for the game and includes his photo on both the front and back. According to ''Secret Quest'' programmer Steve DeFrisco, "Atari thought that his name would entice people to buy some more 2600 titles".

Plot

The player controls a hero trying to stop several alien space station attacks. He is dressed in a space suit fighting aliens released from the space stations. He is trying to defuse a bomb set by the aliens, and detonate bombs in the space stations using codes.

Development

The game was inspired by Nintendo's ''

The Legend Of Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-releas ...

'' (1987) for the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...

, with the final space-themed concept developed and programmed by Steve DeFrisco. Chris DeFrisco was hired to complete the artwork. A save-game mechanic was incorporated due to the design concept of having many locations in an adventure-style format. The development team faced data-size issues when trying to fit the game onto the cartridge ROM. According to ''Vintage Games'', the game was created as a final attempt to prove the 1977 console could compete with more modern hardware. The cartridge is expanded with 256 bytes of RAM and 16 kilobytes of ROM.

Reception

''NexGam'' believed the graphics were simple yet respectable. '' The A.V. Club'' thought the title was surprising and abstract in the wake of the Atari 2600's final days. ''Classic Home Video Games'' called the game ambitious, almost to a fault. ''Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide'' described it as a "final swan-song" and a way of squeezing the last money out of the console.

Legacy

''Secret Quest'' included in the Atari FlashBack 2 and subsequent consoles in the series with the exception of the FlashBack 4. It was not re-released in other Atari compilations.

References

External links

''Secret Quest''
at Atari Mania {{DEFAULTSORT:Secret Quest 1989 video games Atari 2600 games Atari 2600-only games Action-adventure games