''Skiing'' is a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

cartridge for the

Atari 2600 The Atari 2600 is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS), it popularized microprocessor-based hardware and games stored on swappable ROM cartridg ...

. It was authored by

Bob Whitehead Robert A. Whitehead (born November 1, 1953) is an American video game designer and programmer. While working for Atari, Inc. he wrote two of the nine Atari Video Computer System launch titles: ''Blackjack'' and '' Star Ship''. After leaving Atari ...

and released by

Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...

in 1980. It is one of the first video games developed by Activision.

Gameplay

''Skiing'' is a

single-player A single-player video game is a video game where input from only one player is expected throughout the gameplay. Video games in general can feature several game modes, including single-player modes designed to be played by a single player in add ...

only game, in which the player uses the

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Also known as the control column, it is the principal control devic ...

to control the direction and speed of a stationary

skier Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow for basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International ...

at the top of the screen, while the background graphics scroll upwards, thus giving the illusion the skier is moving. The player must avoid obstacles, such as

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s and moguls. The game cartridge contains five variations each of two principal games. In the downhill mode, the player's goal is to reach the bottom of the ski course as rapidly as possible, while a timer records the player's relative success. In the slalom mode, the player must similarly reach the end of the course as rapidly as possible, but must at the same time pass through a series of gates (indicated by a pair of closely spaced flagpoles). Each gate missed counts as a penalty against the player's time.

Promotion

''Skiing'' was promoted via a 30-second TV commercial featuring a man demonstrating how to play the game (including the various obstacles into which a player can crash), while speaking in a stereotypical French accent. The commercial ends with a close-up of the game box, with the man's voice heard off-screen (now speaking in a general American accent) saying, "I think I hurt myself", in reference to his numerous virtual crashes.

Reception

Richard A. Edwards reviewed ''Skiing'' in ''

The Space Gamer ''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...

'' No. 43 and called it a simple game with "excellent" graphics and varying scenarios. Chris Pirih, the creator of ''

SkiFree ''SkiFree'' is a single-player skiing computer game created by Chris Pirih and released with ''Microsoft Entertainment Pack, Microsoft Entertainment Pack 3'' for Windows 3.0 in October 1991. The player controls a skier on a mountain slope, avoi ...

'', cited ''Skiing'' as the inspiration for the text-based game called ''Ski'' that eventually became ''SkiFree''.

Reviews

* ''JoyStik'' (December 1982) * ''

Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...

'' (January 1982)

References

{{reflist

External links