''Word Zapper'' is an

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 ...

game written by Henry Will IV and published under the Vidtec label of

U.S. Games U.S. Games Corporation was a video game company founded by Donald Yu, which originally produced handheld electronic sports games. It pivoted to focus exclusively on video game software in 1981, and was acquired by cereal company Quaker Oats in ...

in 1982. ''Word Zapper'' combines spelling exercises with action gaming, as the player must shoot letters that scroll across the top of the screen to complete words.

Gameplay

The player controls a spaceship-like "Zapper" which can move about the screen and shoot up, left, and right. The objective is to shoot the letters that spell the current word, in order, while shooting or avoiding

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...

s in the lower portion of the screen. There are four types of asteroids, and each has a different effect if it comes into contact with the Zapper. The "Doomsday" asteroid ends the game. The "Scroller" asteroid mixes up the scrolling letters for five seconds. The "Zonker" and "Bonker" asteroids knock the Zapper to the side. The game ends after being hit by a doomsday asteroid, after the 99 second timer runs down, or the ultimate goal of completing three words.

Reception

Richard A. Edwards reviewed ''Word Zapper'' 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. 59. Edwards commented that "It is difficult to make a statement concerning recommendation. ''Word Zapper'' is innovative enough to draw attention at first, but it will depend on the individual gamer whether another arcade shooting match with letters is worth the price tag." In the 1983 Arcade Awards, ''Word Zapper'' was one of two runners-up for the "Most Innovative Videogame" category.

Reviews

*''Game Freaks 365'' July 5, 2010 *''Woodgrain Wonderland'' Dec 9, 2018 *''The Atari Times'' April 25, 2014 *''

All Game Guide RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the Alternative Investment Market, ...

'' 1998 *''HonestGamers'' (Staff reviews only) Aug 9th, 2008 *''The Video Game Critic'' February 25, 2005

References

External links

* *{{internet archive game, atari_2600_word_zapper_word_grabber_1982_u.s._games_corporation_henry_will_iv_-_v
Review
in

Electronic Fun with Computers & Games ''Electronic Fun with Computers & Games'' was a video game magazine published in the United States from November 1982 to May 1984. For the last two issues it was renamed ''ComputerFun''. Content The magazine was split up into the following sec ...

1982 video games Atari 2600 games Atari 2600-only games Single-player video games U.S. Games games Video games developed in the United States Word puzzle video games