''Blitz'' is an

action 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 ...

published by Commodore for its

VIC-20 The VIC-20 (known as the VC-20 in Germany and the VIC-1001 in Japan) is an 8-bit entry level home computer that was sold by Commodore International, Commodore Business Machines. The VIC-20 was announced in 1980, roughly three years after Commod ...

home computer Home computers were a class of microcomputers that entered the market in 1977 and became common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as affordable and accessible computers that, for the first time, were intended for the use of a s ...

in 1981. The game is based on the 1977 arcade video game ''

Canyon Bomber ''Canyon Bomber'' is a black-and-white 1977 arcade game, developed and published by Atari, Inc. It was written by Wendi Allen (credited as Howard Delman) who previously programmed '' Super Bug'' for Atari. ''Canyon Bomber'' was rewritten in colo ...

'' from Atari, Inc., with the goal of clearing boulders replaced with bombing closely packed skyscrapers. Several later clones of the concept also use the urban setting. The game is played with a single button which drops a bomb. Taylor originally self-published the game as ''Vic New York''. ''Blitz'' was later sold by

Mastertronic Mastertronic was originally a publisher and distributor of low-cost computer game software founded in 1983. Their first games were launched on April 2, 1984. At its peak the label was one of the largest software publishers in the UK, achieved ...

as ''New York Blitz''. He also wrote ''Blitz-64'' for the

Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in ...

and ''Blitz-16'' for the

Commodore 16 The Commodore 16 is a home computer made by Commodore International with a 6502-compatible 7501 or 8501 CPU, released in 1984 and intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20. A cost-reduced version, the Commodore 116, was ...

Gameplay

A plane flies across a single-screen

cityscape In the visual arts, a cityscape (urban landscape) is an artistic representation, such as a painting, drawing, print or photograph, of the physical aspects of a city or urban area. It is the urban equivalent of a landscape. ''Townscape'' is ...

at a steady speed. When it reaches the edge of the screen, it wraps to the other side at a lower altitude, with its speed increasing each pass. The player drops bombs from the plane, and each bomb removes one or more segments of the structure it hits. As the plane descends, it risks colliding with remaining buildings. The level is complete when all buildings are destroyed, and the plane has descended safely to the bottom of the screen.

Development

The game was prompted by a verbal description of ''

'', originally released as an

arcade video game An arcade video game is an arcade game that takes player input from its controls, processes it through electrical or computerized components, and displays output to an electronic monitor or similar display. All arcade video games are coin-oper ...

by Atari, Inc. in 1977 and ported to the

Atari VCS 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 ...

. The change from a canyon filled with rock pillars to a city of skyscrapers was copied by later clones including ''Blitz'' (ZX Spectrum), ''City Bomber'' (C64), and ''City Lander'' (

ZX81 The ZX81 is a home computer that was produced by Sinclair Research and manufactured in Dundee, Scotland, by Timex Corporation. It was launched in the United Kingdom in March 1981 as the successor to Sinclair's ZX80 and designed to be a low-c ...

). Simon Taylor wrote the game as ''Vic New York'' before he contracted with Commodore in 1982. Taylor later produced versions for the Commodore 64, Commodore 16, and

Epson HX-20 The HX-20 (also known as the HC-20) was an early laptop computer released by Epson, Seiko Epson in July 1982. It was the first Notebook (laptop), notebook-sized portable computer, occupying roughly the footprint of an A4 paper, A4 notebook while ...

portable computer A portable computer is a computer designed to be easily moved from one place to another, as opposed to those designed to remain stationary at a single location such as desktops and workstations. These computers usually include a display a ...

Legacy

later sold the game as the budget-priced ''New York Blitz''. Jeff Minter wrote a 1982

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer developed and marketed by Sinclair Research. One of the most influential computers ever made and one of the all-time bestselling British computers, over five million units were sold. ...

game inspired by ''Blitz'' called ''Bomber'' (also published as ''City Bomber'').

References

{{reflist, refs= {{cite book , last1=Wills , first1=John , title=Gamer Nation , date=2019 , publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press , isbn=978-1421428703 , page=119 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OeqKDwAAQBAJ&q=%22vic+new+york%22+vic-20+game&pg=PA119 1981 video games VIC-20 games Video games developed in the United Kingdom