''Stealth'' is a

pseudo-3D 2.5D (basic pronunciation two-and-a-half dimensional) perspective refers to gameplay or movement in a video game or virtual reality environment that is restricted to a two-dimensional (2D) plane with little to no access to a third dimension in ...

rail shooter Rail shooter, also known as on-rails shooter, is a subgenre of shoot 'em up video game. Beginning with arcade games such as the 1985 '' Space Harrier'', the gameplay locks the player character into a set path, only allowing for limited or no di ...

Broderbund Broderbund Software, Inc. (stylized as Brøderbund) was an American maker of video games, educational software, and productivity tools. Broderbund is best known for the 8-bit video game hits '' Choplifter'', '' Lode Runner'', '' Karateka'', and ...

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 ...

and

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 ...

Gameplay

The player's mission in ''Stealth'' is to pilot a low-level bomber-fighter ship to infiltrate enemy territory and travel a distance of 10,000 miles to reach and destroy the Black Tower (enemy citadel). The ship uses pulse energy for power, so the player must keep an eye on the fuel supply in addition to avoiding obstacles and shooting enemies. Energy fields are randomly scattered around the planet. The yellow ones contain fields of positive energy that can be used to refuel the player's ship. On the other hand, there are also red, negative energy fields that will drain the ship of energy. On the way to the Black Tower, the player has to watch out for enemy bunkers, tanks, rockets, reconnaissance planes and fighters. Additionally, the player must destroy the radar towers, because a failed attempt to destroy them automatically triggers the launch of a homing missile. The game has five levels, and each successive level is much more difficult.

Development

An early version of the game was called ''Landscape''. ''Stealth'' uses excerpts of

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (German: Help:IPA/Standard German, �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque music, Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety ...

's Harpsichord Concerto in D minor as its title music.

Reception

The game has been met with positive-to-mixed reviews. Writing for ''

Commodore Power/Play ''Commodore Power/Play'' was one of a pair of computer magazines published by Commodore Business Machines in the United States in support of their 8-bit home computer Home computers were a class of microcomputers that entered the market i ...

'', Tom Benford praised the game: "''Stealth'' is software par excellence. Everything, and I mean everything, about the game is positively top-notch: sound, color, graphics, breathtaking animation, play action, challenge level, continued interest—I'd really have to give it a "10" in all of these categories." ''

Antic Alphanumeric Television Interface Controller (ANTIC) is an LSI ASIC dedicated to generating 2D computer graphics to be shown on a television screen or computer display. Under the direction of Jay Miner, the chip was designed in 1977–1978 b ...

''s Jack Powell called the game "a welcome fix for the shoot-'em'down arcade freaks who have been wondering where the next serious laser-zap would come from," praising its graphics for "creat ngan excellent sense of place and dimension." Gregg Keizer of '' Compute!'s Gazette'' called it graphically "outstanding," stating: "It has one of the best 3-D views we've seen." They furthermore described the gameplay as "addicting", stating that "it's hard to tear yourself away from the screen" and calling it "one of the best hoot-'em-up-arcade gamesaround." Steve Panak was less positive in his review for ''

ANALOG Computing ''ANALOG Computing'' was an American computer magazine devoted to Atari 8-bit computers. It was published from 1981 until 1989. In addition to reviews and tutorials, ''ANALOG'' printed multiple programs in each issue for users to type in. Almo ...

'' and stated: "It is a shame that a game with such nice graphics denies you equally fine playability. ''Stealth'' is fascinating the first time around, but you'll tire of it quickly." Likewise, ''

Zzap!64 ''Zzap!64'' is a computer games magazine covering games for computers manufactured by Commodore International, especially the Commodore 64 (C64). It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact. The magazi ...

'' gave the game an overall score of 56%, largely praising the graphics but criticizing the sound and lastability.

References

External links

*{{MobyGames, id=/stealth 1984 video games Atari 8-bit computer games Broderbund games Commodore 64 games Rail shooters Video games developed in the United States