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Reactor - MAME machine

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GAME SYSTEM CHD BIOS DEVICE PARENT CLONE MECHANICAL SCREENLESS

Main data
Romset and name:
reactor Reactor
Short name:
Reactor
Manufacturer:
Gottlieb
Year:
Genre:
Category:
Maze / Shooter Small
Serie:
-
Driver source:
gottlieb/gottlieb.cpp
Language:
English
Similar games:
Input / Controls
Players:
Only one supported (solo, 2 alternates)
Input:
Trackball
Buttons / keys:
Coins:
Cabinet:
Cocktail, Upright
Free-play:
Supported
Rankings
Average user rating:
AntoPISA BestGame:
90 to 100 (Best Games)
MASH All-Time:
-
Video
Display:
256x240@61.419025 Hz, CRT 15kHz
Orientation:
Horizontal
Scrolling:
Unknown
Colors:
-
CPU:
Intel 8088, MOS Technology 6502
Audio
Sound:
Audio chips:
Gottlieb Sound/Speech rev. 1 w/SC-01, MC1408 DAC, Speaker, Votrax SC-01
Romset
First release:
Mame 0.19 released on apr-26 1997
Last release:
Mame 0.263 released on feb-28 2024
Clone of:
-
Bios:
Not required
Use rom of:
-
Use sample of:
-
Previous romset:
None
New romset:
None
Files
Dump:
GOOD
Required files:
Status
OVERALL:
IMPERFECT
Emulation:
Good
Graphic:
Good
Color:
Good
Sound:
Imperfect
Cocktail:
Good
Protection:
Good
Save state:
Supported
Additional infos
  • History
  • Info
  • Score
  • PCB
  • Commands
  • Init
  • Driver
  • XML
  • Arcade Video game published 42 years ago:

    Reactor © 1982 Gottlieb.

    The player controls a cursor that can move freely within a screen-sized arena, the nuclear reactor. The center contains a sun-type gravitational power source, the slowly overheating reactor core. The surrounding wall or the sun, if touched results in death. The cursor is controlled with a trackball by the player, who has to roll it fast in one direction in order to overcome the momentum of gravitation imposed by the sun. Swarms of enemy objects named after various radioactive particles float around in the reactor arena, obeying simple physical laws. These enemies can freely bounce into the walls at low speeds, have a repulsive force against each other and actively attack the player cursor. Boss types often break up into several smaller particles.

    The object is to survive the sun and walls while gaining the highest score possible. It takes a delicate touch. Rather than moving the cursor/avatar left, right, up and down as in many arcade games, it is controlled by gravity and moves freely; with the player only being able to accelerate it rather than control its movements directly. Meanwhile the enemy particles are getting so aggressive that it can get very difficult to avoid being pulled in by the sun or touching a wall.

    The basic gameplay consists of accelerating the cursor just at the right times so that it circles the reactor core with enough speed to have control via its own momentum when the enemy particles try to knock it off course, and then to place decoys and actually use the acceleration of the ball itself to knock enemies into control rods, traps or the reactor core. By pressing the primary button the player cursor can go into high power mode, providing higher repulsion of enemies and conversely higher risk to the player.

    To ease the task the player also has a certain number of decoys at their disposal. Pressing the secondary button places a decoy to attract the enemies, luring them into two traps in the corners of the screen for bonus points, into destroying reactor rods or directly into the walls to kill them. Destroying a row of reactor rods gives the player one more decoy, as well as resetting the size of the slowly swelling reactor core.

    A time limit is enforced by the slowly swelling reactor core, which limits the space to move about in the arena. Although the reactor doesn't actually melt down, the decreasing space provides for gradually increasing difficulty. After defeating the first wave of enemies, the solid reactor core changes into Vortex core, unlike the Protect core, is lethal to touch (thus making such levels significantly harder).

    TECHNICAL
    Game ID: GV-100

    Main CPU: I8086 (@ 5 Mhz)
    Sound CPU: MOS Technology M6502 (@ 894.886 Khz)
    Sound Chips: DAC, Votrax SC-01

    Screen orientation: Horizontal
    Palette colors: 16

    Players: 1
    Control: trackball
    Buttons: 2 (ENERGY, DECOY)

    TRIVIA
    Reactor was released in July 1982. It was the first arcade game to credit the developer on the game's title screen.

    First called 'Ram-It', then 'Expander', Reactor was Tim Skelly's first game design upon going independent. Skelly was one of the first independent game designers. He designed a number of games for Gottlieb (none of which were released) before taking an extended break in which he watched horror movies, drank margaritas and wrote a screenplay!

    Approximately 1000 units were produced.

    STAFF
    Designed and programmed by: Tim Skelly
    Audio by: David D. Thiel

    PORTS
    • CONSOLES:
    [US] Atari 2600 (1982) [Model PB5330]

    CONTRIBUTE
    Edit this entry: https://www.arcade-history.com/?&page=detail&id=2185&o=2
    Informations provided by © Alexis Bousiges
    Informations provided by Contribute to the translation
  • Informations provided by
    Informations provided by / © Copyright of Fujix
  • Informations provided by
  • Informations provided by
  • Informations provided by Fabricio Coroquer, revisited from the work of
    NOTICE: The short version was discontinued in November 2019
  • Informations provided by Contribute
  • Informations provided by
  • Informations provided by
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Data updated on february 28 2024


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reactor
Title:
Reactor
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