NATO Defense - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 42 years ago:

NATO Defense © 1982 Pacific Novelty.

A 2-D maze game where you run over mines and shoot enemies for points. Sections of walls can be shot, and there are 'dumps' where you can pick up more shots to shoot at your enemies. Be careful, though, as your enemies can also shoot you.

TECHNICAL
Main CPU: Zilog Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)
Sound Chips: (2x) General Instrument AY8910 (@ 1 Mhz)

Screen orientation: Horizontal
Video resolution: 256 x 256 pixels
Screen refresh: 60.00 Hz
Palette colors: 16

Players: 2
Control: 4-way joystick
Buttons: 1 (FIRE)

TRIVIA
Released in July 1982.

NATO Defense uses an 8-minute cassette loop with simulated talk over communication lines. Key word here is 'simulated' -- various pseudo-accents are taken, some saying things like 'You got the wrong war'. Last long enough in the round, and the background voice will say 'good playing. You should be in the infantry'.

Paul Barrette holds the official record for this game with 1,113,000 points.

UPDATES
There are 2 different sets of mazes for the game. The alternate mazes version depends more on open spaces.

SCORING
Running over a mine: 10 points
First Enemy Tank shot: 100 points
Second Enemy Tank shot: 500 points
Third Enemy Tank shot: 1000 points
Fourth Enemy Tank shot: 2000 points
(the second, third and fourth enemy tank must be shot almost immediately after each other, otherwise you'll get 100 points for each tank you shoot)

TIPS AND TRICKS
There is a built-in speed-up for the game. Swapping ROM K4 with ROM J4 and ROM C4 with ROM B4, will give the player a new set of mazes. The tech note describing this 'speed-up' also notes that the diagnostic mode the Checksums displayed will not match, but this is normal and OK.

CONTRIBUTE
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