Targ - MAME machine

Arcade Video game published 44 years ago:

Targ © 1980 Exidy.

Targ is a 1 or 2-player shooter game released by Exidy in 1980. Your town is invaded by Targ riders, you must maneuver the heroic vehicle Wummel to destroy them. From time to time, a Spectar comes into screen, and can be destroyed for extra bonus.

Action takes place into a 9x9 grid, 'Crystal City', where the player's vehicle must avoid and chase down 10 enemy wedge-shaped vehicles. When all enemies are destroyed, you are awarded an extra bonus and can access the following level. 2 players can alternate in the game. You use a 4-way joystick to control the Wummel, and a pushbutton to fire at enemies. Progressing in the gameplay causes the Targs to become faster and smarter, for a fast and furious gameplay.

TECHNICAL
Main CPU: MOS Technology M6502 (@ 705.562 Khz)
Sound Chips: DAC

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

TRIVIA
Targ was released in June 1980. It was the first 'fantasy theme' game.

While in that period many western companies licensed games from Japanese developers (Exidy itself licensed Nintendo's "Sheriff" as "Bandido"), Targ is one of the few western games that made it in the opposite way, being licensed by Sega for Japanese distribution.

Targ stands for 'Target'. 'Spectar' stands for 'Special Target'.

SCORING
Scoring in this game is pretty easy although it is done a bit differently. You will be given the score value of a Targ Ramship at the beginning of each level. This is how you can figure out which level you are currently on.
Targ Ramship: 10 points x level
Spectar Smuggler: 100-900 points (by 100's)

You also get a bonus for completing a level. The bonus is 1000 points x level number.

TIPS AND TRICKS
When you start the game, your Wummel will be in the bottom right corner of the screen. There will be 10 Targ Ramships at the top of the 10 vertical lanes.

• Learn how your Wummel operates. You can go pretty fast in one direction. To turn around, though, takes a little time since you have to slow down before you turn around. You can use this deceleration, though, to your advantage to trap enemy units and sometimes get multiple kills.
• You can only have one missile on the screen at any one time. Plan your shots accordingly. In addition, you can only fire forward.
• All enemies on the screen will avoid trying to be in front of your Wummel. That means you must quickly get in front or behind them so they don't veer off to avoid your fire. This means you may have to plan a few ambushes to take out the enemies.
• All the enemies (Targ Ramships and Spectral Smugglers) only move at full speed. This can work to your advantage since if they are coming at you, you can decelerate your Wummel and pick them off.
• If you must turn around quickly, the easiest (and best) way to achieve this is to go around the blocks. Three right turns can turn you from the hunted into the hunter. In addition, this is great for setting up ambushes and taking out the enemy ships quickly.
• Try to isolate enemy ships. If you try to take on a ''pack'' of them, you will lose since there are so many different directions that the enemy ships can come from.
• During the first three levels, you have enough speed to avoid your attackers. This changes on level four and beyond as the enemy ships can easily outrun your Wummel. This means you will need to make very quick turns in order to get behind them.
• Also, if you take too long on a level, the enemy ships will speed up to make quick work of your Wummel.
• As you progress through the levels, the enemy ships will get ''smarter'' and attempt to corner your Wummel. Your safest action is to avoid being trapped while picking off individual enemy ships to even the odds.
• Nifty little trivia note: The game screen is an optical illusion. If you stare at the yellow boxes, you will see yellow circles form at the intersections. Nothing that affects game play but still interesting.

SERIES

• Targ (1980)
• Spectar (1980)

PORTS

• CONSOLES:

[US] Atari 2600 (1988) "Universal Chaos [Model 7062-A305]"

• COMPUTERS:

Tandy Color Computer [US] (1983) "Storm Arrows"
Commodore C64 (19??)

CONTRIBUTE
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