#robotron 2084

[sonandheirofnothinginparticular]

#kraftwerk #robotron 2084 #arcade

[heartnosekid]

robotron: 2084 🕹️ | brokenarcade on ig

#stim #stimboard #arcades #retro gaming #sfw #red #blue #yellow #white #orange #teal #arcade games #robotron 2084 #80s nostalgia #flashing gif #flashing #hands #glow #ishy gifs #postish

[boredtechnologist]

Williams "Robotron 2084" arcade - attract mode

Reviewing Williams' "Robotron: 2084" from a deep philosophical perspective invites a fascinating exploration of the game's underlying themes, aesthetics, and the existential questions it raises, both intentionally and inadvertently.

1. Man vs. Machine - A Reflection on Technological Progress: "Robotron: 2084" centers around the classic theme of humanity's struggle against its own creations - the robots. Philosophically, this can be viewed as a commentary on the anxieties and paradoxes of technological advancement. As players fight against a relentless horde of machines, the game echoes fears of technology becoming uncontrollable or turning against its creators. This mirrors existential concerns about the role of technology in human life and its potential to both enhance and undermine the human experience.

2. The Individual vs. The Collective: The game's premise, where a single protagonist battles against an overwhelming collective force, touches on philosophical debates about individualism versus collectivism. The player's lone character, constantly battling overwhelming odds, can be seen as a metaphor for the individual's struggle to maintain identity and autonomy in the face of societal or technological collectives that threaten to subsume individuality.

3. The Sisyphean Struggle and Absurdism: "Robotron: 2084" offers no end, only an ongoing battle against an endless stream of enemies. This can be philosophically interpreted through the lens of Albert Camus' concept of the absurd hero, akin to Sisyphus' eternal struggle. The game's never-ending nature and the player's inevitable defeat reflect the absurdity of life and the idea that meaning and value come from struggle itself, rather than any final victory or conclusion.

4. Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence: On a more contemporary note, "Robotron: 2084" raises ethical questions about artificial intelligence and its implications for humanity. The robots, originally designed to serve humans but now their adversaries, symbolize the ethical dilemmas and potential dangers associated with AI. This aspect of the game prompts philosophical inquiry into the responsibilities of creators towards their creations and the ethical limits of artificial intelligence.

5. Nostalgia and the Human Psyche: From a more psychological perspective, the game's retro style and enduring popularity can be seen as an embodiment of nostalgia and a longing for simpler times. This raises questions about the human tendency to idealize the past and whether such nostalgia is a comforting escape or a barrier to confronting current realities.

6. Aesthetics and the Nature of Video Games as Art: "Robotron: 2084," with its distinctive 1980s arcade graphics and sound, contributes to the philosophical discussion about video games as a form of art. The game's style, gameplay, and enduring appeal challenge traditional notions of what constitutes artistic merit and invite players to consider the artistic value inherent in game design and the interactive experience.

In conclusion, "Robotron: 2084," while ostensibly a simple arcade game, offers rich material for philosophical exploration. Themes of man versus machine, individual versus collective, the absurdity of endless struggle, ethical considerations of AI, the role of nostalgia, and the nature of video games as art all converge in this classic game, demonstrating the profound potential for video games to engage with deep philosophical concepts and questions.

#Robotron #Robotron 2084 #2084 #arcade #attract mode #Pixel Crisis

[alexandriaisburning]

037: Satryn

A deliberate homage to Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar’s Robotron: 2084, Satryn initially feels almost too faithful to the original. It’s that close imitation that makes the differences starker, turning it into a companion that draws into focus how little aesthetic choices can drastically alter the feeling of what initially seem to be simple games.

Instead of modern analog movement and aiming, Satryn uses strictly digital 8 way movement and shooting. It goes against the assumptions of the modern twin stick shooter, but what it loses in finesse it gains in precision and readability. A similar philosophy drives the visuals. Backgrounds are stark black fields, with enemies coming in high contrast colors and silhouettes, making it simple to discern them at a glance. Each enemy has a distinct behavior, and a smart player will quickly learn which ones to prioritize.

Dotted among the hazards and enemies are Friends, small smiling creatures who you’re here to save from their banishment. Each friend saved gives a small boost to your score multiplier, which becomes important not only for scoring, but survival, since a random powerup will be generated at certain score intervals. These range in usefulness, from bursts that push enemies away, to adding directional coverage, fire speed, or giving you a shield that allows you to take an extra hit. 

Satryn demands a certain amount of adaptability, since powerups, hazard and enemy placements are randomized every run, keeping you from memorizing stages or developing repeat strategies. It generally works in the game’s favor, since the score based focus and lack of ending keeps it replayable. It’s only occasionally an issue where the random generation can cause wild swings in difficulty, with certain enemy combinations being overwhelming, or the random nature of shield bonuses essentially giving you an extra life through sheer luck. 

It’s also worth giving special attention to the soundscape. Satryn has no background music, instead the atmosphere is made entirely of the arpeggiated synth sound effects, and cold hum of this prison planet. There’s a surprisingly detailed use of directional audio, too, with the sounds of enemies and explosions tracking across stereo channels, adding to paranoia with a sense of danger approaching on all sides. 

This reaches a crescendo after you’ve lasted a few waves, where the diamond shaped Wardens that have previously watched from the game marquee enter the playing field. An audio countdown is initiated, before they burst from the sidelines and drop into the arena, approaching with their intimidating size and multiple layers of armor that need to be dismantled before attacking their core. It’s a terrifying reversal of expectations that suddenly projects another layer of uneasiness into future runs. What you previously believed to be a decorative element were actually sentient beings, observing you and deciding when they need to step in. 

Taken with the background fiction and enemy profiles gradually unlocked in the in-game manual, it provides an interesting subtext to the story, especially when compared to the fiction set up by the original Robotron. Robotron had you playing as a superhuman, the result of a genetic engineering error, saving members of the last surviving human families from an army of robots whose calculations have shown that humanity is its own greatest threat, with the only way to protect humanity being its destruction. The last human family has distinct roles of father, mother and child that mirror a stereotypical nuclear family.

By contrast Satryn’s protagonist, the Former, and the friends you save are considered Invalids, tossed onto the prison planet of Satryn to be disposed of by the creatures in its ecosystem. While Robotron draws on sci fi works like 1984, and fears of technology making human life obsolete, and disrupting the nuclear family, there’s an almost queer subtext to Satryn. Robotron’s menace is artificial, cold and calculating, while Satryn’s enemies are very much organic, splattering into streaks of color with each shot, reproducing and leaving traces of themselves in the arena’s aftermath. 

There’s malice in Satryn’s fiction, where extinction comes not from machine logic, but systematic exile and extermination. Satryn’s Wardens have sent you and your friends to this planet to watch you die, and they step in when they’ve decided it’s taking too long to happen. Intentionally or not, Robotron carries heteronormative assumptions about what the family looks like, with an inherent optimism that the same technological faults that bring upon our destruction can enable us to resist against it. Satryn’s Former is instead exiled by their genetic defects, using the powers granted by it to protect their friends. Even the name feels loaded, with the Former pointing to their status as an ex-human, someone who used to belong to society, or someone who underwent a great change. 

 Maybe that’s projection on my part, but there’s something about the fiction of Satryn that resonates with me. Robotron was painted in the colors of kitsch, the fiction little more than a backdrop for action unfolding. And still it came with assumptions about what the future looked like, and what was worth protecting. Decades later Satryn has provided a companion piece that, intentionally or not, reexamines those assumptions. 

Satryn is available for free on itch.io and Android. A "Deluxe" version is available on Steam with online leaderboards.

#twin stick #shmup #stg #maybell #satryn #robotron #robotron 2084 #pc #android

[skuttie]

Humanity lasting to 2084 was really optimistic, midway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdTpB0yt7LE

#Robotron 2084 #Midway #arcade #retro #Youtube

[retrogamingloft]

True to my word, here's the version with the controls I wished I had back in the 80s. While it remains a challenging game, this version gives you a real sense of control and accountability; there's no room for excuses if you run out of lives. And let me tell you, taking down those robo-enemies is an absolute blast!

#retro gaming #retro gamer #retro games #video games #gaming #old school gaming #back to the past #I want to go back #those were the days #good old days #midway's greatest arcade hits #robotron 2084 #gba #game boy advance #shooter games #classic games #love gaming #gaming life #gamer guy #gaming community #Youtube

[themaresnest-dumblr]

Vampire Survivors Game Of The Year? Bollocks

So apparently a game which resembles the 1981 arcade game Robotron 2084 except with worse graphics is the best game of the last twelve months according to BAFTA:

Better than whatever the latest God Of War thingy is or whatever Heavy Metal fan fantasy life simulator is doing the rounds?

Better than Stray?

Nope, fact is Vampire Survivors is yet another tired Robotron 2084 clone, and FORTY TWO YEARS LATER it is beyond lame.

Bumnuggets like PC Gamer have been responsible for much of this bullshit for some time, plugging 8 bit shit in a 64 bit age and praising it to the skies like it's the Second Coming 'just because old skool is better maaaaaaaaan.' rather than it being middle ages hacks trying to relive their 'yoof', or pretentious basement dwellers doing the gamers' equivalent of people who buy only music on indie labels as some sort of avant-garde statement.

You know, the sort that used to drone on about The Smiths until Morrissey turned into Alf Garnett in middle age.

No, a game doesn't have to be all singing all dancing flashy graphics if done right - evidence for the prosecution is the beautifully eerie Limbo.

But praising retro for retro's sake is fooling no one but yourselves.

#vampire survivors #robotron 2084 #stray #god of war ragnarok #pc gamer #pretentious gamers bumnuggetry #bafta game awards

[iloveabunchofgames]

#JakeReviewsItch

Antecrypt⚡

by PUNKCAKE Délicieux 🥞

Price (US): $6

Included In: Bundle for Ukraine, Indie Bundle for Abortion Funds

Genre: Shooter, Action

Pitch: An old-school, one-hit-kill, wave-based, twin-stick shooter with a few twists.

My expectations: The phrase "single-stick shooter" is catching my eye. Twin-stick is generally the preferred control method for Robotron 2084-derived shooters. I look forward to seeing why this game thinks it knows better.

Review:

The second Antecrypt⚡ began, I got it.

It’s not a “single-stick shooter.” It’s a twin-stick shooter. You have one stick to move the character, and the other stick is in the uncertain grip of a lazy, disinterested drunk.

Oh, and the battery-powered gun can only fire for a few seconds between charges. Naturally, the charging station is wherever the drunk thinks it should be. On paper, this sounds like a funny experiment or a good-natured prank. Maybe it is. It’s also a genuinely great arcade game.

The “right-stick” moves slowly enough to allow for some aiming and some strategy, while its random path demands constant attention and improvisation. Taking out a full group of enemies in one, sustained shot feels incredible. Being separated from the recharging zone with an empty gun feels impossible. Weaving a parth to stay alive and miraculously get back in the game is triumphant.

Every enemy type is perfectly designed for the weird control scheme, with simple, predictable movement patterns that suddenly seem a lot more threatening in great numbers or in combination with other monsters. Each level unlocks a stat boost or consumable bonus, lending a meaningful sense of progression. Try it. You’ll get it.

+ Sounds like a confusing joke on paper, but get a controller in your hands, and you'll understand it immediately. + A perfect mix of familiarity and originality. + Great aesthetic. Lots of audio/visual feedback that makes every action seem powerful and exciting. Even with the whole screen shaking and flashing, everything is easy to follow. + Progression! Levels are designed, not procedurally generated! Boss fights! Meaningful rewards!

– What? No music? – Big difficulty spike at Level 9. It forced me to get better, and I've now made it through the first 13 levels...which means there are 27 more to go. I'm already on the easiest difficulty. I'm scared I'll hit my ceiling well before the end. – Random aiming means you can do everything right and still get struck down by bad luck. – Fullscreen is a little stretched and blurred. Windowed cuts off the top of the screen. Maybe this is specifically a problem with my computer?

🧡🧡🧡🧡🤍 Bottom Line: A novel twist on a proven genre. A retro arcade game for the modern player. Antecrypt⚡'s brutal difficulty will be a turn-off for some, but I invite anybody who's open to something that's a little different to take a crack at the early levels.

#JakeReviewsItch is a series of daily game reviews. You can learn more here. You can also browse past reviews...

• By name • By rating • By genre

#Antecrypt⚡ #PUNKCAKE Délicieux 🥞 #Bundle for Ukraine #Indie Bundle for Abortion Funds #Shooter #Top-down shooter #Twin-sticks shooter #Arena Shooter #Robotron 2084 #Neo-retro #JakeReviewItch #Computer Game #Video Game #Indie Game #Itch.io #Game Review

[atariforce]

Robotron: 2084 Grunt by The Artcade

#Williams Electronics #Robotron: 2084 #illustration #arcade #video games #retro gaming #The Artcade

[defstan480]

Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh (N64 / Treasure / 1999)

Macross meets Robotron 2084 in the first installment of Treasure’s sublime manic multidirectional space shooter series.

#Treasure #Bangai-o #N64 #Nintendo 64

[sonandheirofnothinginparticular]

Well, shit.

#abandoned #tron #robotron 2084 #arcade #well shit

[mauricedelafalaise]

Kraftwerk playing the 1982 arcade game “Robotron: 2084”

#kraftwerk #vintage #80s #1982 #robotron #video games

[xolta]

Arcade Recommendations

Xolta's big ass arcade game recommendations list

Beat em ups: Alien vs. Predator Armored Warriors Finale fight Volince fight Teenage mutant Ninja turtles: turtles in time The Punisher Dungeons and Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara Battle Circuit Cadillacs and Dinosaurs Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder The Simpsons X-Men Night slayers Gauntlet Legends Guantlet Dark Legacy Golden Axe

Fighting: Killer Instinct 1&2 Marvel Super Heroes Marvel Vs. Capcom 1&2 Mortal Kombat 1-3 Samurai Shodown Super Street Fighter II: Turbo The King of Fighters 2000 Virtua Fighter 1&2 X-Men Vs. Street Fighter Red Earth Dark Stalkers Soul Blade/edge Soul caliber The Last Blade Street Fighter Alpha 3 Guilty Gear XX: Accent Core Monster Maulers Primal rage X-Men: Children of the Atom

Light Gun: Rail chase House of the dead 1-3 Virtual cop CarnEvil Jurassic park: the lost world Point Blank Crypt Killer Alien 3: The Gun The Ocean Hunter Time Crisis 1&2 Beast Busters Jurassic Park

Platformers: Bubble Bobble Magic Sword Donkey Kong Donkey kong jr Mario Bros vs Ballon fight vs super mario bros Strider Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa Dig Dug Congo bongo Joust Q bert Frogger

Racing: Cruis'n Blast Cruis'n Usa F zero Ax Daytona USA 1&2 Super hang on Out run Out runners Virtua Racing Star Wars Episode 1: Racer Crazy Taxi Sega Rally Championship 1&2 Hydro Thunder Mario Kart Arcade GP 1&2 Alpine Racer outrun 2(2006) Manx TT Super Bike Aqua jet

Shoot em ups: Centipede Millipede Galaga In The Hunt Space Harrier Defender Moon patrol Zero wing Robotron: 2084 Sinistar Star Wars Trilogy Arcade Asteroids

Run and gun: Metal slug(series) Sunset riders Mystic Warriors Mercs Nitro Ball Shock Troopers Smash T.V. Berzerk Frenzy

Maze: Pacman Mrs. pacman Lady bug Mr. Do!

Ball rollan: Marbel madness Super monkey ball

Sports: NBA Jam NFL Blitz

Others:

Pinball

skiball

wack mole

Air hockey

#Arcade games #arcade #retro games #retro #gaming #videogames #video games #xolta

[retrogamingloft]

Allow me to add a different perspective to the conversation: Robotron: 2084 is undeniably a gem, boasting a fantastic concept, engaging gameplay, and a challenge that keeps you on the edge. It's the epitome of a classic shooter—packed with all the right ingredients. However, let's address the elephant in the room: the control system. For me, this aspect falls short and significantly impacts the overall experience.

I appreciate the developers' efforts in crafting such a captivating game, but the control scheme, to put it bluntly, undermines the gameplay. The Atari 7800 version, in particular, takes an unfortunate turn.

The decision to limit the lone hero's ability to shoot only while in motion feels restricting and complicates the gameplay dynamics. In instances where you're cornered, the inability to fire while standing still becomes an insurmountable challenge.

In my opinion the arcade version's two-joystick control scheme - where one stick dictates shooting direction - was already contentious (no, not a fan of this system, sorry). Nonetheless, the Atari 7800's implementation makes me miss it.

The necessity to constantly move to shoot creates predicaments where losing a life seems inevitable— again, pinned against a wall with enemies closing in, forcing movement to shoot, is a precarious situation with no recourse.

I don't intend to detract from the game's overall quality, but this control limitation impacts the gameplay significantly. Interestingly, the GBA version, part of Midway's collection, offers a different control system, presenting an alternative experience I'm eager to share when I upload such a video.

#retro gaming #retro gamer #retro games #video games #gaming #old school gaming #back to the past #I want to go back #those were the days #good old days #atari 7800 #robotron 2084 #shooter games #classic games #love gaming #gaming life #gamer for ever #gamer for life #console gaming #gaming nostalgia #Youtube

[oldguydoesstuff]

Robotron 2084, the OG twin-stick shooter!

#williamselectronics #arcade #1980s #retrogaming

[2000dc64]

Robotron: 2084

#retrogames #retrogaming #arcade #arcadegames #arcademachine #arcadecabinet #arcadegame #CRT #retro #williams