Lost In Translation/Empire Strikes Back, The

The Empire Strikes Back
Manufacturer	Atari Games
Released	1985
Control; Method	Analog joystick; 4 Button(s)
Main CPU	(3x) M6809 (@ 1.512 MHz); M6809 (@ 1.512 MHz)
Sound CPU	Mono; (4x) POKEY (@ 1.500 MHz); TMS5220 (@ 640.000 kHz)
Video; Details	Vector (Horizontal); 0 x 0 pixels; 40.00 Hz; 32,768 Palette colours
Screens	1
ROM Info	14 ROMs; 139,520 bytes (136.25 KiB)
MAME ID	esb

This page is a stub for arcade games that are part of the Lost In Translation series using information based on MAME (version 0.113u2).
For an example of preferred content and layout please refer to Out Run or The Ninja Warriors.

About The Game

The Empire Strikes Back is an arcade video game based on the film of the same name.

You command Luke Skywalker's snowspeeder vehicle and Han Solo's Millennium Falcon spacecraft with Atari's flight control. Your main goal is to reach the safety of the huge asteroid field. To do this, you must reach the rebel base on Hoth and escape to the skies.

You must survive four levels of play to reach the huge asteroid. The first level of play will engage you in a battle on the surface of Hoth. Darth Vader has released thousands of probots in search of the rebel hideout. Your goal, as Luke Skywalker on a snowspeeder, is to stop the probots from sending pictures of the rebels' power generator to Darth Vader.

The second level of play continues with Luke Skywalker on his snowspeeder engaging in a spectacular battle against two types of imperial walkers. AT-ST walker are small but very mobile. AT-AT walkers are huge and difficult to destroy with blasters. A limited number of tow cables can be fired at AT-AT legs by using the thumb buttons. The walkers are advancing toward the rebels' power generator, so the race is on to reach the rebel base.

The third level of play engages Han Solo in his Millennium Falcon against a swarm of TIE fighters. This level features a new and exciting war in the stars. If you can survive the TIE fighter attack, you will slip into the asteroid belt flurry of level four.

Level four features Han Solo in his Millennium Falcon amidst a turbulent asteroid field. Asteroids must be avoided to reach the safety of the huge asteroid. However, TIE fighters continue to attack. C-3P0 will alert you that you have reached the safe hiding spot of the huge asteroid. Upon reaching the huge asteroid, Darth Vader will appear and express his feelings towards you for having eluded him. The empire increases its forces as the player again tries to defend Hoth from Darth Vader and the empire.

In all levels of play you must avoid colliding with objects and enemy shots, or your number of deflector shields will decrease. Also, in all levels of play you can earn bonus points for exploding a certain number of targets. A Jedi letter will be awarded in addition to the bonus points. Once all the letters that spell out Jedi have been awarded, you will have attained true Jedi Force, which makes you invincible against all dark side forces for a limited amount of time.

Additional Technical Information

This title was sold only as a conversion kit for the original "Star Wars". Separate kits were available for both the upright and the cockpit versions. The game itself is displayed on an Amplifone colour vector open frame monitor. The cabinet itself is designed to have a Darth Vader-esque feel. Its colour scheme is very dark and is covered with lines resembling the surface of an Imperial Star Destroyer. The side-art features a picture that includes Darth Vader, the Death Star, several TIE fighters and an X-Wing. Most machines will have a sticker placed somewhere on the side labeling them as "The Empire Strikes Back". The marquee shows a painted scene of a battle on Hoth that includes several AT-AT walkers and advertises that the game is 'New'.

Trivia

Releases in March 1985.

'AT-AT' stands for 'All Terrain Armored Transport'.

Despite being based on the second movie of the series, this game was actually the third game of the series, with "Return of the Jedi" being released a year earlier.

Attract Mode

IT IS A DARK TIME FOR THE REBELS. THE EMPIRE HAS LAUNCHED THOUSANDS OF PROBOTS IN SEARCH OF THE REBEL HIDEOUT. THE EMPIRE FEARS THE STRENGTH OF THE FORCE WITHIN ONE REBEL. ...LUKE SYWALKER...

FLIGHT INSTRUCTIONS

YOU BEGIN WITH ENOUGH 'FORCE' TO PROTECT YOU FOR 4 COLLISIONS.
'FORCE' STRENGTH IS LOST WHEN YOU COLLIDE WITH ENEMY SHOTS, WALKERS AND ASTEROIDS.
AIM YOUR LASERS WITH CURSOR TO EXPLODE PROBOTS, TRANSMISSIONS, WALKERS, TIE FIGHTERS AND SHOTS.
AVOID COLLISION WITH ASTEROIDS BY FLYING AROUND THEM.

Default High Score Table (Rebel Force Roster) :

OBI 285,353
WAN 170,936
HAN 154,650
MLH 140,212
GJR 127,645
NLA 113,710
ROB 100,175
DAR 88,614
JED 75,800
DES 62,436

David Palmer holds the official record for this game with 1,345,049 points.

Scoring

Target	Points	Info.
Probot	25	10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter
Fireball	3
Transmission	5
AT-ST	50	10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter
AT-AT	75	10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter
Flying bonus		Progressive 5,000 points
Star shot	7
TIE Fighter	100	10 X scoring after earning JEDI letter
Wave completed	2,500
JEDI letter	5,000
JEDI bonus	20,000
Starting on wave 2 (medium)	100,000
Starting on wave 3 (hard)	250,000

Series

Star Wars [Cockpit model] (1983)
Star Wars [Upright model] (1983)
Return of the Jedi (1984)
The Empire Strikes Back (1985)

Staff

Product Manager: Mike Hally
Programmed By: Greg Rivera; Norm Avellar
Technician: Rob Rowe
Special Thanks To: Brad Fuller; Jed Margolin; Dave Ralston; Doug Snyder; Earl Vickers

Cabinet and Artwork

The Empire Strikes Back cabinet.
The Empire Strikes Back flyer.

Ports

Computers: Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1988); Commodore C64 (1988); Amstrad CPC (1988); Atari ST (1988); Commodore Amiga ("Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back", 1988, "DoMark)

Sound Comparison

Platform	Song Titles								Sound Source
Arcade	"Game Start"	"Probots BGM"	"Imperial Walkers BGM"	"Tie Fighters BGM"	"Asteroid Field BGM"	" Jedi Power BGM	"Game Over (No High Score)"	"Game Over (High Score List)"	M1 v0.7.8a6

External Links

Sinclair ZX Spectrum version of Empire Strikes Back, The at the World of Spectrum

The contents of this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
The sources used include MAME (version 0.113u2) and history.dat (revision 1.28 - 2008-10-18).
Please see http://www.arcade-history.com for credits.