Lost In Translation/Space Duel

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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.


Space Duel
Space Duel marquee.
No screen shot.
Space Duel control panel.
Manufacturer Atari
Released 1980
Control
Method
2-way Joystick
3 Button(s)
Main CPU M6502 (@ 1.512 MHz)
Sound CPU Mono
(2x) POKEY (@ 1.512 MHz)
Video
Details
Vector (Horizontal)
0 x 0 pixels
45.00 Hz
32,768 Palette colours
Screens 1
ROM Info 8 ROMs
26,880 bytes (26.25 KiB)
MAME ID spacduel

About The Game

Space Duel is an arcade video game.

The Space Duel game is a 1- or 2-player game with a color X-Y video display. This display, with its 3-color guns and higher voltage, has the same technology that was used in previous Atari black-and-white X-Y displays. However, the screen now displays dazzling color and unique visual effects in a spectacular multi-dimensional video display.

Space Duel offers players a choice of 4 different game versions. One player can control a fighter or a space station. Two players, playing at the same time, can control fighters or a space station. The game offers players 12 different targets (7 split when hit), and 18 different waves. At the beginning of each wave, objects enter from the screen edge. The player(s) then tries to shoot and destroy the objects. The wave ends when all the objects are destroyed.

The play mode begins with the first wave. In the space station game, two ships appear near the centre of the screen. The ships are joined together by a 'fuse'. In the fighter game, the red ship appears above the red controls. The green ship appears above the green controls. A sound is heard any time a ship appears on the screen.

A ship may fire as many as four shots on the screen at one time. However, if a ship is damaged, it may fire only one shot on the screen. Also the ship is slower to react. In space stations, a second hit to either ship destroys that ship. Then, the fuse between ships starts to burn, and the other ship explodes.

In the fighter game, players may shoot each other without losing a life. Instead, the ship blinks and disappears. After a period of time, the ship reappears in a different location. If one player loses all of his ships before the other player, his last ship returns to the screen as a damaged ship. It is possible to earn a bonus ship while damaged.

Shields protect a ship from all saucer shots and collisions. Shields wear out with time or if hit by targets. Space stations have more than twice as much shield energy as fighters.

In the first wave, spinners enter and break into two smaller pieces when shot. Each piece splits into two smaller pieces when shot again. Each of these pieces is destroyed when shot. Other targets split apart in the same manner.

At the end of each wave, a bonus wave begins and a low humming sound is heard. BONUS LEVEL, and the number of points for that level, flash on the screen. A box appears at the screen edge and ships cannot leave that boundary. Fuzzballs, stars and saucers enter and attack the player. A fighter, when shot by the other player, either just before or during the bonus wave, will not reappear until the next wave. The bonus wave ends when all targets are destroyed, or the humming sound reaches its highest pitch.

Other targets enter as the game progresses. When the number of targets is less than the wave number, or it no splitting targets have been hit in some time, saucer enters and shoots at targets and ships. The saucer shots become more accurate as play continues. Saucers may also enter as a pair. They shoot at, but do not destroy, each other. Anything caught between them will be shot. Each time the pair goes across the screen, the distance between them increases.

A player's ship may be destroyed by a shot or collision. Game play ends when all ships are destroyed.

Trivia

Released in February 1982.

Space Duel is the first and only multi-player interactive vector game by Atari. When "Asteroids Deluxe" tanked, this game was taken off the shelf and released to moderate success. Approximately 12,040 units were produced.

A Space Duel cabinet appears on the cover of the Who's 1982 album, 'It's Hard'.

In 1982, Atari released a set of 12 collector pins including : "Missile Command", "Battle Zone", "Tempest", "Asteroids Deluxe", "Space Duel", "Centipede", "Gravitar", "Dig Dug", "Kangaroo", "Xevious", "Millipede" and "Food Fight".

Tips and tricks

Invite Your Friend

In 2 player mode, you can shoot your partner and it will regenerate their shield. This comes in very handy!

Series

  1. Asteroids (1979)
  2. Asteroids Deluxe (1981)
  3. Space Duel (1982)
  4. Blasteroids (1987)
  5. Asteroids Hyper 64 (1999, Nintendo 64)

Staff

Designed & Partially Programmed By
Rick Maurer (Richard Maurer)
Project Resumed, Changes Made & Game Finished By
Owen Rubin (ORR)
(JMR)
Steve Calfee (SRC)
Dave Shepperd (DES)

Cabinet and Artwork

Ports

Consoles
Sony PlayStation (2001, "Atari Anniversary Edition Redux")
Sony PlayStation 2 (2004, "Atari Anthology")
Microsoft XBOX (2004, "Atari Anthology")
Computers
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (2003, "Atari - 80 Classic Games in One!")
Others
Atari Flashback 2 (2005)
Nokia N-Gage (2006, "Atari Masterpieces Volume 2")


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.