Lost In Translation/Water Ski

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.

Water Ski
Manufacturer	Taito Corporation
Released	1983
Control Method	2-way Joystick 2 Button(s)
Main CPU	Z80 (@ 4.000 MHz) Z80 (@ 3.000 MHz)
Sound CPU	Mono (4x) AY-3-8910A (@ 1.500 MHz) DAC
Video Details	Raster (Vertical) 256 x 224 pixels 60.00 Hz 64 Palette colours
Screens	1
ROM Info	15 ROMs 57,600 bytes (56.25 KiB)
MAME ID	waterski

About The Game

Water Ski is vertically scrolling arcade video game which has the player controlling a water-skier who is being pulled along behind a power-boat. The objective is to complete the course in as fast a time as possible to reach the next course, while avoiding rocks, sharks, motor boats, wind surfers and numerous other obstacles.

The player can move their skier left or right, and can press buttons to either slow the boat's speed or to jump over obstacles. Small rocks are the most common obstacle and can either be avoided or jumped over. As well as the small rocks that litter each course, there are also occasional large rocks; these cannot be jumped and must be avoided at all costs. Also, players must be watchful of the direction their tow-boat takes them otherwise they risk being dragged into oncoming obstacles or having their tow-rope snapped on one of the large rocks.

As well as obstacles, each stage also contains one or more large jump ramps. To make a successful jump, players must ensure they hit the bottom of the ramp with their ski-board facing directly forwards. At the top of the ramp players must press the JUMP button, which will propel them from the end of the ramp to make a perfect landing in the water below. Making a successful ramp jump awards the player with bonus points, but if a player fails to hit the bottom of the ramp properly, they will crash and lose valuable seconds.

Trivia

Water Ski came in the standard 'Taito Classic' cabinet (the same one that was used for titles such as "Qix", "Zoo Keeper", and "Jungle King"). It was usually a brown cabinet with painted side-art (stripes and a 'Taito' logo). This was not a very popular game, and real cabinets are almost impossible to find.

Ports

Consoles

Atari 7800 (1988)

Computers

Atari ST

Soundtrack Releases

Album Name	Catalogue No.	Released	Publisher	Comments
Club Sega 2 ~Beat Grooves~	MJCA-00040	1999-01-20	Marvelous Entertainment	CD version.
Motor Raid / Water Ski	MJCA-00010	1997-12-17	Marvelous Entertainment	CD version.

References

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.