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{{short description|1982 video game}}
{{unreferenced|date=December 2007}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Cosmic Ark
| image = File:Cosmic Ark (Cover).jpg
| developer = ]
| publisher = Imagic
| designer = ]<ref name="dp"/>
| released = 1982
| genre = ]
| modes = ], ]
| platforms = ]
}}


'''''Cosmic Ark''''' is an ] ] developed and published by ] as the sequel to '']''. The objective is to gather specimens from different planets aboard a cosmic ark, which contains the survivors from the city of ]. '''''Cosmic Ark''''' is an ] game designed by ] and published by ] in 1982.<ref name=giantlist/> The objective is to gather specimens from different planets in a spaceship which contains the survivors from the city of ]. There are two versions of the cartridge. One allows the player to toggle the starfield display with the Black & White / Color TV switch. In the other the starfield cannot be disabled.<ref name=aa/>


==Gameplay== ==Gameplay==
]
⚫ In the first stage, the player must fend off meteor showers from all four sides of the screen by pushing the joystick to fire in the desired direction. The second stage requires the player to pilot a shuttle to a planet and use its tractor beam to pick up life forms. While near the planet's surface, planetary defenses will fire at the shuttle. If hit, one previously captured specimen will be freed, forcing the player to retrieve another. After a set period of time, a klaxon will warn of renewed meteor activity, and the player must return immediately to defend the ark.
]


⚫ In the first stage, the player must fend off meteor showers from all four sides of the screen by pushing the joystick to fire in the desired direction, similar to the 1980 arcade game '']''. The second stage requires the player to pilot a shuttle to a planet and use its tractor beam to pick up life forms. While near the planet's surface, planetary defenses will fire at the shuttle. If hit, one previously captured specimen will be freed, forcing the player to retrieve another. After a set period of time, a klaxon will warn of renewed meteor activity, and the player must return immediately to defend the ark.<ref name=manual/>
⚫ ''Cosmic Ark'' does not provide a set number of lives. Instead, the player's ark starts with 40 fuel units, which are lost with each meteor strike or shot fired, and gained by destroying a meteor or capturing a life form. Capturing both life forms from a planet before the warning klaxon will top off fuel reserves. If the ark run out of energy, the next hit it takes will end the game.


⚫ ''Cosmic Ark'' does not provide a set number of lives. Instead, the player's ark starts with 40 fuel units, which are lost with each meteor strike or shot fired, and gained by destroying a meteor or capturing a life form. Capturing both life forms from a planet before the warning klaxon will top off fuel reserves. If the ark runs out of energy, the next hit it takes will end the game.<ref name=manual/>
==Versions==

There are two versions of ''Cosmic Ark''.{{cn|date=December 2007}} One allows the player to toggle starfield display by changing the Atari 2600's "TV Type" switch. The other version features a starfield display that cannot be disabled.
Like its predecessor, ''Atlantis'', ''Cosmic Ark'' ends with the destruction of the Ark but the smaller shuttle ship escaping. This plot thread was not continued in other Imagic games.<ref name=dp/>

==Development==
According to Fulop, the game was created entirely as a feat of technical one-upmanship: to show off the impressive background starfield effect to Activision programmers ] and ].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Fulop|first1=Rob|title=Making Crane Cry — The Origin of Cosmic Ark|url=http://robfulop.com/blog/2008/04/14/making-david-crane-cry-the-origin-of-cosmic-ark|date=April 14, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091227184554/http://robfulop.com/blog/2008/04/14/making-david-crane-cry-the-origin-of-cosmic-ark/|archivedate=December 27, 2009|accessdate=January 4, 2020}}</ref> The starfield effect uses a bug in the Atari 2600 hardware.<ref name=dp/>

==Reception==
Richard A. Edwards reviewed ''Cosmic Ark'' in '']'' No. 59.<ref name="SG">{{cite journal|last= Edwards |first= Richard A. |date=January 1983 |title=Capsule Reviews|journal=]|publisher=]|issue=59|pages=44}}</ref> Although he called it fun at first, he noted that the game becomes more challenging in later stages.<ref name="SG"/>

==Reviews==
* ''TeleMatch'' (January 1983)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.kultpower.de/archiv/heft_telematch_1983-02_seite19 | title=Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Telematch 2/1983}}</ref>
* '']'' (February 1983)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Fun_with_Computer_Games_Vol_01_No_04_1983-02_Fun_Games_Publishing_US/page/n57/mode/2up | title=Electronic Fun with Computer & Games - Vol 01 No 04 (1983-02) (Fun & Games Publishing) (US) | date=February 1983}}</ref>
* '']'' (March 1983)<ref>{{Cite web |date=1983-03-04 |title=Tubes Casettes |url=https://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Tilt/tilt_numero004/Tilt%20004%20-%20Page%20025%20(1983-03-04).jpg |website=abandonware.org |publisher=] |language=fr}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="giantlist">{{cite web|last1=Hague|first1=James|title=The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers|url=https://dadgum.com/giantlist/}}</ref>
<ref name="aa">{{cite web|title=Cosmic Ark|url=https://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=104|website=AtariAge|access-date=2017-11-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613132951/http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=104|archive-date=2017-06-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="manual">{{cite web|title=Cosmic Ark Manual|url=https://archive.org/details/Cosmic_Ark_1982_Imagic|website=archive.org|year=1982 |publisher=Imagic}}</ref>
<ref name="dp">{{cite web|url=http://www.digitpress.com/library/interviews/interview_rob_fulop.html|title=DP Interviews Rob Fulop|last1=Stilphen|first1=Scott|website=Digital Press}}</ref>
}}

==External links==
* at Atari Mania


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Latest revision as of 14:58, 27 May 2024

1982 video game 1982 video game
Cosmic Ark
Developer(s)Imagic
Publisher(s)Imagic
Designer(s)Rob Fulop
Platform(s)Atari 2600
Release1982
Genre(s)Action
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Cosmic Ark is an Atari 2600 game designed by Rob Fulop and published by Imagic in 1982. The objective is to gather specimens from different planets in a spaceship which contains the survivors from the city of Atlantis. There are two versions of the cartridge. One allows the player to toggle the starfield display with the Black & White / Color TV switch. In the other the starfield cannot be disabled.

Gameplay

First stage, showing the mothership fending off meteors
Second stage, showing a shuttle beaming up an alien

In the first stage, the player must fend off meteor showers from all four sides of the screen by pushing the joystick to fire in the desired direction, similar to the 1980 arcade game Space Zap. The second stage requires the player to pilot a shuttle to a planet and use its tractor beam to pick up life forms. While near the planet's surface, planetary defenses will fire at the shuttle. If hit, one previously captured specimen will be freed, forcing the player to retrieve another. After a set period of time, a klaxon will warn of renewed meteor activity, and the player must return immediately to defend the ark.

Cosmic Ark does not provide a set number of lives. Instead, the player's ark starts with 40 fuel units, which are lost with each meteor strike or shot fired, and gained by destroying a meteor or capturing a life form. Capturing both life forms from a planet before the warning klaxon will top off fuel reserves. If the ark runs out of energy, the next hit it takes will end the game.

Like its predecessor, Atlantis, Cosmic Ark ends with the destruction of the Ark but the smaller shuttle ship escaping. This plot thread was not continued in other Imagic games.

Development

According to Fulop, the game was created entirely as a feat of technical one-upmanship: to show off the impressive background starfield effect to Activision programmers David Crane and Bob Whitehead. The starfield effect uses a bug in the Atari 2600 hardware.

Reception

Richard A. Edwards reviewed Cosmic Ark in The Space Gamer No. 59. Although he called it fun at first, he noted that the game becomes more challenging in later stages.

Reviews

References

  1. ^ Stilphen, Scott. "DP Interviews Rob Fulop". Digital Press.
  2. Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  3. "Cosmic Ark". AtariAge. Archived from the original on 2017-06-13. Retrieved 2017-11-08.
  4. ^ "Cosmic Ark Manual". archive.org. Imagic. 1982.
  5. Fulop, Rob (April 14, 2008). "Making Crane Cry — The Origin of Cosmic Ark". Archived from the original on December 27, 2009. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Edwards, Richard A. (January 1983). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer (59). Steve Jackson Games: 44.
  7. "Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Telematch 2/1983".
  8. "Electronic Fun with Computer & Games - Vol 01 No 04 (1983-02) (Fun & Games Publishing) (US)". February 1983.
  9. "Tubes Casettes". abandonware.org (in French). Tilt. 1983-03-04.

External links

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