Electrocop

Electrocop is a 1989 action video game developed by Epyx and published by Atari Corporation in North America and Europe for the Atari Lynx. It was released in Japan on November 25 of the same year, where it was distributed by Mumin Corporation.[1][2] One of the first games written for the platform, it was among the launch titles that were released along with the system in North America.

Set on a futuristic interpretation of Washington, D.C. in the year 2069, players assume the role of the titular robot created by MegaCorp who must infiltrate the Steel Complex fortress and attempt to rescue the President of the United States' first daughter under a time limit from the Criminal Brain. Conceived by Greg Omi, who developed the Lynx hardware alongside Chip's Challenge creator Chuck Sommerville,[3] Electrocop began its development prior to the existence of any functional Lynx hardware.

Electrocop received mixed reception from critics, who unanimously praised the pseudo-3D visuals and sound department, but some criticized the repetitive nature of the gameplay and convoluted graphics. A version of the game was developed and completed by ICC for the

Development and release

Electrocop was conceived by Greg Omi when he worked at Epyx as games developer and programmer alongside Chuck Sommerville. In an online interview with website The Atari Times, Omi recounted the development process of the game, saying work on the project began before any functional Lynx hardware existed. The team were working on an emulator of the console on the Amiga microcomputer at a slow frame rate, in addition of also using a video camera to scan the image in order to test how the graphics would look once the hardware was finalized. However, an early revision of the Lynx capable of displaying raster graphics was made later during development.[3][7] Omi also stated that he initially lacked knowledge of 3D computer graphics and matrices, as he needed a graphical perspective for his project and consulted Blue Lightning programmer Stephen Landrum in how to write it, since the system could not perform sprite rotation.[3]

A long-running rumor was that Electrocop originally started as a 3D sequel to Dennis Caswell's Impossible Mission. However, when asked about this rumor, Omi said "it's funny, but I can't remember if it was supposed to be a sequel to Impossible Mission or not. I remember writing a story and basic game design and pitching it to RJ [Mical], but I don't remember if they were asking for a sequel."[8] Despite being a fan of Impossible Mission and knowing Caswell personally, Omi could not recall if he was still a member of Epyx.[8] Atari composer Alex Rudis was also involved during the production of the project and created the music for it.[9] The introductory sequence was created by Sommerville, who developed an animation engine that would be re-used on other titles for the hardware such as Blue Lightning and Todd's Adventures in Slime World, in addition of the minigame sequences.[3][10]

Electrocop was one of the launch titles for the Lynx in 1989, along with Blue Lightning, California Games, and Gates of Zendocon. It was also released in Europe around that time period and later in Japan on December 23 of the same year, where it was distributed by Mumin Corporation instead. The difference between the international and Japanese releases was that the latter came bundled with an instruction manual in Japanese.[1][2][11] The game was first showcased to the public during the International Summer Consumer Electronics Show 1989 along with the system, though early previews showed the title under the earlier name Net Runner.[11][12]

Atari 7800 version

A version of Electrocop was in development by ICC for Atari Corporation on the Atari 7800, focusing on action and platforming instead of the third-person shooter gameplay style from the original Lynx version and was also showcased during an exhibition at the Consumer Electronics Show in a complete state.[4][13] The 7800 version is notable for being one of the first titles where director and writer Amy Hennig was involved, creating the artwork using Atari ST and Macintosh computers as a freelancer.[14][15][16][17]

title	Electrocop
developer	Epyx
publisher	NA/EU: Atari Corporation JP: Mumin Corporation
producer	Greg Omi
designer	Chuck Sommerville Charlie Kellner RJ Mical Tom Schumacher
artist	Arthur Koch Karen Mangum Matthew Crysdale
composer	Alex Rudis Robert Vieira
platforms	Atari Lynx
released	NA: 1989 EU: 1989 JP: 25 November 1989
genre	Action, third-person shooter
modes	Single-player

Gameplay

Development and release

Atari 7800 version

Reception

Legacy

External links

References