Lost Tomb
Commodore 64 port
Developer(s)Stern Electronics
Publisher(s)Stern Electronics
Datasoft (ports)
Programmer(s)Arcade
Dan Lee[1]
Apple II
Larry Lewis
Atari 8-bit
Bruce Adelstein[2]
Commodore 64
Mark Brodie
Troy Lyndon
Robert Bobbio[3]
IBM PC
Larry Lewis
Platform(s)Arcade, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, IBM PC
Release1982: Arcade
1984: Atari, Apple, C64
1985: IBM PC
Genre(s)Multidirectional shooter
Mode(s)1-2 players alternating turns
Arcade systemKonami Scramble[4]

Lost Tomb is an overhead-view twin-stick shooter written by Dan Lee and released as an arcade video game by Stern Electronics in 1982. Armed with a gun and whip, the player uses dual joysticks to explore the chambers of a South American pyramid looking for treasure and fighting mummies, spiders, and scorpions.[5] The game was Stern's first arcade conversion kit[6] and was intended for use with earlier machines from the company.[7]

In 1984, Datasoft published home ports for the Apple II, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 64, and a self-booting disk for IBM PC compatibles.

Gameplay

The object of the game is to move through the rooms of the tomb, from the top of the pyramid to the base, collecting treasure and looking for the exit. Scorpions, mummies, and spiders attack the player and can be shot. Each room has a time limit.

One joystick moves the explorer and the other fires the gun in a twin-stick shooter control mechanism. A button swings the whip, which destroys nearby enemies and walls. Both bullets and whips are limited. Chests contain keys and additional bullets and whips.[2]

After exiting a room, a map showing the levels of the pyramid and connecting stairways is shown. Some rooms lead to a hallway, viewed from the side, where the player must run for the entrance of the next room while being attacked by bats.

Reception

In 1983, Video Games magazine called Lost Tomb, "the best Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired game so far to hit the scene." The reviewer also commented, "the graphics are a bit murky" and "the play is overly complex for most novice arcade enthusiasts."[6]

References

  1. ↑ Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  2. 1 2 "Lost Tomb Atari home computer manual". archive.org. Datasoft. 1984.
  3. ↑ Lost Tomb at Lemon 64
  4. ↑ "Konami Scramble Hardware". System 16.
  5. ↑ "Lost Tomb". Arcade History.
  6. 1 2 "Stern's Lost Tomb". Video Games. Vol. 1, no. 8. May 1983. p. 66.
  7. ↑ "Lost Tomb". Flyer Fever.
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