Buzz Bombers
Encyclopedia
Buzz Bombers is a single-player video game developed by Mattel Electronics
for its Intellivision
video game system and released in 1983. In the game, Mattel's answer to the Atari 2600
version of the arcade hit Centipede
, the player controls a can of bug spray
trying to ward off swarms of bees.
. The standard worker bees will fly left and right above the garden, reversing direction whenever they reach the edge of the screen or a piece of honeycomb. At the edge of the screen, the bee will drop one level closer to the garden. In later levels, killer bees will appear, which move much faster than the regular bees and are unaffected by honeycombs; killer bees turn into pieces of red honeycomb when shot. If a regular bee is trapped between two obstacles, it will form a beehive
, which is worth bonus points at the completion of the level.
Should a bee of either type reach the bottom of the screen, it produces a flower. Flowers will begin to reduce the amount of space available to the spray can, potentially to the point where it is unable to move, destroying the spray can and costing the player one life.
The garden is also inhabited by a friendly hummingbird
. The hummingbird will appear intermittently and will eat the honeycombs on the screen in a random order, giving additional points to the player; red honeycombs are worth more points than standard honeycombs. While invulnerable to the spray can's shots, the hummingbird will flee temporarily if it is hit too many times. The spray can's shots will also destroy honeycombs and beehives, forcing the player to aim carefully to avoid losing bonus points.
Points are scored for each bee (worker or killer) shot, as well as each honeycomb upon which the hummingbird feeds. When a level is completed by destroying a certain number of bees, bonus points are awarded for any beehives on screen.
, a brand of insecticide produced by SC Johnson, in an attempt to get the company to partner on the game's promotion; SC Johnson declined the offer. As the game went into mass production, the information on the box indicated that Buzz Bombers allowed two players to play, an error which forced the incorrect information to be corrected by hand on every game box prior to shipment.
and Nintendo GameCube
. In May 2010, Buzz Bombers was made available on Microsoft's
Game Room
service for its Xbox 360
console and for Games for Windows Live.
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
for its Intellivision
Intellivision
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2600. The word intellivision is a portmanteau of "intelligent television"...
video game system and released in 1983. In the game, Mattel's answer to the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
version of the arcade hit Centipede
Centipede (video game)
Centipede is a vertically-oriented shoot 'em up arcade game produced by Atari, Inc. in 1980. The game was designed by Ed Logg along with Dona Bailey, one of the few female game programmers in the industry at this time. It was also the first arcade coin-operated game to have a significant female...
, the player controls a can of bug spray
Insect repellent
An insect repellent is a substance applied to skin, clothing, or other surfaces which discourages insects from landing or climbing on that surface. There are also insect repellent products available based on sound production, particularly ultrasound...
trying to ward off swarms of bees.
Gameplay
In Buzz Bombers, the player character takes the form of a can of bug spray, protecting a garden of flowers from bees. The player's spray can fires shots of bee repellent that will turn the bee into a piece of honeycombHoneycomb
A honeycomb is a mass of hexagonal waxcells built by honey bees in their nests to contain their larvae and stores of honey and pollen.Beekeepers may remove the entire honeycomb to harvest honey...
. The standard worker bees will fly left and right above the garden, reversing direction whenever they reach the edge of the screen or a piece of honeycomb. At the edge of the screen, the bee will drop one level closer to the garden. In later levels, killer bees will appear, which move much faster than the regular bees and are unaffected by honeycombs; killer bees turn into pieces of red honeycomb when shot. If a regular bee is trapped between two obstacles, it will form a beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
, which is worth bonus points at the completion of the level.
Should a bee of either type reach the bottom of the screen, it produces a flower. Flowers will begin to reduce the amount of space available to the spray can, potentially to the point where it is unable to move, destroying the spray can and costing the player one life.
The garden is also inhabited by a friendly hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
. The hummingbird will appear intermittently and will eat the honeycombs on the screen in a random order, giving additional points to the player; red honeycombs are worth more points than standard honeycombs. While invulnerable to the spray can's shots, the hummingbird will flee temporarily if it is hit too many times. The spray can's shots will also destroy honeycombs and beehives, forcing the player to aim carefully to avoid losing bonus points.
Points are scored for each bee (worker or killer) shot, as well as each honeycomb upon which the hummingbird feeds. When a level is completed by destroying a certain number of bees, bonus points are awarded for any beehives on screen.
Development
During the game's development, a prototype was prepared where the spray can was branded as a can of RaidRaid (insecticide)
Raid is the brand name of a line of insecticides produced by SC Johnson, first launched in 1956.The initial active ingredient was the first synthetic pyrethroid, allethrin...
, a brand of insecticide produced by SC Johnson, in an attempt to get the company to partner on the game's promotion; SC Johnson declined the offer. As the game went into mass production, the information on the box indicated that Buzz Bombers allowed two players to play, an error which forced the incorrect information to be corrected by hand on every game box prior to shipment.
Ports
Buzz Bombers was re-released as part of the Intellivision Lives! collection for computers and other video game consoles, such as the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
. In May 2010, Buzz Bombers was made available on Microsoft's
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Game Room
Game Room
Game Room is a gaming service for the Xbox 360 video game system, Microsoft Windows PCs, and Windows Phone 7. Launched on March 24, 2010, Game Room lets players download classic video games and compete against each other for high scores...
service for its Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
console and for Games for Windows Live.
External links
- Buzz Bombers at GameFAQs