Salmon Run (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Salmon Run is a 1982
computer game for the Atari 8-bit
series created by Bill Williams
and distributed via the Atari Program Exchange
. Salmon Run was Williams' first game, followed by a string of successes noted for their oddball concepts.
The player takes the role of Sam the Salmon, as he attempts to swim upriver to mate. Along the way he encounters waterfalls, a bear, fishermen and seagulls, all attempting to eat him. If he survives to the spawning grounds, he is met by his mate and given a wet kiss.
racing games like Bump 'n' Jump
. The player's character is movable within a fixed area near the centre of the screen while the scenery scrolls down from the top of the screen, simulating travel towards the top of a large map. As the map scrolls, the player moves primarily side-to-side to avoid obstacles.
Sam is represented on-screen as an animated sprite
. The map consists of a modified character set representing a forest and rocks, while the lack of characters on a portion of a line is used to represent the river. The map is many times the vertical size of the screen, and uses smooth scrolling to reveal it as the player moves. The joystick moves Sam left or right on the screen, while pushing up or down speeds or slows the scrolling.
Hitting the rocks or bank of the river drains Sam's life slightly. Along the way there are a series of rapids which will stop Sam's motion upriver until he jumps them by pressing the fire button. After landing, Sam dips underwater, and can stay there by holding down the button. More dangerous are the bears, fishermen and seagulls that will kill Sam instantly if caught, but can be avoided by careful swimming or hiding underwater. Each player has three lives per round.
On reaching the end of the map, Sam meets and kisses his mate, and the round starts over with a new map and more enemies.
's mail order
catalog, and was not widely reviewed at the time. However, as it is William's first game in a well known career, it remains a retrogaming
favourite and is well reviewed on modern sites. Atari Mania gives it 7 out of 10, and comments on its "perfect" execution.
1982 in video gaming
-Events:* December 27 - Starcade, a video game television game show, debuts on TBS in the United States.-Notable releases:*October 13 - Mystique releases the Custer's Revenge adult video game for the Atari 2600 home console....
computer game for the Atari 8-bit
Atari 8-bit family
The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...
series created by Bill Williams
Bill Williams (game designer)
Bill Williams was a game designer and programmer.-Summary:He was the author of the acclaimed Atari computer games Salmon Run, Necromancer, and Alley Cat, and the Amiga games Mind Walker, Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon, Pioneer Plague, and Knights of the Crystallion...
and distributed via the Atari Program Exchange
Atari Program Exchange
Atari Program Exchange was a division of Atari, Inc. that distributed software for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers through a quarterly mail-order catalog. APX, the brain-child of Dale Yocam, started in February 1981 and guided by Fred Thorlin. APX published quarterly catalogs until 1984,...
. Salmon Run was Williams' first game, followed by a string of successes noted for their oddball concepts.
The player takes the role of Sam the Salmon, as he attempts to swim upriver to mate. Along the way he encounters waterfalls, a bear, fishermen and seagulls, all attempting to eat him. If he survives to the spawning grounds, he is met by his mate and given a wet kiss.
Gameplay
In basic gameplay terms, Salmon Run is very similar to contemporary bird's-eye viewBird's-eye view
A bird's-eye view is an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps.It can be an aerial photograph, but also a drawing...
racing games like Bump 'n' Jump
Bump 'n' Jump
Bump 'n' Jump, known in Japan as , is a 1982 Japanese arcade game created by Data East Corporation for its DECO Cassette System. The game was also published by Bally Midway....
. The player's character is movable within a fixed area near the centre of the screen while the scenery scrolls down from the top of the screen, simulating travel towards the top of a large map. As the map scrolls, the player moves primarily side-to-side to avoid obstacles.
Sam is represented on-screen as an animated sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
. The map consists of a modified character set representing a forest and rocks, while the lack of characters on a portion of a line is used to represent the river. The map is many times the vertical size of the screen, and uses smooth scrolling to reveal it as the player moves. The joystick moves Sam left or right on the screen, while pushing up or down speeds or slows the scrolling.
Hitting the rocks or bank of the river drains Sam's life slightly. Along the way there are a series of rapids which will stop Sam's motion upriver until he jumps them by pressing the fire button. After landing, Sam dips underwater, and can stay there by holding down the button. More dangerous are the bears, fishermen and seagulls that will kill Sam instantly if caught, but can be avoided by careful swimming or hiding underwater. Each player has three lives per round.
On reaching the end of the map, Sam meets and kisses his mate, and the round starts over with a new map and more enemies.
Reception
Salmon Run was released via Atari Program ExchangeAtari Program Exchange
Atari Program Exchange was a division of Atari, Inc. that distributed software for the Atari 8-bit family of home computers through a quarterly mail-order catalog. APX, the brain-child of Dale Yocam, started in February 1981 and guided by Fred Thorlin. APX published quarterly catalogs until 1984,...
's mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
catalog, and was not widely reviewed at the time. However, as it is William's first game in a well known career, it remains a retrogaming
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
favourite and is well reviewed on modern sites. Atari Mania gives it 7 out of 10, and comments on its "perfect" execution.
External links
- Salmon Run, YouTube video of the game on an emulator