Survivors (video game)
Encyclopedia
Survivors is a game for home computers published by Atlantis Software
originally in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum
. It was ported to the MSX
, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 16
/Commodore Plus/4
, Commodore 64
, Acorn Electron
and BBC Micro
(all in 1987) and the Amstrad CPC
(1988). It is a puzzle game set underground based on the 'rocks and diamonds' mechanics of Boulder Dash
.
) but cannot be accessed by humans because of fallen earth
and boulders. The player must control three droids to gain access to, and teleport
out, the survivors. The dome is also populated by guardian droids that had been left to maintain life support functions but have been damaged by the nuclear fallout
and become hostile. The survivors must all be evacuated before the time limit runs out and the radiation becomes too strong.
The game uses the 'rocks and diamonds' mechanics as popularised in the game Boulder Dash whereby the player can dig through earth and push boulders but where boulders will fall from above if area below them is cleared. With the emphasis more on the puzzle element, Survivors is closer to Repton. The main twist with this game is that each droid can only perform one of the functions usually carried out by the player in similar games. The player must switch between droids depending on what they need to do. Droid 1 can tunnel through earth, Droid 2 can teleport survivors (this game's equivalent of collecting diamonds) and Droid 3 can push boulders. This means if one droid becomes trapped, the game cannot be completed.
The droids lose energy if a boulder falls on top of them or if they touch one of the faulty guardian droids. The guardain droids can be destroyed by dropping boulders on them or trapped behind boulders. If any of the player's droids are destroyed, the game cannot be completed.
awarded an overall score of 70%, Your Sinclair
gave it 6/10 and C&VG only gave marks between 4/10 and 5/10 (without awarding an overall score).
The game was then ported to a number of other formats where it received generally more positive reviews. Zzap!64
gave the C64 version a score of 79% concluding the game is "...taxing both mentally and dexterously and Boulderdash fans suffering from withdrawal symptoms should enjoy Survivors quite a lot". Electron User
was even more complimentary commenting it "...could well knock Repton off it's perch" and awarding it the 'Golden Game' title with an overall score of 9/10 (including 10/10 for both playability and value for money).
Atlantis Software
Atlantis Software was a London-based UK computer games publisher that published a number of games during the 1980s and early 1990s.The company was set up by Michael Cole and Rodger Coghill in January 1984 with the first four games released in May of that year...
originally in 1986 for the ZX Spectrum
ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum is an 8-bit personal home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd...
. It was ported to the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
, Atari 8-bit family, Commodore 16
Commodore 16
The Commodore 16 was a home computer made by Commodore with a 6502-compatible 8501 CPU, released in 1984. It was intended to be an entry-level computer to replace the VIC-20 and it often sold for 99 USD...
/Commodore Plus/4
Commodore Plus/4
The Commodore Plus/4 was a home computer released by Commodore International in 1984. The "Plus/4" name refers to the four-application ROM resident office suite ; it was billed as "the productivity computer with software built-in"...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, Acorn Electron
Acorn Electron
The Acorn Electron is a budget version of the BBC Micro educational/home computer made by Acorn Computers Ltd. It has 32 kilobytes of RAM, and its ROM includes BBC BASIC along with its operating system....
and BBC Micro
BBC Micro
The BBC Microcomputer System, or BBC Micro, was a series of microcomputers and associated peripherals designed and built by Acorn Computers for the BBC Computer Literacy Project, operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation...
(all in 1987) and the Amstrad CPC
Amstrad CPC
The Amstrad CPC is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sinclair ZX Spectrum, where it successfully established itself primarily in the United Kingdom,...
(1988). It is a puzzle game set underground based on the 'rocks and diamonds' mechanics of Boulder Dash
Boulder Dash
Boulder Dash, originally released in 1984 for Atari 8-bit computers, is a series of computer games released for the Apple II, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and ColecoVision home computers, and later ported to the NES, BBC Micro and Acorn Electron, PC, Amstrad CPC, Amiga and many other platforms...
.
Gameplay
The game is set in 2087 in a 'hibernation dome' which has been damaged in a nuclear war. It holds 1000 survivors (who are in stasisStasis (fiction)
Stasis , or hypersleep, is a science fiction concept akin to suspended animation. Whereas suspended animation usually refers to a greatly reduced state of life processes, stasis implies a complete cessation of these processes, which can be easily restarted or restart spontaneously when stasis is...
) but cannot be accessed by humans because of fallen earth
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and boulders. The player must control three droids to gain access to, and teleport
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
out, the survivors. The dome is also populated by guardian droids that had been left to maintain life support functions but have been damaged by the nuclear fallout
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
and become hostile. The survivors must all be evacuated before the time limit runs out and the radiation becomes too strong.
The game uses the 'rocks and diamonds' mechanics as popularised in the game Boulder Dash whereby the player can dig through earth and push boulders but where boulders will fall from above if area below them is cleared. With the emphasis more on the puzzle element, Survivors is closer to Repton. The main twist with this game is that each droid can only perform one of the functions usually carried out by the player in similar games. The player must switch between droids depending on what they need to do. Droid 1 can tunnel through earth, Droid 2 can teleport survivors (this game's equivalent of collecting diamonds) and Droid 3 can push boulders. This means if one droid becomes trapped, the game cannot be completed.
The droids lose energy if a boulder falls on top of them or if they touch one of the faulty guardian droids. The guardain droids can be destroyed by dropping boulders on them or trapped behind boulders. If any of the player's droids are destroyed, the game cannot be completed.
Critical reaction
The game was first released for the ZX Spectrum when it received mixed reviews. Complaints included 'jerky movement' and dull graphics and sound but praise was given for playability and value for money. CrashCRASH (magazine)
Crash was a magazine dedicated to the ZX Spectrum home computer. It was published from 1984 to 1991 by Newsfield Publications Ltd until their liquidation, and then until 1992 by Europress.-Development:...
awarded an overall score of 70%, Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair
Your Sinclair or YS as it was commonly abbreviated, was a British computer magazine for the Sinclair range of computers, mainly the ZX Spectrum.-History:...
gave it 6/10 and C&VG only gave marks between 4/10 and 5/10 (without awarding an overall score).
The game was then ported to a number of other formats where it received generally more positive reviews. Zzap!64
Zzap!64
Zzap!64 was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 . It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact....
gave the C64 version a score of 79% concluding the game is "...taxing both mentally and dexterously and Boulderdash fans suffering from withdrawal symptoms should enjoy Survivors quite a lot". Electron User
Electron User
Electron User was a magazine targeted at owners of the Acorn Electron microcomputer. It was published by Database Publications of Stockport, starting in October 1983 and ending after 82 issues in July 1990....
was even more complimentary commenting it "...could well knock Repton off it's perch" and awarding it the 'Golden Game' title with an overall score of 9/10 (including 10/10 for both playability and value for money).