GRAVITAR

HIDDEN MESSAGE: On the high-score table, the initials for scores 2-10 are for the following people: MEC (Mark Cerny), RDA (Rich Adam), MLH (Mike Hally), JOE (Joe Coddington), ORR (Owen R. Rubin), and BRD (Brad Chaboya). (picture #1)

The original name was Lunar Battle; a prototype pcb exists labeled as such, as does a wiring harness (picture #2).

Depending on the highest score, one of eight list names appears above the table of initials: FLUNKY (0- 20,000), GUNNER (20,001- 40,000), CO-PILOT (40,001- 80,000), PILOT (80,001-100,000), ACE PILOT (100,001-200,000), KILLER PILOT (200,001-400,000), PONTIUS PILATE (400,001-800,000), GOTTA-BE-LUCKY (above 800,000).

Using the tractor beam creates a shield around your ship when flying between planets. It also acts like a shield when you’re on the planet!

The maximum fuel units you can have is 25,000.

The initials of the some of the programming team are on the high score table (at power-up):

ACE
SDM - ?
MEC - Mark Cerny
RDA - Rich Adam (programmer)
MLH - Mike Hally (designer)
JOE - Joe Coddington (tech and hardware designer)
ORR - Owen Rubin
BRD - Brad Chaboyta (graphics artist)

BUG: If your reserve ships reach 128, the game will reset.  {Rich Adam}

BUG: It’s possible to touch and actually hover inside a bunker without being destroyed.  According to programmer Mike Hally, there wasn’t enough processing time to check for collision detection between the two (LINK).

BUG: It’s possible to shoot (and even fly) through areas where 2 connecting lines meet. The game has some difficulty with certain adjoining angles and the collision detection with the ship and its shots. By exploiting this, you can actually get inside a planet, and destroy enemy objects and capture fuel from within (see picture #3 and video). Doing this trick on negative gravity planets may be impossible.

 

 

 

 


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