Tempest 2000 is probably my absolute favorite game.
It's the reason I got a Jaguar, and when one of my friends
saw the game for the first time, he said that it didn't
look like a real game, it looked like what a person in
a movie would play.
The original Tempest in the arcades was a really
neat game of frantically shooting enemies on the web and
getting to the next level. Strangely, a home port was
never released. So when 2000 came out, it seemed new and
fresh.
Featuring pumping techno music (some of the best music
ever to be released on a cart) and psychedelic visuals
it almost feels like a different experience. In addition
to the frantic play, the goal is to be able to see "through"
the eye candy to be able to concentrate on the game.
The bonus levels in T2k deserve special mention.
Featuring minimalist music, the levels have a very different
tempo and require slow decisive play. Contrasted to the
fast reactive play of the main game, this varies the experience
for the player and adds challenge.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.