Xari Arena 6/24/83

  

 

This is an early, but fully playable version of Xari Arena with some very interesting differences.  You can see how John was playing around with the game mechanics and trying some new ideas.  After playing both versions I can see why the game was changed around, as this version is very difficult.  This particular prototype is signed by programmer John Seghers himself.

 

Prototype Differences
Your paddle is very thin and can be flexed inward and out by pushing left and right.  The idea was that you could reflect shots at different angels, but it doesn't work very well.
You cannot collect fireballs, you can only reflect them back at the Xari's.
The Xari's are all in the center of the screen at the start of the level.  In the later version they come out a few at a time from a well in the center of the screen (which is not present in this version).
There are no fire extinguishers.
Your paddle moves much faster which makes it hard to line it up with the shots. 
The fireballs are different looking, they are shaped like asterisks *.
There are no intermissions between levels

 

Whoa!  What happened to my paddles?

 

It's Pong!

 

Concave...

 

Convex...

 

Somewhere in-between...

 

That's alot of Xaris!

 

 

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