Robotron: 2084

Name:	Robotron: 2084
Company:	Atari
Model #:	CX-7809
Programmers:	Carlos Smith, David Brown, Kevin Osborn, and Jeff B. (GCC)
Year:	1984
Released?	Yes
Notes:	Port of the 1982 arcade game

Robots and mankind.  When will we ever learn to work together?  Apparently not any time in the near future because on June 5th 2084 robots have taken over the earth and are bent on destroying the last surviving human family!  However they're going to have to get through you first, for you are the only human left who can take them on.  Armed only with your trusty anti-robot laser gun (snicker..), you must save humanity from the endless hordes of Robotrons.

Robotron 2084 has long been a favorite of gamers due to its non-stop action and high difficulty level.  Each wave takes place in a large open arena and starts with your character in the center of a large horde of enemies.  The trick to mastering Robotron is to learn how to successfully blast a hole in the enemy horde and make your way towards one side of the screen before the ring of enemies collapses in on you.  Of course this is much easier said than done as there are whole slew of different enemies that react differently to your actions.

Grunts		These are the standard enemy in Robotron. These mindless grunts will make a beeline towards you no matter where you are. The longer the level lasts the faster Grunts get, so take them out before they gain speed.
Hulks		Also known as Box Droids, Hulks have one purpose in life, to destroy the last human family. These large square robots are indestructible, so your shots only bounce them back slightly. The best way to handle Hulks is to stay out of their way!
Brains		Brains only appear every five waves on what is commonly known as the "Brain Wave". These ugly blue robots shoot out deadly fireballs that will chase you around the screen. Brains also have the power to reprogram humans into Progs.
Progs		Progs basically human projectiles that move around the screen at astounding speeds trying to hit you. Take them down with a well-timed shot.
Spheroids		Spheroids (also known as Cheerio's) are the absolute deadliest enemy in the game. Although not normally deadly themselves (although they are easy to run into), Spheroids move around the screen at high speed trying to get away from your shots. After a few seconds each Spheroid will launch three Enforcer Embryos, which will grow up into Enforcers unless destroyed immediately. Make shooting Spheroids your number one priority at the start of each level.
Enforcers		Enforcers are an odd looking robot with a little yellow hat that jut happens to shoot deadly sparks in alarming numbers. Unless taken down quickly, Enforcers will literally fill the screen with sparks and end your game quickly. Use extreme caution when attacking Enforcers
Quarks		These strange swirly looking robots are similar to Spheroids, but tend to move in a more erratic pattern. Quarks will turn into deadly Tanks unless destroyed quickly. Thankfully each Quark can only make one Tank.
Tanks		Tanks resemble those square red wind-up robots that were popular in the 60's and 70's. However unlike the toy robots, these throw deadly bouncing bombs! Woe to the player who lets more than few tanks survive, as the screen will soon be filled with deadly bouncing bombs making survival near impossible.
Electrodes		These odd shapes appear randomly around the screen and don't move. Electrodes are only deadly if you're stupid enough to run into them, so make sure you shoot them out of your way.

The Atari 7800 version of Robotron is one of the best.  The graphics look fairly close to the arcade and the gameplay is fast and smooth without the stuttering issues that plagued the Atari 5200 port.  While Robotron doesn't add the plethora of 2 player modes that some of the other early 7800 arcade conversions did, it does add a special challenge mode.  In this mode the player has exactly one life to get the highest score possible.  This mode is perfect for competitions and is often played at gaming conventions.

While the Atari 7800 didn't exactly take the US market by storm (it was in third place behind the NES and SMS), it did much better over in Europe.  Interestingly while almost all games were released in PAL format, Robotron is one of the few that was not.  It's unknown why this is as Robotron was one of the better sellers for the system.  Perhaps there was a problem converting it to PAL format?  Thankfully modern coders have converted Robotron to PAL format so now everyone can enjoy one of the best titles on the 7800.

Return to 7800 Software