Summary
- Release Year: 1982
- Genres: Arcade, Shooter
- Platforms: Vectrex
- Developers: GCE, Milton Bradley
- Publishers: GCE, Milton Bradley
Bedlam: A Tempest in Reverse
Released in 1982, Bedlam is an arcade space shooter that was developed and published by Atari, Inc. The game is notable for its unique gameplay, which is essentially a “Tempest in reverse.” In Tempest, players control a blaster that can move around the outermost lanes of a bunch of geometrically-shaped levels and fire at ships that emerge from the middle or innermost areas of those levels. Bedlam, however, has players controlling ships that sit in the middle of sectors while ships emerge from points of those sectors and came inwards towards the player.
Players control their ships with a joystick and two buttons: one to fire and one to rotate the ship. The ship can be rotated left or right, and can also be spun around quickly with the Fast Rotate button. Players can also fire a Zap, which is a powerful shot that destroys everything onscreen. However, Zaps can only be used once per sector.
There are a total of 16 sectors in Bedlam, each with its own unique layout and set of enemies. The enemies in Bedlam come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and each type of enemy has its own unique behavior. Some enemies will fly directly at the player’s ship, while others will circle around or move in unpredictable patterns.
The goal of Bedlam is to survive as long as possible and score as many points as possible. Players score points by destroying enemies and completing sectors. The game ends when the player loses all of their ships.
Bedlam was a critical and commercial success upon its release. Critics praised the game’s unique gameplay, challenging difficulty, and impressive graphics. Bedlam was also a popular arcade game, and it was one of the top-grossing arcade games of 1982.
Gameplay
Bedlam is a fast-paced and challenging space shooter. The player’s ship is constantly under attack from enemies, and the player must use all of their skills to survive. The game’s controls are simple to learn, but difficult to master. The player must be able to quickly rotate their ship and fire accurately in order to defeat the enemy ships.
One of the most unique aspects of Bedlam is the Zap. The Zap is a powerful shot that can destroy everything onscreen. However, Zaps can only be used once per sector. This forces the player to use their Zaps wisely.
Enemies
There are a variety of different enemies in Bedlam, each with its own unique behavior. Some of the most common enemies include:
- Grunts: These are the most basic enemy in Bedlam. They fly directly at the player’s ship and fire a single shot.
- Bombers: Bombers are larger and more powerful than Grunts. They fly in a straight line and drop bombs that explode on impact.
- Fighters: Fighters are fast and agile enemies that can fire a spread of shots.
- Kamikazes: Kamikazes are small, fast-moving enemies that explode on contact with the player’s ship.
- Motherships: Motherships are large, powerful enemies that spawn smaller enemies.
Sectors
There are a total of 16 sectors in Bedlam, each with its own unique layout and set of enemies. Some of the most common sectors include:
- The Grid: The Grid is a simple sector with a grid-like layout.
- The Maze: The Maze is a more complex sector with a maze-like layout.
- The Tunnel: The Tunnel is a long, narrow sector with a tunnel-like layout.
- The Factory: The Factory is a large sector with a factory-like layout.
- The Death Star: The Death Star is a large, circular sector that resembles the Death Star from the Star Wars movies.
Legacy
Bedlam was a critical and commercial success upon its release. Critics praised the game’s unique gameplay, challenging difficulty, and impressive graphics. Bedlam was also a popular arcade game, and it was one of the top-grossing arcade games of 1982.
Bedlam has been ported to a number of different platforms over the years, including the Atari 2600, the Commodore 64, and the Nintendo Entertainment System. The game has also been included in a number of retro game compilations.
Bedlam is still enjoyed by gamers today for its unique gameplay and challenging difficulty. The game is a classic example of the golden age of arcade games.
Conclusion
Bedlam is a classic arcade space shooter that is still a blast to play today. With its unique gameplay, challenging difficulty, and impressive graphics, Bedlam
Review Score
8/10