Summary

• Release Year: 1984
• Genres: Arcade, Shooter
• Platforms: Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore C64/128/MAX, DOS
• Publishers: Funsoft

Flak (1984)

Flak is a vertical scrolling shoot-em-up arcade game developed and released by Atari, Inc. in 1984. The player controls an AGX Hypersonic Fighter and must bomb flak batteries and other defenses to reach a fortress containing a rogue CPU called Computer Control, which is trying to take over the universe.

The game is played from a top-down perspective, and the screen scrolls constantly. The player controls their ship with a joystick, and must use a sight in front of them to bomb various buildings and defenses. These defenses include flak batteries, anti-aircraft guns, and missiles. The player’s ship can be destroyed by enemy fire, and they lose one of four lives each time this happens. The game can be played by one or two players, each taking it in turn when the other player loses a life.

Flak was a critical and commercial success, and was praised for its challenging gameplay, addictive action, and impressive graphics. It was one of the first arcade games to use a trackball for player input, and its use of 3D graphics was groundbreaking for the time.

Gameplay

The player controls an AGX Hypersonic Fighter and must bomb flak batteries and other defenses to reach a fortress containing a rogue CPU called Computer Control. The game is played from a top-down perspective, and the screen scrolls constantly. The player controls their ship with a joystick, and must use a sight in front of them to bomb various buildings and defenses.

The player’s ship is equipped with a variety of weapons, including bombs, missiles, and lasers. The player can also collect power-ups that give them additional weapons and abilities, such as the ability to fire homing missiles or to create a shield around their ship.

The game is divided into several levels, each with its own unique set of challenges. The player must defeat all of the enemies in each level in order to progress to the next one. The game becomes increasingly difficult as the player progresses, and the later levels are filled with challenging enemies and obstacles.

Development

Flak was developed by Atari’s Advanced Research and Development (ARD) division, which was responsible for some of Atari’s most innovative and groundbreaking games, such as Star Wars and Missile Command. The game was designed by Dave Theurer, who was also the lead designer on Star Wars.

Theurer wanted to create a game that was both challenging and addictive, and he drew inspiration from classic arcade games such as Space Invaders and Galaga. He also wanted to create a game that took advantage of the Atari System 1 hardware, which was capable of producing impressive 3D graphics.

Theurer and his team spent over a year developing Flak, and the game was finally released in 1984. The game was a critical and commercial success, and it is still considered to be one of the best arcade games of all time.

Legacy

Flak was a major influence on the development of the shoot-em-up genre, and it helped to popularize the use of 3D graphics in arcade games. The game’s challenging gameplay and addictive action have made it a favorite of gamers for over 30 years.

Flak has been ported to a variety of home computers and consoles, and it is still available to play today on modern platforms such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game has also been included in several retro game compilations, such as the Atari Flashback series.

Flak is a classic arcade game that is still enjoyed by gamers today. Its challenging gameplay, addictive action, and impressive graphics make it a must-play for fans of the shoot-em-up genre.

Tips for playing Flak

• Use the trackball to control your ship precisely.
• Stay close to the ground to avoid enemy fire.
• Use your bombs to destroy flak batteries and other defenses.
• Collect power-ups to give your ship additional weapons and abilities.
• Don’t be afraid to use your hyperspace ability to get out of tight spots.
• Practice makes perfect! The more you play Flak, the better you will become at it.

Trivia

• Flak was one of the first arcade games to use a trackball for player input.
• The game’s 3D graphics were groundbreaking for the time.
• Flak was developed by Atari’s Advanced Research and Development (ARD) division, which was responsible for some of Atari’s most innovative and groundbreaking games.
• Flak was a critical and commercial success, and it is still considered to be one of the best arcade games of all time.

Review Score

8/10

Art

Cover Art

Screenshots