Summary

• Release Year: 1981
• Genres: Arcade, Shooter
• Platforms: Apple II, Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, Commodore C64/128/MAX, Commodore VIC-20, Thomson MO5
• Developers: On-Line Systems
• Publishers: France Image Logiciel, On-Line Systems, Tigervision

Threshold (1981)

Threshold is a fixed shooter arcade game developed and released by Bally Midway in 1981. The player controls a spaceship at the bottom of the screen and must shoot down waves of enemy ships that approach from the top of the screen. The game is notable for its simple but addictive gameplay, and for its use of a trackball to control the player’s ship.

Gameplay

Threshold is a typical shoot ’em up in which the player controls a spaceship at the bottom of the screen. The player’s ship can move left and right, and can fire an unlimited number of shots. The player must destroy all of the enemy ships on the screen in order to progress to the next level.

The enemy ships in Threshold come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some enemies fly in straight lines, while others move in more erratic patterns. Some enemies fire shots at the player’s ship, while others simply try to ram it.

The player’s ship has a limited amount of energy. If the player’s ship is hit by an enemy shot or an enemy ship, it will lose energy. If the player’s ship loses all of its energy, it will be destroyed.

The player can earn extra points by destroying enemy ships quickly and by destroying multiple enemy ships at once. The player can also earn points by collecting power-ups that appear on the screen. Power-ups can give the player’s ship a variety of abilities, such as increased firepower or speed.

Development

Threshold was developed by Bally Midway, which was one of the leading arcade game developers of the early 1980s. The game was designed by Dave Nutting, who was also the designer of the classic arcade game Pac-Man.

Threshold was one of the first arcade games to use a trackball to control the player’s movement. Trackballs were not as common as joysticks at the time, but they offered a more precise and responsive control scheme.

Release

Threshold was released in arcades in 1981. The game was a commercial success, and it was ported to a number of home computers, including the Atari 2600, the Commodore 64, and the ZX Spectrum.

Reception

Threshold was well-received by critics and players alike. The game was praised for its simple but addictive gameplay, and for its use of a trackball to control the player’s ship. Threshold was also a commercial success, and it helped to establish Bally Midway as one of the leading arcade game developers of the early 1980s.

Legacy

Threshold is considered to be one of the classic shoot ’em up games of the early 1980s. The game’s simple but addictive gameplay has stood the test of time, and it remains a popular game among retro gamers today. Threshold has also been cited as an influence on a number of later shoot ’em up games, including the Gradius series and the R-Type series.

Conclusion

Threshold is a classic shoot ’em up game that is still a lot of fun to play today. The game’s simple but addictive gameplay, and its use of a trackball to control the player’s ship, make it a standout among the many shoot ’em up games that were released in the early 1980s. If you’re a fan of shoot ’em up games, then you should definitely check out Threshold.

Review Score

7/10

Art

Cover Art

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