DESCRIPTION

In Tempest players use a rotary controller to maneuver a claw-like ship that perches and crawls around the outer edge lanes of a series of 98 tube-like constructs. These constructs, which are depicted using vector graphics, take the form of circles, rectangles, triangles and other geometric shapes. From the core of these tubes, Flippers, Tankers, Spikers, Fuseballs, and Pulsars move and crawl outward and toward the ship. The player's job is to whip his or her ship back-and-forth or around the tubes and shoot everything in sight. If things get desperate, there is a Super Zapper, which destroys every visible enemy. Once a screen has been cleared, the ship flies down into the void and onto the next level. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible while destroying and avoiding contact with enemies. If the game gets past stage 98, the levels begin repeating from number 63 through number 94. Atari's first color vector game, Tempest is a hugely enjoyable, highly original shooter with razzle-dazzle graphics, addictive gameplay and perfect control. ~ Brett Alan Weiss, All Game Guide