The Tail of Beta Lyrae: Difference between revisions
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{{More citations needed|date=November 2019}} |
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{{short description|1983 video game}} |
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{{Infobox video game |
{{Infobox video game |
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|title = The Tail of Beta Lyrae |
|title = The Tail of Beta Lyrae |
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|image = The_Tail_of_Beta_Lyrae_Cover_Art.jpg |
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|image = |
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|composer = Gary Gilbertson |
|composer = Gary Gilbertson |
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|publisher = [[Datamost]] |
|publisher = [[Datamost]] |
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|developer = |
|developer = Philip Price |
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|designer = |
|designer = Philip Price |
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|released = 1983 |
|released = 1983 |
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|genre = |
|genre = [[Scrolling shooter]] |
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|platforms = [[Atari 8-bit |
|platforms = [[Atari 8-bit]] |
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}} |
}} |
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| ⚫ | '''''The Tail of Beta Lyrae''''' is a horizontally scrolling shooter for |
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| ⚫ | '''''The Tail of Beta Lyrae''''' is a horizontally [[scrolling shooter]] written by Philip Price for [[Atari 8-bit computers]] and published in 1983 by [[Datamost]]. The music is by Gary Gilbertson. Price and Gilbertson later collaborated on the ''[[Alternate Reality (series)|Alternate Reality]]'' games.<ref name="halcyonpp"/> |
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==Premise== |
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| ⚫ | ''The Tail of Beta Lyrae'' puts |
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==Plot== |
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| ⚫ | Philip Price |
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[[File:The_Tail_of_Beta_Lyrae_Atari_8-bit_PAL_screenshot.png|thumb|left|Gameplay screenshot]] |
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| ⚫ | ''The Tail of Beta Lyrae'' puts the player in the role of "a wing commander assigned to the Beta Quadrant." Alien forces have occupied the mining colonies in the asteroid fields of the [[Beta Lyrae]] [[binary star|binary star system]]. The player pilots a fighter through the fields, destroying the alien invaders and their installations. |
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==Gameplay== |
==Gameplay== |
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| ⚫ | As the landscape scrolls past, the player uses a joystick to move the ship around the screen, avoiding attacks from laser and missile emplacements and destroying buildings, power generators, vessels and alien miners. The landscape and configuration of objects is generated pseudo-randomly. Objects within the levels may change after the user has owned the game for a certain amount of time.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}} |
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{{original research|section|date=March 2016}} |
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| ⚫ | |||
==Development== |
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| ⚫ | Philip Price stated that the "tail" in the game's name "came from a play on telling a tale and the setting of a binary star system which only had fragments of rock orbiting it because of the tidal forces brought on by the two suns; these fragments are the tail of the system's creation."<ref name="halcyonpp"/> |
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===Audio=== |
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{{listen|header=|type=music|filename=The_Tail_of_Beta_Lyrae_Atari_8-bit_PAL_audio_clip.ogg|title=Game soundtrack (Atari 8-bit)|description=}} |
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''The Tail of Beta Lyrae'''s soundtrack was composed by Gary Gilbertson using Philip Price's Advanced Music Processor. Gilbertson considered the computer games to be an audio/visual experience, and even though he only had four square wave voices to work with, he was determined to make the sound as memorable as possible.<ref name="halcyongg"/> |
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==Reception== |
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''The Tail of Beta Lyrae'' was met with a very positive reception. ''The [[Addison-Wesley]] Book of Atari Software 1984'' gave the game a very good rating (B+) and concluded: "The music deserves an award for originality, and the game equals the best of the scrolling shoot-'em-up games on the market. It has great depth, is extremely playable, and offers a challenge even on the easiest level. "<ref name=wesley/> [[Electronic Games]] reviewer found the game is "distinguished by extensive animation, a charming musical score and sophisticated programming".<ref name="eg"/> Mark Stinson in a 1994 retro review for [[Page 6]] concluded: "In the Tail of Beta Lyrae you get excellent gameplay, superb graphics, fast action, and good sound effects and music. Add to this the incredibly low price and it's a sure fire winner. Buy it now."<ref name="page6"/> |
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==See also== |
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*''[[Airstrike (video game)|Airstrike]]'' |
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*''[[Caverns of Mars]]'' |
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*''[[Star_Blazer_(video_game)|Star Blazer]]'' |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist |
{{Reflist|refs= |
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<ref name="halcyonpp">{{cite web|last1=Hague|first1=James|title=Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers:Philip Price|url=https://dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/PRICE.HTM|website=dadgum.com|date=1997}}</ref> |
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<ref name="halcyongg">{{cite web|last1=Hague|first1=James|title=Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers:Gary Gilbertson|url=https://dadgum.com/halcyon/BOOK/GILBERT.HTM|website=dadgum.com|date=1997}}</ref> |
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<ref name=wesley>{{cite book |editor1-last=Wells |editor1-first=Robert P. |editor2-last=Rochowansky |editor2-first=Sandra |editor3-last=Mellin |editor3-first=Michael F. |editor4-last=Stanton |editor4-first=Jeffrey |date=1984|title=Addison Wesley Book Of Atari Software 1984 |publisher=[[Addison-Wesley]] |isbn=((0-201-16465-X)) |page=81 |url=https://archive.org/details/addison-wesley-book-of-atari-software-1984/page/n81/mode/2up }}</ref> |
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<ref name="eg">{{cite journal |title=Players guide to Science Fiction Games |journal=Electronic Games |date=May 1984 |page=60 |url=https://archive.org/details/Electronic_Games_Volume_02_Number_12_1984-05_Reese_Communications_US/page/n59/mode/2up}}</ref> |
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<ref name="page6">{{cite journal |title=Software Classics |journal=Page 6 |date=February 1994 |page=32-33 |url=https://archive.org/details/Page6-66-Feb94/page/32/mode/2up}}</ref> |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tail of Beta Lyrae, The}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tail of Beta Lyrae, The}} |
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[[Category:1983 video games]] |
[[Category:1983 video games]] |
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[[Category:Atari 8-bit |
[[Category:Atari 8-bit computer games]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Atari 8-bit computer-only games]] |
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[[Category:Fiction set around Beta Lyrae]] |
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[[Category:Datamost games]] |
[[Category:Datamost games]] |
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[[Category:Horizontally scrolling shooters]] |
[[Category:Horizontally scrolling shooters]] |
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[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]] |
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Latest revision as of 08:12, 4 November 2024
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2019) |
| The Tail of Beta Lyrae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Philip Price |
| Publisher(s) | Datamost |
| Designer(s) | Philip Price |
| Composer(s) | Gary Gilbertson |
| Platform(s) | Atari 8-bit |
| Release | 1983 |
| Genre(s) | Scrolling shooter |
The Tail of Beta Lyrae is a horizontally scrolling shooter written by Philip Price for Atari 8-bit computers and published in 1983 by Datamost. The music is by Gary Gilbertson. Price and Gilbertson later collaborated on the Alternate Reality games.[1]
Plot
[edit]
The Tail of Beta Lyrae puts the player in the role of "a wing commander assigned to the Beta Quadrant." Alien forces have occupied the mining colonies in the asteroid fields of the Beta Lyrae binary star system. The player pilots a fighter through the fields, destroying the alien invaders and their installations.
Gameplay
[edit]As the landscape scrolls past, the player uses a joystick to move the ship around the screen, avoiding attacks from laser and missile emplacements and destroying buildings, power generators, vessels and alien miners. The landscape and configuration of objects is generated pseudo-randomly. Objects within the levels may change after the user has owned the game for a certain amount of time.[citation needed]
Development
[edit]Philip Price stated that the "tail" in the game's name "came from a play on telling a tale and the setting of a binary star system which only had fragments of rock orbiting it because of the tidal forces brought on by the two suns; these fragments are the tail of the system's creation."[1]
Audio
[edit]
The Tail of Beta Lyrae's soundtrack was composed by Gary Gilbertson using Philip Price's Advanced Music Processor. Gilbertson considered the computer games to be an audio/visual experience, and even though he only had four square wave voices to work with, he was determined to make the sound as memorable as possible.[2]
Reception
[edit]The Tail of Beta Lyrae was met with a very positive reception. The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984 gave the game a very good rating (B+) and concluded: "The music deserves an award for originality, and the game equals the best of the scrolling shoot-'em-up games on the market. It has great depth, is extremely playable, and offers a challenge even on the easiest level. "[3] Electronic Games reviewer found the game is "distinguished by extensive animation, a charming musical score and sophisticated programming".[4] Mark Stinson in a 1994 retro review for Page 6 concluded: "In the Tail of Beta Lyrae you get excellent gameplay, superb graphics, fast action, and good sound effects and music. Add to this the incredibly low price and it's a sure fire winner. Buy it now."[5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Hague, James (1997). "Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers:Philip Price". dadgum.com.
- ^ Hague, James (1997). "Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers:Gary Gilbertson". dadgum.com.
- ^ Wells, Robert P.; Rochowansky, Sandra; Mellin, Michael F.; Stanton, Jeffrey, eds. (1984). Addison Wesley Book Of Atari Software 1984. Addison-Wesley. p. 81. ISBN 0-201-16465-X.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISBN errors (link) - ^ "Players guide to Science Fiction Games". Electronic Games: 60. May 1984.
- ^ "Software Classics". Page 6: 32-33. February 1994.