Secret Quest
Developer(s)Axlon
Publisher(s)Atari Corporation
Programmer(s)Steve DeFrisco[1]
Platform(s)Atari 2600
Release1989
Genre(s)Action-adventure

Secret Quest is an action-adventure game developed by Axlon for the Atari 2600 and published by Atari Corporation in 1989. The player controls a humanoid character that fights monsters and gathers items on a series of space stations. It was one of the last cartridges released for the console and has a larger ROM capacity than most 2600 games plus a small amount of RAM. The box credits Nolan Bushnell for the game and includes his photo on both the front and back. According to Secret Quest programmer Steve DeFrisco, "Atari thought that his name would entice people to buy some more 2600 titles".[2]

Plot

The player controls a hero trying to stop several alien space station attacks. He is dressed in a space suit fighting aliens released from the space stations. He is trying to defuse a bomb set by the aliens, and detonate bombs in the space stations using codes.[3]

Development

The game was inspired by Nintendo's The Legend Of Zelda (1986) for the Nintendo Entertainment System,[4] with the final space-themed concept developed and programmed by Steve DeFrisco.[3] Chris DeFrisco was hired to complete the artwork. A save-game mechanic was incorporated due to the design concept of having many locations in an adventure-style format. The development team faced data-size issues when trying to fit the game onto the cartridge ROM.[5]

According to Vintage Games, the game was created as a final attempt to prove the 1977 console could compete with more modern hardware.[6] The cartridge is expanded with 256 bytes of RAM and 16 kilobytes of ROM.

Reception

NexGam believed the graphics were simple yet respectable.[7] The A.V. Club thought the title was surprising and abstract in the wake of the Atari 2600's final days.[8] Classic Home Video Games called the game ambitious, almost to a fault.[9] Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide described it as a "final swan-song" and a way of squeezing the last money out of the console.[10]

Legacy

Secret Quest was included in the Atari FlashBack 2 and subsequent consoles in the series with the exception of the FlashBack 4.

Haunted House was included as part of the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration (2022) compilation for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Steam, and Xbox One.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  2. ↑ Hague, James (1997). Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers. Dadgum Games.
  3. 1 2 Weiss, Brett (April 4, 2011). Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. p. 103. ISBN 9780786487554.
  4. ↑ Good Deal Games interview with Steve DeFrisco
  5. ↑ "Atari Compendium". www.ataricompendium.com. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  6. ↑ Loguidice, Bill; Barton, Matt (August 21, 2012). Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time. CRC Press. ISBN 9781136137587.
  7. ↑ www.neXGam.de. "Secret Quest". www.nexgam.de (in German). Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  8. ↑ Wanserski, Nick. "The last licks: 14 surprising games from a console's dying days". The A.V. Club Games. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  9. ↑ Weiss, Brett (April 4, 2011). Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland. ISBN 9780786487554.
  10. ↑ Classic Videogame Hardware Genius Guide. Imagine Publishing. ISBN 9781908222220.
  11. ↑ Machkovech, Sam (September 12, 2022). "The 103 Classic Games That Did, and Didn't, Make the Atari 50 Anniversary Cut — Retailer Leak Suggests Games from Arcade to Jaguar; Surprises Apparently Still Await". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
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