Lost Tomb is an overhead-view twin-stick shooter written by Dan Lee and released as an arcade video gamebyStern Electronics in 1982. Armed with a gun and whip, the player uses dual joysticks to explore the chambers of a South American pyramid looking for treasure and fighting mummies, spiders, and scorpions.[5] The game was Stern's first arcade conversion kit[6] and was intended for use with earlier machines from the company.[7]
| Lost Tomb | |
|---|---|
Commodore 64 port
| |
| Developer(s) | Stern Electronics |
| Publisher(s) | Stern Electronics Datasoft (ports) |
| Programmer(s) | Arcade Dan Lee[1] Apple II Larry Lewis Atari 8-bit Bruce Adelstein[2] Commodore 64 Mark Brodie Troy Lyndon Robert Bobbio[3] IBM PC Larry Lewis |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, IBM PC |
| Release | 1982: Arcade 1984: Atari, Apple, C64 1985: IBM PC |
| Genre(s) | Multidirectional shooter |
| Mode(s) | 1-2 players alternating turns |
| Arcade system | Konami Scramble[4] |
In 1984, Datasoft published home ports for Apple II, Atari 8-bit computers, Commodore 64, and a self-booting disk for IBM PC compatibles.
The object of the game is to move through the rooms of the tomb, from the top of the pyramid to the base, collecting treasure and looking for the exit. Scorpions, mummies, and spiders attack the player and can be shot. Each room has a time limit.
One joystick moves the explorer and the other fires the gun in a twin-stick shooter control mechanism. A button swings the whip, which destroys nearby enemies and walls. Both bullets and whips are limited. Chests contain keys and additional bullets and whips.[2]
After exiting a room, a map showing the levels of the pyramid and connecting stairways is shown. Some rooms lead to a hallway, viewed from the side, where the player must run for the entrance of the next room while being attacked by bats.
In 1983, Video Games magazine called Lost Tomb, "the best Raiders of the Lost Ark-inspired game so far to hit the scene." The reviewer also commented, "the graphics are a bit murky" and "the play is overly complex for most novice arcade enthusiasts."[6]