Aquatron (Atari 8-bit 1983, Apple // 1984) is a bit like Defender, although with a slow enough pace that you can survive on the screen for a while. These days, I am on the lookout for games that a toddler can play. I made fun of the concept of GAMER DAD for years and now I am one sort of by proxy. It’s my mission to convince you that I still play cool games like Aquatron.
Okay, before we get to the game, here is my interpretation of the various slurs against aging gamers.
GAMER DAD: Wants games with save anywhere. Needs games to start immediately because this is the only GD free time he has right now, the 50 minutes after getting the kid to sleep. He hates it when his console needs to update himself. He hates the 120GB patches that Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous used to push every two weeks. He is filled and consumed with hate, you don’t even know.
GAMER UNCLE: I see the child one and a half days a week, so I still have free time for my projects. Possibly I will use nap time to look at those plastic prong inserts for wall sockets, but I’m also intrigued by having a family relationship with a three-year old with Electro’s powers. Nothing that happens is really my fault, so I can introduce the child to the games I like and it doesn’t bite into my free time.
GAMER BROTHER: The brother gives the crappier controller to the younger sibling, who should be thrilled if at any point it is actually plugged in.
Thus, Aquatron. A game I would play on my own, and have, but I’m also pleased to share the experience.
I can’t remember how I came to discover Aquatron for the Apple // (looks like the Atari 8-bit version was released first, that I have not tried) but I did so year ago with a nephew who is now 10. The one I now spend Sundays with is three and there are some things that Aquatron offers that makes it fun for that age:
– I like the attract mode. It tells you everything you need to know about the gameplay loop. Move your spaceship around the screen in a 2D environment. There an ocean below. The attacking spaceships are fairly unaggressive. Unlike Choplifter and Defender, where the enemies are deadly and relentless, you can at least BREATHE somewhat in Aquatron. I like that the ocean has a pattern instead of being a big, giant blob of the color blue.
– Unlike Defender, if there is an enemy on the screen you aren’t instantly dead with alien accuracy. Forgiving to reflexes both extremely young and old is nice. Games of course do not need to cater to three year olds, and it is not like I have the TARDIS nearby to ask for adjustments on this one, but because they already had your money for this home computer game, it is not obsessed with drawing more quarters out of you.
Mobygames says that the game was written on the Atari 8-bit by Justin Gray. His name is front and center in the Apple // version. Could the same person have programmer both? Of course, but it would be nice to be certain. This is a beautiful write-up with nice shots of Aquatron’s box.
This is the controller I used.
I have a 3D printed joystick that coming soon, I should have it before we look at the Apple // again. The gamepad depicted came from this site, but I think I bought mine specifically off eBay. It has pots for adjusting the axis in games – from my limited experience, it does not seem like a lot of Apple // games have a calibration setting. I like it, it gets the job done.