Chris Oberth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 |
| Died | July 16, 2012[1] |
| Occupation | Video game programmer |
| Notable work | Anteater Ardy the Aardvark Rescue |
Christian H. "Chris" Oberth (died July 16, 2012)[1] was a video game programmer who began writing games for the Apple II in the late 1970s. He developed handheld electronic games for Milton Bradley, arcade video games for Stern Electronics and other companies, and ported games to home computers and consoles.
Though not a hit in arcades, Oberth's 1982 Anteater, developed for Stern, was an influential concept that was cloned multiple times for home computers, including Oil's Well from Sierra On-Line and Diamond Mine. The following year, he created his own home version titled Ardy the Aardvark (Datamost, 1983). He also developed the twin-stick shooter Rescue (1982) and the maze game Armored Car (1981) for Stern.
Oberth's first commercial games, Phasor Zap (1978) and 3-D Docking Mission (1978) for the Apple II, were published by Programma International, a company that also published games from future arcade game designers Bob Flanagan and Gary Shannon, and rejected the first effort from Mark Turmell.[2] His next thirteen Apple II games, in addition to Phasor Zap and 3-D Docking Mission, were published by The Elektrik Keyboard, a musical instrument and computer store in Chicago where Oberth was head of the computer department.[2]