Robotron: 2084

This article is about the video game. For other uses, see Robotron (disambiguation).
Robotron: 2084
An orange advertisement featuring a blue arcade cabinet and reads "The ultimate conflict between man and machine. Robotron: 2084"
Arcade flyer
Developer(s)Vid Kidz
Shadowsoft (Lynx)
Publisher(s)Williams Electronics
Ports
Atarisoft
Atari, Inc.
Atari Corporation
Designer(s)Eugene Jarvis
Larry DeMar
Programmer(s)Eugene Jarvis
Larry DeMar
Ports
Judy Bogart (Atari 8-bit)[3]
David Brown (7800)[3]
Tom Griner (C64)[3]
Dave Dies (Lynx)[3]
Platform(s)Arcade, Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari ST, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, Lynx, IBM PC, VIC-20
Release1982: Arcade
1983: Apple II, Atari 8-bit, 5200, C64, IBM PC, VIC-20
1985: BBC Micro
1986: Atari 7800
1987: Atari ST[1]
1991: Lynx[2]
Genre(s)Multidirectional shooter
Mode(s)1-2 players alternating turns

Robotron: 2084 (also referred to as Robotron) is a multidirectional shooter developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar of Vid Kidz and released in arcades by Williams Electronics in 1982. The game is set in the year 2084 in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans in a cybernetic revolt. The aim is to defeat endless waves of robots, rescue surviving humans, and earn as many points as possible.

Jarvis and DeMar drew inspiration from Nineteen Eighty-Four, Berzerk and Space Invaders for the design of Robotron: 2084. A two-joystick control scheme was implemented to provide the player with more precise controls, and enemies with different behaviors were added to make the game challenging. Jarvis and DeMar designed the game to instill panic in players by presenting them with conflicting goals and having on-screen projectiles coming from multiple directions.

Robotron: 2084 was critically and commercially successful. Praise among critics focused on the game's intense action and control scheme. Though not the first game with a twin joystick control scheme, Robotron: 2084 is cited as the game that popularized it. It was ported to numerous home systems - most of which are hampered by the lack of two joysticks - Jarvis used the same control scheme in Smash TV (1990). The game is frequently listed as one of Jarvis's best contributions to the video game industry.

  1. ^ "Atari ST Robotron: 2084". Atari Mania.
  2. ^ "Atari Lynx - Robotron: 2084". AtariAge.
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference giantlist was invoked but never defined (see the help page).