Atari had plans for arcade fishing games...in 84!?

[Scott Stilphen]

Plucked this from Jed Margolin's VAX email collection

 

From: KIM::HOGG 6-SEP-1984 09:03

To: @ALL

Subj: Two more Bar Games for your comments

 

 

The Fishing Games for Bars

 

Video Game

 

This is a casting game that involves a joystick type control except that

it has two encoder wheels for two way rotation. The control revolves

around a shaft out of the side with a button activated by the thumb.

I'm not sure what to do for right or left handed players. The control

also has a 30-45 degree left-right movement for lateral casting control.

 

The idea is to cast a fly rod, with fly, at rising fish. If the player

manages to get close enough to a rising fish then the fish takes the

bait and the player receives points based upon the size of the fish.

The size of the fish can most often be determined by the player by the

amount of splash that the rising fish make. The larger fish will tend

to make a smaller amount of water disturbance. Some of the fish will

jump completely out of the water, others might just show their dorsal

fin.

 

The target area might be indicated by the maximum size of the water

rings generated by the rising fish, i.e., the larger fish making the

smaller disturbance would be a more difficult target and thereby being

worth more points.

 

Losing the hook, i.e., by snagging something or losing the fish loses

the player a life. A bad cast might catch a fish anyway if the cast at

least reaches the minimum target. A cast that is released on the

backward swing will always foul on a tree, bush, rock or maybe, just

fall to the water behind, i.e., it's random, but most likely it will

cost the player a hook. A bad forward cast (too short) will cause the

player to catch a CARP that will cost the player points. A cast that is

too long might catch a minnow (or a Bluegill) and be worth very little.

Or maybe the bad cast is recoverable and the player tries it again.

 

The fishing could be done on a lake environment or a stream for making

the targets more difficult, i.e., fish are in pocket water.

 

The fishing could be for bass which would involve snags and targets of a

more difficult nature.

 

The type of fishing could be selected by the players at the start of the

game or during the attract mode.

 

The game is over when a number of fish have been caught, or when the

hooks are all lost, or ...

 

 

Mechanical Game

 

This is a fish landing game that uses a feed-back joystick, but has no

video. Instead the game uses back-lit fish pictures or images and a

string of LEDs for feed-back to the player and audience.

 

The feed-back joystick is the rod which has a thumb controlled release

button for the cast. The cast is really a start the rotating selection

of the type of fish being caught. The amount of forward speed the

player puts on the control determines the rate of cycling the selection

arrow goes through before coming to rest on the selection. The player

does not really make the selection, but affects the selection process.

 

The selection of fish might be Marlin, Shark, Salmon, Trout, Bass,

Bluegill, Minnow, and definitely a CARP (catching the CARP might cost

the player points or some penalty). Each will have a different point

value, length of fight, and force of fight.

 

There will be a string of LEDs that will reflect the force of the cast,

and the force of the fish's tug on the pole.

 

The player will get 3-5 fish per game. The play is started by a player

gripping the control and depressing the button with the thumb. Forward

movement of the control and the release of the button will start the

selection cycling of the lights behind the selection arrows to the left

of the set of fish pictures or images. The selection cycling will slow

down of its own accord and rest on the selected fish. The selected fish

is worth a number of points scaled to reflect the size of the fish being

represented. A Marlin might be worth 1000 points and a minnow 100. The

selected fish will be hooked and begin fighting the pole. The player

must try to keep the pole as centered as possible so as not to let it

contact the ring switch. If the front or sides of the ring switch makes

contact with the pole the fish gets away and it is the next players

turn. If the back of the ring switch (i.e., the stick is pulled all the

way back) makes contact with the pole, there will be a delay before the

fish gets away. This will allow the player to pull all the way back,

momentarily, on the control without losing the fish, but if held back

too long the fish is lost.

 

Each fish will fight for a predetermined amount of time. The time will

vary depending upon the size of the fish. The fish will be considered

landed if the player maintains control for this time duration. The

points awarded for the fish will be determined by the length of time

that the player plays the fish. The player receives points up to the

maximum for the size fish selected and possibly bonus points for landing

it. If the player loses the fish (the pole makes contact with the ring

switch) before the fish is done fighting, the player is awarded the

points earned up to that time. The length of time, points earned and

bonus at landing are determined by the size of the fish that was

selected on the cast. Then the next player gets a turn.

 

While the fish is being played by the player the string of LEDs should

light in a series to reflect the amount of pull the player is fighting

to provide the player and onlookers with control feed-back. The harder

the pull by the fish causes more LEDs to be turned on. This will

provide for the player and the audience a visual indication as to what

is happening with the control.

 

This game should be a 1-4 player game. This will require 4 sets of 8

segment displays for scores. The rest of the needed indications for the

players will be done in back-lit graphics, such as, who's turn, fish

lost, and any other needed messages.