Demon Attack

Demon Attack
Developer(s)	Imagic
Publisher(s)	Imagic
Designer(s)	Rob Fulop
Platform(s)	Atari 2600 (original) Atari 8-bit, VIC-20, C64, Intellivision, Odyssey², PC Booter, TI-99/4A, TRS-80.
Release date(s)	1982
Genre(s)	Fixed shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, 2 player alternating

Demon Attack is a video game written by Rob Fulop and published by Imagic. It was originally for the Atari 2600, then ported to the Intellivision, Odyssey², Atari 8-bit, Commodore VIC-20, Commodore 64, PC (booter), TRS-80 and TRS-80 Color Computer. There was also a port to the TI-99/4A titled Super Demon Attack.

Demon Attack is supposedly based on the 1979 arcade shooter Galaxian, though it closely resembles several waves from the 1980 arcade game Phoenix. The similarities prompted a lawsuit from Atari, who had purchased the latter's home video game rights. Imagic settled out of court, and Demon Attack became Imagic's best-selling game as of 1983.

Marooned on the ice planet Krybor, the player uses a laser cannon to destroy legions of demons that attack from above. Visually, the demons appear in waves similar to other space-themed shooters, but individually combine from the sides of the screen to the area above the player's cannon.

Each wave introduces new weapons with which the demons attack, such as long streaming lasers and laser clusters. Starting in Wave 5, demons also divide into two smaller, bird-like creatures that eventually attempt descent onto the player's cannon. Starting in Wave 9, the demons' shots follow directly beneath the monsters, making it difficult for the player to slip underneath to get in a direct shot.

The game was originally programmed to end after the 84th wave, as Fulop did not expect anyone to "wrap" the game. Two days after its initial release however, a kid was able to beat the game. After this initial run of cartridges, Fulop went back and changed one line of code so that the game never ends, but never gets harder after the 84th wave.

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