Spelunker (video game)
| Spelunker | |
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Front cover of the Atari 8-bit version, the earliest version of the game.
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| Developer(s) | Tamtex & TOSE (FC/NES) |
| Publisher(s) | MicroGraphicImage, Brøderbund |
| Designer(s) | Tim Martin |
| Platform(s) | Atari 400/Atari 800, Arcade, Commodore 64, MSX, NES, Virtual Console |
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| Genre(s) | Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Spelunker is a 1983 video game developed by Tim Martin and MicroGraphicImage. It is a platform game similar to Pitfall!.
Originally released by MicroGraphicImage for the Atari 8-bit computers in 1983, the game was later ported to the Commodore 64 and re-released by Brøderbund in 1984, with European publishing rights licensed to Ariolasoft. An arcade version followed in 1985, and the game was released for the NES on December 6, 1985 in Japan and September 1987 in North America, and for the MSX in 1986. A sequel was also released in arcades and for the NES on September 18, 1987 called Spelunker II: Yūsha e no Chōsen by Irem, in Japan only. The game was re-released for Virtual Console in North America on March 17, 2008 and in Europe on September 5, 2008 for the Wii, in both regions on June 6, 2013 for the Wii U and in North America on June 27, 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS.
Spelunker is set in a colossal cave, with the player starting at the cave's entrance at the top, and the objective is to get to the fabulous treasure at the bottom. To achieve this, the player must walk and jump through increasingly challenging parts of the cave, all the while working with a finite supply of fresh air, which could be replenished at various points.
The cave's hazards include bats, which drop deadly guano on the player; and a ghost haunting the cave and appearing randomly, attempting to take the player to the shadow world. The player character can send a blast of air to push the ghost away. However, this renders the player's character immobile for a few seconds, thus vulnerable to other dangers and further depleting their air supply. Objects to collect include sticks of dynamite, flares, and keys. Precise positioning and jumping play key factors in successfully completing the game.
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