Tempest Arcade Game Cabinet Cabaret Review - Atari Vector Coin-Op 1981

[@nrnoble]

Very Cool review. I own the full cabinet version of Tempest. Bought it back in 1983 for close to $2000. Still working

[@ChadQuick270W]

Awesome! Turn out the lights and this is a killer arcade. Those color vector games looked so sweet especially in darkened rooms :)

[@gan9e]

the world champion at 'Gravitar' told me this in an arcade in the center of London in the late 1980's... he was American, he showed me and it worked... 99 credits the lot...great

[@Packerscorner]

LOVE THIS GAME!!! I always play it when my son and I go to our local arcade in town called "1984." You pay $5.00 and play as much as you want for 3-4 hours.

[@Aeonterbor]

I have this game on an Atari PC collection and it's great fun and perfect for a quick blast

[@janchapman1969a]

thats cool that you have a working tempest game. those are rare due to the design of the cabinet. when building the cabinet they installed the pc board upsidedown and the heat from the monitor caused the solder joints on the chips to melt and the chips fell out leaving the game useless

[@SikSyko]

I spent so much money on this game when it came out. I hope to find one locally.

[@adventurebloc]

Super zap can actually be used twice per level. First use kills all spawned enemies, 2nd use will kill 1 enemy (nearest the player). Recharges between stages. Tempest is copyright 1980, released in October of '80. Great game, love my upright!

[@gryphon202]

John's so funny. LOL Red X's = Flippers. Little purple diamond guy = Tanker Green things coming out of he center and laying down spikes = Spiker. Enemies also include fuseballs, pulsars, and pulsar tankers.

[@KingBat]

I live this game so much. I play this at the arcade down the street, I got 780,000 points from level one. I was so pissed when I lost, though first place was mine and my name was on the plaque above it. Haha

[@matarua]

You could perhaps update the description as Tempest was not the first colour vector quadrascan game - 'one of the first' - Space Duel came before in development - the code used for colour in Tempest was taken from Space Duel and they were released around the same time. I read this on the internet so it must be true ;)

[@Johnsarcade]

Interesting. I did a quick google for "first color vector arcade" and Tempest seems to be the one everyone is talking about.

[@matarua]

Yep, I will try and find the article for ya :)

[@matarua]

Here you go... Fact 2. Space Duel was the first multicolor vector game Another contradiction in video gaming folklore - Tempest was not the first multicolour vector game. That gong belongs to Space Duel - another Owen Rubin game. To rub salt into the wounds, Owen Rubin’s colour vector generator code was used by Dave Theurer in Tempest. Owen never received any credit for his effort. This is from @Ausretrogamer on twitter who I follow on my @Spectrum48k account. Detective work complete - Wikipedia says - 'one of the first' as it sounds like it might be disputed or unclear. Hope this helps!

[@Johnsarcade]

Actually, I have read that somewhere before. However, wasn't Tempest the first released color XY game?

[@matarua]

With the way it's worded on Wikipedia - it does not say that either - 'one of the first' - seems like the actual truth of the matter is unclear. Tempest is amazing - actually have it tattooed on my arm ;)

[@gewglesux]

used to rock this at the roller rink too...

[@reemCGR]

The Graphics of This Game is Amazing =) awesome Video man =)

[@bmulligan69]

I love Tempest too. Lost many many monies into it in my youth, but my favorite vector game was Star Trek Strategic Operation Simulator. Best game ever!

[@yorgle11]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something, but I don't see a problem with getting a bonus for starting at a harder level. It seems to me like a good way to balance the game for players of different skill levels. With advanced players, it saves time and keeps them from tying up the machine too long on one quarter. They have to earn the scoring bonus by passing the level they selected. Meanwhile weaker players can find a starting level they are comfortable with so they feel they are getting their quarter's worth of gameplay out of it. That way they don't get discouraged and stop playing it.

[@MagikGimp]

Asteroids Deluxe has 2 backdrops?? I never knew that! Gives it a really nice 3D depth appearance. I was just thinking arcade cabinets go from highly customised to mostly standard back to the customised again as time progresses through their history. In the late 70s, early 80s it's this sort of thing but once you get to the late 80s, early 90s everything's CRT and joystick.It's only once the late 90s roll by that you get cabs, guns, more than one screen again.I doubt you could fit a 4-player tho!

[@Johnsarcade]

There's a list on my youtube channel page on the right side.

[@jslime]

So jealous, I have been eyeballing a tempest cabaret for awhile now.

[@MegaMuffindude]

Awesome Cab!

[@caratcranker5874]

Tempest is brilliant, talk about FULL BORE madness, I had a dedicated cab sent over here In Australia.

[@Johnsarcade]

Yeah, it's a very unique and chaotic game. I LOVE IT.

[@Johnsarcade]

I don't know what's wrong but just guessing... could be a mathbox error. Most likely bad sockets or try reseating stuff. Put it in test and see if you get an error code.

[@oliverfyffe4931]

cabarets were made to cram into game rooms in houses back in the 80s

[@davy_K]

Love Tempest - remember it in the arcades very well. I noticed your Asteroids Deluxe - what do you think about the blue screen overlay. Mine doesn't have one - what's your opinion - do you think it looks better?

[@edkeates104]

John, the graphics on my Tempest Screen in between a 1-2 player game seems to fold or bend in on itself. Does this happen on yours? Also I noticed in the attract screen the top of the T on the Tempest bends in on itself too. I watched this vid and didn't notice this on your Tempest. What might be causing this? Any advice appreciated. Awesome game!

[@anthonytheappguy4426]

I would like to have this game in my basement.

[@overkilll6651]

You are a lucky man. And i am a envious man. ;)

[@SofaKingWeTodEd666]

i would soo like to own a double dragon cab and a neo geo muliti slot cab one day

[@gryphon202]

And as for the complaint about whether high scores in Tempest are legit? In the old neighborhood arcade we had a term for that 30 years ago: "Quarter munching."

[@naveed80]

Wow that is not a basement thats heaven!

[@cozmicmojo2181]

I usually prefer the cabaret's for some of the non-vector games like Pac-man or Centipede but for Vector games most of the cabinets are too awesome to pass up. You really going to pass on the Tempest artwork!? That's crazy.

[@anthonytheappguy4426]

John, it’s Gravitar, not Gradius.

[@boverhof3]

Is this a Review Copy?

[@hailrealfknmetal]

gyruss was the baby of this game

[@TheCRTman]

It is. Atari was more of the Queen. ;)

[@Slmjm884]

I love this game, but i really suck at it lol

[@Casper1563]

Dude, on 7:02 it's almost 60,000 pts

[@Vinnyc1969]

Cheats This is a cheat that was aparently left in by somebody at Atari. It was removed in ROM 217 and 222 Software Revision 2. Given a score with the format XXYYZZ: XX must be greater than 16, YY between 29 and 60, and ZZ is a code. Codes for ZZ are as follows: 01 - access bookkeeping totals 05 - play during attract mode 06 - 40 credits 11 - 40 credits 12 - 40 credits 14 - credit sound without actual credit 15 - credit sound without actual credit 16 - 40 credits 17 - 40 credits 18 - 40 credits

[@pbloo574]

I thought Cinematronics was the king of vector arcade games.

[@thewizard112]

we all knew you would squeze another game in!! lol

[@MagikGimp]

@TheShingiskhan Jealous :P