TEMPEST (ARCADE - FULL GAME)

Zeus presents Tempest on the Arcade, a true classic from the golden age of Arcade gaming which should not be forgotten along with the programmers who made this game.
Year of release: 1980
What a classic, probably the most famous arcade vector game ever released.
Zzap you way through 99 levels of various grids (16 grids per colour) with your spider claw thingy and enjoy those crisp sounds and colour vector lines and especially the cool warp sequence between each of the levels, just an amazing game for It's time.
I have used the invincibility cheat so I could show all 99 levels of the game.
Don't forget to check out my "let's play" of this game if you'd like to hear my true thoughts on this classic!: • LET'S PLAY: TEMPEST (A...
I hope all you retro game fans enjoy this upload especially enough to subscribe if you haven't already and if you'd like to suport my channel then please consider a small donation to my channel as this will help me to keep up the video uploads and the channel growing (Paypal: www.paypal.me/Zeusdaz)
Please note: NONE of my game uploads are emulated in any way whatsoever, they are 100% original recordings by myself taken directly from the original hardware the game was intended for, that way you know you're watching the real thing (except this upload as used MAME).
I will also always state weather i am using any cheats in the game, if not mentioned then i am not using any.
Check out my channel ( / zeusdaz , dedicated to gamers who loved the games of yesteryear.
Switch to 720p for best video quality and feel free to leave comments on my channel and videos.

[@constantinosschinas4503]

So simple yet totally immersive and aesthetic game. These old games really promoted creator and player imagination.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Agreed.

[@thehillza]

I honestly don't understand what I am seeing.

[@chickensandwich9977]

​@@thehillzait's a 3rd person perspective. The yellow shape is a ship flying towards the center. The red lines flying out of the center are shooting projectiles (the star like shapes)

[@thehillza]

​@chickensandwich9977 oh yeah I see it now. I was so confused

[@johnmc3862]

Jeff Minter.

[@illiamdeebe7579]

This is the sound of the 80s arcade to me. I was never any good at it, but it was so damn satisfying hearing and seeing the action.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Exactly my thoughts.

[@shawnbrasuell8951]

Similar to the sound of Robotron

[@truthisfree7297]

Glad I'm not the only one. While I considered myself to be a pretty good arcader, Tempest always kicked my butt. I think the controls were so different and the unusual perspective (not being centered) threw me.

[@edwardmccoy274]

Our arcade was connected to the topless go go in eighty four Orlando FL. The side of the building was painted as a picture of a naked woman. Across the street from Tim's tackle box, Michigan and fern creek. I remember the sound of tempest.

[@Doggieman1111]

One of my faves, unlike anything else in the arcade. Trippy, scary, thrilling and addictive.

[@ghosttownhunts]

It was an amazing time. Arcade game stores everywhere one year a couple years later they were all gone. Tempest was my favorite.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Yep, it looked good in stills too, very futuristic.

[@mathmanmrt]

that was my game when it came out. by the time the games started going away i reached the point that i could start on level 9 and get to the 4th or 5th level in the black/invisible edges. although i played several games after tempest disappeared i never got caught up in a game like that again. despite the invincible cheat, i could still feel my chest tighten up and my heart beat faster watching this. thanks for the memories.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Thanks, I just wanted to upload a video showing all the levels so others could see what they look like and have them all bloomed up so they look glowy, al other videos look flat in colour.

[@lifewater989]

There will never be a game like this made again. The crispness and glow of the Atari color vector monitor truly drew people into this game. The ultimate attract mode was the cabinet and monitor itself. The great game contained within it was a bonus. 😃

[@davidfreesefan23]

The level shape within each 16-level set: 1: Circle 2: Square 3: Cross/Plus sign 4: Peanut shape 5: Angled cross 6: Triangle 7: 4-leaf clover 8: V-shape 9: “Stairstep” V-shape 10: U-shape 11: Tall rectangle/flat line 12: Heart-shaped 13: 8-pointed star 14: “Double dip” or W-shape 15: “Valley” - somewhere between U-shape and V-shape with lots of irregular angles 16: Figure-eight or “infinity” symbol Subsequent levels cycle through the same set, albeit with different colors each time until green is reached.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Nice one, saves me a job saying it 🙂

[@jamesanderson9287]

11 was called the 'bowling alley' also by many, 15 was called the Canyon also. On colors, 65 to 80 was called ;invisible' as you could not readily tell the image right off but it still was obvious what the level was.

[@pip12111]

And more lethal enemies

[@thedarthflagger]

The W Was the boob level

[@justjxn]

how many sets, does anyone know?

[@d4mdcykey]

As a teen I was totally obsessed with this game; there was an arcade in a mall several miles from my house and I would trek out there on dangerous roads on a crappy Schwinn many times a week, there was something very different and immersive in this one unlike all the others. Back then, Tempest, and pinball machines was our whole world.

[@joshs4594]

Once I brought my nephew to an arcade. I was playing Tempest for a full hour (I never made it past level 11). Afterwards, when I was driving home, I was in the center lane when two cars , one in the left lane and one on the right, started merging into my lane in front of me. Nothing dangerous, but for a split second I started reaching for the Superzapper. I immediately thought, "Oh, man, that's not good." I never played the game again, mainly because pinball was my game. Tempest is one of most interesting video games I ever played. You did a phenomenal job.

[@timhunter8945]

To me one of the best video arcade game of all times 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Agreed!

[@chrislassiter1894]

Tempest ruled. The wave that looked like a set of piano strings, 9 or 11 I believe it was, so aweseome. Simple and easy to learn but hard to master.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Even though I'm using an invincy cheat I just had to create a longplay of all the levels with the glowly bloom settings up, the game is too good not to have a youtube full game video.

[@lidarman2]

The pinnacle of video gaming art.

[@ediesedgwick4462]

Only a genius could have come up with such a simple yet fascinating and fun to play format.

[@Marcus-le9ri]

Grab red go he to❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉😂❤❤😂😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ 5:37

[@jackgoff2072]

I can almost hear the Rush song Subdivisions playing in the background.

[@packetjunkie]

I loved those old vector games! No fancy graphics, just fast, challenging gameplay.

[@JStankXPlays]

One of my favorite games on the NES is Gyrus. Now I can see why this game was so good

[@kennethhodsdon5876]

you have set this to GOD mode

[@ZEUSDAZ]

No shit sherlock 😂

[@brutusmuerto]

Such a beautiful 80's firework!

[@williamhoward7121]

I worked at godfather's Pizza back in the '80s and we had a very large game room. Back then after closing the store they would allow us to pour a picture of beer while we cleaned the store. No one was allowed to leave for at least 3 hours. We would take the first hour to finish cleaning and spend the last two playing the video games. Tron was my main game but I love tempest as well. From time to time employees that were off would stop by including me and play some of the games around the girls. Nothing better to get past level 50 in tempest to feel like a hero to all the crowd around you! Great memories thanks!!

[@iXien]

That's what was really an arcade game from the beginning of 80's. Just score and challenges, frenetic action that let you no respite. A video game was synonymous of competition like a sport. Tempest is am unforgettable example of this era. Well done, you mastered it 💪😃

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Thanks for watching and Commenting on this, just to say I think I had a little help showing the entire game ;-)

[@iXien]

@@ZEUSDAZ 🤣

[@josbar2835]

He did not "master" it. he removed all of the challenge. In this video, he is moving through enemies and obstacles that would have "killed" the icon. So, he is not showing any of the skill or strategy to play the game the way it was designed. He's cheating.

[@iXien]

@@josbar2835 That's what he said in his answer to my comment. So I didn't modify it discovering that he was indeed using a cheat 😁

[@karisasani7006]

Eventually Tempest 2000, 3000, and finally 4000 became a thing. They were all faithful to the original Tempest but adding something of interest to them

[@Daz555Daz]

It was rare to ever see anyone play past the blue levels. A very tough game. I don't recall which level I managed to get to back in the day but I certainly never saw the yellow levels.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

I always found it too fast, some of those alien thingies zoom so fast up the grids that I started to find it wasn't enjoyable, I wonder what made the author decide on such speed, what if it ran about -25% slower?!

[@justjxn]

money@@ZEUSDAZ

[@OxycodoneHelpsMyBack]

I never actually saw gameplay of this for the entire 35 years of my life, but holy fuck this is wild lol the colors and sound are amazing. I could only imagine being a fried teenager playing this in the '80's lol

[@AlanCanon2222]

I was one of those teenagers, and you're right. It's a "vector graphics" game, meaning the electron beam was steered around to draw all those shapes, versus a straight left to right top to bottom scan (the way normal television and computer monitors work to this day), and the colors and lines were, if anything, even more crisp and vibrant than they appear in this video.

[@AudioBotnik]

Arrived here after reading Ernest clines 'ready player one' Outstanding read and an outstanding video TY.

[@barryBass33]

I was a tempest master... I got to the point to where I could put one quarter in and play to the green level... And then stay there for as long as people handing me quarters to watch... Sometimes I'd be up there for 3 hours... If I remember, I got as far as 6 or 7 levels in on the green before they went away.. The only way to really play this game is within arcade machine you need the weighted wheel for the movement... I never competed but did consider going to Chicago to the Atari tournaments... Gets my blood boiling watching this video!

[@redteamla]

This game was and continues to be so beautiful! Thank you for posting this!

[@ZEUSDAZ]

My pleasure.

[@seadrifter8975]

Tempest, defender, galaxians , space panic, asteroids early eighties great memories in the arcades

[@repro7780]

I remember back in the day, a local arcade had like 4 or 5 Tempest machines next to each other; they were that popular!

[@Thelegend-rl2uk]

Wow.. this really brought me to those arcade game days at Nathans on Central Avenue in Yonkers. I tossed many a quarter into those arcades.

[@rockyduggan235]

"I have used the invincibility cheat.." I wish i had that when I started playing this in 1980. Lol A highly addictive and intense game.. still to this day. Thx for posting.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

AT Last, someone read the description before posting for the umpteenth time "he's using cheats, he doesn't get hit" when I've already stated that bloody obvious act 🙄😴 Thanks for tuning in.

[@Fastbreak5000]

I lost many quarters on this game back in the day... Thanks for posting this!

[@ZEUSDAZ]

No problem, just felt the game deserved to be shown in full as no other decent full footage on youtube.

[@gotonkar]

I'm hitting the subscribe just for posting this. Thank you. Brings back memories.

[@robertoswald4861]

They had one of these at the Echo Lake Skating Rink in NJ, early 80s. Knew a couple kids who could get a score of 250,000 or so back in the day. Gods among men. Wonder where they are today; CEOs, Captains of Industry, award-winning authors, dedicated surgeons; who knows, but I knew this - they were going places!

[@ZEUSDAZ]

They could be at 7/11 😅

[@zangmaster]

Man one of the best games ever. One day I will own a machine of my own lol

[@neilloughran4437]

One of the most beautiful games ever made. Atari knew what they were doing back then for sure. But... I very rarely saw this in the UK... think I only actually saw it twice in the 80s.

[@jjrj8568]

I bet this game blew many teenagers' minds back in the early '80s: the futuristic sounds, the color design/blurry neons, the illusion of 3D every time a level is beaten; art.

[@DOMICH59]

Damn..didn't know Tempest had a god mode.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Lol.

[@scatterbrainart]

Yeah, he should've died at least 5 times in the first 5 minutes. At 2:37 it's really obvious the spike goes through him.

[@Doggieman1111]

Yeah clearly a cheat mode

[@RickMattison314]

If no one else made a comment like this, then I was going to make one saying, “does anybody not realize that this guy hasn’t lost a life, like, AT ALL? He must have a cheat code.”

[@Frankcastlepunisher74]

You are a God! This was one of hardest games to play!

[@gibbletronic5139]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's easy to be a God in God Mode.

[@Sinn0100]

​@@gibbletronic5139 Yeah...he's cheating isn't he?

[@weevie833]

There is a cheat setting going here. Something ain't right.

[@slothmachine7564]

Actually making progress in Tempest seems impossible without the spinner. I have the Arcade 1up version of this game (Tempest Legacy). Got to the first red level once and I was jumping up and down with excitement. This game is brutal. After decades of playing it through the years with a controller, never knew there was an invisible set. Hope to get there one day.

[@nitendaymare698]

Good job! REG and DMK are masters at this game. Thanks for the video!

[@lordlycan5035]

Cracking game, like you say from the golden age of video gaming. So many classics back in the day, scramble, asteroids, ghosts and goblins, Qbert, space invaders, gorf, plus my all time favourite defender, and many many more.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Yep, stunning to look at but not many of us really that good at it, just too damn fast.

[@Akira625]

Tempest is by far my favorite vector video game.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

It's a beauty.

[@josbar2835]

Space Duel was also really, really cool! Especially the mode where you have two spaceships linked together and have to constantly adjust for the rotation of the ships. I hope Zeusdaz puts up a post of Space Duel. *Hint, Hint*. 😃

[@ZEUSDAZ]

@@josbar2835 Ha, no way dude, I tried playing it and was hopeless at it, I never get on with anti grav games.

[@jamesanderson9287]

It was the first, the monsters you saw on the outside of the case were supposed to be in it, but that proved too complicated, so we got all the line art player icon and enemy icons.

[@chickensandwich9977]

That looks awesome! Holy crap

[@woltzwurld6760]

Favorite game as a kid.

[@jamesanderson9287]

The history of the game, including reworks, unreleased versions, etc. And near the end Tempest 2 which I never saw and the different levels that most also never saw. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKK3lXd7i7ydaaM

[@mikewilliams1993]

Played this game in a donut shop in Slidell Louisiana in the 80’s to this day the smell of fresh donuts reminds me of this game

[@lesterm23]

I remember this game a lot , went the game room in Houston, TX play my ass off the (tempest). The time went down, the game room closed down. 😢

[@robmains8088]

Absolutely loved this game

[@figure830]

The lighting certainly has its appeal

[@northernbettygirl]

Dude! You were awesome! I could watch you play all night, but I have church in the morning. Goodnight!

[@kzbxvz]

This game will never ever get old but I would love to hear the fantastic Tempest 2000 music on the original gameplay.

[@soylentteal]

I was thoroughly addicted to this game about 40 years ago.

[@davidfreesefan23]

Level colors: 1-16: Blue 17-32: Red 33-48: Yellow 49-64: Aqua 65-80: Invisible 81-96: Green 97-99: Just remains green and cycles again through the level set; past level 99, the map changes but the level number remains stuck on that number (I’m guessing that’s because the programmers only allowed for two digits when they wrote the code for the game?)

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Level 100 should have been a boss fight.

[@davidfreesefan23]

@@ZEUSDAZ That would have been great! What do you think would make for a good Tempest boss? A giant tanker?

[@ZEUSDAZ]

@@davidfreesefan23 A white skull moving inwards.

[@speedymatt1236]

Dude, if there was a boss fight at level 100, it would hands down AUTOMATICALLY be considered the hardest due to the journey being even harder than Grobda!

[@georgeford3687]

If you didn't play thus with Tom Sawyer as a back track, you weren't alive in the 80s

[@peterthomas4796]

just finished reading Ready Player One. This looks like the hardest game ever created. You have some serious skills Zeus

[@thegreek3174]

I'm literally just at this part of the book and had to come and see for myself. Read the second one. It's a great book. Reading RP1 for the second time too

[@retropwned]

#1 fav game of all time.. ever.

[@belldn3]

One of my favorites from back in the day. Never got pass the fourth board.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Classic,...end of.

[@creeation1977]

The memories 😁

[@larrym5120]

I was just giving out props to vector graphics games on another video. I forgot about Tempest.

[@zillsburyy1]

good job DAZ

[@ZEUSDAZ]

😁

[@fernwood]

Ahh the good old days when games didn’t need to make sense. One of my favorites from way back. I can still feel the knob on the game. Like most games I sucked at it, but that never stopped me from dumping my paper route money in. Thanks for listening. Piss off now.

[@porshprix4286]

I was playing this game when I was 5 years old😂

[@PacGuy765]

The enemies: Flippers: Bow-shaped Enemies they Chase after your ship and pull it down the hole; shoot them before they flip down on you to destroy them Tankers: Diamond-shaped enemies that splits into 2 Flippers when either close to or destroyed by the player Spikers: Enemies that don’t harm the player, but create spikes you must destroy before warping to the next level. They sometimes change into Tankers Fuseballs: The colourful circular sparks do not fire at the player but while on the Playfield, they are immune to the player’s projectiles and can only be destroyed with a Superzapper. If they are down the hole however, the player can still shoot them Pulsars: These enemies behave like flippers, but don’t come up to the playfield and instead zap sections of the hole as they move around, don’t be in the same section of them when they are zigzag shaped

[@dotfoxtom5942]

That's a space ship?! I thought it was some sort of vector line spider stopping other vector line spiders from climbing up a wall.

[@PacGuy765]

Colour themes in order: 1-16: Blue with Yellow Shooter 17-32: Red with Green Shooter 33-48: Yellow with Blue Shooter 49-64: Aqua with Blue Shooter 65-80: Invisible with Yellow Shooter 81+: Green with Red Shooter

[@peterconlon8234]

😊 this and Omega Race !

[@Tony-1971]

Great game. Just found it on the Atari Flashback Classics vol 1 collection. Been 42 years since i last played it. I used to be pretty good on it back then. Im hopeless on it now though playing it with a gamepad. No doubt it was much better playing it with the weighted spinner controller on the arcade cabinet. You could be a lot more precise with your shots and your claw/ship would move as fast as you could spin the dial. Stuck at one set speed on the Atari Flashback Classics game using a game pad.

[@jetfrog4574]

Whoa I remember playing a game that was similiar to this but it was different, it made me and other kids that played feel weird.

[@user-vs3yx8jk3d]

Back then it was fun as a kid. Just to hang out at the arcade with all the different games that had to play to get your mind off whatever and then I don't know go to picnic afterwards I guess. Fun times as a kid . I haven't seen any arcades around in a long time I don't even know if they still exist. Does anyone know do they exist? One of us old folks has got to know the answer to that one.

[@thezzach]

This is like a POV version of Defender/Stargate

[@colonelkurtz2269]

Back when arcades were full of great 25-cent games. Now get off my lawn! And let's play some Defender and Tempest! 😅

[@user-qi2jj5nh4h]

Is there an invincible mode on this game? The players ship continues to go right through fuseballs without being destroyed!

[@ZEUSDAZ]

You should really read the video descriptions of vids first, you may not have to look far for the answers ;-)

[@brucec.822]

I use to play this game in the arcade. I can get up to the red levels. But not too much further. But it's still one of my favorite games. I have the PS1 version of this game. It's a little harder with the PlayStation controller. I wish they had come out with the wheel controller.

[@Teenagegoogoomuk]

I played this game a lot back in the 80s. Where can a guy get clips of this ?

[@renevaldez5717]

Childhood memories 😢 😢😢😢😢

[@Kiss__Kiss]

So many quarters and dimes (regular arcades, as well as 10 cent arcades in my hometown) went into playing this game back in the 80s lol Was never this good at it, but enjoyed myself nonetheless.

[@user-vs3yx8jk3d]

Yep. When the words " it isn't my flipping thing." Don't work. Play tempest 😂

[@QuincyPoaches]

45 years later..., still don't know what I am looking at!

[@me-cq7wv]

Bro your on another level, Well played and a very hard game. Dam your good

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Well not quite 😉

[@me-cq7wv]

@@ZEUSDAZ I got the mini version from replicade and its good. But man I could play for years and not reach your levels. But a game I cant put down I keep coming back to fight that high score.

[@artcherryme]

kewl kruel stuff daddy

[@tonyparedes6656]

Wow 😮

[@justjxn]

my main arcade also had a table top unit that had the smoothest control knob you ever felt. anybody know how many sets total there are in the game?

[@cameronpickard7456]

had coolest sound effects ever

[@RedRanger2001]

This is the one that that uses the rotary dial, but the Atari Anthology on the PS2, Xbox, and PC doesn't have the Reliable/Absolute setting like the rest like all the paddle games on the 2600, and the arcade versions of Pong, Super Breakout, and Warlords...

[@teddymills1]

Now THIS is ASMR !

[@tron3entertainment]

I counted 105 levels. I never knew TEMPEST stopped counting at 99!

[@davekintz]

Every time I see a (2016-2021) Honda Civic (tail lights) I think of Tempest. Never got past level 15.

[@zottffss]

Ready Player One anyone? Thanks for helping me pass the first of three tests of the Crystal Gate. :D

[@nerdodragonnerdpl4167]

We really needed Polybyus legend if real trip is right there?:)

[@devonakimmer9402]

Happy monthaversary to this game🎉

[@sergiototote]

Jajaja… Eso es trampa … hay que jugarlo en el modo normal… Buen video…⚡️😃

[@potatosalad9519]

true master

[@dachipbag4405]

wow

[@Doggieman1111]

So this is clearly on a cheat mode of invincibility. And no I didn't read the extended description before posting that, but who does?

[@nameredacted1242]

Surreal game

[@Shazam1806]

How is he not dying when hitting the gaps? And the floaters on top he spins right through them how? Love love love this game.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

Read description of vidoes before commenting is my advice ;-)

[@weevie833]

@@ZEUSDAZ That's not how it works. You should post these things in the spirit of goodwill and not bury the cheat in the description. Otherwise, post a note in the video itself in the beginning to that effect.

[@capableape499]

Polybius 😜

[@astrobat777]

This is sick, I have played this game Dude, you died at the very end. Classic!

[@ZEUSDAZ]

It was a deliberate way of finishing the video as it just stays at level 99.

[@astrobat777]

@@ZEUSDAZ how did you not die? it is amazing

[@ZEUSDAZ]

@@astrobat777 God mode 😉

[@disgruntledtoons]

There seems to be some kind of god mode activated. I see the player surviving things that killed me every time I did them.

[@ZEUSDAZ]

🙄

[@ScoopexUs]

Cool, what's the game running on and how is it recorded??

[@ZEUSDAZ]

MAME emulation recorded on my Sony dvd recorder.

[@MCGPeaches]

was my favorite

[@mikedski9698]

SUPERZAPPER RECHARGE!