Space Zap

Space Zap is a space-themed reflex action arcade game developed by Game-A-Tron and licensed to Bally Midway in 1980.^[1][2] Space Zap shipped in three formats: mini-myte, Cocktail table and standard arcade.^[2]

Gameplay

Space Zap based purely on player reflexes. The goal is to defend a base anchored in the center of the screen from alien attackers that shoot from the four cardinal directions^[2] There are four buttons, each corresponding to one of the attack directions. If a projectile ("mine") comes from the left, the player presses the left button, and so on. If the player fails to fire in time, the base explodes. After the player successfully defends the base they encounter an attack satellite that flies around the until the player hits it or satellite hits the base. The player starts out with three lives at the beginning of the game.

The game allows up to two players, taking turns. The cocktail table is the only machine to have two control schemes.^[2]

The player receives points when they shoot a mine or, if lucky, hit the alien ship itself. The points values are 250 for shooting a mine, 500 for the ship, and 2,000 for the attack satellite. The player receives an extra base at the scores of 75,000, 150,000, and 300,000.^[2][3]

Technical details

The game has a raster display with 352 by 240 resolution.^[4]

References