Red Baron (1980 video game)

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For the MS-DOS game, see Red Baron (1990 video game).
Red Baron
Single-player

Red Baron is an

first-person flight simulator game, the player takes the role of a World War I ace in a biplane fighting on the side of the Allies. The game is named after the nickname of Manfred von Richthofen, German flying ace. The game uses the same monochrome vector graphics and similar hardware as Atari's own Battlezone
; both were developed at the same time. Like Battlezone, the player is presented with a first-person view of the action. Both Battlezone and Red Baron use additional hardware, an "Auxiliary" board, to perform the mathematical computations required for simulating a 3D environment.

Gameplay

The game is divided up into rounds. Most rounds are divided into air combat (shooting from one to three airplanes in formation) and ground combat (two zeppelins and multiple ground targets). While the game does not feature accurate flight physics (the plane cannot be crashed directly into the ground, for instance), the vector-rendered mountain ranges serve as solid objects and flying into or through them causes the player to crash and lose one

zeppelins, pillboxes
, turrets, and enemy buildings.

Red Baron adjusts its own game

NVRAM stores top three scores
as well as average game times. In other words, this game has "adaptive difficulty". The goal of this feature was to adapt to the skill level of the typical player at that location and prevent excessive game times.

The upright versions of Battlezone (1980) and Red Baron share the same cabinet. In Battlezone, the player looks through a window that was shaped like a tank periscope. Side-view windows were available on both sides for people not playing the game to watch the action. Battlezone utilizes a two-way mirror to superimpose the monitor display (mounted horizontally) on a tank "interior" background. Although Red Baron uses the same cabinet as Battlezone, no mirror is used and the monitor is mounted vertically, with the player viewing the display directly.

Battlezone and Red Baron both used the same "Analog Vector Generator" (AVG) circuit boards and by switching the

PROM's they could be interchanged (with very minor jumper
additions). Red Baron and Battlezone use different auxiliary boards which are not interchangeable.

Reception

quadra-scan graphics and magnificent audio frills", and expressed hope that "this marvelous flight simulator with a combat theme will re-emerge in home format some day".[2]

Legacy

While playing Red Baron in 1982, Bill Stealey and Sid Meier decided to create what became MicroProse's first game, Hellcat Ace. The company later obtained the unit they had played as a memento.[3]

Red Baron was released as part of the

Atari: 80 Classic Games in One! compilation for Microsoft Windows, and later on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 in Atari Anthology. This version included parts of the cabinet art surrounding the game screen. The game is also available on Atari Greatest Hits
Volume 2 for the DS. The arcade version of Red Baron is also available on the AtGames Legends Ultimate Arcade Cabinet.

References

  1. ^ a b Product: Total Build (PDF). Atari Games. 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 10, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  2. ^ Pearl, Rick (June 1983). "Closet Classics". Electronic Games. p. 82. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  3. ^ "MicroProse Captures "Red Baron" as Corporate Momento". Computer Gaming World. June 1988. p. 9. Retrieved 3 November 2013.

External links

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