Games with attract mode?

[gabriele amore]

Do you know of any (good one)?

[Alessandro]

Some suggestions here:

https://www.spectrumcomputing.co.uk/for ... 635#p11635

[Vampyre]

I've never played it on the Speccy but does Virus (Firebird)? I know it certainly did on the ST. I recall reading, many years ago and I've no idea if it's true or not, that the original Archimedes attract mode taught itself how to play the game. So if you left it for a few hours it would be like an expert playing it.

I take that with a pinch of salt. I expect it's about as true as the rumour the Archimedes version being written in BASIC.

[Pobulous]

Spectipede has a decent (for the time and RAM) attract mode - the whole presentation really captures the vibe of an early arcade cab.

[Luzie]

"Hudson Soft" Games like:

Vegetable Crash
Frog Shooter
Driller Tanks
Cannon Ball
Stop the Express

[clebin]

Everyone's a Wally shows the characters wandering around the town. My Mum and me saw it running in the window of WHSmiths and thought it looked terrific, so we 'enquired within' about what the game was and came away with a copy.

[Einar Saukas]

Perhaps we should have a tag in ZXDB for "attract mode"?

[spider]

Perhaps we should have a tag in ZXDB for "attract mode"?

Only issue I can see with that is what qualifies.

Some games will have a fair bit of randomness in a mode like that (ideal) and some will simple execute a script***, the same thing again and again. Others might just show 3 or 4 screens (either the same or different each time) then loop back to the menu.


*** Sometimes in boredom, if you apply some form of immunity type of cheats then invoke a demo/attract mode it can be fun to see what it does / does not do / crash etc.

[Einar Saukas]

Only issue I can see with that is what qualifies.

Some games will have a fair bit of randomness in a mode like that (ideal) and some will simple execute a script***, the same thing again and again. Others might just show 3 or 4 screens (either the same or different each time) then loop back to the menu.

IMHO all of them qualify.

[Morkin]

Two scramble-type games with attract modes:

Penetrator
Cavern Fighter

Interesting to see the difference between how 'good' the computer player is though.

Cavern Fighter's is a bit crap. Tends to die after barely getting into the first tunnel. Looks like almost random movement controls.

Penetrator's is pretty good, Gets a fair way into the game. It looks like a human player is controlling the ship, though the ship doesn't lurch forward when it fires lasers, something I'd typically expect to see due to the infamously bad control keys with thrust/fire on the same key.

[Vampyre]

IMHO all of them qualify.

I agree. Anything that looks like the computer is playing itself or has a rolling demo of screens is viable IMO.

I've actually thought of one and tested! Pheenix (Megadodo)

[StooB]

HyperSports
Daley Thompson's Supertest
Nebulus
Uridium

[animaal]

I remember Jasper https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... rum/Jasper having such a mode.

Ir's a 1984 game. Perhaps the earliest listed so far?

Edit: never mind, Spectipede is 1983.

[PeteProdge]

What's the one where the attract mode was actually an action replay of your last game? I swear there was something like that.

[Morkin]

I remember Jasper https://spectrumcomputing.co.uk/entry/2 ... rum/Jasper having such a mode.

Ir's a 1984 game. Perhaps the earliest listed so far?

Edit: never mind, Spectipede is 1983.

...And Penetrator is 1982... I wonder if there were any on the ZX81?

Another early one - 3D Tunnel (1983).

Its attract mode even shows you all the levels in the game.

[zx81]

- Stainless Steel
- Beach Head 2
- Robocop 3
- The Way of the Exploding Fist
- Who dares wins 2
- Ghost'n'Goblins?
- Ghouls'n'Ghosts?

[Oloturia]

- Skool Daze starts in "DEMO MODE"
- Wheelie has a demo mode but you have to press a key to enter
- Abu Simbel Profanation starts a slideshow of the various screens after a while, I remember it because my (bootlegged) copy was broken and couldn't start... to be honest, even when I played it on the emulator, I never went past the first two screens.

[Juan F. Ramirez]

If I remember well, Raid Over Moscow, Rambo & Beach Head have it.

[Pobulous]

What's the one where the attract mode was actually an action replay of your last game? I swear there was something like that.

Rings a bell with me, too.

[worcestersource]

I seem to think Boulder Dash has one?

[AndyC]

There was definitely a codies game that had the ability to replay your last game - maybe BMX simulator? I don't know if it did it on the attract screen though.

[Vampyre]

What's the one where the attract mode was actually an action replay of your last game? I swear there was something like that.

I'm sure there was a Speccy one, but I'm buggered if I can remember it. The only game in recent years I remember doing it is Super Meat Boy

[PeteProdge]

There was definitely a codies game that had the ability to replay your last game - maybe BMX simulator? I don't know if it did it on the attract screen though.

It does let you press A for an action replay at the end of a level. The attract mode however is two computer players. I've just tried deliberately playing very badly (going anti-clockwise and crashing loads) to check all this!

[AndyC]

It does let you press A for an action replay at the end of a level. The attract mode however is two computer players. I've just tried deliberately playing very badly (going anti-clockwise and crashing loads) to check all this!

Hmm, yes. Although I think the attract mode might actually be a recording of the Oliver Twins playing now that you mention it.

[Lethargeek]

Intensity
Capitan Trueno (p2)
Mot (p1)
Ulises (and maybe some other Opera games)