Encounter! (video game)
| Industry | Video game development and publishing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Paul Woakes, Bruce Jordan |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Encounter! |
Encounter! is a first-person shoot 'em up title launched in 1983 for the Atari 8-bit computers and Commodore 64. Created by Paul Woakes, who co-established Novagen Software, the game was distributed across the UK and Europe by Novagen, while Synapse Software handled its North American release. Compared to Atari's 1980 arcade classic Battlezone, this game delivers quicker action and features large-scale bitmap graphics.
In 1991, Encounter! was reissued by Atlantis Software as a budget cassette release for the Atari 8-bit and Commodore 64 platforms. That same year, additional versions were developed for the Amiga and Atari ST systems.
Gameplay
The player’s objective involves destroying hostile saucers and kamikaze drones on a flat terrain. Enemies appear one at a time and are tracked on a radar display positioned beneath the main screen, accompanied by a counter showing how many foes remain. Defensive pillars are scattered throughout the level, providing protection from incoming fire. Once all enemies are defeated, a portal obstructed by various hazards opens to permit progression to subsequent stages. The game includes three selectable difficulty levels.
Development
Encounter! marked Paul Woakes’s debut as a game developer. Prior to establishing Novagen Software, he sought assistance from Bruce Jordan of the Birmingham Atari Centre to facilitate publishing efforts. Jordan consented, resulting in the creation of Novagen—initially functioning as Woakes’s company while Jordan managed publication and distribution through a revenue-sharing arrangement. Released in early 1984, the title achieved strong commercial success; notably, the Atari version maintained higher and longer chart positions than its Commodore 64 counterpart, although the C64 edition enjoyed particular popularity within Germany.
Reception
The magazine Your Commodore awarded Encounter! four out of five stars, commending its demanding gameplay, varied environments, and audio cues that alert players to enemy attacks. In 1991, the game was adapted for the Amiga platform. However, Amiga Joker assigned it a modest score of 57%, criticizing its gameplay as outdated and recommending it only for brief, occasional play sessions.
A retrospective article in Retro Gamer described Encounter! as a "technical marvel," highlighting its fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of Battlezone, featuring solid, filled-in objects rapidly moving across the display.