Paperboy (video game)

Atari Games

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	1984 (1984)
Founder	Nolan Bushnell, Ted Dabney
Headquarters	Sunnyvale, California , United States
Products	Arcade games, video games
Parent	Warner Communications (1984–1985), Time Warner (1985–1996), WMS Industries (1996–1999)

Paperboy is an action game created and distributed by Atari Games, initially launched as an arcade video game in 1985. Players take on the role of a paperboy delivering the fictional newspaper The Daily Sun while riding a bicycle along a neighborhood street. The arcade edition featured handlebars as the primary control interface.

Starting in 1986, the title was widely adapted for various home platforms. A follow-up, Paperboy 2, appeared in 1991 for home computers and gaming consoles.

Gameplay

In this game, the player navigates a paperboy on a bike through a suburban street presented in an oblique projection perspective. The controls consist of handlebars to steer and buttons to toss newspapers.

There are three difficulty levels available: Easy Street, Middle Road, and Hard Way, with the latter two offering double or triple point multipliers. The street includes 20 houses, of which 10 are designated subscribers.

Players must deliver newspapers by accurately throwing them onto subscribers’ porches or into their mailboxes while avoiding hazards such as cars and skateboarders. Additional points are awarded for hitting obstacles and damaging homes of non-subscribers. Newspaper bundles can be collected to replenish limited supplies. Upon completing the delivery route, players enter a training course where they have unlimited papers to hit targets and perform jumps. Crashing during the delivery route results in losing a life; however, crashes in the training course end the session without penalty.

Successfully finishing the route grants bonus points and progression to the next stage. Missing deliveries or damaging subscriber homes causes subscription cancellations; flawless deliveries can increase subscriber count by one, up to a maximum of ten.

The game features seven stages representing days from Monday through Sunday. On Sunday, newspapers are heavier and slower when thrown. The game concludes if all lives are lost, all subscriptions are canceled, or after completing Sunday’s training course, which grants bonus points based on remaining lives.

Development

The concept for Paperboy originated in February 1983 when Atari designer Dave Ralston drew inspiration from his childhood paper route. After receiving approval from Atari management, programmer John Salwitz joined the project despite initial hesitation.

Will Noble was responsible for graphics, character creation, and animation. Early prototypes included unusual adversaries such as giant snails and ghosts; however, focus groups rejected most except for an elderly lady character. Marketing executive Don Trager recommended emphasizing positive feedback. Russell "Rusty" Dawe took over as project manager. The character roster was adjusted to feature more realistic figures like bullies, skateboarders, and animals while retaining some original quirky characters.

Ralston developed vehicle designs that replaced earlier surreal elements; team members’ initials were subtly incorporated into these designs. The street layout was planned using foam boards with line drawings covered by plastic sheets to facilitate character placement.

Multiplayer score colors were inspired by Salwitz’s and Ralston’s favorite baseball teams. The development team introduced a “breakage bonus” system rewarding players for damaging subscribers’ property separately from the main scoring mechanism. Programmer Bob Flanagan implemented the "Grand Slam High Score Table" to accommodate three difficulty levels.

The arcade cabinet featured custom bicycle handlebars adapted from a modified Star Wars yoke, including buttons for throwing papers; these handlebars also controlled acceleration and braking. Built on Atari System 2 hardware powered by a 10 MHz DEC T-11 CPU programmed in BLISS language, the game utilized a 60-degree isometric viewpoint inspired by Sega’s Zaxxon, which presented technical challenges related to scrolling and rendering.

A planned playable papergirl character was removed due to memory constraints. Sound processing and coin input were managed by a 2.2 MHz MOS Technology 6502 CPU; audio hardware included two POKEY chips for digital sound effects, a Yamaha YM2151 synthesizer for music (composed by Hal Canon using Rusty Dawe’s RPM driver), and a Texas Instruments TMS5220 chip for speech synthesis. Brad Fuller and Earl Vickers contributed sound effects and voice performances; narration was provided by programmer Peter Thompson, while marketing executive Don Trager voiced the paperboy character.

Although intended as the first game to utilize the YM2151 sound chip, Paperboy was released after Marble Madness. The arcade version employed a Slapstic protection chip model 137412-105.

Ports

In September 1986, Elite Systems launched a ZX Spectrum edition in the UK, which was soon followed by adaptations for the Commodore 64, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 16, and Commodore Plus/4.

In the United States, a version for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) was created by Eastridge Technology and distributed by Mindscape in December 1988. This release appeared unexpectedly at Summer CES 1988, serving as a last-minute substitute for Bad Street Brawler. That same year, Mindscape also issued an Apple II edition, including a port for the Apple IIGS that received criticism. In October 1989, Elite introduced versions for the Atari ST and MS-DOS within the UK, followed shortly by a release on the Amiga.

Mindscape brought out a Game Boy adaptation in North America in July 1990, with a subsequent UK release later that year. Meanwhile, Sega and U.S. Gold published a version for the Master System in the UK in November 1990. Atari released an edition for the Atari Lynx handheld console in 1990. By March 1991, Mindscape's NES version had also become available in the UK.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine ranked Paperboy as the fifth most successful upright arcade game in November 1985. Meanwhile, in the United States, it was the leading arcade software conversion kit during December 1985.

When first showcased at London's Amusement Trades Exhibition International (ATEI) in early 1985, Computer and Video Games commended its control scheme but noted its challenging difficulty. The arcade title earned second place for Computer Gamer magazine's best coin-operated game award, trailing behind Capcom's Commando. Eurogamer awarded the arcade version a 9/10 score in 2007, praising its gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack.

The ZX Spectrum adaptation reached number one on UK sales charts in September 1986, while the Commodore 64 variant also topped charts again in November. It ranked as the seventh highest-selling video game in the UK during 1986.

Advanced Computer Entertainment (ACE) granted the Atari ST port an impressive score of 850 out of 1,000, with Zero awarding it an 86/100, both emphasizing its arcade-like experience. The ZX Spectrum version received a 16/20 rating from Computer Gamer, recognized for its faithful conversion despite repetitive gameplay. Additionally, ACE gave perfect 5/5 ratings to the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC editions, applauding their graphics and labeling them "budget classics." Reviews from UK magazine Computer and Video Games were mixed: while Commodore 64 earned a low score of 52% due to criticism of music and sprite quality; ZX Spectrum scored higher at 83%. Ken McMahon of Commodore User rated both Commodore 16 and Plus/4 versions with a moderate score of 6/10 based on ease of play.

The ZX Spectrum release received an 88% score from Crash magazine, which described it as "slick" and enjoyable, whereas Zzap!64 assigned lower ratings to Commodore 64 versions (ranging from 44% to 60%) citing repetitive gameplay as a drawback.

Opinions on handheld versions varied: CVG found the Lynx edition visually attractive but lacking engaging gameplay; STart commended its graphics but dismissed it as "just another shoot-em-up"; Raze acknowledged good Lynx visuals but considered it outdated; AllGame criticized its sound design and repetitive nature on Lynx.

The Master System port garnered praise from CVG, which regarded it as one of the finest arcade conversions despite some musical shortcomings, with positive feedback from Mean Machines highlighting its graphics and fidelity, although Raze provided mixed opinions. Conversely, the NES version faced harsh critique from Mean Machines, labeled as a poor adaptation, while AllGame recognized solid controls and sound effects but noted weak music quality. The Game Boy version was rated "Excellent" by Raze, yet criticized by Mean Machines for controls and visuals; additionally, ACE mentioned difficult controls and subpar sound.

The Genesis port received top scores from Polish magazine Top Secret, applauding its graphics, animation, and soundtrack while favoring it over other editions.

Amiga reviews were largely positive: The One awarded it an 80%, describing it as nearly flawless; while ACE gave it an outstanding rating of 878 out of 1,000 for being an ideal arcade conversion; Tony Dillon from Commodore User rated it at 83%, noting its close resemblance to the arcade original; although Gordon Houghton of CVG found improved sound but criticized jerky graphics and altered gameplay, ultimately calling it outdated and expensive. Meanwhile, Compute! praised its music and visuals but found gameplay repetitive.

IGN’s Robert A. Jung described the Lynx version as decent though average in quality. IGN’s Craig Harris was highly critical of the Game Boy Color edition, branding it the worst adaptation due to poor music quality, absence of speech audio, collision detection problems, and lack of enjoyment. AllGame’s Scott Alan Marriott complimented its vibrant graphics but noted no major changes compared to the original arcade game.

Later editions

Paperboy was also adapted for platforms such as the Nintendo 64, Xbox 360, and iPhone/iPod Touch. Dean Austin from IGN expressed disappointment with the Nintendo 64 version's retro 3D visuals but commended its gameplay, describing it as a "great game." Daniel Erickson of Daily Radar considered the gameplay to be "bland" and overly "repetitive." Robert Amsbury of GameRevolution acknowledged the sound effects positively but criticized the monotonous music, concluding that the game "isn't really all that fun." Weiss pointed out flaws in the Nintendo 64 release regarding controls, music, and graphics. Ben Stahl from GameSpot highlighted outdated sound effects and remarked that it "doesn't capture the magic of the original arcade game." Conversely, IGN’s Levi Buchanan praised the mobile version for its responsive controls and faithful recreation of the arcade classic.

The Xbox 360 iteration garnered "Mixed or average reviews" on Metacritic. TeamXbox awarded it an 8.2 score, affirming that Paperboy "delivers" on its promises. Greg Sewart at GamesRadar described it as an "authentic recreation," though he noted that control precision suffered due to the absence of the arcade’s handlebar controller. GameSpot’s Jeff Gerstmann expressed disappointment over the lack of updated audio and visuals, suggesting it primarily appeals to those nostalgic for the original. IGN’s Erik Brudvig mentioned limited enjoyment and awkward controls stemming from the isometric perspective. Meanwhile, Kristan Reed of Eurogamer praised both control mechanics and replay value despite repetitive gameplay elements. Corey Cohen from Official Xbox Magazine complimented the music and controls, emphasizing that its appeal was comparable to that of the arcade original.

Tarryn van der Byl from Pocket Gamer criticized the iPhone adaptation for its poor control scheme and described its 3D graphics mode as "ugly" and clumsy. Slide to Play labeled it a "mixed bag," though they acknowledged positive aspects in gameplay. Mark Langshaw of Digital Spy remarked that this version primarily targets fans familiar with the original title, offering nostalgia but lacking fresh innovations.

Based on Metacritic data, Paperboy: Special Delivery received a score of 55 out of 100, reflecting mixed feedback. Blake Patterson from TouchArcade regarded it as an improvement over Elite’s iPhone edition, praising both controls and visual presentation. Jon Mundy of Pocket Gamer gave it a 5/10 rating, criticizing issues with gameplay, controls, and technical problems such as stuttering on various devices. Andrew Nesvadba from AppSpy rated it 3 out of 5 stars, commending enhanced graphics and story mode while noting control difficulties and brief playtime. Jeremiah Leif Johnson at Gamezebo awarded three stars out of five, appreciating the story mode and retro aesthetic but pointing out subpar controls.

Legacy

Following the original, a sequel titled Paperboy 2 was launched in 1991 across multiple home platforms.

The classic arcade edition of Paperboy was featured in the 1998 PlayStation compilation Arcade's Greatest Hits: The Atari Collection 2. A Game Boy Color adaptation, created by Digital Eclipse Software and released by Midway, became available in the United States on May 30, 1999. By July 1997, High Voltage Software had initiated early development on a Nintendo 64 version, actively searching for a publisher to target a 1998 launch. Eventually, Midway confirmed their role as publisher for the N64 edition, which was under development utilizing a 3D polygonal graphics engine, and it debuted in North America on November 4, 1999.

Midway announced intentions in May 2000 to release a PlayStation version within that year; however, this version never reached the market. The title was included in the 2003 collection Midway Arcade Treasures, accessible on GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Windows platforms, as well as in the 2005 release Midway Arcade Treasures: Extended Play for the PlayStation Portable. In May 2005, Sega Mobile revealed plans for a mobile phone iteration, which was subsequently released in May 2006. An Xbox 360 port appeared on Xbox Live Arcade on February 14, 2007, but it was withdrawn by 2010.

The iPhone and iPod Touch adaptation launched on the App Store on December 18, 2009; it was developed by Vivid Games and published by Elite Systems. This version was removed in March 2010 due to licensing complications. Subsequently, Glu Mobile introduced a fresh iOS rendition called Paperboy: Special Delivery on November 4, 2010. This edition featured a story mode with twenty levels where the paperboy aims to save money to purchase a gaming console but eventually delivers roses instead of newspapers. Additionally, it offered an optional tilt-based control system.

A version of Paperboy can be played within the 2015 title Lego Dimensions, accessed via the Arcade Dock during the "Painting the Town Black" stage. Moreover, it is part of the Midway Legacy Edition arcade cabinet produced by Arcade1Up.

In other media

• In early stages of developing the DIC Entertainment animated series Captain N: The Game Master, the protagonist from Paperboy, named "Buddy," was originally set to be the central figure with the show tentatively titled Buddy Boy. Although this concept was ultimately discarded, elements from Paperboy surfaced in season two’s episode "The Invasion of the Paper Pedalers," which included a character named Julio from "News World" within Videoland.
• The main character from the game made brief appearances in Disney’s film Wreck-It Ralph as well as in the 2015 movie Pixels.

External links

• Review featured in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine