Space Cavern

Games by Apollo

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	1982
Founder	Pat Roper
Fate	Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November 1982; ceased operations in 1983
Headquarters	United States

Space Cavern is a fixed shooter video game launched in 1982 for the Atari 2600, developed and published by Games by Apollo. Players assume the role of a spaceship commander tasked with defending against aggressive alien creatures on a distant planet. Inspired by Demon Attack, Games by Apollo’s founder Pat Roper commissioned Dan Oliver to develop a comparable title.

Gameplay

In Space Cavern, the player pilots a spacecraft that has landed on a hostile planet inhabited by Electrosauri and Marsupods, both of which threaten the crew.

Movement is controlled via joystick, allowing the player to move left or right. Pressing up or down on the joystick fires lasers to the left or right respectively, while the button fires shots upward. The objective is to eliminate enemies approaching from both above and below before they collide with the player’s ship, which results in losing a life. Additional lives are granted every 2,000 points; points are earned by destroying foes—115 or 165 points for Electrosauri and 200 points for Marsupods.

The game features twenty-four different variations that can be played solo or with two players, adjustable through the Atari 2600 difficulty switches. These variations influence factors such as enemy quantity, movement speed, laser firing direction, and whether Marsupods appear.

Development

Pat Roper, founder of Games by Apollo, attended a Consumer Electronics Show with programmer Ed Salvo to view the Imagic title Demon Attack. Impressed by its design, Roper decided to create a similar game and instructed developer Dan Oliver accordingly, without disclosing the original source of inspiration. The game was released in 1982. In 1983, publisher Panda issued an identical version under the name Space Canyon, and although an Atari 5200 port was started, it was never finalized.

As development wrapped up, Games by Apollo faced severe financial difficulties, owing nearly $5 million—half of which was owed to advertising firm Benton & Bowles. Struggling to meet mounting debt obligations, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on November 12, 1982. Despite founder Roper anticipating limited returns, Apollo ultimately ceased operations in 1983 after reorganization attempts were unsuccessful.

Reception

Arcade Express commended Space Cavern for its death animations but criticized the enemy designs, noting that it primarily appealed to experienced players. Reviewers Bill Kunkel and Arnie Katz from Video magazine debated the control mechanics as either "awkward" or "an innovative variation," recognizing its divisive reception among arcade enthusiasts. In a subsequent review in Electronic Games, they described the title as highly replayable but expressed dissatisfaction with enemy visuals.

TV Gamer deemed the gameplay overly simplistic, whereas Videogaming Illustrated praised it as comparable to Phoenix, calling it Games by Apollo’s finest release and accessible to players of all skill levels.

At the 1983 Arkie Awards, Space Cavern received an honorable mention in the "Best Action Video Game" category.