Vindicators (video game)
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1988 |
| Products | Vindicators |
Vindicators is an arcade video game launched by Atari Games in 1988. The game supports one or two players who maneuver tanks across levels with multidirectional scrolling. Home versions were produced by Tengen, which circumvented Nintendo's 10NES security system by employing an alternative chip. Although ports for the Atari Lynx and Apple IIGS were planned—the latter reaching completion—both were ultimately cancelled. The title was succeeded by a lesser-known arcade follow-up, Vindicators Part II.
Gameplay
Players begin by choosing a difficulty setting that influences enemy toughness, player fragility, starting "galaxy" level, and initial powerup availability. The easiest mode starts players at the first level without any bonuses. The player pilots a tank whose fuel continuously diminishes while traversing 14 stations (in the arcade release), avoiding hazards and hostile forces. Available powerups include fuel replenishments, stars serving as currency, shields, and two secondary weapons: homing smart shots and powerful bombs. Each stage contains a key required to unlock a door granting access to the subsequent level or a limited-time powerup area; failure to exit this zone results in fuel being halved.
Boss battles demand tactical deployment of sub-weapons since standard shots have no effect. Upon defeating a boss, players advance to the level’s conclusion.
Between stages, a shop allows players to spend collected stars on upgrades such as enhanced tank speed, firepower, and shielding. Shields provide substantial damage mitigation. When fuel runs out, the tank slows down and initiates a 10-second countdown; if the player fails to refuel or is hit during this interval, the tank is destroyed and a life is lost.
The arcade edition featured distinctive dual-joystick controls per player and incorporated three contest levels awarding special contest stars. Accumulating three contest stars along with nine regular stars unlocked a timed contest stage with prizes like T-shirts. These contest features were omitted in later releases.
Legacy
The sequel Vindicators Part II debuted in the same year as a conversion kit for Gauntlet, with roughly 400 units manufactured. Its gameplay closely resembles that of the original, preserving 10 of the 14 stations along with the original graphics, soundtrack, and sound effects. Key differences include a less robotic male voice for in-game announcements and added temporary tank upgrades.
Vindicators Part II was included in the 2012 compilation Midway Arcade Origins released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
External links
- Vindicators at Arcade History
- Vindicators Part II at Arcade History
- Vindicators at World of Spectrum
- Articles with short description
- 1988 video games
- Amiga games
- Amstrad CPC games
- Arcade video games
- Atari arcade games
- Atari ST games
- Cancelled Atari Lynx games
- Commodore 64 games
- Domark games
- Midway video games
- Multiplayer and single-player video games
- Multidirectional shooters
- Nintendo Entertainment System games
- Tank simulation video games
- Tengen (company) games
- Unauthorized video games
- Video games developed in the United States
- Video games scored by Brad Fuller
- Warner Bros. Games franchises
- Westwood Studios games
- ZX Spectrum games