Wizard Of Wor (Arcade)

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Wizard Of Wor
Publisher:	Midway Manufacturing Company
Developer:	Developer's name
Alternative Title:	Alternative title 1 (Region) Alternative title 2 (Region)
Release date:	JP: date/monthintext/year NA: date/monthintext/1980 EU: date/monthintext/1980 AU: date/monthintext/year
Genre:	Genre Name
Number of Players:	1-2
Rating:	ESRB - ESRB-rating PEGI/ELSPA - PEGI-rating CERO - CERO-rating
Platform:	Arcade Arcade hardware: Bally Astrocade
Media:	ROM
Online Functions:	No
Amazon:	UK US De Fr Jp Ca

Wizard Of Wor appeared during the Golden Age of Arcade gaming considered by many to be the first few years of the 1980s. The title presents the player with a typically-themed scenario of the time - human versus aliens. In the scenario laid forth by Wizard of Wor the gamer is portayed as one of a pair of astronauts or Worriors, each armed with a laser and clad in full astronaut gear.

Contents 1 Story 2 Formats 3 Gameplay 4 Screenshots 5 Review Scores 6 Trivia 7 Credits 8 Emulation 9 External links

Story

This game currently has no story filled in. Please edit this entry to include a brief outline of the story. Try to avoid spoilers!

Formats

• Apple II
• Arcade
• Atari 2600
• Atari 5200
• Commodore 64
• Bally Astrocade - Unlicensed version, call The Incredible Wizard.

Gameplay

Wizard Of Wor is unusual in its game play. Even if playing in single-player mode both on-screen characters join the action and thus it is always a two-Worrior game. The interaction between the Worriors is not governed by any game mechanics, leaving the choice of co-operative, competitive or homicidal action down to the gamers. In single-player mode many gamers will choose to make their first action that of killing off the other character as they will be rewarded 1000 points for each life taken. When starting the game the players can insert additional credits for extra lives - either three (3) or seven (7) lives for each player are available.

The action takes place in a series of maze-like dungeons each with an exit to the left and right but the exits lead in back in through the other side in a similar manner to the side tunnels in Pac-Man. The early levels provide many twists and turns allowing the player to position in fortuitous locations to easily pick off the adversaries. Trying to kill your Worrior are a small suite of opponents, each named by the game: Burwor, a blue alien with red eyes; Garwor, a yellow alien with a red tongue and lion-like tail; Thorwor, a red alien with six legs; Worluk, a fast moving fly-like alien and the Wizard Of Wor himself, a blue-clad cloaked figure who dashes around and frequently warps to different locations in the dungeons.
While awaiting players, the game guides the on-lookers into the basic necessities. The use of the radar screen at the bottom of the game area affords the player full knowledge of the location of the aliens. Additionally, a hint is made as to when the aliens will certainly be visible on-screen.

As mentioned, the player starts with a limited number of Worriors and they will soon be disposed of by the aliens whether the gamer is experienced or not. A grand total of two bonus players are available for collection during game play. They are available, in the arcade game just prior to either at the 3rd or 4th dungeon (depending on the dip switch settings) and then just prior to the 12th dungeon.

Each player can only shoot once from their laser at a time, having to wait for the beam to reach it's culmination before firing again. Each shot will travel the length of the current corridor or until they meet with an alien, an alien's own shot, the other Worrior or the explosion from something previously hit. The game screen is essentially split into multiple squares and only one entity or the combination of both Worriors or multiple aliens can fit into any single game square. Collision detection is rudimentary and the player can occasionally take advantage being bumped out of a square both the player and an alien are entering and/or leaving at the same time.

Prior to each dungeon the player is informed to GET READY with a simple but effective dread-filled tune! As is typical with most games the game play begins at a fairly sedate pace but increases in difficulty rapidly with each new dungeon. In the first dungeon the player has a few Burwor to polish off and with the final one defeated a single Garwor appears randomly in the maze. After that initial Garwor is defeated a single Thorwor appears randomly to take the place of the Garwor as the only adversary. For the first level only, once that Thorwor is defeated the dungeon is complete. For all subsequent dungeons, the number of Garwor and subsequent Thorwors appearing increases until the game reaches its maximum difficulty which only takes a matter of around ten dungeons. By this point each defeated Burwor is replaced by a Garwor and each defeated Garwor is replaced by a Thorwor.

After the last Thorwor is disposed of in the second dungeon, and for all dungeons thereafter, a Worluk will appear and rapidly dart about the maze heading ultimately for one of the two exits. The player must be quick on the draw to defeat a Worluk. If the Worluk is defeated the player will receive double points during the next dungeon only. Once the player has received their first bonus player, the Wizard Of Wor himself will randomly appear after some Worluks (regardless of whether the Worluk is defeated). Unlike the Worluk the player must be particularly quick on the draw as the Wizard rarely stays in one place for very long disappearing and re-appearing some moments later elsewhere in the maze but usually too close to the player for any comfort. The Wizard Of Wor does not head for an exit but will remain on screen until either the current life of a Worrior or the Wizard is defeated. As with the Worluk, if the player defeats the Wizard the next dungeon will be played with double points but alas, not quadruple if both Worluk and Wizard are defeated.

The game reaches it's ultimate difficulty with the 13th dungeon, named simply The Pit. The Pit has no walls to hide behind and a full complement of adversaries to defeat. Most players will never reach this dungeon through the course of a single-credit game.

After The Pit the game loops to the start of the more difficult dungeons and continues to loop thereafter.

Screenshots

Wizard Of Wor Screenshots

A sample of the Dungeon layouts available in the original arcade version. There is no set sequence to the dungeons and the player will not see all of the basic dungeons in any one game. Providing the player is sufficiently skilled, they will eventually see all of the more difficult dungeons.
Easy dungeon ex. #1	Easy dungeon ex. #2	Easy dungeon ex. #3	Easy dungeon ex. #4
The Dungeon following the first bonus player
Difficult dungeon ex. #1	Difficult dungeon ex. #2	Difficult dungeon ex. #3	Difficult dungeon ex. #4
The Pit

Review Scores

This game currently has no review scores. Please edit this entry to include any review scores relating to this game, in the form:

• Magazine Name: score (issue number or date)

Trivia

Despite it simplicity, Wizard Of Wor features highly in the ground-breaking areas culminating in many firsts and notable inclusions for arcade games.

• Invisible opponents.
• Radar screen to see the gaming environment.
• Purchaseable number of lives.
• Simultaneous two-player action.
• Artifically-intelligent automated player.
• Randomly warping opponents.
• Side-tunnels leading to the opposite side of the game area.

Credits

This game currently has no credits filled in. Please edit this entry to include any credits for the game you can, in the form:

• Job: Person 1, Person 2

Emulation

Known to be emulated in MAME since version 0.4.

External links

The Many Faces of ... Wizard of Wor - RetroTimes.