Re: Star Wars Arcade port for the Apple II?

[Mitchell Spector <mitch2gs@hotmail.com>]

"Luke" <luke@nospam.digidude.homeip.net> wrote:

>    You need a joystick mind you, with the keyboard it's pretty impossible. 
>The first part of the game you are in your X-wing approaching the Death star 
>and have to shoot some Tie-fighters. The next phase is flying near the 
>surface of the Death star where you have to avoid being shot by the laser 
>turrets while of course you can counter attack. Last phase is in the Death 
>Star "trench" leading towards the exhaust port of the reactor. You have to 
>avoid being shot and when you reach the port you have to aim to shoot your 
>ion/plasma (don't recall) charge into the port. If successful, the Death 
>star blows up and the game starts all over again, with a higher difficulty 
>level.
>
>   I believe there are some PCM samples of Obi One saying "Luke, use the 
>Force" and some exclamations such as "Yahoo" when you destroy some 
>tie-fighters - but I may be getting mixed up with the real arcade game which 
>I also used to play (which was pretty much the same, using vectorial 3D 
>rendering with higher definition and cool effects).

    This is the first I've heard of an Apple II port of Atari's vector based
Star Wars arcade game. Back in the late 80's I collected all the major
games still being released for the Apple IIe/IIc (had there been more 
IIgs games coming out, I probably wouldn't have bothered) and never
came across a Broderbund Star Wars game. In fact, I can't even recall
a single ad or mention of it in magazine catalogs listings like Programs 
Plus, who often listed games before they were released. Sounds like 
an unreleased leaked beta game. 

    There were several unofficial Star Wars games. "Death Star", 
"Star Wars: Part II" and "Star Clones" are some that I can think
of off hand. None of them followed the arcade format too closely.

>   If you wish, I can track the disk and make an image of it - I have to set 
>my Apple IIe up again with ADT as I don't have much space and only 
>temporarily place it beside my PC when I get that "urge" to mess with it 
>again. Let me know if you want it and I will have a good excuse to put my 
>hands on my Apple IIe again (it's always a pleasure)!

    I'd would be very interested in having a look! If you have a disk
image created, feel free to send it over.

Mitchell Spector