description Tempest Overview
Tempest is a classic 1981 arcade video game developed by Atari. It’s notable for its innovative use of a rotating playfield and challenging gameplay involving precise aiming and movement with a rotary knob. The game was primarily designed for entertainment in public arcades and remains popular among retro gaming enthusiasts seeking a demanding tube-shooter experience.
info Tempest Specifications
| Country | United States |
| Year | 1981 |
help Tempest FAQ
Who designed Tempest for Atari?
Tempest was designed by Dave Theurer at Atari and released in arcades in 1981. Theurer also designed other landmark Atari arcade games including Missile Command.
What made Tempest technologically innovative for its time?
Tempest was one of the first arcade games to use Atari's color vector display technology, rendering crisp, luminous lines that raster-based monitors could not produce. The tube-like playfield viewed in a pseudo-3D perspective was visually unlike anything else in arcades when it launched.
What controller does Tempest use?
Tempest is controlled using a rotary spinner knob for moving the player's shooter around the edges of the playfield, combined with a fire button. This high-precision spinner provided the responsive aiming that the game's fast-paced gameplay demanded.
Can Tempest be played on modern platforms?
Tempest has been re-released through various Atari compilation packages on modern consoles and PC. The franchise was notably revitalized by Jeff Minter's Tempest 2000 for the Atari Jaguar in 1994, and Minter later created the spiritual successor TxK for the PlayStation Vita in 2014.
explore Explore More
Similar to Tempest
See all arrow_forward
Reviews & Comments
Write a Review
Be the first to review
Share your thoughts with the community and help others make better decisions.
