Tombstone City
| Tombstone City | |
|---|---|
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| Publisher(s) | Texas Instruments (TI) |
| Original Retail Price | $39.95 (USD) |
| Programmer(s) | John C. Plaster |
| Part# | PHM 3052 |
| Format(s) | Solid State SoftwareTM Command Module |
| Release | 1981 (4th Quarter) |
| Genre(s) | Shooter |
Tombstone City is a single-player shooter video game created for the TI-99/4A home computer system. It was released by Texas Instruments (TI) during the 4th quarter of 1981. It was created by programmer John C. Plaster and released on Solid State SoftwareTM Command Module cartridge with Part #3052 retailing originally for $39.95 (USD).
Gameplay
The player in Tombstone City controls a spaceship referred to in the literature as a schooner. The object is to destroy the primary targets which are green aliens referred to in the manual as Morgs, and secondary targets which are purple tumbleweeds. The purpose of the game is to woo others back to live at an unnamed southwestern town in the United States by reducing the number of aliens and destroying these tumbleweeds. The score is labeled as "population in the game. The game is over when the player loses all his/her schooners.
The player's schooner starts out in the center of sixteen blocks right in the middle of the screen. This structure of blocks represents a safe zone where the Morgs cannot enter and kill the player. The player can kill either Morgs or tumbleweeds within the range of the safe area of blocks, however, most of the targets will require the player to leave the safety of the blocks and venture outside, making the player much more vulnerable. Each tumbleweed destroyed earns the player 100 points of population. Each Morg earns 150 points. Morgs spawn wherever two Saguaro Cacti touch, either side-by-side, above one another, or vertically. Gnerally, when a Morg is shot, it creates a new catus. When a Morg is killed while touching a producing pair of cacti, however, it will destroy the cacti and produce a single new Morg. The object of the game is to destroy all producing pairs of cacti. Doing so will pass a level of the game called a day, and move onto the next level or day with cacti regenerated in a new random position and earning the player a new schooner.
One caveat while killing the Morgs is to be aware that killing a Morg within one space of a single cactus will produce a new producing pair of cacti. Producing adjacent cacti pairs will extend the day or level. Also, kill Morgs at the exits/entrances of the safety zone of blocks prevents the player from leaving or entering that entrance or exit. If the player blocks all exits/entrances, and the player is within the safety zone, the player's schooner is transported to a random spot outside the zone where he/she must continue the game with no safe place to hide from the Morgs. If the player is killed at this point, new schooners will generate outside the safety zone in a random spot. The player can open up entrances/exits into the safe zone by killing Morgs adjacent to two Cacti where one happens to block the entry/exit, but this can be a lengthy and difficult process.
Manual
Downloads
1981 Tombstone City Cartridge (Black Label on Black Cartridge)
1982 Tombstone City Cartridge (Red Label on Black Cartridge)
Old-Style Tombstone City Manual Cover
Modern-Style Tombstone City Manual Cover
Tombstone City Shooting Sound
Tombstone City Theme Song
Tombstone City Manual Complete (pdf format)
Tombstone City MAME/MESS Rom (rpk format)
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