Fathom
Fathom is an Imagic created action video game for the TI-99/4A. It was programmed by Neil Mckenzie and released 3rd quarter of 1983 and released on Solid State SoftwareTM Command Module. It sold originally for $39.94 (USD) as part number PHM 3222.
| Fathom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publisher(s) | Imagic |
| Original Retail Price | $39.95 (USD) |
| Programmer(s) | Neil McKenzie |
| Part# | PHM 3222 |
| Format(s) | Solid State SoftwareTM Command Module |
| Release | 1983 (3rd Quarter) |
| Genre(s) | Action |
Contents
Gameplay
The goal for the player in Fathom is to ultimately rescue Neptune's daughter, Neptuna. She has been kidnapped by the sea Titans and is being held captive against her will. The player controls either a dolphin who navigates through the sea, or a bird who navigates the skies. The goal is to collect the missing pieces of Neptune's trident. As a bird, the player needs to tough all of the clouds while avoiding running into other birds in the air which will reduce the players energy level. As a dolphin, the player needs to touch the seahorses which reveal the trident pieces. Touching octopuses, sharks, and seaweed will also cause the player to lose energy. Once all the trident pieces have been collected, Neptuna will be released.
Advertising Blurbs
Front Cover of Manual
Free Neptune's daughter! Change from a seagull to a dolphin and search the skies and seas for the missing pieces of Neptune's magical Trident. Avoid perilous obstacles on your way. Find all the Trident pieces and you can free Neptina!
Triton Catalog - Spring 1983
Rescue Neptune's daughter. She's chained to a sunken ship, her father powerless to help because his enemies have broken his magical Trident into three pieces. You travel the sky and the sea in search of the pieces, all the while fighting off obstacles to save her! (Speech Synthesizer and Wired Remote Controllers recommended.)
Fun Fact
According to the programmer, David Coons, one summer a student programmer went into the office during the weekend, and instead of typing IN (INstall Volume, the hard disk cartridge on which all of the project's code was located) typed INV(INitialize Volume) which formatted the disk, destroying all the code for the Football. There were no backups of the program code, so the programmers spent the next week retyping the code from old printouts they had created. Moral of the story: Always, Always Backup!! [3]
Manual
Downloads
1979 Football Cartridge (black label on black cartridge)
1982 Football Cartridge (red label on black cartridge)
1983 Football Cartridge (red label on beige cartridge)
Football Manual Front Cover
Football Manual Complete (pdf format)
Football MAME/MESS Rom (rpk format)
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
.png){kind=small}
