Elevator Action
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| Elevator Action | ||
| Missing image ElevatorAction-ingame.png In game | ||
| Developer: | Taito | |
| Publisher: | Taito | |
| Release date: | 1983 | |
| Genre: | Action, Side-Scrolling, Platform | |
| Game modes: | Up to 2 players | |
| Cabinet: | Standard | |
| Controls: | 4-way joystick; 2 buttons | |
| Monitor | ||
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| Notes | ||
| None | ||
Elevator Action is a 1983 arcade game by Taito. It debuted during the "Golden Age of Arcade Games". Innovative in gameplay, this game was fairly popular for many years.
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Description
The player assumes the role of a spy who infiltrates a building filled with elevators. He must collect secret documents from the building and traverse the 30 levels of the building using an increasingly complex series of elevators. The player is pursued by enemy agents who appear from behind closed doors. The player must outwit them via force or evasion. Successful completion of a level involves collecting all the secret documents and traversing the building from top to bottom. In the lower floors of the building, the elevator systems are so complex that some puzzle-solving skills are needed.
The game cabinet was a standard upright. The controls consisted of a 4-way joystick and two buttons, one for "shoot" and the other for jumping and kicking. The graphics are extremely simple, 2D color graphics. The maximum number of players is two, alternating turns.
Gameplay
The player assumes the role of Agent 17, codename: "Otto", a secret agent for an unspecified organization or government. As Otto, the player must "acquire" (steal) a series of secret documents from a tall building which Otto enters from the roof. Otto must traverse the building's numerous levels via a series of elevators and escalators while acquiring the documents. After retrieving all the documents, Otto must escape via the getaway car at the bottom of the building and thus progress to the next level of the game.
The documents are located behind closed doors which the player enters to retrieve. Enemies appear from behind some doors and the player can evade them or attack them in a number of ways. Using his gun he can fire at them or use it to sever a hanging light above their head, dropping it on them. The player can also kick the enemies (by jumping into them) or attempt to crush them with an elevator Otto is riding. The player is captured (or killed) if touched by enemy agents (except if kicking) or hit by enemy fire. Otto may jump over low enemy fire or duck to evade higher enemy bullets.
The upper levels of the buildings are fairly easy to traverse and sparsely populated with enemies. As the player progresses downward, enemies become more numerous and some escalators appear for travel between levels. In the lower floors of the buildings (which, since the building is traversed from top to bottom, is actually further into the level), the elevator system becomes very complex and traversal more difficult. On these floors, not only does the player need to manage to get to the bottom floor, they must at the same time evade or dispatch the numerous enemy agents attempting to apprehend them. Traversing these lower floors requires some puzzle-solving skills and this novel gameplay added to its appeal.
Legacy
Since this game was fairly successful, it was followed by a sequel in 1994 called Elevator Action II, sometimes known as Elevator Action Returns. Though featuring far superior graphics, it never achieved the same success as the original.
The Killer List of Videogames includes this game in its list of "Top 100 Video Games".
There is an enhanced remake of Elevator Action on the Game Boy Color, called Elevator Action EX. The Game Boy Color game Dexter's Laboratory is also very similar to this classic game.
There is also another enhanced remake on the Game Boy Advance, called Elevator Action - Old & New, which was released only in Japan.
Ports
Like many games of this era, Elevator Action was ported to some home systems in 1985 for personal use. It was ported to the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System.
External links
- The KLOV entry on Elevator Action (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=E&game_id=7700)
- The KLOV entry on Elevator Action II (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=E&game_id=7701)
- The KLOV entry on Elevator Action Returns (http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=E&game_id=7702)
- Elevator Action game movie (http://www.jmpc.com/Starcade/games/elevatorAction3.htm)
- MobyGame's entry on Elevator Action for home systems (http://www.mobygames.com/game/sheet/gameId,10914/)