Title |
Graveyard feature: Star Wars
Arcade |
Developed |
2009 |
Platforms |
Nintendo
DS
Web browsers |
Genre |
Classic Arcade |
Screenshots |
jpg |
# shots |
6 |
Badges |
|
In order to build Code Mystics' portfolio, we invented
projects to challenge us. We weren't commissioned to do this work
it was entirely our own idea but it helped us flex
our technical muscles and there was always the chance that the
completed prototype might grab the interest of the parties in
question. Code Mystics' Graveyard
series features these games that never were.
So, with that said, we admit this one was a long shot but
nostalgia compelled us! Atari's 1983 Star Wars arcade game is an all-time
favourite of many, including many of us on the Code Mystics team.
We wanted a proving ground for our FOCAL Emulation Techology that
we'd been building up, and we already had the vector renderers
from Tempest. Star Wars
was built on the Motorola
6809 CPU, a CPU we wanted to add to our revamped tool chain,
and it was a great excuse to play the game again.
The thing with Star Wars, though, is that it's
obvious a property of LucasFilm (now part of Disney) but the
game is also an Atari creation. Working out the business side
with the various stakeholders seemed pretty daunting, but it was
secretly our dream to have that classic 1983 arcade game (and
perhaps its two sequels!) out there for its 30th
anniversary.
We got the game running both on the Nintendo DS
and also in browser, expanding on the technology we'd created for
the Atari Play browser experience
earlier that year.
It was a great demo that we were proud to show off in industry
meetings when we could, but alas the pieces never came together.
Who knows, though? We think it'd be a great addition to the
inevitable PR push that'll come with Episode VII... Anyone at Disney want to get in touch?