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It was received by APX in the morning mail. I saw it at 10:30. We showed it to the president of the company just after lunch. It was not a tough decision for him. Legal got in touch with Greg
Christensen in short order. The young man, I think he was a community college freshman, suddenly had a bunch
216:
into a vertical tunnel. The player's spacecraft has two cannons, positioned on either side of the craft, firing downward. The player must avoid hitting the walls while shooting targets of opportunity along the way. Fuel tanks give 5 units of fuel when shot, and the craft is destroyed if it runs out.
261:
In the originally submitted version, when the player reached the end of the selected map, the game ended. Thorlin felt it needed something more. Christensen was too busy, but agreed to use his royalties to pay for someone else to do the work. Thorlin hired
Richard Watts of Macrotronics to make a
220:
The cavern is divided into different sections depending on the skill level: the easiest setting has three sections, the hardest has six. The final section is always a reactor which the player lands on and sets to explode. The ship then reverses course and has to fly up and out of the caverns to
417:
keeps the vertical orientation of the original with improved graphics and more sections in each cavern. The caverns are narrower and more difficult to maneuver in right from the start. It was released through the Atari
Program Exchange in 1982, then later Antic Software.
168:, the player descends into cave and at the end must retrace their steps back to the top. Christensen wrote two less successful follow-ups, one of which scrolls horizontally and is similar to
444:
gave the game an overall B rating, stating that "whether it is a better game than the original is debatable" and concluding that "it is a good choice for the dedicated arcade game player".
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305:"delightful ... addictive and excellently paced". It noted the age of the author and stated that the game "has all the look, feel, and play of a 'professional' program".
904:
269:
eventually won the 1981 APX game contest, winning another $ 3,000, and in
December 1982, Atari told Christensen he might receive up to $ 100,000 in royalties.
396:, scrolling horizontally and with rockets that launch upward from the ground. The game was completed in 1981, but not published until several years later by
265:
Two months after sending it to APX, Christensen received his first royalty check for $ 18,000 and a phone call from an Atari executive who praised the game.
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288:. When asked to collaborate on a cartridge-based port, Christensen declined, having started college. Atari released the cartridge version in 1983.
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number of modifications. This included a new ending in which the player has to fly back out of the cavern in reverse before a timer runs out.
873:
346:
gave the game an overall B+ rating, calling it "fast-paced and addictive" and "great fun ... a must for any dedicated arcade game player".
197:. Christensen changed the orientation of the levels, having the player fly down into them as opposed to horizontally through them. Unlike
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reviewer opened with "Four minutes later. I was hooked. Four hours later, my wife dragged me away" and concluded by noting that "the
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players, saying that it was "a reinvention of the wheel" and too easy for them. The magazine noted some improvements, such as a
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s graphics "impressive", noting that the game takes advantage of a little-used mode allowing four colors per character. A
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received a
Certificate of Merit in the category of "Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Computer Game" at the 4th annual
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149:. It was written by Greg Christensen, with some features later added by Richard Watts, and published by the
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of money inflicted upon him. I was never certain whether he benefited from that in the long run or not.
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is a scrolling shooter similar in concept and visual style to the 1981 Konami arcade video game
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1050:"Caverns of Mars: Recharged announced for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC"
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Stanton, Jeffrey; Wells, Robert P.; Rochowansky, Sandra; Mellid, Michael, eds. (1984).
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gave it a 3.5 out of 5, praising the action and pointing out only a few minor flaws.
272:
Atari licensed the game in early 1982 for distribution in the main Atari catalog on
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Greg
Christensen, a high-school senior, purchased an Atari 800 in 1981 and created
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276:. This was the first game crossover from APX to Atari; it was followed by
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212:, the player controls a ship descending through a hole on the surface of
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became the best selling APX software of all-time and was moved into
1112:(Interview). Interviewed by Kevin Savetz. ANTIC, the 8-bit podcast
179:
595:
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has that indefinable "something" that makes it arcade-quality".
213:
161:'s official product line, first on diskette, then on cartridge.
946:(March 1983). "Arcade Alley: The Best Computer Games".
763:"A History of Gaming Platforms: Atari 8-Bit Computers"
685:"Fred Thorlin: The Big Boss at Atari Program Exchange"
184:
Opening scene showing a fuel tank and static rockets
1110:"ANTIC Interview 222 - Richard Watts, Macrotronics"
237:. It was the first significant program he wrote in
233:in "little more than a month and a half" using the
124:
112:
91:
79:
67:
57:
41:
24:
315:after losing a life, and called the game "great".
669:The Creative Atari: Dog Daze and Caverns of Mars
914:: 64. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
442:The Addition-Wesley Book of Atari Software 1984
254:
865:InfoWorld's Essential Guide to Atari Computers
388:with a lesser-known sequel, originally titled
436:and multiple skill levels, but advised that "
8:
596:"The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers"
729:
727:
589:
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1191:Video games developed in the United States
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30:
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838:The Addison-Wesley Book of Atari Software
830:
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356:Electronic Fun with Computers & Games
641:
639:
544:
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353:cited it as a good Atari arcade game.
701:
608:
351:'s Essential Guide to Atari Computers
221:escape before the detonation occurs.
7:
570:
568:
956:(12). Reese Communications: 32–33.
624:Anderson, John J. (May–June 1982).
463:In 2023, the game was released for
841:. Addison-Wesley. pp. 89–90.
14:
1077:Shore, Howard A. (Jan–Feb 1984).
1048:Romano, Sal (January 25, 2023).
868:. Harper & Row. p. 74.
761:Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice,
1181:Atari 8-bit computer-only games
1171:Atari Program Exchange software
1108:Watts, Richard (28 July 2016).
1006:Bang, Derrick (May–Jun 1983).
805:Brannan, Charles (July 1982).
647:"Caverns of Mars User's Guide"
1:
1186:Vertically scrolling shooters
888:: CS1 maint: date and year (
683:Savetz, Kevin (April 2000).
903:Gerson, Phil (April 1983).
344:Book of Atari Software 1984
1217:
1176:Atari 8-bit computer games
778:Bang, Derrick (May 1982).
736:, The Creative Atari, 1983
489:Caverns of Mars: Recharged
1196:Single-player video games
1033:"Atari Flashback 2 specs"
924:: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
715:"Programming for Dollars"
561:. Winter 1981. p. 4.
29:
311:liked the game's use of
1201:Video games set on Mars
440:veterans should wait".
559:Atari Program Exchange
460:classic game console.
452:In 2005, a version of
259:
246:Atari Program Exchange
235:Atari Assembler Editor
205:remain on the ground.
185:
151:Atari Program Exchange
48:Atari Program Exchange
1012:Computer Gaming World
813:(review). p. 183
630:Computer Gaming World
448:Re-release and remake
384:Christensen followed
298:Computer Gaming World
183:
147:Atari 8-bit computers
862:Mace, Scott (1984).
581:, Spring 1982, p. 11
579:The Atari Connection
554:APX Software Catalog
456:was included on the
279:Eastern Front (1941)
1065:Due out on March 9.
656:. Atari, Inc. 1982.
521:is a direct clone.
392:. It is similar to
1079:"Cavern Creatures"
487:, under the title
390:Caverns of Mars II
331:Creative Computing
244:. Fred Thorlin of
186:
976:"Mars Mission II"
905:"Caverns of Mars"
875:978-0-06-669006-3
807:"Caverns of Mars"
780:"Caverns of Mars"
751:How they Got Game
734:"Caverns of Mars"
689:AtariArchives.org
575:"Caverns of Mars"
465:Microsoft Windows
458:Atari Flashback 2
428:might disappoint
252:arriving at APX:
242:assembly language
143:scrolling shooter
134:
133:
119:Scrolling shooter
108:Atari (cartridge)
36:Cartridge release
1208:
1166:1981 video games
1121:
1119:
1117:
1095:
1094:
1092:
1090:
1085:. pp. 49–50
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786:. pp. 14–15
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747:"Back to Basics"
745:Charlotte Thai,
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713:Dale Archibald,
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515:Conquest of Mars
502:Cavern Creatures
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141:is a vertically
73:Greg Christensen
63:Greg Christensen
34:
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721:, December 1982
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517:(2006) for the
511:Caverns of Mars
505:(1983) for the
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485:Xbox Series X/S
469:Nintendo Switch
454:Caverns of Mars
450:
430:Caverns of Mars
412:
402:Mars Mission II
382:
379:Mars Mission II
375:
363:Caverns of Mars
336:Caverns of Mars
325:
323:Caverns of Mars
303:Caverns of Mars
294:
227:
203:Caverns of Mars
189:Caverns of Mars
178:
166:Caverns of Mars
155:Caverns of Mars
153:(APX) in 1981.
138:Caverns of Mars
104:
99:
74:
50:
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25:Caverns of Mars
20:
19:1981 video game
17:
16:1981 video game
12:
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5:
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1152:Gameplay video
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1144:Gameplay video
1137:
1136:at Atari Mania
1127:
1126:External links
1124:
1123:
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1103:
1100:
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998:
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912:Electronic Fun
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675:
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626:"Atari Arcade"
613:
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594:Hague, James.
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509:is similar to
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398:Antic Software
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342:Addison-Wesley
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848:0-201-16454-X
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632:. p. 18.
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477:PlayStation 5
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473:PlayStation 4
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129:Single-player
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75:Richard Watts
72:
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69:Programmer(s)
66:
62:
60:
56:
53:
49:
46:
44:
40:
33:
28:
23:
1148:
1140:
1132:
1114:. Retrieved
1102:Bibliography
1087:. Retrieved
1082:
1072:
1064:
1057:. Retrieved
1053:
1043:
1036:
1028:
1016:. Retrieved
1014:. p. 44
1011:
1001:
992:Keita Iida,
988:
979:
970:
953:
947:
940:Kunkel, Bill
934:
920:cite journal
911:
898:
864:
857:
837:
815:. Retrieved
810:
800:
788:. Retrieved
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451:
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434:pause button
429:
425:
424:stated that
421:
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401:
393:
389:
385:
383:
378:
367:Arkie Awards
362:
361:
354:
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105:
103:Atari (disk)
100:
96:Winter 1981:
95:
43:Publisher(s)
1059:January 25,
980:Atari Mania
944:Katz, Arnie
719:Video Games
654:Atari Mania
499:Datamost's
313:checkpoints
285:Typo Attack
225:Development
159:Atari, Inc.
101:April 1982:
86:Atari 8-bit
81:Platform(s)
59:Designer(s)
52:Atari, Inc.
1160:Categories
996:, Atari HQ
817:30 October
702:Watts 2016
609:Watts 2016
539:References
519:Atari 2600
962:0147-8907
884:cite book
767:Gamasutra
532:Airstrike
349:InfoWorld
292:Reception
248:recalled
1116:18 April
1083:Softline
1008:"Phobos"
994:"PHOBOS"
811:Compute!
784:Softline
704:, 15:50.
525:See also
507:Apple II
481:Xbox One
422:Softline
394:Scramble
318:Compute!
308:Softline
274:diskette
210:joystick
208:Using a
199:Scramble
194:Scramble
176:Gameplay
170:Scramble
114:Genre(s)
1089:29 July
1054:Gematsu
1018:28 July
790:15 July
672:. 1983.
386:Caverns
321:called
301:called
267:Caverns
250:Caverns
231:Caverns
125:Mode(s)
92:Release
1149:Phobos
960:
872:
845:
495:Clones
426:Phobos
415:Phobos
409:Phobos
373:Legacy
949:Video
908:(PDF)
650:(PDF)
326:'
106:1983:
1118:2021
1091:2014
1061:2023
1037:cnet
1020:2014
958:ISSN
926:link
890:link
870:ISBN
843:ISBN
819:2013
792:2014
483:and
438:Mars
340:The
282:and
239:6502
214:Mars
145:for
98:APX
400:as
164:In
1162::
1081:.
1063:.
1052:.
1035:,
1010:.
978:.
952:.
942:;
922:}}
918:{{
910:.
886:}}
882:{{
827:^
809:.
782:.
765:,
749:,
726:^
717:,
687:.
652:.
638:^
628:.
616:^
586:^
577:,
567:^
557:.
513:.
491:.
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404:.
369:.
172:.
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982:.
964:.
954:6
928:)
892:)
878:.
851:.
821:.
794:.
691:.
611:.
598:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
