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| Spectre | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Developer(s) | Peninsula Gameworks |
| Publisher(s) | Velocity Development |
| Designer(s) | Sam Schillace Steve Newman Craig Fryar Celia Fryar |
| Platform(s) | Macintosh,MS-DOS,Windows,SNES,iOS |
| Release | 1991 (Mac OS) 1992 (DOS) 1993 (Win) 1994 (SNES) 2010 (iOS) |
| Genre(s) | Vehicular combat,first-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer |
Spectre is avideo game for theMacintosh, developed in 1990 by Peninsula Gameworks and published in 1991 by Velocity Development. It is a3Dvector graphics tank battle reminiscent of the arcade gameBattlezone. One sequel,Spectre VR, appeared on a number of lists[which?] of best video games.[1]
The goal of the game is to drive the tank around the playfield, collecting ten flags by driving over them, while avoiding obstacles (including rotatingwindmills) and the shots of computer-generated enemy tanks.
In single player mode, the player can choose four types of tanks, each one having different stats for shields, speed and ammo: Balance, Speedy, Strong and Custom. Each stage passed increases the game's difficulty (quantity and speed of enemy tanks). Furthermore, from level 6 appear orange cone-shaped tanks (which are faster and more resistant than normal enemy red tanks) and every 10 levels the shields of all enemy tanks are increased by 1. After level 9 is passed, the player can throw grenades, which cost 10 ammo and damage all enemy tanks in explosive range.
The game supported multiplayer operation over anAppleTalk network. Each player used a single Mac, and the other players were depicted as enemy tanks.
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |    (Mac)[2] |
| Dragon | [3] |
| Electronic Gaming Monthly | 28/50[4] |
| GamePro | 18.5/20[5] |
| M! Games | 61%[6] |
| Official Nintendo Magazine | 84/100[7] |
| Total! | 81%[8] |
| VideoGames & Computer Entertainment | 6/10[9] |
| Super Action | 88%[10] |
Spectre was reviewed in 1992 inDragon #184 by Hartley, Patricia, and Kirk Lesser in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.[3] It was nominated for an award at the 1993Game Developers Conference.[11]
Computer Gaming World in May 1994 stated that "despite the ... pretensions of cyberspace spread throughout the documentation",Spectre VR "is distilled essence of video game ... The action is pure and uncluttered by anything like plot, depth or even realism". The reviewer approved of the new enemies and playfield features, but reported that the game "was released too soon" withoutIPX compatibility,level editor, and other features.[12]
In 1996Next Generation listed the Macintosh version ofSpectre VR as the 44th best game of all time, citing the "minimalist, hi-res, flat-shaded polys", excellent control even with a keyboard, hundreds of one-player mode levels, and the "fast and furious multiplayer combat".[13]
In a retrospective reviewAllGame editor Lisa Karen Savignano criticized the graphics, noting that the game was "due for a remake" and that the game "is not a game you would want to spend money on".[14]
A sequel,Spectre Supreme, was released in 1993. A Japan-exclusive sequel,Mega Spectre, was released for theFM Towns in 1993.[15]
The 1994Spectre VR is an enhanced network-oriented version of the game. It andSpectre Supreme were also available forIBM PC compatibles.
The originalSpectre was released asSpectre Classic in the late 1990s.
Brilliant Bytes Software releasedSpectre 3D (also known asSpectre: Cybertank Wars) for the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad in May 2010. This version includes levels fromSpectre Classic andSpectre VR, four multiplayer games including Arena, Capture the Flag, Flag Rally and Base Raid, adds 3D visuals, and Bluetooth, Internet and WiFi multiplayer support for up to 16 players. Dedicated hosted servers are also available for online play.
Abrowser game titledSpectre WEB was later released by the developers ofSpectre 3D. As of June 2022, it was in alpha test status.[16]