The Earth Dies Screaming (video game)
| The Earth Dies Screaming | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sirius Software |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Designer(s) | Dan Thompson |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | 1983 |
| Genre(s) | Shooter, action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The Earth Dies Screaming is a 1983 space shooter developed by Sirius Software and published by Fox Video Games based on the 1964 movie The Earth Dies Screaming, which was produced by 20th Century Fox. Gameplay involves shooting at incoming enemy spaceships before they attack the player's shapeship or the Earth itself. The game was released under the name Final Orbit for Atari 8-bit computers.
Gameplay
[edit]The Earth Dies Screaming is a first-person space shooter where the player attacks incoming enemy spaceships.[1] Players move a targeting reticle around the screen, trying to destroy incoming ships before they fire missiles at the player's ship.[2] While shooting, the bottom of the screen shows a rotating Earth which gives "a pretty good illusion of 3-D motion".[3] Enemy ships can also directly target the Earth.[4]
Gameplay was compared to a first-person version of Missile Command.[2]
Development and release
[edit]The Earth Dies Screaming is loosely based on the 1964 film of the same name, which was released by 20th Century Fox.[3] The studio partnered with Sirius Software to release games under its Fox Video Games imprint.[5] The game was considered as having "absolutely nothing to do with the plot of the film",[3] and was described as part of a trend for 20th Century Fox to recover investment from "underperforming films".[5]
The game was released on the Atari 2600, Atari 8-bit computers, and the VIC-20 in 1983.[6] The game was renamed Final Orbit for its release on the Atari 8-bit Computer.[7]
Reception
[edit]VideoGameCritic.com praised the graphics but found the game confusing.[8] The game's graphics were considered a "visual upgrade" from the 1977 game Star Ship.[9] GameSpot called the game a "slow and tedious experience", preferring the similarly themed games of Star Raiders and Starmaster.[7]
Multiple reviews commented on the uniqueness of the game's name,[2][7] but the Fort Worth Star-Telegram described the name as a "turn-off".[10]
References
[edit]- ^ Wilson, Drew (December 5, 2014). "Review: The Earth Dies Screaming (Atari 2600)". freezenet.ca. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ a b c Slaton, Derek (April 6, 2012). The Video Game Archeologist Volume 1. ISBN 9781463551117. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ a b c "The Earth Dies Screaming for the Atari 2600". retroist.com. January 5, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ Weiss, Brett (December 20, 2011). Classic Home Video Games, 1972-1984: A Complete Reference Guide. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 56. ISBN 9780786487554. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ a b Hall, Stefan (May 2011). "You've Seen the Movie, Now Play the Video Game": Recoding the Cinematic in Digital Media and Virtual Culture (PhD thesis). Bowling Green State University. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ "The Earth Dies Screaming". MobyGames. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ a b c "The Earth Dies Screaming – Review". GameSpot. July 16, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ "Atari 2600 Reviews E". VideoGameCritic.com. November 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ "Atari 2600 Game Reviews: Dumbo's Flying Circus through Encounter at L-5". WoodgrainWonderland.com. January 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
- ^ Hudson, Lou (August 20, 1983). "Videoplay". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved April 27, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.