- Alien Abduction
- H.E.R.O.
- A.R.T.I.
In 2023, homebrew programmer Lewis Hill (aka MuddyVision) released their own take on H.E.R.O., for the Atari 7800. This was no mere clone or upgraded port of the original game. The basic concept of the original game remains the same, but with a level of flair and polish that H.E.R.O. never had, plus a few new additions. Even better, Atari’s legal division confirmed that it wasn’t just “H.E.R.O. Redux”, and gave it the official greenlight for it to be manufactured and sold through their subsidiary company Atari Age. According to Hill, “Yes it’s inspired by H.E.R.O., but graphically, it’s a world apart. Also, the levels do diverge quite significantly the further in you get, and there’s an actual ending, with a bit of a twist. I also wanted to go a different route on the level design, new challenges and obstacles etc, and then add graphical themes and a bit of a story.”
The story is told through the Introduction (selectable at the title screen). An older British chap, Arty, gives you the backstory of the Archaeology Rescue Team International, as well as instructions on how to operate the “A” suit, a partial list of the creatures and environmental hazards you’ll encounter, and what your mission is: to save adventurers and explorers that have become trapped in the ruins of the countries you’ll visit (as well as stopping for a spot of tea after every mission). Your first stop is South America, but later on you’ll be headed to Egypt and Greece. Each country has several sets of ruins to go through.
If you’ve played H.E.R.O., you’ll be right at home here. The “A” suit operates very much like the Prop Pack in H.E.R.O., although you now have a rocket pack, which makes taking off much easier. The laser gun in the helmet and the dynamite used to blow up walls (and temporarily light up darkened rooms) also return. Since this is a 7800 game, it has a two-button control scheme as opposed to the 2600’s one-button controller. One button fires the laser, the other lays down dynamite. Simple. Make sure to get as far away from the dynamite as you can before it explodes, though. It’s still lethal. The laser can still burn through walls if you’re out of dynamite as well.
The ruins are littered with bones that may or may not be from previous members of the Archaeology Rescue Team International. Whether they are or not, they do serve as a grim reminder that this is a deadly mission that you’ve undertaken. There are all sorts of creatures infesting the ruins, some of which are bats, spiders, snakes and insects. A quick shot from the laser takes those out, if they don’t get you first. Some of the walls are red-hot, being made of lava, and are deadly to the touch. There are also underground rivers you have to avoid, as the “A” suit wasn’t made to operate underwater. Small electric lamps dot the walls of the ruins, and if you happen to shoot or pass through one, it will go out, leaving the majority of the room in darkness. You can lay down a stick of dynamite if you need to get your bearings, but those only light the rooms for the duration of the blast.
It’s very easy to tell what country you’re in, thanks to the beautifully detailed graphics. Jungle plants creep through the ruins of South America, hieroglyphics dot the walls of the Egyptian ruins, and classic Greek architecture defines the look of the Greek ruins. Other touches, such as the statues of Anubis in the Egyptian ruins, add to the look of A.R.T.I. One particularly nice touch is that some of the adventurers and explorers you must rescue are some of the most famous heroes from adventure videogames and films. During the game, appropriate themes play in each of the ruins, thanks to the implementation of Atari’s POKEY chip for enhanced sound. After the last explorer is rescued, you’re treated to an ending sequence in which Arty congratulates you on a successful mission and gives you your final score.
As a successor to the mantle of H.E.R.O., A.R.T.I. is more than worthy of the title. It’s just a shame it took nearly forty years to finally get here.
