Dropzone
A Defender-inspired shooter set on Jupiter's moon Io.
Dropzone is a horizontally scrolling shooter, the first commercial game from Archer Maclean, who developed it under the name Arena Graphics for Atari 8-bit computers. U.S. Gold published it in 1984. The game was later ported to the Commodore 64, as well as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color. Ports for the Master System and Sega Genesis were announced but never released. Its gameplay and style closely resemble the arcade game *Defender*, borrowing elements such as the font, alien designs, and title screen.
The plot is set on Jupiter’s moon Io, where a human research base is under alien attack. The player controls a character with a jetpack, laser, cloaking device, and three smart bombs, tasked with rescuing scientists and returning them to the base.
Gameplay follows the style of Williams Electronics’ *Defender*, with influences from *Scramble* and *Robotron: 2084*. The player navigates a horizontally scrolling field, avoiding or fighting various aliens—some slow, others fast—while catching scientists who are captured and dropped by enemies. Aliens sometimes carry lethal androids that must be avoided. There are 99 levels, each progressively harder; after level 99, the game loops back to level 95.
Maclean bought an Atari 800 when it launched in the UK in 1981 and began work on what became *Dropzone*. He handled the Commodore 64 conversion himself, noting the C64 version was about 46 kilobytes, with 15,000 lines of code, 350 subroutines, and 3,000 labels. He described the Atari as a “Porsche” capable of running the game 2.5 times faster than the C64, which he likened to a “BMW 316.” The title *Dropzone* was chosen shortly before release. Maclean signed a European distribution deal with U.S. Gold, but after 18 months they stopped paying royalties, claiming poor sales. He also found the game sold outside Europe, including in the U.S. After four years of legal disputes, the case was settled out of court for copyright infringement, and Maclean used the settlement to buy his first Ferrari.
The Atari 8-bit version received strong reviews. *Computer and Video Games* called it one of the best Atari games in May 1985, and *Personal Computer World* praised its graphics and sound. The Commodore 64 version earned a gold medal and 95% overall rating in *Zzap!64* issue 3.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Dropzone
- Developer
- Arena Graphics
- Publisher
- U.S. Gold / Mindscape / Acclaim Entertainment (GBC)
- Designer
- Archer Maclean
- Released
- 1984
- Genre
- Scrolling shooter
- Modes
- Single-player
- Platforms
- Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear, NES
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set on the surface of Jupiter's moon Io, where a human scientific research base is under attack by aliens. The player dons a jetpack armed with a laser, a cloaking device, and three smart bombs to rescue scientists and return them to the base. Gameplay is in the style of Williams Electronics' Defender, with influences from Scramble and Robotron: 2084. Players control a hero rescuing scientists on a horizontally-scrolling field, eluding or engaging various aliens—some slow, others faster—and returning scientists to the eponymous dropzone. Aliens capture scientists walking along the ground; the player must shoot the aliens and catch the falling scientists. Sometimes aliens carry lethal androids instead, which must be avoided. There are 99 levels of gameplay, each increasingly difficult; after level 99, the levels repeat starting with level 95.
Reader's Guide
Dropzone holds significance as Archer Maclean's first commercial game, developed after he purchased an Atari 800 in 1981. Maclean converted the game to the Commodore 64 himself, noting that the C64 version was about 46 kilobytes long with 15,000 lines of code, 350 subroutines, and 3000 labels. He described the Atari as 'the Porsche of home computers,' capable of running the game 2.5 times faster than the C64 and handling more on-screen objects. The name 'Dropzone' was not settled until shortly before the game went gold. Maclean entered a publishing deal with U.S. Gold for European distribution, but after 18 months they stopped paying royalties, claiming the game was no longer selling. Maclean saw it for sale outside Europe and in the United States, leading to four years of legal wrangling that settled out of court for copyright infringement; with the proceeds, he bought his first Ferrari. The Atari 8-bit version received overwhelmingly good reviews, with Computer and Video Games calling it one of the best Atari games. The Commodore 64 version was awarded a gold medal in Zzap!64 magazine with an overall rating of 95%. A sequel, Super Dropzone, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Advance, and PlayStation, though only the Game Boy Advance version saw a North American release. A fully playable port of the C64 version appears in Windows, PlayStation, and Dreamcast versions of Jimmy White's 2: Cueball, also by Archer Maclean.
Did You Know?
- Dropzone was Archer Maclean's first commercial game.
- The name 'Dropzone' was not settled on until shortly before the game went gold.
- Maclean settled a copyright infringement lawsuit with U.S. Gold out of court and used the proceeds to buy his first Ferrari.
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