Radar Scope
A failed arcade shooter that inadvertently created Donkey Kong.
Radar Scope is a 1980 shoot 'em up video game developed and published by Nintendo for arcades. The player controls the Sonic Spaceport starship, defending a space station against the Gamma Raiders in a three-dimensional perspective. Its commercial failure led to the creation of Donkey Kong, which rescued Nintendo of America from financial crisis.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Nintendo R&D2, Ikegami Tsushinki
- Publisher
- Nintendo
- Composer
- Hirokazu Tanaka
- Platforms
- Arcade
- Released
- October 8, 1980 (JP); December 1980 (NA)
- Genre
- Shoot 'em up
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Radar Scope is a shoot 'em up presented from a three-dimensional third-person perspective over a gradient-blue background. The player pilots the Sonic Spaceport starship to defend a space station against Gamma Raiders. Each stage contains 48 Gamma Raiders in formation; some swoop down and fire, while others attempt to ram the space station. The Sonic Spaceport has a damage meter that depletes with enemy fire. A life is lost when the meter empties or upon collision with a raider or projectile. Three cabinet types were produced: upright, tabletop, and a rare sit-down version.
Development and release
Nintendo shifted focus from toys and playing cards to arcades after the 1973 oil crisis and the success of Space Invaders. Radar Scope was developed by Nintendo R&D2, led by Masayuki Uemura, with audio by Hirokazu Tanaka. Shigeru Miyamoto assisted with art production, though his role is debated—some say he designed onscreen graphics, others that he created only the cabinet artwork. The arcade hardware was co-developed with Ikegami Tsushinki, based on Namco's Galaxian hardware, using high-speed ECL IC chips and memory on a 50 MHz PCB. Radar Scope was released in Japan on October 8, 1980. Minoru Arakawa, president of Nintendo of America, ordered 3,000 units based on favorable Seattle tests, but shipping delays caused market disinterest. Only 1,000 units sold; the remaining 2,000 sat unsold, creating a financial crisis.
Reception and legacy
Radar Scope was a commercial failure, with 2,000 unsold cabinets in Nintendo's warehouse. The salvage of this hardware for Donkey Kong and Mario yielded $280 million, rescuing Nintendo of America and funding the NES launch. Retrospective critics have noted the 3D perspective as a unique innovation. Earl Green of Allgame called it a unique idea for its time. Greg Burke of Shack News praised its colorful visuals and gameplay. 1UP.com criticized its sound effects and lack of tight design but noted the perspective was imitated later. Jeremy Parish of USGamer in 2014 called it a better class of Space Invaders rip-off, applauding the sense of depth, and lamented its poor recognition due to scarcity and history, stating it was not a poor game but a victim of timing and Nintendo's ambitions.
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