Re: Something cool I didn't realize about Tempest

>I knew that you can set up the machine to work in test mode like that, but
>I'm pretty sure it won't save high scores.

That is correct. Demo mode was in there to presumably to allow Atari
employees at trade shows to show off the entire game. They could zoom
through each level by holding down the start button and fire button (to
clear any spikes). There is also a freeze mode that freezes the game play
(not entirely as some enemies still move/pulsate) at any moment.

One neat thing about demo mode is that you can use it to spin up to level
81 and then hold the start button down to lock in the level. If you then
switch demo mode off, you are back in normal mode, but can still spin up to
81 (presumably, the bonus level selection is tied to a timer and does not
care how you got there).

On the first Tempest I ever owned (back in '83), I mounted two toggle
switches in the (former) security bar holes on the front of the cabinet.
One switch toggled demo mode on and off; the other toggled freeze mode on
and off. Having a front mounted freeze switch is a very useful feature to
have for playing marathon Tempest games and being interrupted by the phone.
The one warning I will give is to not engage freeze mode while zooming
between tubes as that is a good was to kill your monitor.

-Eric
Received on Tue Nov 30 09:45:13 1999