Space Panic


Space Panic is a 1980 arcade game designed by Universal Entertainment Corporation, which Chris Crawford called "the granddaddy of all platform games," as it predates Nintendo's Donkey Kong from 1981.
A ColecoVision port by CBS Electronics was released in 1983.

Gameplay

Space Panic lacks Donkey Kong's jump mechanic and the main character instead digs holes in the platforms into which he must lure aliens. He must then hit them to knock them out of the hole and off the screen. In later levels, two or more holes must be lined up vertically in order to dispose of stronger aliens. There is also a limited supply of oxygen, which acts as a timer.

Reception

Space Panic was commercially unsuccessful, which Electronic Games in 1983 attributed to its concepts' novelty to the audience: "not only the first of the climbing games, it was also the first of the digging games. That's quite a load for a player on a new game. No punning intended when I say that the rungs were too high for the average gamer to scale." The magazine reported that the average play time was 30 seconds.
In a retrospective review of the ColecoVision version for Digital Press Online, Kevin Oleniacz concluded, "Coleco had resurrected several short-lived arcade games and transformed them into home favorites, but they should have let Space Panic rest in peace."

Legacy

The concept found success in the unauthorized home computer version, Apple Panic, and in 1983's Lode Runner which has a similar look and also uses the basic premise of digging holes to trap enemies.
Universal revisited the genre with Mr. Do's Castle, which expanded upon the play styles explored in Space Panic.

Clones