Software:Crush, Crumble and Chomp!
| Crush, Crumble and Chomp! | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Epyx |
| Publisher(s) | Epyx |
| Designer(s) | Jon Freeman Jim Connelley |
| Platform(s) | Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, TRS-80, VIC-20 |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Crush, Crumble and Chomp![lower-alpha 1] is a strategy video game[1] developed and published in 1981 by Epyx for the TRS-80, Apple II, and Atari 8-bit computers. Ports to the VIC-20, Commodore 64, and IBM PC compatibles were released later. Some versions were published under the company's original name of Automated Simulations, while the rest use Epyx.
Gameplay
Crush, Crumble and Chomp! is a turn-based action game played on a scrolling 2D grid-based map. The player takes control of a movie monster and attacks a major city much in the manner of the classic horror movies of the 1950s.
Monsters
- Goshilla: a giant lizard-like monster resembling Godzilla with a breath weapon and leaving a corrosive trail of radioactive waste.
- The Kraken: a giant octopus similar to It that can attack bridges and seaside ports and then slip into the water to hide from attack. However, the Kraken can not go on land.
- Arachnis: a giant spider similar to Tarantula that can clog roads with its web and can escape underground via its network of secret tunnels.
- The Glob: a monster similar to the The Blob that can travel underground in the city's sewer and absorb obstacles in its path. It also leaves a flammable trail of slime in its wake.
- Mechismo: a towering tank-like robotic automation with multiple legs not unlike the machines from War of the Worlds.[lower-alpha 2] It sports an exotic array of alien weaponry, such as ray guns.
- Mantra: a giant flying reptile similar to Rodan that can fly over water.
The game also allows the player to "grow" their own monster, with several basic shapes to choose from and a number of "crunch credits" to spend on custom abilities. Most of the shapes are based on available monsters with unique shapes being based on a Brontosaurus and a giant Serpent. The number of credits available, and the cost of some abilities, depends on the shape chosen. The player can add a number of abilities until their credits are exhausted.
Objectives
There a number of objectives for the player too complete throughout the game, with the player selecting a specific objective that can benefit the monster selected in terms of point rewards.
- Balanced: General game play.
- Killer Monster: Acquire points for killing humans.
- Combat Machine: Acquire points by destroying combat vehicles (ie the military).
- Destruction: Acquire points by destroying buildings and infrastructure.
- Survival: Escape and evade the military's assault.
Cities
There are four cities to choose from.
- New York City
- Golden Gate
- Washington D.C.
- Tokyo
After attacking a city—the main activity of the game—players are rated on how well they did. Players are rated even if their monsters die in the attack and can achieve a high score for what they accomplished before expiring.
Development
Reception
Stanley Greenlaw reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "If you have enjoyed other Automated Simulation games you will not be disappointed in this one. It has the traditional Automated Simulation game mechanics, improved graphics, and a highly entertaining theme."[3]
The game was reviewed in 1982 in The Dragon #65 by Bruce Humphrey. Humphrey concluded that "The game system isn't perfect, from the player/monster point of view," but "The game is satisfying, however, from a fun-to-play standpoint, and that counts more."[4] Jerry Pournelle stated that he was "particularly partial" to Crush in BYTE in 1983.[5] He called it "my all-time favorite" in 1984, writing "there's something exceedingly attractive about burning down and stomping the Pentagon flat, and in general making an even bigger mess of Washington than the politicians have".[6]
Steve Loniewski reviewed Crush, Crumble and Chomp in Ares Magazine #14 and commented that "Crush, Crumble and Chomp is a fine, well thought-out game that ought to keep our subdued destructive impulses at bay for one more evening."[7]
Legacy
Epyx released a similar game in 1986 as The Movie Monster Game.
Notes
References
- ↑ MobyGames is a commercial database website that catalogs information on video games and the people and companies behind them via crowdsourcing. This includes over 300,000 games for hundreds of platforms. Founded in 1999, ownership of the site has changed hands several times. It has been owned by Atari SA since 2022.
Features
Edits and submissions to the site (including screenshots, box art, developer information, game summaries, and more) go through a verification process of fact-checking by volunteer "approvers". This lengthy approval process after submission can range from minutes to days or months. The most commonly used sources are the video game's website, packaging, and credit screens. There is a published standard for game information and copy-editing. A ranking system allows users to earn points for contributing accurate information.
Registered users can rate and review games. Users can create private or public "have" and "want" lists, which can generate a list of games available for trade with other registered users. The site contains an integrated forum. Each listed game can have its own sub-forum.
History
Logo used until March 2014 MobyGames was founded on March 1, 1999, by Jim Leonard and Brian Hirt, and joined by David Berk 18 months later, the three of which had been friends since high school. Leonard had the idea of sharing information about computer games with a larger audience. The database began with information about games for IBM PC compatibles, relying on the founders' personal collections. Eventually, the site was opened up to allow general users to contribute information. In a 2003 interview, Berk emphasized MobyGames' dedication to taking video games more seriously than broader society and to preserving games for their important cultural influence.
In mid-2010, MobyGames was purchased by GameFly for an undisclosed amount. This was announced to the community post factum , and the site's interface was given an unpopular redesign. A few major contributors left, refusing to do volunteer work for a commercial website.{{Citation needed|date=June 2025} On December 18, 2013, MobyGames was acquired by Jeremiah Freyholtz, owner of Blue Flame Labs (a San Francisco-based game and web development company) and VGBoxArt (a site for fan-made video game box art). Blue Flame Labs reverted MobyGames' interface to its pre-overhaul look and feel, and for the next eight years, the site was run by Freyholtz and Independent Games Festival organizer Simon Carless.
On November 24, 2021, Atari SA announced a potential deal with Blue Flame Labs to purchase MobyGames for $1.5 million. The purchase was completed on 8 March 2022, with Freyholtz remaining as general manager. Over the next year, the financial boost given by Atari led to a rework of the site being built from scratch with a new backend codebase, as well as updates improving the mobile and desktop user interface. This was accomplished by investing in full-time development of the site instead of its previously part-time development.
In 2024, MobyGames began offering a paid "Pro" membership option for the site to generate additional revenue. Previously, the site had generated income exclusively through banner ads and (from March 2014 onward) a small number of patrons via the Patreon website.
See also
- IGDB – game database used by Twitch for its search and discovery functions
References
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- ↑ "Crush, Crumble, and Chomp game manual". https://archive.org/details/Crush_Crumble_and_Chomp_1981_Automated_Simulations-Epyx/page/n35/mode/2up.
- ↑ Greenlaw, Stanley (November–December 1981). "Crush, Crumble and Ch---!". Computer Gaming World 1 (1): 22, 34.
- ↑ Humphrey, Bruce (September 1982). "Campaigns for the Keyboard". The Dragon (65): 73–74.
- ↑ Pournelle, Jerry (June 1983). "Zenith Z-100, Epson QX-10, Software Licensing, and the Software Piracy Problem". BYTE 8 (6): pp. 411. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1983-06/1983_06_BYTE_08-06_16-Bit_Designs#page/n411/mode/2up. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
- ↑ Pournelle, Jerry (January 1984). "Too Many Leads, or What in *;?!#"*? Goes First?". BYTE: pp. 61. https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1984-01/BYTE-1984-01#page/n61/mode/2up. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
- ↑ Loniewski, Steve (Spring 1983). "Software". Ares Magazine (TSR, Inc.) (14): 46–47.
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