Software:Picnic Paranoia (video game)

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Short description: 1982 video game
Picnic Paranoia
Picnic Paranoia Cover.jpg
TI-99/4A Atarisoft box cover
Publisher(s)Synapse Software
Atarisoft (TI)
Designer(s)Russ Segal [1]
Platform(s)Atari 8-bit, TI-99/4A, Apple II
Release1982: Atari, Apple
1983: TI-99/4A
Genre(s)Action

Picnic Paranoia is an action game written by Russ Segal for the Atari 8-bit family and published by Synapse Software in 1982.[1] A version for the TI-99/4A was published by Atarisoft in 1983.[2]

Segal later wrote New York City for Synapse.[1]

Gameplay

In-game screenshot (Atari 8-bit)

Playing as "George" the player attempts to protect their picnic from ants, who will carry off the food, spiders, who will weave webs to slow George down or bite, and wasps, who will sting to paralyze. While fending off the insects the player must move the food back on to the tables. Points are gained for food still visible on the screen at the end of each round.[3] Each round lasts 90 seconds. There are sixteen rounds in a game. If all the food is pushed off the screen the game ends.

Reception

Allen Doum reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "Animation and graphics are excellent. George, the wasp, and a multitude of ants all move smoothly around the screen, though the spiders suffer by comparison. Sound cues for walking, being stung, the wasp, and for food being pushed are all well done. The music that accompanies the copywrite screen is great, even by Synapse standards."[4]

Reviews

  • Electronic Fun with Computers & Games (Jul, 1983)[5]
  • Compute![6]
  • Creative Computing[7]
  • Softalk[8]

References