Dung Beetles (computer game)
| Dung Beetles | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Datasoft |
| Publisher(s) | Datasoft |
| Designer(s) | Bob Bishop |
| Platform(s) | Apple II Atari 8-bit TRS-80 |
| Release | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Maze |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Dung Beetles is an Apple II computer game by Bob Bishop, released in 1982 by Datasoft. The game was ported to Atari 8-bit computers, and also to the TRS-80 Color Computer, where it was distributed by Tandy. On the Color Computer, it was renamed Mega-Bug; however, some copies were sold as Dung Beetles. Later versions for both the Apple II and Atari were named Tumble Bugs; also the Atari version was renamed Magneto Bugs for the 1983 re-release by Gentry Software. In Australia, the game was re-branded Bug Attack.
The game concept and gameplay are based on Pac-Man, but features a much larger maze and a moving "magnifying rectangle" which makes it easier to see graphic detail of the main character and the opponents, but also obscures a small area of the map near the main character, making short- to medium-range navigation more difficult. In addition, whenever the main character passes through a part of the maze, it leaves a trail of dung. When a dung beetle finds this dung, it eats it and follows the trail; however, if the trail branches, or it encounters a point along the trail, it picks at random which branch to follow, thereby giving the player anywhere from a 50% to 66⅔% chance of losing the pursuer. The player can back-track over his own trail (often necessary as the map can contain dead ends) creating false leads for his pursuers.
Whenever the player is caught, the game plays a digitized voice saying, "We Gotcha!" This is the only use of voice in the game, and was a novelty, as the Apple II speaker is only able to emit a click. Programmers clicked the speaker rapidly to produce any sound; the typical Apple II game made only monotone beeps and clicks. Programming the game to play back an audio sample, using only a clicking speaker, was a technical accomplishment first seen in 1981's Castle Wolfenstein and present in other games from 1982, including Sea Dragon, Creepy Corridors , and Plasmania.
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