The Terminator (DOS)
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| The Terminator | |
|---|---|
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| Developer | Bethesda Softworks |
| Publisher | Bethesda Softworks |
| Director | Julian LeFay |
| Producer | Christopher Weaver |
| Programmer | Julian LeFay |
| Artists | Nancy Freeman Sheila McKisic J. Rainey |
| Writers | Julian LeFay Craig Walton |
| Composer | Tom McMail |
| Series | Terminator |
| Platform | DOS |
| Release | July 1991 |
| Genre | Action-adventure |
| Mode | Single-player |
The Terminator is a 1991 action-adventure game developed and published by Bethesda Softworks for DOS. It is based on the 1984 film of the same name, and was the first video game based on the Terminator film series.
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Set in 1984, the player takes on the role of Kyle Reese and protects Sarah Connor from the Terminator, a cyborg sent back in time to kill her. Alternatively, the player can become the Terminator and try to eliminate Kyle and Sarah. Either way, the player chases his opponent through Los Angeles, buying or stealing weapons and equipment, while attempting to eliminate his enemy and avoid the police.[1][2][3]
The game takes place within a huge (roughly 10 × 6 miles or 16 × 10 kilometres) 3-D rendered area of central Los Angeles. The game area runs roughly from Beverly Drive to Central Ave (lengthwise), and from Mulholland Drive to National Blvd (vertically). A game map is included in the box for reference. Though the buildings and their placement within the world is generic, and highways/overpasses have been removed, the streets and their layout are largely accurate. The game also includes some landmarks, such as Dodger Stadium, Griffith Park, and the Silver Lake Reservoir.
Development and release
In mid-1990, Bethesda Softworks announced a deal with the Hemdale Film Corporation to create computer video games based on The Terminator.[4] Digitized voices were used for the game's opening credits and victory screen.[5] According to the game's end credits:
This game was written in 100% assembly and takes up more than 35,000 lines. The game contains approximately 20,000 3D objects. It was developed using Turbo Assembler and Turbo Debugger with all debugging being done remotely. It was created on a variety of 286 and 386 computers. All graphics were created on IBMs and Amigas using DPIII and DA. More than 700 frames of animations were created. The delta mode compression yielded a 100-to-1 ratio.
The game was released in July 1991, coinciding with the theatrical release of the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.[6] It was the first video game based on the Terminator film series.[7][8] Two companies had made previous attempts to create a Terminator game in the late 1980s.[9][10]
