1992 OverKill
Overkill is a vertical scrolling shooter that was released by Epic Games and Precision Software Publishing in 1992. The game was designed and developed by Tech-Noir Productions and Ste Cork. Overkill was Epic's first vertical shooter. The game was lacking some of the technology that other top shareware games of the time had, such as Jill of the Jungle, ID Software's Commander Keen, and Apogee's Duke Nukem. It boasted EGA graphics, PC speaker sound effects, support for a joystick, and a General MIDI musical track. While the game did sell a considerable amount of copies, it was quickly overshadowed by later vertical shooters such as Raptor: Call of the Shadows, Major Stryker, and Tyrian. There are two versions of the game, the shareware version, and the commercial version. The shareware version allows the user to play planets one and two, while the commercial version grants access to all six planets. As of July 23, 2008 the game is available as freeware.
Screenshots
4 images — scroll sideways, click to enlarge
Video
Story
A pilot who has been handed a very difficult assignment to destroy the menacing alien forces that have captured six planets in a neighbouring allied solar system. The aliens have enslaved all of the inhabitants of the planets and must be killed.
History
OverKill, also known as OverKill: The Six-Planet Mega Blast, is a vertically scrolling shooter developed by Tech-Noir and published by Epic MegaGames in 1992. The game was designed by Ste Cork with help from Martin Holland. Ste Cork declared the registered version freeware on July 23, 2008.
Plot
A pilot has been handed a very difficult assignment to destroy the menacing alien forces that have captured six planets in a neighboring allied solar system. The aliens have enslaved all of the inhabitants of the planets and must be killed.
Gameplay
The objective in Overkill is to destroy all enemies on a planet, thus restoring order. The ship has some basic necessities such as fuel, shields, and a weapon, but it can be upgraded by picking up various goodies. Being hit by projectiles or running into enemy ships and walls damages the ship. Once the shield meter is depleted, the ship is destroyed and a life is lost.
Development
After the Commodore 64 market was declining, Martin Holland went on to do art for games that ran on systems of the time. Together with Ste Cork (who came up with the concept), they developed OverKill. Sales for the game were successful due to the solid EGA graphics. After the game's release, Ste Cork had no plans to do a follow-up. This was one of the few games that supported the digital gameport on Amstrad PCs for Atari-compatible joysticks.
Reception
Computer Gaming World stated that Overkill "provides a graphically attractive package. Music and sound effects are also handled capably ... those who like challenging play will feel right at home".
Adapted from Wikipedia , licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text may have been shortened.