"Can you beat our Scramble system?" the machine cheerfully asked in its attract mode. Not an easy task in to perform in this 1981 Stern game, released in both upright and cocktail cabinets.
The player's job was to penetrate an intricate defense system and destroy the enemy base in what was one of the first "side-shooter" games made. With an unlimited arsenal of lasers and bombs, one had the joyful task of wreaking as much explosive havok as possible, all while keeping a watchful eye on your dwindling fuel supply. The game had five levels, or defensive systems that the player had to conquer before going onto the sixth and final round against the enemy base.
The defensive systems and their characteristics:
Once you destroyed the base, you were congratulated for your efforts and then sent through the Scramble system again. Though the placement of enemy structures never changed, difficulty increased after each successful system completion in the form of quicker fuel consumption. After completion 4, you had to practically destroy every fuel tank available just to stay aloft.
Technical Specifications
Switch Settings: (Courtesy of
Bill Ung and
Wiretap)
| Switch 1 | Switch 2 | Number of Ships |
|---|---|---|
| OFF | OFF | Unlimited |
| OFF | ON | 5 |
| ON | OFF | 4 |
| ON | ON | 3 |
Switch 3 -
| Switch 4 | Switch 5 | Number of Coins |
|---|---|---|
| OFF | OFF | 4 |
| OFF | ON | 3 |
| ON | OFF | 1 |
| ON | ON | 2 |
Switch 6 - Unused
Other Things of Interest
Scramble had one interesting quirk: on your attack against the Base, if you were successful in its destruction yet lost your ship before you could escape, the game did not subtract that ship from your supply.