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Quantum
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Name: Quantum Manufacturer: Atari Year: 1982 Type: Videogame Class: Prototype
Number of Simultaneous Players: 1
Sound: Amplified Mono (one channel)
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Quantum DescriptionQuantum was produced by Atari in 1982. Atari released 126 different machines in our database under this trade name, starting in 1972. Other machines made by Atari during the time period Quantum was produced include Akka Arrh, Space Duel, Lunar Battle, Xevious, Qwak, Tempest Tubes, Triangle never produced, Neutron Star, Pipeline never produced, and Tempest. Quantum - KLOV/IAM 5 Point User Score: 2.96 (4 votes)
Personal Impressions and Technical Impressions each account for half of the total score. Within the Personal Impressions category, "Like" carries a little more weight than the other factors. Log in to rate this game! Cabinet InformationThe game was released as a dedicated upright cabinet only. The machine is notable for its use of front-panel artwork, surrounding the coin slots. The side art is silk-screened.Although there have been occasional rumors that a cocktail prototype exists, the findings may reveal that this is just a converted Tempest cocktail. Cabinet Style Weights and Measures
Cheats, Tricks, Bugs, and Easter EggsIt is possible, usually only at the beginning of a new screen, for even a moderately skilled player to quickly circle around the entire screen and move to the next level immediately.Game IntroductionUsing only a trackball, capture and destroy particles (Electrons, Nuclei, Photons, Positrons, Pulsars, Splitters and Triphons) by fully encircling them with your probe's tail. The number and speed of particles increases and the length of the probes tail decreases with each passing wave, increasing the difficulty of the task. Colliding with a particle destroys your probe. Circling multiple particles scores double points. On higher levels, the Nuclei join together forming bonds, lethal to your probe when red. A choice of starting levels (based on the previous level attained) is available at game start. A level is selected by circling it with the trackball. Quantum is unique for allowing the highest scoring player to "sign" his name freehand using the trackball. To achieve visually pleasing results requires considerable practice.Game PlayIn each stage, you move your probe with the trackball. As you move, you leave a tail behind. As the attract-mode demo explains, the idea is to circle around and cross your tail to complete a loop. Any particles caught in a closed loop are destroyed. A level is completed by destroying all the nuclei (solid circular particles).You must avoid contact with any of the particles (except electrons, they are safe) as well as active (red) particle bonds. Otherwise, the scene collapses and destroys your probe. Besides the nuclei, other deadly particles may appear from time to time. VAPS Arcade/Coin-Op Quantum CensusThere are 8,462 members of the Video Arcade Preservation Society / Vintage Arcade Preservation Society, 7,010 whom participate in our arcade census project of games owned, wanted, or for sale. Census data currently includes 112,009 machines (5,181 unique titles).Very Common - There are 51 known instances of this machine owned by Quantum collectors who are active members. Of these, 42 of them are original dedicated machines, 3 of them are conversions in which game circuit boards (and possibly cabinet graphics) have been placed in (and on) another game cabinet, and 6 of them are only circuit boards which a collector could put into a generic case if desired. For Sale - There is one active VAPS member with a Quantum machine for sale. Wanted - Popular - There are 22 active VAPS members currently looking for Quantum. There is one active VAPS member looking for a Quantum circuit board set. This game ranks a 26 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often seen, 1=least common) in popularity based on census ownership records. This game ranks a 45 on a scale out of 100 (100 = most often wanted, 1=least common) in popularity based on census want list records.
TechnicalUsed the Amplifone XY display (mounted vertically). The game manual refers to a Wells Gardner equipped version, but due to the limited production run, this may not be correct. Boardset is similar in form to other Atari color XY games, though Quantum was Atari's first use of the Motorola 68000 CPU (previous XY games used one or more 6502s). Vector generation circuitry is capable of drawing solid objects.TriviaThis was one of two games designed for Atari by General Computer Corp. (the other being Food Fight). The agreement was the result of a legal settlement between Atari and GCC. The production run for this game is rumored to be around 500. The game did poorly in the arcades and rumor has it that some disgruntled operators returned the game to Atari. Many unsold/returned units were sold to the public and Atari employees.Manuals
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eBay ListingsClick to search eBay for Quantum Videogame machines and related items.Click to search eBay for machines and parts made by Atari. Check out the IAM/KLOV report of the hottest coin-op machine auctions, powered by Ace.com.
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