Preppie! (video game)

Preppie! is an action video game for the Atari 8-bit family published by Adventure International in 1982. Developer Russ Wetmore's[1] name is prominently displayed on the box cover. The game design borrows heavily from Konami's Frogger, with the same screen layout and mechanics and even specific elements such as alligators and logs.[2][3] Leaning on the preppy trend of the early 1980s, the lead role is given to prep schooler Wadsworth Overcash instead of an amphibian.[4] While admitting the game is derivative, reviewers cited the music and visuals as some of the best for Atari 8-bit computers.

Preppie!
Developer(s)Star Systems Software
Publisher(s)Adventure International
Designer(s)Russ Wetmore[1]
SeriesPreppie! 
Platform(s)Atari 8-bit
Release
Genre(s)Action

Preppie! was followed by Preppie! II in 1983, also by Wetmore.[5] The sequel is a maze game.[5] In January 2016, Wetmore released the source code for Preppie! and Preppie! II to the public via the Internet Archive.[6]

Gameplay

Like Frogger, Preppie!'s gameplay involves walking across lanes of traffic, then jumping between floating objects to reach the other side of a river.[7] The frog is recast as a preppy, and the setting moved to a country club where traffic consists of golf carts and reel mower-pushing groundskeepers, and canoes occupy the water (in addition to alligators and logs of Frogger).

Instead of simply crossing from one side to the other as in Frogger, the goal is to retrieve golf balls and return each to the bottom of the screen.[4] The balls appear either in the strip between the traffic and river or on the far side of the river. Only one ball can be carried at a time. When all golf balls have been collected, the level is over. There are ten levels in all.[8] A bonus preppie is given for reaching 8,000 points.[4]

Development

Wetmore's then-spouse, Diana, suggested a "cartoonish" style of game.[9] The idea led to the preppy fad spawned by the 1980 publication of The Official Preppy Handbook.

Wetmore wrote the game on an Atari 800 in eight weeks using the Atari Macro Assembler. He was more familiar with Z80 assembly language from programming the TRS-80, so he used macros that gave a Z80 flavor to 6502 code.[9]

Reception

In a 1982 review for Antic, Robert DeWitt concluded "Al has a real winner here, even if the 'cover' concept is only remotely related to the game."[10] In a subsequent issue, Preppie! was one of ten games chosen by Antic to be "among the most popular, interesting, and valuable programs yet written for your amusement."[11] In the January 1983 issue of Joystik, David and Sandy Small included Preppie! on a similar list of their ten "most heavily played, and most recommended, games."[7]

In 1983 Bill Kunkel of Electronic Games called it a "Frogger-inspired delight."[2] He clarified that with, "Sure it sounds familiar, but what elevates Preppie! from the score of Frogger-clones on the software market is the enchanting four-part harmony sound effects and the stunning graphics."[2]

John J. Anderson of Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games stated that although gameplay is not original "the implementation is gorgeous."[12] A COMPUTE! review also lauded the graphics and stated, "this program easily ranks among the best games to appear for the Atari computer to date."[8] The Book of Atari Software 1983 gave an overall rating of "B-" writing, "Animation and graphics are very good" and "I can't say it's very original in design; but, like Frogger, it is lots of fun."[3]

Legacy

Preppie! II

Released in 1983,[13] Preppie! II is a maze game where the object is to paint the maze pink by moving over it.[14] Elements of the original return as obstacles, including giant frogs, golf carts, and lawn mowers.[14] The joystick button activates a cloak ability allowing the player to pass through the other occupants of the maze.

Preppie! 3

Wetmore mentioned a possible third game in the series when interviewed by Electronic Games in 1983, giving the tentative title as Preppies in Space.[15] He was asked about this in 2005, and his response was posted to the AtariAge forums:

Some conceptual work was done on Preppie 3, but nothing ever came of it. When I was interviewed for Electronic Games (the only place I ever mentioned P3) I was in New York for an awards ceremony and had just come from a brainstorming session to come up with some talking points for the press. The interview was more to generate buzz than to promote future products, and when the bottom fell out of the games market in the coming months, I gave up game writing to focus on other types of software, notably HomePak.[16]

See also

References
  1. Hague, James. "The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers".
  2. Kunkel, Bill (January 1983). "Computer Gaming: Preppie!". Electronic Games: 72.
  3. The Book of Atari Software 1983. The Book Company. 1983. p. 114. ISBN 0-201-10286-2.
  4. Preppie! Manual. Adventure International. 1982.
  5. Mozejko, Michael. "Preppie! II". Retro Gamer.
  6. Garcia, Paulo (January 5, 2016). "Three Atari 8-bit games source code have been released". Vintage is the World.
  7. Small, David; Small, Sandy (January 1983). "Computer '83". Joystik. 1 (4): 64.
  8. Kinnamon, Mike (January 1983). "Preppie! For Atari". COMPUTE! (32): 140.
  9. Savetz, Kevin (January 4, 2016). "ANTIC Interview 113 - Russ Wetmore, Preppie!, Sea Dragon, HomePak". ANTIC the 8-bit Podcast.
  10. DeWitt, Robert (December 1982). "8-Bit Product Reviews". Antic. 1 (5).
  11. Burns, Deborah (April 1983). "Antic Pix Ten". Antic. 2 (1): 57.
  12. Anderson, John J.; Small, David; Wolcott, Eric F. (Spring 1983). "Atari Personal Computer Games". Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games. p. 93.
  13. "Preppie! II". Atari Mania.
  14. Minter, Jeff (November 27, 2016). "Atarians of Note". Llamasoft Blog.
  15. Covert, Colin (September 1983). "Russ Wetmore: Prepped for Success". Electronic Games: 85.
  16. "Preppie Three? - Atari 8-Bit Computer Forums". AtariAge. February 20, 2005.

Bibliography

  • Yuen, M.T. (May 1983). "Preppie! II review". Softline. Vol. 2 no. 3. p. 42.
  • "Computer '83 (Preppie! review)". Video Games. Vol. 1 no. 4. January 1983. p. 64.
  • "Atari Christmas (Preppie! review)". Softside. Vol. 6 no. 35. 1983. p. 90.
  • Reichmann, M. (December 1982). "Preppie! review". InfoAge. Vol. 1 no. 7. p. 29.
  • Olney, D. (March 1983). "Screenplay (Preppie! review)". Personal Computer World. Vol. 6. p. 153.
  • "Preppie! review". Computers & Electronics. No. 21. March 1983. p. 102.
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