Attack of the Mutant Camels is a surrealist video game written by Jeff Minter and released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers in 1983 by Minter’s Llamasoft. The horizontally scrolling shooter is similar to the Atari 2600 game The Empire Strikes Back (1982), with AT-AT walkers replaced by giant camels. The title was also used for the U.S. release of an unrelated game from Minter’s Gridrunner series.
Llamasoft released a sequel, Revenge of the Mutant Camels, in 1984.
Gameplay
The player controls a small jet plane and has the task of killing giant yellow camels before they reach the home base. Doing so requires several dozens of shots. The camels retaliate by shooting fireballs from their mouths. If a camel reaches the base, the game is lost. Once all camels on a level are killed, the player has to survive a “hyperspace” sequence which requires avoiding high-speed missiles. Upon successful completion, the next level presents a new wave of camels, with slightly harder gameplay.
Reception
Commodore User’s reviewer said that it was “skilfully-designed” and “excellent for camel/llama freaks and arcade action enthusiasts”. Home Computing Weekly complimented the “excellent” sound and graphics, and also praised the clear documentation and instructions; their only criticism was that it was “perhaps a little too difficult!”.
Legacy
In 2011, Attack of the Mutant Camels was chosen to be featured in the Smithsonian Institution’s “The Art of Video Games” exhibit.
In 2012 the assembly language source code of the Konix version of the game was released on GitHub.
References
External links
- Attack of the Mutant Camels at Lemon 64
- Llamasoft’s 8-bit games, from which AMC is downloadable
- https://web.archive.org/web/20120319051045/http://c64s.com/game/94/attack_of_the_mutant_camels/
- Attack of the Mutant Camels can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
Gamer24h Editor's Take
Attack of the Mutant Camels has made quite a name for itself in the gaming world, captivating us with its distinctive atmosphere and compelling gameplay dynamics. Thanks to Llamasoft's meticulous craftsmanship and Llamasoft's strong presentation, the high production quality is evident in every moment of the game. Masterfully blending Scrolling shooter mechanics with modern standards, the game's fluid gameplay makes hours fly by unnoticed. All in all, the Gamer24h team stands firmly behind our rating. This is a unique journey you won't want to miss.