Antibody (WIP)

C64

Antibody's title screen shows a three-eyed, tentacled monster crawling through a blue, web-like tunnel toward the viewer.

Antibody is an action game inspired by the arcade title Space Zap, released in 1980 by Midway. I had the pleasure of playing Space Zap on an original cocktail machine, and I was struck by how crazily frantic it got despite its simplicity.

Even though TULT 64 was my first released C64 game written entirely in assembly, I started working on Antibody way earlier and had a playable version as far back as 2021.

By now, the game is feature complete, but I am still balancing the difficulty and working on the manual. I want it to look like an actual printed manual from the days when C64 games could still be found on store shelves.

This also involves writing hammy copy, such as the following blurb:

THE REAL BATTLE IS FOUGHT IN AN UNSEEN WORLD!

You are the last line of defense against an insidious threat - waves of invading viruses threaten to overrun your host! As part of your organism's immune system, you must act fast and fight smart to rid the body of all biological invaders. But beware: your energy is limited, and only by strategically eliminating enemies can you conserve your resources and survive all attack waves.

Screenshot showing the player's central base under attack from all four directions by tentacled enemies.

Antibody Features

Frantic joystick action
Hi-res graphics
Wave Mode: Complete all 33 attack waves and defeat the end boss.
Endless Mode: Test your survival skills and reach a high score.
Totally accurate depiction of how the immune system works*
If it stares at you, shoot it!

Animation showing some frantic shooting in all four directions during Endless Mode.

Since Antibody was my first attempt at making a C64 game in assembly, I kept it simple and stuck close to the original game's "shallow" arcade experience. Nevertheless, I wanted to prevent this from becoming a pure "autofire wins" affair. As a safeguard, I added an energy bar to discourage players from shooting with wild abandon.

We'll see if this works. I'm still adjusting the energy drain so that, hopefully, it won't be too obtrusive.

Screenshot showing the player shooting down an enemy projectile. Remnants of various explosions are also visible.

This won't be a very long experience. I can finish Wave Mode in about ten minutes, if I don't lose all my lives beforehand. The game is intended to provide a brief distraction, and my main goal is to capture Space Zap's hilariously hectic pace.

If all goes well, Antibody should be released later this year. Please look forward to it.

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