Kyphus [Model AP2007]

Kyphus © 1982 Apollo

An unreleased prototype.

Looking a little like a cross between Racquetball and Space Cavern, Kyphus is an odd game in which the player must maneuver a dumpy looking guy through a pseudo-3D maze of rooms avoiding what appears to be a glowing cloud that shoots lasers, while being followed by a multi-colored robot that just might be a monkey in disguise.

Each room of the maze appears to have a different color, and has three to four exits (two on the sides and one at the top and bottom). The maze is made up of 64 rooms, but doesn't appear to have a set pattern.

As you move through the maze, you may notice the score and life counters start displaying odd letters and numbers. These number and letters are actually variable values in hex decimal notation. The programmer used these numbers to help determine the values of various game variables while developing the game. The counters at the top of the screen display the players position coordinates, the left two digits in the score are a timer of some sort that is continually counting down, while the right two digits appear to be the room number.