Spider Fighter © 1982 Activision
The object of the game is to protect your fruit orchard from insect fruit theives, scoring points by exterminating the attackers.
Model AX-021
Back in the 80s, if you scored 40,000 points or more on the regular game level, you could qualify for Activision's elite corp of Spider Fighters by sending a picture of your TV screen showing your score, along with your name and address, to Activision. In return, you received an official 'Spider Fighters' emblem.
Tips from Larry Miller, designer of Spider Fighter.
"As you can see, keeping a fruit orchard isn't exactly easy. Those bugs can really become a nuisance. You can never get rid of them entirely, but you can control them."
"There are various strategies you can experiment with, but one of the most effective that I have found is to first gun down the lone Spy Pod. If you can exterminate that Pod, you halt the flow of reinforcements. Afterwards, you can pick off the rest of the attackers, leaving the Master Nest for last."
"Occasionally, the Master Nest will release a continuous stream of Spy Pods, and each one you hit seems to be replaced. If this happens, you must immediately destroy the Master Nest and take your chances against a squadron full of angry Stingers. Normally, though, it is best to destroy the slower Spy Pods and Green Widows that hover near the bottom of the screen before killing the Master Nest. A low-flying Stinger is your worst enemy."
"So maintain a stiff upper lip, and send me a line in between Spider fights. I'd sure like to know how this year's fruit harvest will fare."
Programmer: Larry Miller
CONSOLES:
Sony PlayStation (sept.30, 1998) "A Collection of Activision Classic Games for the Atari 2600 [Model SLUS-00777]"
Sony PlayStation 2 (nov.19, 2002) "Activision Anthology [Model SLUS-20588]"
Sony PlayStation 2 (2003) "Activision Anthology [Model SLES-51313]"
HANDHELDS:
Nintendo Game Boy Advance (dec.9, 2003) "Activision Anthology [Model AGB-BAVE-USA]"
Sony PSP (nov.8, 2006) "Activision Hits Remixed [Model ULUS-10186]"
Sony PSP (feb.9, 2007) "Activision Hits Remixed [Model ULES-00640]"
Sony PSP (feb.14, 2007) "Activision Hits Remixed [Model ULES-00640]"
COMPUTERS:
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (jan.1, 1994) "Activision's Atari 2600 Classics"
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (apr.4, 1995) "Atari 2600 Action Pack"
PC [Microsoft Windows, CD-ROM] (oct.2003) "Activision Anthology: Remix Edition"
Apple Macintosh [CD-ROM] (2003) "Activision Anthology: Remix Edition"
OTHERS:
Android (aug.30, 2012) "Activision Anthology"
Apple iPhone/iPad (aug.30, 2012) "Activision Anthology [Model 542727742]"
"Atari Flashback 8 Gold Activision Edition" (sept.22, 2017) by AtGames
Game's ROM.