I have mentioned Aztec Challenge a few times over the years at TNL but have never made a thread for this series. It's something that's quickly being forgotten among gamers unfortunately.
The series originated with a game called The Bonifas made by Robert Bonifacio for the Atari 8-bit line of computers . It was to be published via the Atari Program Exchange (APX) which was a distribution model where Atari would sell computer games by catalogue and pay the authors royalties. APX started in 1982 although Bonifacio in an interview mentions the game being created in 1981.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...header_apx.gif
I find the time frame significant because 1981 was a key year for the platform genre. It became popularized by Donkey Kong and it appears to be the year that side-scrolling platform games were born with the arcade game Jump Bug. Given that The Bonifas was also a side-scrolling platformer, it's possible its creation predates Jump Bug even though it never made it out commercially in that form.
The premise of The Bonifas was controlling a robot running an obstacle course. After the Atari deal fell through, the game was sold to a publisher called COSMI. COSMI asked for a thematic change away from sci-fi and the game became Aztec Challenge. The gameplay was upgraded to include two-player simultaneous play, something still rare in platform games. It's still a decent game but it interests me more as one of gaming's early scrolling platformers than anything else.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...nge_1983_3.gif
Aztec Challenge became COSMI's first hit in 1983. In addition to the Atari 8-bit version, there was a graphically downgraded port to VIC-20.
Next, COSMI contracted another programmer (Paul Norman, also known for the Forbidden Forest horror games) to make a C64 sequel. C64 Aztec Challenge had the same name as its Atari predecessor but it was a completely different game, and a big improvement. I believe it was released in 1983 although some sites list it as 1984.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...allenge_02.gif
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...allenge_04.gif
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...allenge_05.gif
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...allenge_06.gif
This was the main game that made me want a C64 as my next game system. Someone installed it on a C64 at school and I wanted to play it at home. It was an action game, and quite innovative in that it covered various perspectives. It started with 3d-ish running forward level and moved on to overhead, side-view, and 3/4 isometric views. Like the previous game, the scrolling was forced. You had time your jumps and dodges. It was also one of the first games to really take advantage of the C64's SID chip; the tension building music really lent to its atmosphere, and it soundtrack is one of the most memorable for me.
The C64 version was unofficially ported to Amiga years later with virtually no upgrading.
Something I never expected was a remake 20 years later with a topless female as the main character and added gore called Azteca: Queen of Quetzalcoatl. It's so hilariously bad that I still can't fathom it's from Paul Norman himself. I couldn't find a screenshot that's not in flash form but you can play it here - http://www.aztecaqueen.com/ http://www.waycoolspace.com/aztec/az9.swf
There was also a freeware PC remake of the C64 game from 2005. Like most freeware remakes, it doesn't have the same charm as the original for me even though it sticks close to the same formula.
http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/game/aztecremake
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...aztecsmila.png
The C64 Aztec Challenge saw another homebrew port, this time for the 2600 in 2006 by Simon Quernhorst. It only has the first two levels but the graphics are good for the hardware limitations at least.
http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b2...r/aztecvcs.jpg
So, what are your thoughts on the series? If you haven't played any of them, I recommend grabbing a C64 emulator and checking out Norman's original. It's the only one I would call a classic (although newcomers might find it a little too trial-and-error based) but I still find the other versions interesting.
