Tempest (1981)
Color QuadraScan Vectors, Rotary Spinners, and the Tube Shooter Archetype
Tempest is the landmark 1981 color vector tube shooter programmed by Dave Theurer for Atari, Inc. Debuting Atari's Color QuadraScan cathode-ray tube technology, it utilized a weighted rotary spinner knob to maneuver a claw-shaped blaster along the rim of three-dimensional geometric wireframe corridors.
Nightmare Visions and 3D Vector Geometric Webs
Conceived by Dave Theurer following a vivid nightmare about monsters crawling out of holes in the ground, Tempest projected 16 distinct geometric webs—ranging from cylinders and steps to bowties—converging upon a central vanishing point. Players manipulated a high-speed rotary dial to orbit the web rim, firing down segments at emerging Flippers and Spikers.
Color Vector Innovation and Skill Step Selection
As the first title deployed on Atari's Color QuadraScan monitor, Tempest electrified players with multicolored glowing phosphor line vectors. It also pioneered the 'Skill Step' feature, allowing skilled patrons to bypass early stages and start on higher score multiplier levels, producing one of Atari's most enduring coin-op triumphs.