Attack of the Mutant Camels
Attack of the Mutant Camels is a surrealist video game written by Jeff Minter and released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers in 1983 by Minter's Llamasoft. The horizontally scrolling shooter is similar to the Atari 2600 game The Empire Strikes Back (1982), with AT-AT walkers replaced by giant camels. The title was also used for the U.S. release of an unrelated game from Minter's Gridrunner series.
Also recorded as AMC: Attack of the Mutant Camels · Advance of the Mega Camels · AMC: Advance of the Megacamels
Attack of the Mutant Camels
- Date
- 1983
- Publisher
- Jeff Minter
- Genre
- shoot 'em up
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Documentary summary
Attack of the Mutant Camels is a surrealist video game written by Jeff Minter and released for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers in 1983 by Minter's Llamasoft. The horizontally scrolling shooter is similar to the Atari 2600 game The Empire Strikes Back (1982), with AT-AT walkers replaced by giant camels. The title was also used for the U.S. release of an unrelated game from Minter's Gridrunner series.
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Documentary evidence
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Authority files
wikidata · Q757862 · wikipedia · Attack of the Mutant Camels
In this article
The object
The object
Llamasoft released a sequel, Revenge of the Mutant Camels, in 1984.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Attack of the Mutant Camels • Developer — Llamasoft • Publisher — Llamasoft • Designer — Jeff Minter • Released — 1983 • Genre — Scrolling shooter • Modes — Single-player • Platforms — Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit
Gameplay
Gameplay
• Illustration — Atari 8-bit version The player controls a small jet plane and has the task of killing giant yellow camels before they reach the home base. Doing so requires several dozens of shots. The camels retaliate by shooting fireballs from their mouths. If a camel reaches the base, the game is lost. Once all camels on a level are killed, the player has to survive a "hyperspace" sequence which requires avoiding high-speed missiles. Upon successful completion, the next level presents a new wave of camels, with slightly harder gameplay.
History of the object
Dated record
History of the object
The full dated record · 2 entries
1983
Attack of the Mutant Camels published.
1983
Attack of the Mutant Camels is recorded as published in 1983.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- United Kingdom
Reception
Reception
Commodore User's reviewer said that it was "skilfully-designed" and "excellent for camel/llama freaks and arcade action enthusiasts". Home Computing Weekly complimented the "excellent" sound and graphics, and also praised the clear documentation and instructions; their only criticism was that it was "perhaps a little too difficult!".
Legacy
Legacy
In 2011, Attack of the Mutant Camels was chosen to be featured in the Smithsonian Institution's "The Art of Video Games" exhibit. In 2012 the assembly language source code of the Konix version of the game was released on GitHub.
Context
Primary material
Context
The circumstances in which Attack of the Mutant Camels stands. Published by Jeff Minter. Issued for Commodore 64. Recorded as video game.
Documents and archives
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Attack of the Mutant Camels”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q757862: Attack of the Mutant Camels
General reference · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Attack of the Mutant Camels – Llamasoft Baachive.
- 2.Game Manual. 1983.
- 3.Software Reviews.
- 4.Screen Scene. January 1984.
- 5.New ideas for your micro.
- 6.The Art of Video Games Exhibition Checklist.
- 7.jeff-minters-unreleased-konix-multisystem-port-of-attack-of-the-mutant-camels-preserved-a-due-for-release on retrocollect.com (2012)
- 8.AOTMC89 "Konix Multisystem - Attack Of The Mutant Camels '89 V0.4 - Source Code" on github.com
References
Citations
References
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reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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