Spare Change
Spare Change is an action game designed by Dan and Mike Zeller and published in 1983 by Broderbund for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computers. A Commodore 64 version was written by Steven Ohmert and released the same year. Ports for FM-7 and Sharp X1 were released in 1985.
Spare Change
- Date
- 1983
- Genre
- action game
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Spare Change is an action game designed by Dan and Mike Zeller and published in 1983 by Broderbund for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit computers. A Commodore 64 version was written by Steven Ohmert and released the same year. Ports for FM-7 and Sharp X1 were released in 1985.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Spare Change. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q56739622
In this article
The object
The object
The difficulty of Spare Change can be customized through seven settings at the "Zerks Control Panel".
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Spare Change • Designer — Dan Zeller Mike Zeller • Publisher — Broderbund • Released — 1983: Apple II, Atari 8-bit, C64 1985: FM-7, Sharp X1 • Genre — Action • Platforms — Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, FM-7, Sharp X1
Plot
Plot
Spare Change is a game in which the player is the owner of the Spare Change Arcade, and is trying to keep two animated characters called Zerks from stealing enough game tokens to retire after escaping from their game.
Gameplay
Gameplay
The player is competing with the Zerks to collect tokens. If the Zerks get five tokens stored in their piggy bank, they win and the game ends. If the player fills the two token bins with a total of ten tokens, then the level advances. The Zerks can be distracted by the jukebox, popcorn machine, and pay phone—each of which is operated with tokens. Activating the jukebox causes the Zerks to dance. The player also needs to keep the arcade operating by refilling the token machines and cash register. When ten tokens are collected, the Zerk Show booth is unlocked, which allows the opportunity to steal tokens from the Zerks.
Reception
David Stone reviewed the game for Computer Gaming World, and stated that "In sum, SCA is an exceptionally good game because it has increasing levels of difficulty, strategy is required to outwit the Zerks, and you are given rewards (the cartoons) for mastering each level." Keith Valenza called it "zany fun" in the August 1984 issue of Antic. He criticized the lack of visual detail in the Zerks and the slow progression of game difficulty, but liked the tuning afforded by the Zerks Control Panel.
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witness
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 20 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Collectables
20,755 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Spacewar!Work
- Spaceward Ho!Work
- SpaldeenTerminology
- Spanish for Everyone!Work
- Spark Racing TechnologyOrganisation
- Spark the Electric JesterWork
- Spark the Electric Jester 2Work
- Sparkle 2 EvoWork
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a copy of Spare Change?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.