Word Zapper
Word Zapper is an Atari 2600 game written by Henry Will IV and published under the Vidtec label of U.S. Games in 1982. Zapper combines spelling exercises with action gaming, as the player must shoot letters that scroll across the top of the screen to complete words.
Word Zapper
- Date
- 1982
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Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q60755168 · wikipedia · Word Zapper
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — Word Zapper • Developer — James Wickstead Design Associates • Publisher — U.S. Games • Designer — Henry Will IV • Platforms — Atari 2600 • Released — August 1982 • Modes — Single-player
Gameplay
Gameplay
• Illustration — Word Zapper on Atari 2600 The player controls a spaceship-like "Zapper" which can move about the screen and shoot up, left, and right. The objective is to shoot the letters that spell the current word, in order, while shooting or avoiding asteroids in the lower portion of the screen. There are four types of asteroids, and each has a different effect if it comes into contact with the Zapper. The "Doomsday" asteroid ends the game. The "Scroller" asteroid mixes up the scrolling letters for five seconds. The "Zonker" and "Bonker" asteroids knock the Zapper to the side. The game ends after being hit by a doomsday asteroid, after the 99 second timer runs down, or the ultimate goal of completing three words.
Development
Development
The movement of the asteroids is based on Space Jockey, also from James Wickstead Design Associates.
Places
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Places
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- United States
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Word Zapper is associated with United States.
Country
Reception
Richard A. Edwards reviewed Word Zapper in The Space Gamer No. 59. Edwards commented that "It is difficult to make a statement concerning recommendation. Word Zapper is innovative enough to draw attention at first, but it will depend on the individual gamer whether another arcade shooting match with letters is worth the price tag." In the 1983 Arcade Awards, Word Zapper was one of two runners-up for the "Most Innovative Videogame" category.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Word Zapper, revision 1374738351 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
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Secondary witnessreference 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.
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