maze: MAME ROM Information.
History:
Amazing Maze (c) 1976 Midway.
Each player (up to 2 people may play at a time, 2-player mode is more fun), controls a little geometric shape. Each player starts at opposite sides of the maze. The object is to get to the point where the other player started, before they get to where you started. You use a joystick to guide your 'character' through the maze. The game is time based, and you score a point for each maze you beat faster than your opponent (or the computer player if you are going solo). The factory setting is for a 90 second game, but this is operator adjustable. The graphics are done in monochrome white on black. With no detail on anything. The maze walls are only a pixel thick, while the characters themselves (simple shapes), are not much bigger. The mazes are not stylized in anyway. They look exactly like the kind of maze you would do with a paper and pen.
- TECHNICAL -
This game was released in an upright dedicated cabinet. The cabinet is white and tan with sideart covering the entire machine. Like many other early titles, there was no marquee at all. The name was merely on the monitor bezel (on the top in this case). The name confusion about this game comes from the fact that the monitor bezel says 'Amazing Maze', while the sideart says 'Maze' and the game itself says 'The Amazing Maze Game' on the title screen. The marquee, or monitor bezel title is generally considered to be the definitive one in the case where a game has conflicting titles like that. The control panel was simple, and featured a joystick for each player. But, player 1 had to use his left hand for the stick (like most games), but player 2 had to use their right hand, due to the control panel layout.
Cabinet dimensions : 26,5inch. (67cm) Wide x 64,5inch. (164cm) High x 24inch. (61cm) Deep.
Cabinet weight : 220 lbs.
Game ID : 611
Main CPU : 8080
Sound Chips : Discrete circuitry
Screen orientation : Horizontal (23inch. monochrome open frame monitor)
Video resolution : 256 x 224 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 2
Players : 2
Control : 4-way joystick
- TRIVIA -
Released in October 1976. This is one of the first maze video game ever produced, and far more complex than you may be used to. This is no "Ms. Pac-Man". The mazes in this game are as complex as ones you might find in those little maze books you may have had as a child, none of that multiple path, wishy washy stuff like "Pac-Man" or "Lady Bug". These mazes have only one correct pathway through them.
The maze changes with every point made and never repeats itself. You can play the game for 24 hours or for 24 years and not see the same pattern.
- PORTS -
* Consoles :
Bally Astrocade (1977)
- SOURCES -
Game's rom.
Machine's picture.
MAME Info:
0.31 [Lee Taylor]
Artwork available
WIP:
- 6th September 2010: Mr. Do - Amazing Maze artwork is pretty much complete now, thanks to Nightvoice finishing it up, based on pictures from Seth (pong) from his own cabinet.
- 2nd August 2010: Mr. Do - Based on the flyer from TAFA, Nightvoice hooked us up with some nice artwork for The Amazing Maze. Note the bezel is missing some text. I've contacted Dan to get a hi-res scan, so that NV can finish it up.
- 0.112u3: Derrick Renaud added discrete sound for Amazing Maze. Also added new Discrete modules: DISCRETE_LOOKUP_TABLE & DISCRETE_LOGIC_JKFLIPFLOP.
- 0.111u4: Changed 8080 CPU clock speed to 1996800 Hz. Added dipswitches 'Coinage' and '2 Player Game Time'.
- 0.107u4: Mr. Do added built-in overlays for Amazing Maze.
- 0.37b1: Removed Invaders samples.
- 0.36RC2: Added Invaders samples.
- 0.34b6: Changed description to 'Amazing Maze'.
- 0.31: Lee Taylor added 'The Amazing Maze Game' (Midway 1976).
PLAY INSTRUCTIONS:
- Try to find the way out of the maze, before the computer opponent or a second player.
LEVELS: 3
Other Emulators:
* CottAGE
* Laser
Recommended Games (Maze):
Amazing Maze
Crush Roller
The Hand
Lady Bug
Lock'n'Chase
Lock'n'Chase (DECO Cassette)
Maze Invaders
Mouse Trap
Oli-Boo-Chu
Round-Up
Turtles
Ali Baba and 40 Thieves
Blue Print
Check Man
Dazzler
Dorodon
Eyes
Hard Hat
Leprechaun
Talbot
Tylz (prototype)
Dingo
Eggor
Joinem
Lover Boy
Marvin's Maze
Mr. TNT
New Sinbad 7
Rootin' Tootin'
Sindbad Mystery
Swinging Singles
BanBam
The Berenstain Bears in Big Paw's Cave
Jack Rabbit
Mikie
The Three Stooges In Brides Is Brides
Vs. Clu Clu Land
I'm Sorry
Merlins Money Maze
Opa Opa
Klad / Labyrinth
Rompers
Trog
Touche Me
Sel Feena
Tinkle Pit
Twin Brats
Penky
Romset: 4 kb / 2 files / 3.12 zip
MAME XML Output:
| | <game name="maze" sourcefile="mw8080bw.c"> |
| | | <description>Amazing Maze</description> |
| | | <manufacturer>Midway</manufacturer> |
| | | <rom name="maze.h" size="2048" crc="f2860cff" sha1="62b3fd3d04bf9c5dd9b50964374fb884dc0ab79c" region="maincpu" offset="0"/> |
| | | <rom name="maze.g" size="2048" crc="65fad839" sha1="893f0a7621e7df19f777be991faff0db4a9ad571" region="maincpu" offset="800"/> |
| | | <chip type="cpu" tag="maincpu" name="8080" clock="1996800"/> |
| | | <chip type="audio" tag="mono" name="Speaker"/> |
| | | <chip type="audio" tag="discrete" name="DISCRETE"/> |
| | | <display tag="screen" type="raster" rotate="0" width="260" height="224" refresh="59.541985" pixclock="4992000" htotal="320" hbend="0" hbstart="260" vtotal="262" vbend="0" vbstart="224" /> |
| | | <input players="2" coins="1"> |
| | | | <control type="joy" ways="8"/> |
| | | <dipswitch name="Coinage" tag="IN1" mask="48"> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="2 Coins/1 Credit" value="16"/> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="1 Coin/1 Credit" value="0" default="yes"/> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="2 Coins/3 Credits" value="48"/> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="1 Coin/2 Credits" value="32"/> |
| | | <dipswitch name="2 Player Game Time" tag="IN1" mask="64"> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="4 minutes" value="64" default="yes"/> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="6 minutes" value="0"/> |
| | | <dipswitch name="Service Mode" tag="IN1" mask="128"> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="Off" value="0" default="yes"/> |
| | | | <dipvalue name="On" value="128"/> |
| | | <driver status="good" emulation="good" color="good" sound="good" graphic="good" savestate="supported" palettesize="0"/> |
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