After the Attack of the Mutant Camels, there came the revenge. An important distinction there.
Launched in 1984 by Llamasoft, this scrolling shooter is all about deserts, sand, camels, and sweet revenge. Where could you possibly go wrong?
Remembering the Revenge of the Mutant Camels
Released on the Commodore 64, an enhanced version of the game also launched in 1992 on the Atari ST, Amiga, and IBM PC.
The BIG difference over its predecessor is this… you get to control one of the camels. Whereas in the first game, you have to shoot the camels. Distinctions, see?
The aim of the game is to control the camel, get power-ups, and blast your way to victory!
Along the way, you team up with a bipedal goat.
Another big difference is you can actually complete the game, whereas in Attack of the Mutant Camels it was impossible to win.
If you wipe out all 42 waves of enemies, you’re the winner. A winner is you! But some of the foes you go up against are beyond terrifying. They include:
- British telephone booths.
- Polo mints.
- Sheep that explode.
- Skiing kangaroos.
- Men on flying toilets.
- Jeff Minters.
So that’s all great! And when you save the day, you get the following glorious message:
“WELL DONE! YOU HAVE SAVED CAMELKIND!”
That’s one of the many reasons people play video games. You get the escapist factor, but you also end up a bloody hero! Saviour of the camels!
A Brief History of Camels in Video Games
With both of Llamasoft’s games covered, what of the future of video games and camels?
Well, thankfully there’s that familiar gaming trope of the desert level. Whether you’re thinking of Banjo-Kazooie or Prince of Persia, there’s a camel in the game.
In the latter you have to free a trapped camel, thusly saving its life.
Camels are often used in other titles as a method of transportation.
However, their uses are many and varied. We’ve seen enemies ride them onto the screen in Metal Slug, generally cluttering up background environments for authenticity purposes, and there’s Saharah in Animal Crossing.
Given the immense popularity of Nintendo’s title, we guess Saharah is the most famous video gaming camel in history.
What’s clear from the above is the long-necked ungulate mammals have a long and storied history ahead of them in the industry.
For that we must be thankful and praise Llamasoft for starting this trend.
So, what are your favourite camel-based gaming memories? Feel free to share them in the comments section!
Professional Moron 