cosmic chasm box art
Cosmic Chasm catalog promo
In Cosmic Chasm, players controlled a ship that must penetrate a series of caverns to reach the main core, set off a bomb, and escape before the entire area explodes.
The game was released in 1982 for the Vectrex.
Gameplay[]
The player(s) control a ship set in a series of interconnected caverns. Each cavern has a core in the center that is constantly growing, as well as containing several Planet Protector enemies. It is usually in the player's best interest to clear out each area of Planet Protectors by shooting them, then carefully inching their way to the protective barrier by an exit in order to drill through it. Once the barrier has been disabled, the player can then fly into the next cavern.
The view changes from a cavern to a map in between screens, showing the player's(') progress in order to make their way to the center chamber. They must plan out the best route in order to get to the central area and escape quickly. Once that is accomplished, the player(s) must drop a bomb at the center core, which they have several seconds in order to escape from the area before the bomb explodes. If the player does not make it out in time they will lose a ship; succeed and they will start again in a new area.
Hitting a cavern wall, core or a Planet Protector will cause players to lose a ship and the game will end when there are no ships remaining. However, players have a protective shield for use in case of emergencies.
Fun facts[]
- This was the first game ever to be ported from the home to the arcade, which it is usually the other way around as far as ports go. This ended up being Cinematronics' last released vector game ever before filing for bankruptcy.
- In late 2012, it became known that bassist Rudy Sarzo (who has played in the heavy metal/hard rock acts Dio, Whitesnake, and Quiet Riot, among others) had a Vectrex on Quiet Riot's tour bus, due to an ebay auction selling off the collection, one of which games included Cosmic Chasm. The package also included an original Vectrex controller, a Light Pen for the system and a letter of authenticity.