Demon Attack is a game for the Atari 2600 developed by Imagic in 1982. Although it is said to be inspired by the 1979 arcade game Galaxian, its gameplay and visuals are more closely related to some waves from the 1980 arcade game Phoenix. This similarity led to a lawsuit from Atari, Inc., who had acquired the home video game rights to Phoenix. The dispute was eventually settled out of court, and despite the legal challenge, Demon Attack went on to become Imagic’s best-selling game as of 1983.
In Demon Attack, players control a laser cannon at the bottom of the screen and must defend against waves of attacking demons. The demons come in various forms and attack patterns, making the gameplay challenging and engaging. The player’s goal is to destroy all the demons in each wave to progress to the next level, while avoiding getting hit by the demons’ projectiles. The game continues until the player loses all their lives. Demon Attack’s success can be attributed to its colorful graphics, compelling gameplay, and the challenge it presented to players.
About the gameplay
Marooned on the ice planet Krybor, the player uses a laser cannon to destroy legions of demons that attack from above. Visually, the demons appear in waves similar to other space-themed shooters, but individually combine from the sides of the screen to the area above the player’s cannon.
Each wave introduces new weapons with which the demons attack, such as long streaming lasers and laser clusters. Starting in Wave 5, demons also divide into two smaller, bird-like creatures that eventually attempt descent onto the player’s cannon. Starting in Wave 9, the demons’ shots follow directly beneath the monsters, making it difficult for the player to slip underneath to get in a direct shot. (source: Wikipedia)