How to play Obelix online
- Move Asterix: arrow keys (up and down only work on the red footbridges)
- Make Obelix drop a menhir: Space bar
- Start a new game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch)
- Choose the starting round (I to IV): F11 (the consoleās Select switch)
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0ā9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0ā9 loads it
Gameplay
Roman soldiers march along horizontal lanes, and Asterix can only change lanes by using the red footbridges. When Asterix runs into a soldier, the Roman turns white with fear and freezes. Obelix walks back and forth along the top of the screen, and if you press the button while he is above a frozen soldier, his menhir knocks the Roman out. Your score appears in Roman numerals.
Wait too long, or miss, and the stunned soldier turns red and becomes deadly to touch. The only answer is the magic potion that the druid Getafix drops from above now and then. It makes Asterix fast and strong enough to deal with red Romans, but the effect wears off quickly. Be careful with the menhir, too: drop it on Asterix and you lose a life.
There are four rounds, each faster than the one before, and the game variation only decides which round you start in. You begin with three lives and earn bonus lives at 10,000, 50,000 and 100,000 points. The difficulty switches have no effect.
| Target | Points |
|---|---|
| Stunned legionnaire (the larger soldier) | 10, 50, 100, 500 or 1,000 |
| Stunned centurion (the smaller soldier) | 20, 100, 200, 1,000 or 2,000 |
| Red (angry) Roman | its normal value + 200 |
The faster a soldier was moving when Asterix stunned him, the more he is worth.
Tips
- Stun soldiers near Obelix. A Roman frozen right under Obelix can be flattened at once, before he has time to turn red.
- Go for the small ones. Centurions are worth twice as much as legionnaires.
- Look before you drop. Make sure Asterix is not standing under Obelix when you press the button.
- Use the bridges to escape. If red Romans are closing in and no potion is falling, cross to another lane.
History
Obelix came out shortly after Asterix and used the same licence. Suki Lee, one of the few women programming at Atari at the time, had earlier written the educational game Math Gran Prix. Dave Jolly drew the graphics, and Andrew Fuchs and Jeff Gusman made the sound. Most cartridges were sold in Europe in the PAL format. A small number of NTSC cartridges were also made, probably for Canada. This page runs that NTSC version, and both versions are very rare today.
The German magazine TeleMatch liked the sound but found the game too close to Asterix, while the French magazine Tilt was generally positive and praised the graphics.
