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After the success of Jigsaw! I really
wanted to write a great game that would show off the possibilities
of the Apple IIgs. The fact was that with a 2.8 MHz processor and
slow video memory it wasn't easy to write a fast scrolling game like
the ones that existed for the Commodore Amiga. That was the main reason
that I started to work on a game that many considered a 3D version of
Lode Runner. In fact it was based on a game that my friend Javier Rullán
Ruano had written years before for the Apple II+ and that was only available
in Spain.
LaserForce does not move large sprites on the screen but managing the 3D
effects was very difficult. I tried to do it in real time but the processor
couldn't handle the task, therefore I had to move to a different scheme and
pre-calculate all the masks. LaserForce is therefore really a 2D game with
a 3D appearance. This is very similar to what others did on eigth bit computers
like the ZX Spectrum.
LaserForce was not a commercial success. When the game came out the platform was
already in big trouble and many gamers had moved to other alternatives. However, I
have met many persons who have told me that they had enjoyed the game and that
was really what I wanted to achieve when I started programming.
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