Tempest 2000

Moby ID: 927
Jaguar Specs
Note: We may earn an affiliate commission on purchases made via eBay or Amazon links (prices updated 3/23 4:02 PM )

Description official descriptions

Tempest 2000 is a remake/upgrade of the popular Atari vector graphics-based shooter.

Blast your way through over 100+ levels, shooting the creatures that come out from the other side of the web to drag you in. Collect power-ups (jump, AI robots and more) to trippy graphics and colorful explosions as a thumping techno-house soundtrack blasts in the background.

Collect enough bonuses, and be subjected to two different types of bonus rounds as you navigate through rings, or try to ride a spiral tube.

Also included in the gameplay is an intense two-player mode to team up with or go head to head against another player, or even play a version of the original arcade game. There are four modes of gameplay in all: Traditional Tempest, Tempest Duel, Tempest Plus and Tempest 2000.

Face the web....

Spellings

  • テンペスト2000 - Japanese spelling

Groups +

Screenshots

Promos

Videos

See any errors or missing info for this game?

You can submit a correction, contribute trivia, add to a game group, add a related site or alternate title.

Credits (Jaguar version)

17 People

Programming
Art
SFX
Music
Producer
Creative Services
Marketing Services
Testers
Documentation

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 82% (based on 42 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.7 out of 5 (based on 85 ratings with 5 reviews)

YaK's sadistic, ingenious design is just the thing Tempest needed!

The Good
Ok, before I begin, I have to say this: I've been an absolute Tempest freak since I was old enough to know how to work the arcade machine's controls, so I know my Tempest. And I can say: Tempest 2000 has made me damn proud of Atari and Jeff "YaK" Minter. THIS is how to properly power up and update a game for the modern age!

It all starts when you first fire up the game: you know you're in for a wild ride when you first get a glimpse of the crazy, colorful graphics and menu screen. You decide to start a new game...hmm, three choices, eh? There's Plus, which is a slightly souped up version of Traditional Tempest, Tempest Duel, which is a two player battle royale using the T2K engine, and then....the game proper...Tempest 2000.

With quivering hands, you choose Tempest 2000. Prepare yourself...

The first thing you'll notice is the fast paced, bass thumping techno music as the Web Select screen appears. Start with the first, as it's a good way to get your feet wet in this game. The first web spins into view on your screen...

Congratulations, you've reached Gamer's Heaven.

To begin everything, the gameplay is just as fast and as furiously manical as the original Tempest, and it just gets even crazier from there. The control is dead simple: move left, move right, fire, jump (with the proper Power-Up), and SuperZapper. No fancy-shamcy "tap 10 buttons to jump" here, just two directions, and three functions. The game starts out quite easy, but as you start advancing into the later boards, you'd better keep your eyes on everything, because pretty soon the enemies come in huge numbers, and then you start seeing more and more nasties abound, such as the Pulsars, UFOs, and Demon Heads. Blast enemies and you'll receive some awesome Power-Ups, which include the rapid-fire Particle Laser, the ablity to jump, and the A.I. Droid, which actually LIVES UP TO ITS NAME!!! WOOOO!!! This is about the ONLY game I've seen where A.I. actually MEANT something! It floats all about the web, trashing enemies that are outside of your firing range, saving your butt and allowing you to concentrate on enemies coming towards you. This leads up to some pretty wild shooting sprees!

Cosmetic wise, the graphics aren't anything too flashy or pretty, but they're very good and get the job done right. Besides, this is an update to a vector game here; why do you need polygons and lens flare and such?! The goraud shading on the web is pretty cool, and I like how the web pulsates with color as you play. Admit it, though: you just have GOT to love the Warp bonus rounds, with their trippy designs and the music giving you the feel of just floating lazily in space. And of course, since this is Jeff Minter we're talking about here, expect PLENTY of crazy, wildly colored graphical effects.

Sounds and music? Both are excellent. The sounds include plenty of LOUD explosions, and most of the other sounds seem a bit reminiscent of the original Tempest. Perfectly mixed and matched. And the music...bass thumping, fast paced, room shaking techno (NOT Euro-beat or Rave, thank God!) gets you into the "Mood": an almost trance-like state where you just rely on instinct and subliminal reflex to play T2K, and the perfect compliment to the fast and furious action onscreen. The best part is that the PC version has all of its music in Redbook format, so if you enjoyed the music a great deal, you can pop it into any CD player and jam to it whenever you wish! Just don't listen to the music in the car...you may start getting into the "Mood" and pretend everything you see is a Tempest enemy...:)

The Bad
Not a lot, but this is related mainly to the PC version: first, the DOS version is a pain to get playing properly, and a few effects that the Jaguar and Sega Saturn versions had (like transparencies, plasma effects, and the superb "Melt-O-Vision") are sadly missing.

For all of you gaming scrubs out there: stay CLEAR of T2K: this game gets EXTREMELY hard by the time you pass the 50th web, and if you're not man enough to play a real game, your game ends there.

Finally, I don't know why Imagitec (the people who ported T2K to the PC) bothered with an FM soundtrack...it stinks! The songs sound terrible and it hardly puts you into the "Mood" like the CD Audio does. Thankfully, you don't have to use the FM soundtrack.

The Bottom Line
This game should be used as a lesson on how to PROPERLY make a modern update of a classic game. If you ever see this game anywhere, pick it up, and prepare to witness what goes on inside the mind of one of the craziest, wildest, and sadistic minds in the game industry. YaK, you've done this Tempest fan proud!

DOS · by Satoshi Kunsai (2020) · 2001

Overall, a good update of a classic arcade game.

The Good
One word sums up this game well: intense. But you probably want more than one word, huh? Okay.

There are numerous enemies, both old and new. The game starts out slowly, but quickly builds so that there's a constant stream of enemies is coming at you. It'll take all your skill and reflexes to keep them from overwhelming you.

Also, the graphics still have a vector graphic style to them, but with added affects like fill effects on the "webs" of each level. There are also several options that allow you to customize the graphics to your taste.

Then there's the powerups. These go against the pure simplicity of the original game, but some of them are just too cool! In particular, there's the ability to jump OFF THE BOARD! This lets you avoid the enemies that you didn't manage to stop and gives you a fighting chance (assuming you've earned this powerup on the current level). The AI Droid is also particularly helpful, basically letting you be in two places at once.

The Bad
Well first of all, Tempest just isn't Tempest without a spinner control. In Tempest 2000, you're forced to use the keyboard or a joystick. With some practice, I've managed to do quite well with the keyboard.

The other problem is they decided to have text messages come towards you from a point in the center of the screen. This can obscure the gameplay and is very distracting. You get used to it with time, but it's a very questionable decision.

The Bottom Line
If you like intense action or are a fan of the original game, check this one out. I never really cared greatly for the original Tempest, but this game I like!

DOS · by Lee Seitz (711) · 2000

Television Is The Representative Of The Mind's Eye.

The Good
Tempest the arcade game is a great game. Tempest 2000 is a great game of virtual acid. If there was ever a game that drew me in solely on graphics and audio, this is the one.

As mentioned above, the original Tempest was fast-paced, interesting and addicting. This is the proper way to upgrade a classic game: Retain all of the gameplay and the elements that made the original so popular, then crank it up to give the player more.

The graphics are fascinating, and showed such promise for what the Jaguar could do. Bright and colorful with things going on in the background, it kept the rapid-action of the game flowing smoothly. Coupled with all of the particle explosions, and the trippy bonus rounds, and it was an experience onto itself.

Sound-wise, it still remains as one of my favorite game soundtracks. It fit the action so well with its house-techno beats and sound samples. All of this being blended with the sound effects of the original game. The pseudo-orgasmic "yes" commentary for passing through bonus round rings was funny, and a little disturbing all at once.

Gameplay-wise, if you like Tempest, it's just that, but better. The newer power-ups rock, and add more depth to gameplay. There's even a two-player mode, which handles well.

The Bad
The initial bonus rounds are a little confusing since the control is so vastly different from the rest of the gameplay. One can't feel prepared for what's going on at first, but it's able to be overcome.

The particle effects, as pretty as they are, can be a distraction when you start destroying everything on screen at once. The action gets to a point where it moves so fast that you feel like you can't keep up at times. But it offers a save feature and continues.

The Bottom Line
I will praise the audio and visuals of this game until people run away in fear of my rantings. I love the soundtrack to this game. So much so, that I ordered a copy of it from Atari (And still play at times to this day).

I wrote a review for Alien Vs. Predator, saying that it is THE Jaguar game to have. On that note, this is the OTHER Jaguar game to have. Those two titles were such a strong lead-in to the system, one can't help but wonder what happened.

But Tempest 2000 still remains one of my personal favorites. It's not so much a classic arcade upgrade as it is an experience. This should be a blueprint for all game designers on how to do an arcade remake properly. As a gamer, find a way to play this game. It's still a remarkable title, and highly recommended.

Jaguar · by Guy Chapman (1748) · 2004

[ View all 5 player reviews ]

Trivia

1001 Video Games

The Jaguar version of Tempest 2000 appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.

Soundtrack

At the time of its release, the music to Tempest 2000 was so popular, that gamers could purchase the CD soundtrack directly from Atari.

Tempest X3

Tempest 2000 developer Jeff Minter reviewed the PlayStation port (he didn't do it) on his website. (see the Jan. 12, 1997 posting)

Awards

  • Electronic Gaming Monthly
    • April 1994 (Issue 57) - Game of the Month
    • 1995 Buyer's Guide - Jaguar Game of the Year
  • GameFan Magazine
    • 1994 (Vol 3, Iss. 1) - named the Best Jaguar Arcade Game of the Year (Megawards)
  • Game Informer Magazine
    • August 2001 (Issue 100) - voted #56 in the Top 100 Games of All Time poll
  • VideoGames Magazine
    • March 1995 - Best Music for a Cartridge Game (Jaguar version)
    • March 1995 - Best Shooter (Jaguar version)

Information also contributed by Big John WV, Guy Chapman, and PCGamer77

Analytics

MobyPro Early Access

Upgrade to MobyPro to view research rankings!

Related Games

Tempest 4000
Released 2018 on PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
Tales of the Tempest
Released 2006 on Nintendo DS
Tempest
Released 2016 on Windows, Macintosh, Nintendo Switch...
EF 2000
Released 1995 on DOS
Total Soccer 2000
Released 1999 on Windows
Faceball 2000
Released 1991 on Game Boy, 1992 on SNES, 1993 on Game Gear
Gamera 2000
Released 1997 on PlayStation
SimCity 2000
Released 1993 on DOS, 1994 on Windows 3.x, Windows...
Player Manager 2000
Released 2000 on Windows, PlayStation

Related Sites +

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 927
  • [ Please login / register to view all identifiers ]

Contribute

Are you familiar with this game? Help document and preserve this entry in video game history! If your contribution is approved, you will earn points and be credited as a contributor.

Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Chris Martin.

SEGA Saturn added by Nate Trost. Jaguar added by Satoshi Kunsai. Macintosh added by Scaryfun.

Additional contributors: Satoshi Kunsai, Guy Chapman, Alaka, LepricahnsGold, Ms. Tea, DreinIX, FatherJack.

Game added February 28, 2000. Last modified March 14, 2024.