History VideoGame / DodgeEm

* SelfImposedChallenge: It's certainly possible to beat the game without using the turbo, but it makes an already hard game even more difficult.

* NoDeathRun: Required to get the highest possible score, since the game automatically takes a life away from you every five mazes.

* NintendoHard: This is a game that requires you to be able to think on your feet and have fast reflexes, and understanding how to manipulate your opponent(s) and the maze to your advantage. Your opponent racer is as dumb as a brick, but the maze is very cramped and only gives small windows for you to dodge it by changing lanes, and it is very easy to crash into it. Clearing even one screen in this game is not a cakewalk. And to say nothing of later screens, where you go up against ''two'' opposing cars, or the higher difficulty settings that make your opponent go even faster.

''Dodge 'Em'' is a 1980 driving game for the UsefulNotes/Atari2600, programmed by Carla Meninsky.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/s_dodgeem_2.png]]

* MohsScaleOfViolenceHardness: A 1 on the scale. The only violent thing is crashing into your opponent, but the only result is a stylized explosion.

* UnbuiltTrope: The game is a rare early instance of a video game that is ''not'' an EndlessGame, in that it is technically possible to complete it in a reasonably short time ([[NintendoHard assuming one has the skill to pull it off]]), though the game technically still lacks anything resembling an ending.

* ArtificialStupidity: The opponents A.I. is very predictable--it never changes speeds, If it's in the same lane as the player, it stays in that lane, and If in a different lane as the player, it switches one lane closer at the nearest gap, and never more than that. The cramped maze actually makes this a disadvantage at first, but it is possible to predict the enemies move and plan your way around them.

* EndlessGame: Surprisingly, the game is ''[[SubvertedTrope not]]'' [[SubvertedTrope one]], which is unusual for an early video game. You actually lose a life every 5 mazes you complete, and you only have 3 total, so the maximum possible score is 1080 (it rolls over after 1000 and just leaves 80 points).

* {{Minimalism}}: The games spritework is primitive even by the rigid standards of the Atari 2600. There's a maze, two or three cars, pellets and a high score. Thats all you get to see in the game.

* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: Your computer opponents are free to crash head-on into you without repurcussion, but trying to do the same costs you a life and resets the maze. And as noted above, it's impossible to trick your opponents into crashing into each other, so you can't use their own tactics against them.

* NoDeathRun: Actually required to get the highest possible score, since the game automatically takes a life away from you every five mazes.

* {{Minimalism}}: The games spritework is primitive even by the rigid standards of the Atari 2600. Theres a maze, two or three cars, pellets and a high score. Thats all you get to see in the game.

* ScoringPoints: The entire goal of the game. Theres no story, no power ups, and no real ending, It's impossible to kill your enemies, so all you can do is stay on the defensive and grab as many dots as possible to get a high score.

* ArtificialStupidity: The opponents A.I. is very predictable--it never changes speeds, If it;s in the same lane as the player, it stays in that lane, and If in a different lane as the player, it switches one lane closer at the nearest gap, and never more than that. The cramped maze actually makes this a disadvantage at first, but it is possible to predict the enemies move and plan your way around them.

* ArtificialStupidity: The opponents A.I. is very predictable--it never changes speeds, If its in the same lane as the player, it stays in that lane, and If in a different lane as the player, it switches one lane closer at the nearest gap, and never more than that. The cramped maze actually makes this a disadvantage at first, but it is possible to predict the enemies move and plan your way around them.

* AwesomeButImpractical: Your turbo button may seem like a big help out of the starting gate, but its also a double edged sword that should be used cautiously--due to the cramped nature of the maze making it very easy to get you bottlenecked into a head-on crash, it can just as easily cause you to crash into your opponent as it can help you evade him. Also, you can only move one lane instead of two if you're going fast.

* DeadlyDodging: [[DefiedTrope Defied.]] Due to the identical speed and patterns the two opposing cars share and the way they're programmed to switch lanes, its impossible to trick the two opposing cars into colliding into each other.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Its a game where you dodge enemies, what else were you expecting?
* GameOver: Lose all three lives and its back to square one. Otherwise...

* MazeGame: Its like ''VideoGame/PacMan'', but with cars and no way of fighting back against your opponent.

* MyRulesAreNotYourRules: Your computer opponents are free to crash head-on into you without repurcussion, but trying to do the same costs you a life and resets the maze. And as noted above, its impossible to trick your opponents into crashing into each other, so you can't use their own tactics against them.

* ScoringPoints: The entire goal of the game. Theres no story, no power ups, and no real ending, Its impossible to kill your enemies, so all you can do is stay on the defensive and grab as many dots as possible to get a high score.
* SelfImposedChallenge: Its certainly possible to beat the game without using the turbo, but it makes an already hard game even more difficult.

Compare to the similar 1979 arcade game ''Head-On'', and the 1990 game ''VideoGame/DottoriKun'', which is similar in the sense that its a [[SerialNumbersFiledOff complete and utter ripoff of this game.]]

** You can hold in the desired direction to change lanes ''before'' you reach a gap, which makes the switching faster.

* KillScreen: Occurs once you get 1080 points.

* UnbuiltTrope: The game is a rare early instance of a video game that is ''not'' an EndlessGame, in that it is technically possible to complete it in a reasonably short time ([[NintendoHard assuming one has the skill to pull it off]]).

* NintendoHard: This is a game that requires you to be able to think on your feet and have fast reflexes. Your opponent racer is as dumb as a brick, but the maze is very cramped and only gives small windows for you to dodge it by changing lanes, and it is very easy to crash into it. Clearing even one screen in this game is not a cakewalk. And to say nothing of later screens, where you go up against ''two'' opposing cars, or the higher difficulty settings that make your opponent go even faster.

* SelfImposedChallenge: Its certainly possible to beat the game without using the turbo, but it makes an already hard game even more difficult.

Compare to the similar 1979 arcade game ''Head-On'', and ''VideoGame/DottoriKun'', which is similar in the sense that its a [[SerialNumbersFiledOff complete and utter ripoff of this game.]]

Compare to the similar 1979 arcade game ''Head-On'' and ''VideoGame/DottoriKun'', which is similar in the sense that its a [[SerialNumbersFiledOff complete and utter ripoff of this game.]]

Compare to the similar 1979 arcade game ''Head-On''.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Your racer is colored green while your opponents are colored blue.

* ScoringPoints: The entire goal of the game. Theres no story, no power ups, and no story or ending, Its impossible to kill your enemies, so all you can do is stay on the defensive and grab as many dots as possible to get a high score.

* NintendoHard: This is a game that requires you to be able to think on your feet and have fast reflexes. Your opponent racer is as dumb as brick, but the maze is very cramped and only gives small windows for you to dodge it by changing lanes, and it is very easy to crash into it. Clearing even one screen in this game is not a cakewalk. And to say nothing of later screens, where you go up against ''two'' opposing cars, or the higher difficulty settings that make your opponent go even faster.

* ContinuingIsPainful: Dying resets the entire maze, forcing you to collect all the pellets again. Fortunately, you still get to keep your points.

** Your computer opponents do not have their own turbo and can only change one lane at a time to ensure that you at least have a fair challenge. That said, the higher difficulty settings do increase its default speed.