Wizard of Wor (Arcade, Atari 2600, 5200) Game Review by Mike Matei
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- čas přidán 3. 03. 2015
- Mike Matei reviews the arcade classic Wizard of Wor!
Follow Mike on Twitter► / mike_matei
In this video Mike Matei discusses several different versions of Wizard of Wor. Arcade, Atari 2600 and others. Wizard of Wor is essentially like a cross between Pac-man & Berzerk. Along with Gauntlet, it was one of the few early arcade games that used voice clips. WOW is also available on PS2 and PSP in Midway's Arcade Treasures Volume 2 and Midway Arcade Origins on Xbox 360.
See more reviews by Mike Matei with the following links -
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I didn't know Stephen Hawking did voice overs for games.
Ha! It does sound like Stephen Hawking!
i thought it was benni bennasi?
utubepunk
Stephen Hawking can't speak.
edilcanidal FACEPALM
*****
As the pornmusic?
Ooh Ooh Ooh Ah, ah, ah, ah!
Some of the best taunts ever.
The voice clips in this game sound like they're being said with a huge dick in the mouth. Couldn't have been Mike's though, as that would completely suffocate the poor human.
Those are not "clips", it is the live output of a speech formant synthesis chip. I think it is a GI SP0256-AL2, judging from the way it sounds and the era.
I was more of a GORF guy back in the early 1980s, but I played my fair share of Wizard of Wor, too. Hearing the taunts from the Wizard was definitely a point of attraction; back in 1981, not a lot of games had speech-- and, at least in my local arcade-- the game's volume was cranked, so it was hard not to hear the voice coming from the game.
It's nice to be able to play this today, emulated well via Midway Arcade Treasures (Gen6) or Midway Arcade Classics (Gen7). I've actually improved my skill a bit from my childhood days, though I'm still nowhere near great at it. Sadly, GORF never got the same treatment-- probably because of the copyright issues with Space Invaders and Galaxian both being minigames within the main game.
Peter Skerritt I never got to play the real arcade GORF but I thought it had a pretty darn good port to the Atari VCS. I'm saying that in hindsight, I was born in the middle of the Video Game Crash. I remember getting my older brothers' hand-me-down ColecoVision and playing a lot of Zaxxon and Donkey Kong Jr. before they convinced our mom to get a NES. I still love Coleco... and I happened to get a copy of it's version of GORF a couple years ago. I thought it was a clunky, barely functional mess. The 2600 version beats the pants off of it. Super super fun game!
Oh, man, Wizard of Wor was one of my favorite arcade games, right behind Robotron. Hearing those voices was SO cool back in the day.
Holy shit! How big is your god damned TV?
My TV is 4k Samsung 65"
- Mike
Cinemassacre Damn Mike, that's big. But I wouldn't expect anything small from you ;D
Cinemassacre
dont worry Mike, not all of your fans are as retarded as these guys.
Cinemassacre You must doing really well for yourself :)
Cinemassacre no way its the angry nintendo nerd lol ive been watching your channel for 5years
Damn Mike, you're killing it with these reviews! I played the 2600 game when I was a kid, and I agree it was one of the better games on the system. I also like Warlords a lot, as it was sort of close to the arcade game and made good use of the paddle controllers. That said, hearing that machine in the arcade was awesome and nothing compared to that experience. Usually this one and Sinistar were turned up to 11 blasting through the arcade. Intimidating for an 8 year old, that's for sure. Keep it up Mike, and thanks again for this!
Warlords is one of my favorite simultaneous two player 2600 games. I've been meaning to get a copy of Sinistar somewhere.
- Mike
Cinemassacre
"WoW" looks great, Mike! Have you ever played "Berzerk"? It looks very similar (Midway's Wizard of Wor was apparently published a year after Stern Electronic's Berzerk), especially with the use of synthspeech taunts; Berzerk had some great ones:
"COIN DETECTED IN POCKET." (when in "attract mode")
"CHICKEN. FIGHT LIKE A ROBOT." (when the player character uses the stage exit without killing all enemy robots)
soupalex Sounds much more similar to Gorf! Same type of voice!
I played Sinistar on PlayStation. When I beat level one, I found level two to be impossible.
I love these Mike review that pop up randomly! Please make more!
I love his taunts, really unique. Other than that I like the concept of a two-player Berzerk with more maze elements.
What is the music starting at 1:00 ? i remember its a C64 music but forgot its name :(
My childhood friend had this arcade cabinet. His dad collected them. And this was my favorite one to play. We never got too far in it. But seeing it again after all of these years is the purest gaming nostalgia for me.
Out of curiosity... How's the Xbox 360/PS3 image quality on a 65" 4K screen? Does it get pixelated?
I wish a girl would play games with ME! My town sucks....
: (
Yup... My town sucks too. There used to be a little snack place with working arcade cabinets, and I went there just because I LOVED the games. But one day they sold all of the cabinets to The Boys and Girls club thing (or so what I have heard.). Never went back since.
Why you want a girl ruining your gaming experience ?
Why the fuck are people comparing Shenmue to GTA? Two completely different types of games.
ome1211
True.
VicRules666
Do you know where I can find some?!
I have this in an old school arcade cab i made. Makes me want to go back and play it again.
Great Review Mike! You and James keep them coming. Really enjoy the videos!
does anyone know the music that is being played in the background?
The music for the next stage was from "Dragnet" or a commercial for Tums.
Sweet review. I've got some fond memories of playing this one in the arcade.
I have an NES and was wondering if you could suggest any good games for it. I have watched some videos of yours which got me involved in the old systems and games. So if you have time just a few would be very helpful, thanks.
They had a WoW machine in the Circle K down the street from my house when I was a kid. It ate many of my spare quarters, until they swapped it out for a Gladiator arcade machine. Then Gladiator ate all my quarters. I miss the days when they had arcade machines in convenience stores... and laundromats... and grocery stores... and just about everywhere else.
I played this at Richie Knucklez Arcade in Flemington, NJ a week ago. Great game and I remember playing it when it originally came out.
Does it have the voice on the MS-DOS port?
I knew all of the music that was playing in the background.
0:21 and 2:59 was Ocean Loader 3(Peter Clarke)
2:02 was Central Park from The Last Ninja 2(Matt Grey)
1:00 was One Man and his Droid(Rob Hubbard)
Music Chip: SID Chip (I don't know if it's 6502 or 8580)
System: Commodore 64 (PAL)
What soundtrack is he using?? I've searched other Wizard of Wor vidoes and none of them have that soundtrack?
Dat Ocean Loader 3 music. A great tune for a great (though unrelated) game!
I'd love to see a video on your atari 2600 collection. I can see from some of your videos that you've got some pretty rare games (quadrun, q*bert's qubes). Thanks for the recent videos. It's good to see the Atari VCS get some love.
How do you play this game on youre tv?
Mike Matei, why wasn't Evil Otto, Wolfenstein and Wolfenstein 2 mentioned when talking about voice software? Did those games come out after WOW?
This is also on the PSP as Midway's Arcade Treasures. It's pretty fun.
This was a very well put video! I have to check this out now.
Still have this on 2600
Nice review Mike, it'd be cool to see ya do more ATari games but I imagine how busy you must be on a regular basis.
Cool vid. That ending music sounds like the beginning of Donkey Kong though....strange..
Loved this game on the 5200. Underrated system IMO. Once you got the hang of recentering the controller it was easy to use and innovative for the time IMO.
I really enjoy these Arcade/Atari game reviews. Very interesting and fun to watch.
does the 5200 version have the voice?
What version were playing with the Lady Friend. That looked like the original! thanks
Hey Mike! Totally enjoy your videos man!
Been follwing since a long time ;)
Nice :) I can hear Gryzor Commodore 64 0:23 background music ✌️
Did this come out before or after Berzerk?
Did I hear the C64 Rastan load screen music playing in the background?
I recognize that music in the background! It's Ocean Loader III by Peter Clarke and Central Park from The Last Ninja II by Matt Gray.
Nice review Mike! I've played Wizard Of Wor a lot on the C64 back in the time. It has even voice, but only with the C64 voice add on by Commodore.
Intellivision had a Voice addon also. I remember playing it a few times. There was flight game where they would call out where the boogies were.
Gotta love the soundtrack.
0:20 Ocean Loader 3 (Peter Clarke)
At 0:20 I heard whatever was said as "Remember I'm Peppi Le Pew" 😉 You got to love the early days of digitized voices 😄
Another thing to note is many of the sounds seem to be ported over from Gorf. Also some seem to have been used in Daft Punk's End of Line song from Tron Legacy.
Great review. Clear, to the point and a bit of humor. Well done, Mike. You and James have a great channel.
Love these reviews mike. Keep it up!
This was one of my favorite spins on the maze game genre. An underrated arcade classic.
I have this game on the "Midway Arcade Treasures 2" PS2 disk (for a long time I mostly went for classic game compilations for that system), and think it's a real treat, since i really like those early arcade games. I've never played it with two players, though, which really looks like quite the good time.
Excellent review! I always enjoy a good arcade review, and this game looks like it's a fun one (never saw it in the arcades back in the early 80s).
I don't have the newer compilation but I do have the older Midway Arcade Treasures and this game is on volume 2. Never played Wizard of Wor on it though; gonna have to rectify that omission.
Ever thought about reviewing Pitfall 2: Lost Caverns? I just picked that up for the Atari 5200 and it can be excruciatingly difficult with the standard 5200 controls. But on the other hand, it's a much bigger game than the original Pitfall, and it even has checkpoints (and believe me, it needs them!).
Love the Commodore 64 background music. Invade-a-load and Ocean loader v.3.
I LOVE your reviews mike keep them coming regularly please!!
The coin-op up was one of my favorite games ever
Amazing video as always
Love your reviews Mike!, keep the good work :D
Something about that digitized voice is so hilarious and charming! I'd like to see someone make a modern day "8 bit style" game with digitized voices like those, I think it'd be great. Nice review as always Mike!
Great review! I have never heard of this game. Thanks, Mike!
The wizard kinda sounds like the computer voice from War Games, possibly the best Matthew Broderick movie without "Ferris" in the title.
I grew up playing the Commodore 64 version of this game. I LOVED it... and still do. I can remember playing this game with one of my best friends at the time back in the mid 80's and we would have a blast playing it. I didn't have the console version, so I was unaware that this game had an electronic voice. It was still a great game, though.
OmG. This is my favourite game on the Commodore 64. 2 player of this game was SICK FUN. The music is so heart pumping..
Really interesting, hope I take the time to play this one day.
Wizard of Wor was my first game for the C64, which ever came with some weird screen overlay that I guess was meant to fade the screen to reduce eye-strain, but I stopped using that.
No voices, since it was the C64 port, but I still think it was a great game for its time. Funny enough I used to call the Wizard a "Witch" for the high-pitched wailing when you kill him.
I recall that I used to start up 2 player, even when playing alone, just so I could play as blue and pull up the yellow guy and farm extra points.
One of my favourite 2600 games, besides Combat, SpaceMaster X-7 and Missile Command.
May have to try this out as I have Midway's Arcade Treasures Volume 2 on the original XBox.
The Bally home arcade system had "the incredible wizard" the music and sounds were the same but no voice.
Was my favorite on bally's home game.
I remembered play the arcade version of this game @ my uncle's house when I was a kid. Also the formation with two players back to back my cousins and I called it "The Death Butterfly"
Great commentary Mike. I've said it before, but you're really coming into your own with these reviews. I'll just throw out a game review suggestion: Battlezone. Keep it up man.
Love this game! I have it on the Midway Aracade Treasures 2 compilation for Gamecube
This is one of my top favorites of the 80s. Right up there with Satans Hollow and Sinistar.
I used to play it over and over on my commodore 64. Sweet memories!
Love this one. We played the heck out of this in the arcade as a kid and later on the Commodore 64 version which was pretty faithful to the arcade version. Playing it 2 player was hilarious. It's a genuine classic!
fun arcade co-op gaming times!
Nice video, I like the C64 version.
Do I hear the Monty on the run theme music from the C64 ;)
It really looks like a good and cool game, thank you for reviewing such an obscure gem.
Ps: man i love how the wizard's voice sounds.
This was long before Microsoft Sam and GoAnimate came along.
"Some galactic defender you are, Space Cadet." -GORF
I lucked out and had this as an actual arcade game in my dining room as a teen! I spent hours playing this frustrating but funny game.
Never thought id see a review of my favorite obscure Atari game. I was addicted to this game when I owned it for the Atari 800XL.
I really love the fact, that Mike is making Atari reviews. I really like them.
Hey Mike, i noticed how most ataris ive come across either shit out or controllers suck so i use an adaptor on the colecovision that plays atari games way better. Weird right?
Huh? Not weird.
Its not weird that the colicovisions adaptor plays atari game better than most original ataris?
It's not a fact that the adapter plays the games better than an original Atari. You just had bad luck with the Ataris you found I guess. The adapter should play the games exactly like an original 2600. Not better, not worse. Because really all the adapter is is an Atari 2600 which takes its power from the ColecoVision and uses it to output the video and audio signals to your television.
Holy fuck youre nit picky.
Really?
My aunt and uncle use to have this arcade machine in their house and my brother and i use to play it a lot. Good times.
So THAT'S where the laugh in the arcade scene of Monster House (old cgi movie) comes from.
I built a MAME arcade machine shown in my avatar. I have like 5000 games on it, the first game I will usually show\play is Wizard of War. Easy to pick up and play, it’s fun co-op and will bring a smile to anyone face even if they don’t care that much about video games.
Not one, but two accordions. This guy has life figured out.
Awesome review Mike!
I can hear some awesome Ocean loader music from C64. Do you review any C64 games?
Great work as always Cinemassacre , Mike keep up all the hard work, and next time your playing Drink a Beer!
this game is also on Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for the Playstation 2
I can't get in to those old arcade games, but I like some NES games. I really got into gaming during the 16-bit era. I have fond memories of SNES and GENESIS.
There should be a special where avgn's intro was in the style of the take on me music video
the voice in the game reminds me of the red room scenes in twin peaks
i've always loved standing in front arcade machines and hearing the random beeps and various effects . the feel of playing an arcade machine is way different then playing a console. I was expecting a review and that what I got. not every one is trying to troll/piss you off, I say that's awesome as shit keep doing it. you knows what it is I speak of do you not?... videos about video games.
I forgot all about this game... back then was one of my favorites!
Holy C64 tunes... Ocean Loader by Martin Galway, Invade-a-load by Rob Hubbard, Last Ninja 2 by Matt Gray... I remember WAY too much of that stuff :P
Was Mike playing WoW with Sia?
I do enjoy Mike's reviews no question, especially as someone who wasn't growing up in this era of gaming but is there a reason why James isn't making AVGN episodes anymore? Thanks.
I like the less known reviews, even if they are short. Wizard of Wor looks smooth and stays to the gaming roots.
Lesbian Spider Queens from Mars is a simply lovely tribute to the Wizards of Wor, though I think it stands on it's own as it's own game.
Love that "One Man and his Droid" music. Game's pretty cool, too. Doesn't have much to do with Wizard of Wor though...
I used to play Wizard of Wor in the 2600 with my dad all the time! I loved that game
Love playing this game on Midway Arcade Origins :)
Oh god... I remember this game! It was one of my favorites!