Warlords [Upright model] (c) 1980 Atari.
Atari's Warlords is a 1- or 2-player game with a black-and-white raster-scan monitor. The game depicts a 3rd-person view of 4 castles. The knights and kings use shields to defend their castle walls from the fireballs that ricochet around the playfield.
Players can capture and catapult the fireballs at opposing castles, using their shield control and 'power stone' pushbutton. When a fireball hits a castle wall, it destroys one or more bricks, depending on its speed.
A position not paid for is played by the computer, with a black knight displayed in the appropriate castle (The upper 2 castles always have black Knights in them). The computer-controlled knights catapult fireballs at the players with increasing accuracy, to provide challenge.
The play mode begins when either start button is pressed and the countdown has ended. The mode ends when the last player's castle (containing a crown) has been penetrated by a fireball. At this point a white cloud envelopes the crown, and the latter disappears.
During the countdown, a dragon flies back and forth across the screen with a fireball in its mouth. At the end of the countdown, a position activated by a start button has its black knight changed to a king's crown. A position not activated remains as a knight and is controlled by the computer. The dragon then spits the fireball from its mouth toward a player's castle.
The objective is to destroy the three other castles, while protecting one's own castle with the moving shield. The LED pushbuttons have dual functions: in the ready-to-play mode they work as start switches, and during game play they become 'power stones' to allow players to capture and catapult fireballs at opponents.
The spinning fireballs released from a shield have more destructive force on a castle wall than a fireball simply deflected from another wall or the sides of the playfield. However, players will soon find out that they cannot hold onto a fireball for long, since it slowly destroys their own castle walls adjacent to the fireball.
Additional fireballs appear at predetermined intervals or when a castle is destroyed, whichever comes first. A maximum of 4 fireballs simultaneously appears on the screen.
In 1- and 2-player games, the players' crowns will be accompanied by a zero, to begin scoring. The point-scoring system is printed on each control panel (the black knights do not earn points).
If the black knight has the surviving castle, the game ends. However, if a player (king) has the surviving castle, that player receives bonus points, all castles are rebuilt, and the game continues with a new battle at a higher level.
The subsequent levels begin, as mentioned before, with the fireball thrown out by the dragon. In the higher levels black knights play more accurately and faster.

>>> TECHNICAL DETAILS
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Game ID : 037153-037159
Main CPU : M6502 (@ 1.512 Mhz)
Sound Chips : POKEY (@ 1.512 Mhz)
Screen orientation : Horizontal
Video resolution : 256 x 240 pixels
Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz
Palette colors : 128
Players : 4
Control : paddle
Buttons : 1

>>> TRIVIA
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Released in April 1980.
Also released as 'Warlords [Cocktail model]'.
Licensed to Sega for Japan market.
A prototype version of this game is known under the name of 'Castles & Kings'.
Approximately 1,000 Upright units were produced.
- SCORING -
Damaging a castle wall : 125 points
Destroying any Warlord (any Human player) : 1000 Points
Destroying any Black Knight (any Computer player) : 2500 Points
Surviving player gains 5000 points x current level.

>>> DESIGNERS / PROGRAMMERS / STAFF
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Designed and programmed by : Greg Rivera, Norm Avalar

>>> GAME PORTS TO OTHER SYSTEMS
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* Consoles :
Atari 2600 (1981)
Atari XEGS
Sony PlayStation (2001, 'Atari Anniversary Edition Redux')
Sega Dreamcast (2001, 'Atari Anniversary Edition')
Sony PlayStation 2 (2004, 'Atari Anthology') : appears in both arcade and Atari 2600 forms.
Microsoft XBOX (2004, 'Atari Anthology') : appears in both arcade and Atari 2600 forms.
Nintendo DS (2005, 'Retro Atari Classics')
Nintendo Game Boy Advance (2005, 'Centipede / Breakout / Warlords')
* Computers :
Tandy Color Computer (1982, 'War Kings')
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (2000, 'Atari Arcade hits 2')
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (2001, 'Atari Anniversary Edition')
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (2002, as part of 'Atari Revival') : features new 3-D graphical settings, also features an option to play the original game.
PC [MS Windows, CD-ROM] (2003, 'Atari - 80 Classic Games in One!') : appears in both arcade and Atari 2600 forms.
* Others :
Atari 10 in 1 TV Game (2002 - Jakk's Pacific)
Atari Paddle TV Game (2004 - Jakk's Pacific) : appears in both Arcade and Atari 2600 forms.
Atari Flashback Classic Game Console (2005)
Nokia N-Gage (2006, 'Atari Masterpieces Volume 2')

>>> OTHER GAME RESOURCES
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Game's rom.
Machine's picture.