Worm Whomper
Platform: Intellivision
Region: USA
Media: Cartridge
Controller: INTV
Genre: Action
Gametype: Licensed
Release Year: 1983
Developer: Cheshire Engineering
Publisher: Activision
Players: 1 or 2 VS
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Felton Pinkerton wanted to take his wife to the fair, so he didn't get a chance to spray pesticide on his crop of corn. But due to his laziness, all of the bugs have now arrived and are trying to eat every last bit of corn! You control Felton who is armed with a spray gun. Your crop of corn is displayed on the left side of the screen, and you need to protect it from the incoming hoard of inchworms, moths, caterpillars, slugs, and other assorted bugs which approach rapidly from the right. If any of the bugs sneak past you, they will eat part of your corn crop. The game ends when all of the corn has been eaten. On each level you need to spray all of the bugs that appear in order to move on to the next round; as the rounds progress, the bugs become faster, more numerous, and home in quicker on the corn.


DEVELOPMENT HISTORY:

Worm Whomper was an original Intellivision game programmed at Cheshire Engineering under contract to Activision.


PLAYING TIPS:

From designer Tom Loughry in the Stampede instruction manual:

"As you will undoubtedly discover, protecting corn from invading bugs can be a full-time chore. And even then, there will always be at least one hungry bug that will survive the battle. Here are some pointers to help you control the number of bugs and increase the productivity of your crop.

"First of all, remember to spray the larger bugs first. They move the fastest and take the most spray to destroy.

"Also, it is especially important to exterminate the moths as soon as they appear. Although they don't actually destroy the corn themselves, they do lay eggs that mature into hungry caterpillars. If moths have the chance to lay their eggs close to the corn, the caterpillars will only have a short distance to travel and feast.

"Another strategy is to save your plough balls for the later waves of attack. All of the bugs will be moving much faster and that's when you'll need the plough balls most.

"Finally, only defend those sections of the field that have the corn growing on them. Don't even worry about the sections of the field that have lost their corn, unless new stalks appear."


FUN FACT: 

Players who sent a photo to Activision showing a score of 75,000 or more received an "Activision Worm Whompers" emblem.
 
http://www.mobygames.com/game/intellivision/worm-whomper
http://www.intellivisiongames.com/bluesky/games/credits/activision.html#worm
