<p><i><b>Robotron: 2084</b></i> (also referred to as <i><b>Robotron</b></i>) is an arcade <a title="Video game" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game">video game</a> developed by Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar of Vid Kidz and released by Williams Electronics (part of WMS Industries) in 1982. It is a shoot ’em up with two-dimensional graphics. The game is set in the year 2084 in a fictional world where robots have turned against humans in a cybernetic revolt. The aim is to defeat endless waves of robots, rescue surviving humans, and earn as many points as possible.</p> <p>The designers, Eugene Jarvis and Larry DeMar, drew inspiration from other popular media: <i>Nineteen Eighty-Four</i> and <i>Berzerk</i>. A two-joystick control scheme was implemented to provide the player with more precise controls, and enemies with different behaviors were added to make the game challenging. Jarvis and DeMar designed the game to instill panic in players by presenting them with conflicting goals and having on-screen projectiles coming from multiple directions.</p> <p><i>Robotron: 2084</i> was critically and commercially successful. Praise among critics focused on the game’s intense action and control scheme. The game is frequently listed as one of Jarvis’s best contributions to the video game industry. Though not the first game with a twin joystick control scheme, <i>Robotron: 2084</i> is cited as the game that popularized it. Arcade cabinets of the title have since become a sought-after collector’s item. <i>Robotron: 2084</i> has been ported to numerous platforms, inspired the development of other games, and was followed by sequels.</p>
