Tomy Sky Attack
Martin has been a software developer for many years. This is mixed with a passion for retro machines and game,
Tomy 3D Sky Attack
Tomy Sky Attack was one of the first games released by Tomy who would manufacture quite a few other 3D type games (such as 3D Thundering Turbo) during the 1980s.
They would go under the 'Tomytronic' moniker.
The Tomytronic range was a series of portable handheld games released during the 1980s by Takara Tomy Co.
The devices resembled a pair of binoculars (as in you looked through two eyepieces to play the game) and also featured a strap so the player would be able to wear it round his or her neck in between games.
These games were quite remarkable at the time - simulating 3D perspective by having two LED panels that were lit by external light through a plastic 'window' on topmost part of the unit.
Tomy 3D Sky Attck
Tomy 3D Sky Attack. The ultimate in Tron-alike thrills!
Sky Attack - The ultimate in gaming realism...
Back in the old days (the early 1980s!), and we're pre-GameBoy here, the only way to get your handheld gaming fix was from Nintendo's Game & Watch games, or from electronic table top arcaders such as Astro Wars and Astro Blaster.
By the mid 1980s there was a glut of similar games, and the technology was losing ground to the home computer sector as people turned to the likes of the home computer market (where in the UK ZX Spectrum Games and Amiga Games became incredibly popular).
So, how did Tomy make a product that stood out from the rest of the crowd?
With perhaps the greatest ever gimmick created in the hand-held genre!
It looked cool - and so did you
Boys 'n their toys. The space age truly had arrived with Tomy Sky Attack
Tomy Gaming Prestige...
This game (and most by Tomytronic) were at the time, the ultimate in school-yard prestige.
They generally cost more than other hand held games and you almost felt like you were Luke Skywalker looking through his groovy electro-binoculars at a bunch of tusken raiders.
Until you realised that Han was way cooler that is.
The neckstrap meant that you never had to physically put the unit down in between games, and you imagined that you looked remarkably good wearing this futuristic device anyway.
The design of the casing was, at the time, just as exciting as the game itself.
The bino-game was very, VERY futuristic, and people wondered just what the hell you were looking at!
Well, as it happened you were looking at the ultimate in 3D graphics, the "bino's" drawing you into a whole new virtual reality.
Well almost!
Those 3D Glowing Graphics...
The colourful Tron-like graphics in Tomy Sky Attack
3D Sky Attack - Gameplay
In this 3D game, you had to control a tank like vehicle and defend it against maurauding aliens who swept across the sky towards you.
These 'sky attackers' dropped bombs down towards your tank - and you had to evade destruction and take those pesky bad guys out!
You had three 'lanes' in which you could sit as the 3D action relentlessley rolled towards you. You had to switch between left, middle and right to avoid the bombs whilst elevating your gun upwards to take those bad guys out!
As the game progressed the nasties grew larger in number and the speed of play increased.
The style of the game was very much rendered by glowing wire-frame graphics, and the LED glow really resembled the famous movie TRON.
The more light that came in through the 'window', the better the glow. On a really bright day you almost reached ready-brek luminescent proportions, that was until some prankster held their hand over the light gathering window...
The usual game features were there, extra lives on a certain score, more bad guys to contend with the further you went, high score...
There was no end to the game - you kept going until all of your lives were lost. Not to worry though, you would be straight back onto it for another go.
If you played it long enough you'd still be seeing wire-frame ships and tanks whilst you were sitting eating your dinner.
Great days...
Sky Attack In Action
Sky Attack Inside And Out
Retro Gaming Links
- 8-bit to 16-bit
Two classic machines from the 8-bit and 16-bit... - Acorn Archimedes
A superb machine yet again from Acorn - Acorn Atom
The Acorn Atom was the ancestor to the BBC series of computers manufactured by Acorn - Acorn Electron
The Electron was an 8-bit Micro manufactured by Acorn - Amiga CD 32
Commodore's attempt eto enter the console market... - Amiga Games
The best in 16-bits - Amstrad CPC 464
During the 1980s entrepeneur Alan Sugar made a foray into the home computer market - Asteroids
Asteroids (along with the seminal Space Invaders) must be one of the most famous arcade games of all time - Astro Blaster
A table-top scramble clone from Hales / Tomy - Astro Wars
A legendary table top arcade game... - Atari ST
The Atari ST was a 16-bit home computer - Awesome Graphics
Some truly stunning graphics were created within ZX Spectrum games... - AY Music
Great, great music on the trusty AY! - BBC Micro
The BBC, known as the BBC micro or the BEEB. - Best PC Games
Best PC Gaming - get the best in online games - Commodore 16
The Commodore 16 was an 8-bit micro - Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 was the flagship of Commodores 8-bit fleet. - Commodore 128
The last of Commodore's 8-bit machines - Commodore Amiga
We love the Commodore Amiga!! - Crash Magazine
Crash magazine was one of the most popular monthly magazines available covering the Sinclair ZX Spectrum and it's games - Frogger
Frogger is an arcade game which was released waaaay back in 1981 - Funny Games
Funny games from past and present - Games Online
Games online are cool - Ground Zero
Cold war text adventure - Miniclip Games
Just what are Miniclip games? Well, if you are into games online then miniclip games might well be just for you - Missile Command Games
Missle Command - a world famous arcade game - Ocean Software
Ocean Software was one of the biggest developers of arcade games within Europe during the 1980s and 1990s - Oric 1
The Oric 1 - Oric Atmos
The Oric Atmos was a British computer that was a little bit better than the Oric 1 - Pacman Game
For those retro gaming fans among us, who can forget the year of 1980 when Pac-man first appeared? - Sinclair ZX Spectrum
We love the ZX Spectrum!! - Space Harrier
Welcome to the Fantasy Zone! Get Ready... - Space Invaders
Space Invaders, an all time classic - Spectrum Emulator
Want to play those classic Spectrum games? Please read on - Spectrum Games
Classic 8-bit gaming and interviews with programming legends - Spectrum Game Characters
Were you a Miner Willy or a Monty Mole? - Spectrum Music
The best music on the humble Speccy - Spectrum Programmers
The 48K Spectrum was pushed way beyond it's limitations... - Star Wars Computer Games
These ARE the games you're looking for... - Tetris
Well... It's Tetris! - Tomy 3D Thundering Turbo
More classic action from good old TOMY - Vectrex
REAL vectors! - VIC 20
The Commodore VIC-20 - Vintage Classic Toys
Classic toys from yesteryear... - ZX80
Completely silent and completely monochrome - ZX81
If you like this, you'll LURVE that - ZZap 64
ZZap 64 magazine was one of the most popular monthly magazines available covering the Commodore 64 and it's games
Collectors Items
The Tomytronic range really were a wonder at the time.
Original examples in the original box fetch a good price these days - they are true Vintage Classic Toys from the bygone golden era of hand held gaming - especially hand held 3D gaming.
Sky Attack was one of the most popular games in the Tomy series and is a true classic of the genre.
Just don't try playing it in the dark without a torch handy...
Music Video Inspired By Sky Attack
Any fans of Sky Attack?
80sbaby on September 07, 2015:
How much is it worth to you? Just sitting here playing.
shane b on September 27, 2010:
wishi ihad one used to use my cousins one v good times takes me back to when new stuff seemed amazing
