Machine Guides

Game History

Gorf is an arcade game released in 1981 by Midway Manufacturing Co. The game's name was advertised as an acronym for "Galactic Orbiting Robot Force," though it was also inspired by designer Jamie Fenton's college nickname "Frog" (spelled backwards). Gorf was originally intended to be a tie-in with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but the developers changed its title after realizing the movie's concept would not work as a video game.

The game was innovative as one of the first arcade titles to feature multiple distinct levels in a single game, essentially making it five games in one. It was also among the first to use synthesized speech, powered by a Votrax speech chip that would heckle players during gameplay. The game featured a unique pistol-grip joystick that was praised for its ergonomic design.

Gorf consisted of five missions, with three original levels and two that borrowed from other arcade games—Space Invaders (1978) and Galaxian (1979)—due to Midway's distribution arrangements with Taito and Namco. The game allowed players to insert extra coins to buy up to seven lives before starting, another innovative feature for its time.

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Gorf is to progress through five distinct missions by destroying enemy ships and avoiding their attacks. You must complete all missions in sequence to advance in rank, starting from Space Cadet and ultimately reaching the rank of Space Captain by achieving a high score. The game emphasizes survival and accuracy across multiple gameplay styles in a single session.

Controls

• Joystick: Use the joystick to move your ship left and right at the bottom of the screen
• Fire Button: Press to shoot your laser at enemy ships
• Start Button: Located on the arcade cabinet, used to start the game and insert credits

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Press the Start Button to begin your space missions.

• Mission Progression: Complete five distinct missions in sequence, each with different gameplay mechanics and enemy patterns:

  • Mission 1: Astro Battles (similar to Space Invaders)
  • Mission 2: Laser Attack
  • Mission 3: Space Warp
  • Mission 4: Galaxians (similar to Galaxian)
  • Mission 5: Flag Ship

• Combat Mechanics: Move your ship horizontally and shoot at enemy ships while avoiding their projectiles. Each mission features different enemy movement patterns and attack strategies.

• Shield Protection: Your ship is protected by a shield that can absorb enemy fire but gradually depletes with each hit.

• Rank Advancement: Successfully complete missions to advance in military rank, from Space Cadet to Space Captain.

• Bonus Lives: Earn additional lives by reaching certain score thresholds during gameplay.

• Mission Completion: Successfully destroy all enemies in each mission to advance to the next one. The game loops back to Mission 1 with increased difficulty after completing Mission 5.

• Game Over: The game ends when you lose all your lives. Your final score and rank are displayed based on your performance.