Atari 8-bit - Datamost, Inc. - 1983

Ardy the Aardvark

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Genre: Arcade - Collect'em!
Year: 1983
Language: Machine Language
Publisher: Datamost, Inc.
Controls: Joystick
Developer: [n/a]
Players: 1
Country
Programmer(s): Ford, Jay M. / Oberth, Chris
License: Commercial
Graphic Artist(s): [n/a]
Medium
Sound: [n/a]
Rarity: 8
Cover Artist(s): Ross, Scott
Serial: -
Dump: Download

OTHER VERSIONS WITH THE SAME TITLE (1)

Main Street PublishingUSA · 1986

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Later released in the UK by Databyte.

Many thanks to Homesoft for converting the original game to ATR format.

Missing original disk image!

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Disk 1

ADS (1)

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Disk 1

VOTES / STATISTICS

Rating7.6/10

Hits: 13,394
Downloads: 2,932
Votes: 25

⬇ DOWNLOAD PDF

COMMENTS (8)

the big m9 Aug 2023
Ardy was designed by Chris Oberth originally for Apple computers. Jay Ford did the conversion for Atari and C64. Like the arcade game Anteater, Ardy tries to eat all the food while dealing with various insects. Each insect has its own set of rules which affects the strategy and contributes to the fun. The Atari version is super fast which is a blessing and a curse. Getting stuck cause you missed a turn can be annoying. Recommended!
Monk21 Feb 2023
This game also resembles the Commodore 16 game 'Aardvark'. Link here: https://plus4world.powweb.com/software/Aardvark The gameplay and premise is very similar in many of these type of games, it's really a matter of preference which you think is the best. I have a soft spot for the C16 game, as got and played it back in the day. It also utilizes the multiple shades of color the C16 can do, unlike a lot of the scene pictures and products, which weirdly seem to be done on C64 and converted to C16/Plus/4-format. Even Xeo3 doesn't really show off C16's capabilities, but uses cyan instead of blue where it could easily just use a shade of blue. These games are fun for awhile, but end up being a bit too repetitive and tedious in the long run. The problem with this style of game is that it never goes anywhere, it's 'static'. It doesn't progress to new sceneries or worlds, doesn't give you anything special when you complete a level, etc. Even Popeye gives a completely new screen and graphics every time you complete a screen, and BC's Quest for Tires has constant 'adventure vibe' going on due to always-changing scenery and gameplay, you feel like you are going somewhere. This game stays still. A fun game for awhile, but doesn't really give you an adventure, and becomes like office work in the long run.
Scott Stilphen18 Apr 2021
Someone mentioned this is the same as Oil's Well only with different mazes. The premise is the same, but there's several key gameplay differences beyond simply having different mazes.
Scott Stilphen18 Apr 2021
There are some gameplay differences between this version and the arcade Anteater. In Anteater, if a worm is on your tongue, you can only eat it by backing up over it head-first; in Ardy, you can only eat it tail-first. In Anteater, you’re not safe from worms if you stay at the entrance but in Ardy you are. In Anteater, the spider will follow your tongue to the tip and kill you if it touches it; in Ardy, the spider will kill you if it touches your tongue.
AbbotKinneyDude20 Dec 2020
Chris Oberth should be credited for this. Later on, he was essential in porting Winter Games to the Apple II. He passed away in 2012.
J28 Jul 2020
Ardy and Oil's Well are based on a 1982 arcade game called Anteater. Chris Oberth wrote both Anteater and Ardy.
Megadeth22 Jun 2019
Note: The tape version came without the loading screen.
Daniel Thomas MacInnes10 May 2011
Should anybody mind that this is identical to Oil's Well? I think the mazes are different, but it's pretty much the exact same concept. Common for video games then, common today. It was fun in short bursts but, in the end, Oil's Well won out as the better game. But you can't deny Ardy's charm. I'll give it a 6/10.