Hostages (video game)

Hostages is a tactical shooter video game developed and published by Infogrames. It was released for the Acorn Electron, Archimedes, Atari ST, Amiga, Apple IIGS, Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, Nintendo Entertainment System, and ZX Spectrum in 1988. The game was released as Hostage: Rescue Mission in the United States and Operation Jupiter in France; the NES port is titled Rescue: The Embassy Mission.

Hostages
European MS-DOS cover art
Developer(s)Infogrames
Publisher(s)Infogrames
Superior Software
Designer(s)Philippe Agripnidis
Composer(s)Alberto Jose González
Platform(s)Acorn Electron, Archimedes, Amiga, Apple IIGS, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, NES, ZX Spectrum
Release
Genre(s)Tactical shooter
Mode(s)Single-player
Amiga floppy disk

Plot

A terrorist group have overrun an embassy in Paris. The player takes control of a six-man GIGN team on a mission to free the hostages.

Gameplay

The game is split into two or three (depending on platform) distinct sections:

  1. In the first part of the game, the player must bring three men into position so they can snipe the building. While doing so, the men must avoid the searchlights by diving for cover in doorways, windows and behind fences as well as rolling, crawling and running. If the player is caught in a searchlight, the sniper is shot at and risks being gunned down.
  2. The second part involves entering the building with the other three men. In some versions of the game, this section is linked to the first part. The player's men abseil down the side of the building to choose which room to enter from, while the snipers who were positioned earlier can be used to shoot the terrorists through the windows.
  3. The building must then be searched, shooting the terrorists and finding the hostages in the process. In some versions of the game, hostages must be taken to a safe room.

Reception

Hostages was well-received by critics. The game received 5 out of 5 stars in Dragon.[1] Computer Gaming World gave the PC version a positive review, noting poor joystick and keyboard response was a significant problem in an otherwise "great" game.[2] Compute! called Hostages "one of the better Amiga combat games", noting that it did not involve aliens or swords.[3]

Reviews

Legacy

A sequel to Hostages, Alcatraz, was released by Infogrames for the Amiga, Atari ST, and MS-DOS in 1992.[31]

References
  1. Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (June 1989). "The Role of Computers". Dragon (146): 68–79.
  2. Struble, Robert (August 1989), "Code Blue, Code Blue, All Units...", Computer Gaming World, no. 62, p. 38
  3. Anzovin, Steven (September 1989). "Compute! Specific / Amiga". Compute!. p. 76. Retrieved November 11, 2013.
  4. "Atari ST User (Vol. 3, No. 11) - January - 1989: Atari magazine scans, PDF".
  5. "RAZE - Issue 05 (1991-03)(Newsfield Publishing)(GB)". March 1991.
  6. "COMPUTE!'s Amiga Resource - Volume 1 Number 3 (1989-08)(COMPUTE! Publications)(US)". August 1989.
  7. "CRASH 79 - Hostages".
  8. "ST Format (Issue 20) - March - 1991: Atari magazine scans, PDF".
  9. "RAZE - Issue 09 (1991-07)(Newsfield Publishing)(GB)". July 1991.
  10. "Hostages review from Your Amiga (Jun 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack".
  11. "Hostages review from CU Amiga (Sep 1991) - Amiga Magazine Rack".
  12. "TheOne Magazine Issue 01". October 1988.
  13. "The Games Machine Magazine Issue 17".
  14. https://archive.org/stream/ST_Amiga_Format_Issue_04_1988-10_Future_Publishing_GB#page/n63/mode/2up
  15. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Tilt/tilt_numero081/TILT%20-%20n081%20-%20septembre%201990%20-%20page086%20et%20087.jpg
  16. http://download.abandonware.org/magazines/Joystick/joystick_numero015/Joystick%20015%20-%20Page%20122%20-%20(Avril%2091).jpg
  17. "The Games Machine Issue 23".
  18. "ZZap!64 Magazine Issue 053". September 1989.
  19. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2022-03-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. "Info Magazine Issue 26".
  21. "Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Powerplay best of 1989".
  22. "Kultpower Archiv: Komplettscan Powerplay 12/1988".
  23. "Pagina 28 di Zzap! Numero 38".
  24. "ACE Magazine Issue 20". May 1989.
  25. "ACE Magazine Issue 15". December 1988.
  26. "The Games Machine Issue 34".
  27. https://archive.org/stream/computer-video-games-magazine-112/CVG112_Mar_1991#page/n73/mode/2up
  28. "Rescue - Nintendo Entertainment System - Mean Machines review". Archived from the original on 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2022-03-21.
  29. "Hostage review from Antic's Amiga Plus Vol 1 No 3 (Aug - Sep 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack".
  30. "Jeux & stratégie 54". December 1988.
  31. "Alcatraz". MobyGames. Retrieved 2013-11-12.
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