Atari 50 The Anniversary Celebration: All Tempest 2000 Enemies List

The enemies are listed in order of apparition, with their very first level indicated on the right. The coloured dot next to their name is how they appear from afar before getting into the web – you’ll notice that all Tankers look the same before we can actually see them, and that Demon Heads are announced like Flippers.

Reminder – there are 99 levels in Tempest 2000, divided into coloured groups:

• Blue webs go from level 1 to level 16
• Red webs go from level 17 to level 32
• Yellow webs go from level 33 to level 48
• Rainbow webs go from level 49 to level 64
• Pink webs go from level 65 to level 80
• Orange webs go from level 81 to level 96
• White webs go from level 97 to level 99

This implies that Pulsars appear at the first red level, that Pulsar Tankers appear at the first yellow level, and that UFOs appear at the first pink level.

Mutant Flippers first appear at level 4, but they are then very rare and only appear through Flipper Tankers. The further you get into the game, the more they randomly replace Flippers.

Here are the enemy descriptions from the instruction booklet:

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A. Flippers

Flippers are bowtie-shaped aliens that arise from the core and move toward the
rim. Flippers can move from one corridor to the next by flipping over a
corridor boundary, firing missiles along the way. Should they reach the rim,
Flippers will flip towards you and can capture your Blaster by making contact
with it.

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B. Spikers

Spikers produce Blaster-crushing Spikes that whirl in from the core along the
center of a corridor. The Spiker builds a Spike to a random height, then
rides the Spike back down to the core and continues the process in another
corridor, launching missiles along the way.

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C. Spikes

Spikes are razor-sharp lines along the middle axis of the corridors that can
destroy your Blaster when you warp from the rim through the hole. Destroying
a Spike takes several shots as you must break it down piece by piece.

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D. Fuseballs

Fuseballs are five multi-colored, multi-segmented lines joined at their ends
to produce a Medusa-like wriggling form. Fuseballs are not constrained by the
corridor side boundaries, but move outward or inward when in the corridor.
Fuseballs are constrained by the rim but will descend off the rim back through
the hole when along a corridor boundary. Fuseballs can be destroyed by a
shot or SuperZapper, but cannot be shot when riding a corridor boundary. If a
Fuseball touches your Blaster, you’re history.

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E. Pulsars

Pulsars are expanding and contracting lightning bolt-like forms that transform
from a straight line into a zigzag. Pulsars move from the core towards the
rim and can move between corridors by flipping in a manner similar to Flippers.
Beware! Pulsars are harmless as a flat line. But when a Pulsar pulses, like
a switch that closes an electrical circuit, it will electrify the entire
corridor. When this happens the corridor will flash as a warning. If you are
on the corridor, you will fry.

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F. Tankers

Tankers are diamond-shaped objects that move from the core toward the rim and
are constrained to a single corridor. Tankers contain other objects and,
depending on the level, contain Flippers, Fuseballs, or Pulsars; the type of
object can be determined by the appearance of the Tanker.

When a Tanker is hit by fire from your Blaster, or approaches the rim of the
hole, the contents of the Tanker are released. No points are scored for the
destruction of the Tanker if it self-destructs upon reaching the rim.

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G. Mutant Flippers (Tempest 2000 only)

Mutant Flippers are more hostile than Flippers and attack at a much faster
speed.

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H. Mirrors (Tempest 2000 only)

Mirrors are just that — they reflect your fire back in your face. Mirrors
climb up the web and stop in front of you — blocking on-coming enemies. The
best way to destroy a Mirror is to fire and dodge, as Mirrors are defenseless
when launching lasers. In Tempest Duel, you are armed with Mirrors.

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I. Demon Heads (Tempest 2000 only)

Demon Heads are very aggressive and extremely deadly. Beware! When hit, a
Demon Head’s horns will fly off and head straight for your Blaster.

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J. UFOs (Tempest 2000 only)

Perhaps the most elusive of all enemies, UFOs fly above the web and fire
lightning bolts at your Blaster. The only way to destroy a UFO is to jump over
him and blow him back into the stratosphere.