Sky Jinks
Sky Jinks is a vertically-scrolling, air racing-themed video game developed by Bob Whitehead for the Atari 2600 video game console,[2] and published by Activision in 1982.
| Sky Jinks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Activision |
| Publisher(s) | Activision |
| Programmer(s) | Bob Whitehead[1] |
| Platform(s) | Atari 2600 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Racing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Gameplay
In Sky Jinks, the player pilots a low-flying Seversky XP-41[3] airplane through a time trial. To complete a game level, the player must bank around a prescribed number of pylons (left for blue and right for red). The XP-41 can bank left and right, as well as accelerate and decelerate. Flying into a pylon (which counts), tree, or hot air balloon slows down the plane.
The game has four courses: Polo Grounds, Aero Race, Love Field, and Speedy Meadows. There is also a pseudo-randomly-generated course called Thompson Tourney.[3]
Legacy
In the mid-1980s, social psychologist Roy Baumeister used the game in his psychological research into performance anxiety.[4]
Activision anthologized Sky Jinks in the PlayStation title A Collection of Activision Classic Games for the Atari 2600 (1998) and in the multi-platform collection Activision Anthology (2002).
See also
- List of Atari 2600 games
- List of Activision games: 1980–1999
- Skiing (1980), a similar skiing game written by Bob Whitehead for Activision
References
- Hague, James. "The Giant list of Classic Game Programmers".
- "Sky Jinks". Atari Age. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- Weiss, Brett (2007). Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. p. 105. ISBN 9780786432264. OCLC 124036221. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- Beilock, Sian (2010). Choke: Use the Secrets of Your Brain to Succeed When It Matters Most. New York: Free Press. pp. 244–45. ISBN 9781416596172. OCLC 464593186. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
External links
- Sky Jinks at Atari Mania