Clean Sweep

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Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep - ARC - USA - Cabinet.jpg

Arcade cabinet - USA.

Developer Ramtek
Publisher Ramtek, Sega, Volley Industries
Published 1974-05-??
Platforms Arcade
Genres Ball and paddle, Block breaker, Single-screen
Multiplayer Alternating versus
Distribution Commercial

Clean Sweep is a seminal block breaker video game developed and published by Ramtek for the arcade in May 1974. The game uses TTL instead of a CPU and is among the first video games to use RAM to store the game state and ROM to store graphics.

The objective of Clean Sweep is to eliminate all the dots on the screen by running them over with a ball which you must keep bouncing around the screen with a paddle. Clearing all the dots earns you bonus points for getting a "clean sweep."

Personal

Own?No.
Won?No. As far as I know, the game doesn't have a win condition.

While researching the ball and paddle genre of video games, I discovered this game and was eager to learn more about it. Although it isn't very enjoyable, it's status as a pioneer makes it a very important game.

Review

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Best Version: Arcade

Good

  • The game serves as a prototype for the block breaker genre of video game. Although it doesn't function exactly as later games would, they owe a lot to this game.
  • By utilizing both RAM and ROM, the game was able to have more targets and more details graphics than most other games of the time.
  • Drawing a rounded paddle helps the player more intuitively know how the ball will rebound off it.

Bad

  • The paddle moves so quickly, it's pretty difficult to control.
  • The ball's speed doesn't accelerate at a consistent manner, but instead frequently changes in speed after each hit. Sometimes this is based on the angle you return the ball, sometimes it's based on the number of dots, but there doesn't seem to be an obvious reason. Either way, it makes it harder to return the ball.
  • As you clear out the dots, it becomes harder and harder to hit the remaining ones, so, the final stages of the game is usually just you rebounding the ball over and over and hitting nothing resulting in boring game play. This problem became more apparent as the genre matured, and future games incorporated ways around this.

Ugly

  • There isn't much to this game. If you're able to clear all the dots, the game just immediately draws a new set. There is no fanfare for clearing them, you just get a slight score bonus.
  • The game is media challenged. The display is monochromatic, the sound is just beeps, and even the cabinet art is dull.

Media

Arcade Art

Documentation

Screenshots

Videos

Gameplay - Emulated.
Gameplay - Cabinet.

Representation

Strong female character?FailThere are no characters.
Bechdel test?FailThere are no characters.
Strong person of color character?FailThere are no characters.
Queer character?FailThere are no characters.

Credits

Role Staff
Entire Game (Uncredited) Howell Ivy

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English (Canada) Flip-Out
English (USA) Clean Sweep
Japanese (IPM) PT スターダスト Suta Dasuto PT Stardust
Japanese (Sega) イレーズ Irezu Erase
Japanese (Universal) スターラブ Suta Rabu Star Rub
  • MAME code: cleanswp

Links

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