# Axis Assassin

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1983 video game

1983 video game

Axis Assassin Original "album cover" box Developer Electronic Arts Publishers NA: Electronic Arts EU: Ariolasoft Designer John Field[2] Platforms Apple II,[3] Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 Release Atari 8-bit, C64 NA: November 1983[1] Apple II NA: 1983 Genre Tube shooter Mode Single-player

***Axis Assassin*** is a 1983 [tube shooter](/source/Tube_shooter) video game written by John Field and published by [Electronic Arts](/source/Electronic_Arts) for the [Apple II](/source/Apple_II).[2] Ports for [Atari 8-bit computers](/source/Atari_8-bit_computers) and [Commodore 64](/source/Commodore_64) were released alongside the Apple II original. The game is similar in concept and visuals to [Atari](/source/Atari%2C_Inc.)'s 1981 game *[Tempest](/source/Tempest_(video_game))*.

Along with *[M.U.L.E.](/source/M.U.L.E.)*, *[Hard Hat Mack](/source/Hard_Hat_Mack)*, *[Archon: The Light and the Dark](/source/Archon%3A_The_Light_and_the_Dark)*, and *[Worms?](/source/Worms%3F)*, *Axis Assassin* was one of the first five games published by Electronic Arts.[4] Field is included in the two-page "We See Farther" magazine ad from 1983 that positioned EA's game developers as "rock stars."[5] Field also wrote *The Last Gladiator* for Electronic Arts, which was published the same year as *Axis Assassin*.[2]

## Development

John Field wrote the initial Apple II version of *Axis Assassin* in two weeks while on vacation in [Wisconsin](/source/Wisconsin), then improved it over the next seven months.[6]

## Reception

Title screen with John Field's signature

Reviewing the Apple II version for *[Electronic Games](/source/Electronic_Games)* in 1983, Arnie Katz wrote, "if John Field's *Axis Assassin* is a true foretaste of what we can expect from Electronic Arts, then there's no question that computer gaming has gained another first-rate software producer."[7] Katz and cohort [Bill Kunkel](/source/Bill_Kunkel_(journalist)) also discussed the game in the "Arcade Alley" column of *[Video](/source/Video_(magazine))*, stating, "*Axis Assassin*...has only one discernable problem: its name. Despite the obvious and misleading connotations of 'Axis,' this is a semi-abstract target-shoot in the *[Tempest](/source/Tempest_(video_game))* genre–not a [World War II](/source/World_War_II) spy adventure."[8]

A review in *[Computer and Video Games](/source/Computer_and_Video_Games)* magazine three years after the game's release was less enthusiastic, concluding "there's nothing really wrong with *Axis Assassin*, but there's no real reason why anybody should make time to play it."[9]

## See also

- *[Tubeway](/source/Tubeway)*

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Availability Update"](https://archive.gamehistory.org/item/986f042e-b8fd-4c7a-94fd-d86c3065e39c). *[The Video Game Update](/source/Computer_Entertainer)*. Vol. 2, no. 9. November 1983. p. 16.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-giantlist_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-giantlist_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-giantlist_2-2) Hague, James. ["The Giant List of Classic Game Programmers"](https://dadgum.com/giantlist/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-maher_3-0)** Maher, Jimmy (January 23, 2013). ["Seeing Farther"](http://www.filfre.net/2013/01/seeing-farther/). *The Digital Antiquarian*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-polygon_4-0)** Corriea, Alexa Ray (May 21, 2013). ["30 years ago Electronic Arts shipped its first batch of five games"](https://www.origin.com/usa/en-us/us/news/halls-of-ea-30th-anniversary-edition). *Polygon*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-farther_5-0)** ["We See Farther magazine advertisement"](http://www.digitpress.com/library/posters/ea_poster.pdf) (PDF). *Digital Press*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-box_6-0)** ["Axis Assassin Packaging"](https://ia802205.us.archive.org/32/items/electronic-arts-axis-assassin-a2-ph/box/axis%20assassin%20folder_text.pdf) (PDF). *archive.org*. Electronic Arts. 1983.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-katz_7-0)** Katz, Arnie (October 1983). ["Axis Assassin"](https://archive.org/details/electronic-games-magazine-1983-10). *Electronic Games*: 98–100.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-video_8-0)** Kunkel, Bill (October 1983). ["Arcade Alley"](http://www.ataricompendium.com/archives/articles/arcade_alley/arcade_alley_oct83.pdf) (PDF). *Video*: 30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-cvg_9-0)** ["Axis Assassin"](https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/C%2BVG/Issue052/Pages/CVG05200035.jpg). *Computer and Video Games* (54): 35. February 1986.

## External links

- [*Axis Assassin*](https://www.lemon64.com/?game_id=184) at Lemon 64

- [Apple II gameplay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BwNMTRqG3I) at YouTube

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Axis Assassin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Assassin) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Assassin?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.