TRESHOLD Commodore 64 game

Threshold is a space-themed fixed shooter created by Warren Schwader and Ken Williams for the Apple II in 1981. Published by On-Line Systems, the game drew inspiration from Sega's Astro Blaster arcade video game. It features various enemy ship types and wave formations, distinguishing it from other shoot 'em ups of its time.

The player assumes control of the spaceship "Threshold" and employs its laser weapon to eliminate waves of alien attackers. Similar to Astro Blaster, continuous laser firing raises its temperature, necessitating cooldown periods. An interesting gameplay mechanic involves activating a "warp drive" by pulling back on the joystick, briefly slowing down the action.

The idea for Threshold originated from Ken Williams playing Astro Blaster in a store and subsequently contacting Warren Schwader. Rather than replicating the arcade game, Schwader aimed to capture the essence of the concept, inspired by the endless discovery of new creatures in Astro Blaster. The development process took two months, with Williams contributing to the project for two weeks, focusing on writing Apple II animation routines.

Threshold received positive reviews, with approximately 25,000 copies sold. Tigervision's Atari 2600 port earned a "Certificate of Merit" in the "Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Videogame" category at the 1983 Arcade Awards. Reviews praised the animation quality, the variety of enemy types, and the challenging gameplay. However, some critiques focused on occasional loading between levels and the overall difficulty of the game.