Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Tombstone City: 21st Century blends fast-paced shooting with a simple yet addictive puzzle element. You pilot a schooner across a grid-like map that evokes dusty frontier towns, and your primary mission is to blast invading aliens known as “Morgs.” Each Morg you destroy immediately transforms into a stationary cactus, which then becomes an obstacle to your movement and line of fire. The challenge lies in juggling aggression with foresight—clearing Morgs too quickly can leave you boxed in by cacti, so planning your shots is key.

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Where the game truly shines is in its adjacency mechanic. If you eliminate a Morg that is next to an existing cactus, both are removed simultaneously, effectively shrinking the obstacle field and opening fresh tactical routes. This rule introduces a layer of strategy that elevates the title above a run-and-gun shooter. Players learn quickly that patience often pays off: sometimes it’s better to wait for Morgs to drift near existing cacti before taking the shot, turning each encounter into a mini-puzzle.

Control is responsive and intuitive—your schooner can fire in eight directions, letting you handle Morgs approaching from unexpected angles. The speed of enemy spawns ramps up steadily as you clear levels, maintaining a tension that’s just intense enough without becoming overwhelming. For anyone who enjoys balancing quick reflexes with methodical planning, Tombstone City’s gameplay loop keeps you coming back for “just one more run.”

Graphics

Visually, Tombstone City: 21st Century is pure early 80s computer charm. On the TI-99/4A hardware, sprites are crisp and colorful, with Morgs rendered as little green aliens that stand out vividly against the desert backdrop. Cacti are also sharply defined, and their placement on the screen immediately conveys the threat they pose. There’s a satisfying clarity to the presentation that makes every shot and every blocked path legible at a glance.

The scrolling playfield is smooth, with minimal flicker or slowdown even when multiple Morgs descend on your schooner. This technical polish is impressive considering the era and hardware constraints. Backgrounds remain relatively static to preserve system resources, but parallax details—like distant mesas and a sky that shifts from dawn to dusk—add a subtle atmospheric flourish without distracting from the core action.

While modern gamers might find the visuals primitive compared to today’s standards, there’s undeniable retro appeal in that simplicity. Tombstone City doesn’t rely on flashy effects; instead, it crafts a cohesive old-west motif through its palette choices and sprite designs. The end result is a nostalgic aesthetic that feels both historically grounded and uniquely alien.

Story

The narrative premise of Tombstone City: 21st Century is delightfully offbeat: alien invaders called Morgs have descended upon the old west, and your schooner—an anachronistic steampunk vessel—serves as humanity’s final defense. The game doesn’t bog you down with lengthy cutscenes or text dumps; the story is delivered in a few tongue-in-cheek lines, and then it’s straight into the fray. This approach keeps players focused on the gameplay while providing just enough context to fuel the Tex-Morg shootout fantasy.

Despite its brevity, the setting is evocative. You can almost hear tumbleweeds rolling across the plains as Morgs pop into view, and the transformation of foes into ghosts of the frontier—cacti—adds a whimsical twist to the plot. Every wave of enemies feels like another chapter in this sci-fi western mash-up, with the slow accumulation of cacti representing the creeping domination of alien flora in your turf.

For those who crave deeper lore, the real treat is Texas Instruments’ decision to release the source code as part of its Editor/Assembler package. This gesture not only preserves the game’s mechanical underpinnings but invites enthusiasts to dig into the backstory, tweak enemy behavior, or even craft entirely new Morg variants. In this way, the story lives on beyond the original cartridges, sustained by a small but passionate retro-computing community.

Overall Experience

Tombstone City: 21st Century is a compact, engaging blast of retro gaming that balances shooting and puzzle mechanics in an appealing old-west sci-fi mash-up. Each play session is a test of your tactical acumen and reflexes, as you decide when to blast Morgs for quick points and when to line them up for cascade cactus clearances. That risk-and-reward dance keeps the gameplay fresh, even after repeated runs.

Technically, the title is a triumph on the TI-99/4A platform. Its combination of smooth scrolling, responsive controls, and clear sprite work make it one of the system’s more polished action titles. While modern players might scoff at the simplicity of its graphics and sound, those seeking retro authenticity will find a lot to love here—especially given the game’s quirky premise and addictive puzzle-shooter fusion.

Finally, the release of the source code elevates Tombstone City beyond mere preservation. It opens the door for community modifications, custom levels, and even entirely new gameplay modes. Whether you’re a retro-gaming purist hunting for a challenging high-score title or a tinker-happy hobbyist eager to experiment, Tombstone City: 21st Century remains an engaging, worthwhile experience that stands the test of time.

Retro Replay Score

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