Amidar

Amidar is a maze game where you traverse a rectilinear lattice, visiting each location on the board while avoiding enemies. The game and its name are rooted in the Japanese lottery game Amidakuji. On odd-numbered levels, you control an ape collecting coconuts while evading headhunters. On even-numbered levels, you control a paint roller painting spots while avoiding pigs. Clearing rectangular portions fills in the area and awards bonus points. Clearing all four corners empowers you to defeat enemies on contact, like a Power Pill. You have a "Jump" button usable up to three times per level, causing enemies to jump and allowing you to pass underneath. Each level includes a special white "Tracer" enemy that initially patrols but eventually pursues relentlessly. The game supports two players alternating.

Arcade

Developed by Konami and released in arcades in 1981, Amidar was published by Stern Electronics in North America. The hardware is powered by a Zilog Z80 main CPU and a second Z80 for sound, with two AY8910 sound chips. The game uses a vertical raster display with 224x256 resolution and supports up to 106 colors. Controls consist of a 4-way joystick and a single "Jump" button. Amidar was the first game in the "grid capture" sub-genre of maze games and was widely cloned for both arcades and home systems. With its unique dual-role gameplay, strategic jumping mechanic, and distinctive board-clearing objectives, Amidar remains a creative and influential title from Konami's early arcade years.