Amidar

Amidar

Overview & History

Released by Konami in 1981 and later distributed in North America by Stern, Amidar is a strategic maze arcade game that blends territorial painting with relentless evasion. Often overshadowed by contemporaries like Pac-Man, Amidar stands out with its abstract grid-based movement and unique dual-phase gameplay. The game's abstract title and visual style draw inspiration from the Spanish word "amigar" (to make friends) or perhaps a stylized spelling of "amigo," though the action itself is entirely hostile. Players control a small yellow character—represented as a paint roller in some ports or a stylized gorilla in others—navigating an intricate web of rectangular pens while dodging pursuers known as "Tracer" pigs and chasing enemies.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The core objective in Amidar is to completely fill, or "paint," every rectangular grid space within the maze by walking along every available line segment. Once a player successfully encloses a rectangle, it fills with color, and clearing the entire screen advances you to the next stage. Mobility is entirely restricted to the grid lines, meaning you cannot cut corners diagonally. Enemies patrol these exact same lines, relentlessly hunting the player. To survive, players can briefly stun enemies a limited number of times per round by collecting a flashing dot, which triggers a high-speed pursuit phase reminiscent of *Defender*, where you must dodge enemies leaping across the screen. Between standard maze stages, players are treated to bonus rounds where they trace out a recognizable picture—such as a gorilla or a star—using continuous line strokes under a strict time limit, adding a rewarding creative element to the intense arcade action.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause