EPISODE 23: APB-All Points Bulletin

#PA2042, Published by Atari Corp.

In this episode I cover another popular arcade port, APB – All Points Bulletin, released for the Lynx in 1991. Included are statistics for the game and a run-down on how to play it, along with reviews and ratings, some fun facts and trivia, and lots of listener feedback about the game. Also in today’s episode: Monty and I find ourselves on a tangent discussing how accurate the portrayals of police officers were on the television programs of our youth.

“Oooh! Oooh!” -Monty

There’s a Honker in the Bronx

Speeders running all the stops

There’s a Litterbug in Harlem

Throwing trash at all the cops

There are Dopers smoking herb

Hitchers hiking on the curb

OFFICER BOB, WHERE ARE YOU?

APB – All Points Bulletin VITAL STATISTICS

Release Date: August of 1991.

Initial Retail Price: $34.00-$39.00 in the US; £29.99 in the UK.

Cartridge Information: 256kB monaural curved lip-style cartridge.

Game Genre: Top-down-view 2-dimensional scrolling arcade racing/driving game for 1 player only.

Alternate Title: A.P.B. (it appeared as this title on all packaging and marketing materials for this game).

Screen Playfield Orientation: Landscape (horizontal).

Based On: The arcade cabinet of the same name released by Atari Games in 1987.

Ports to Other Systems: Amstrad CPC (1989), Atari ST (1989), Commodore 64 (1989), Commodore Amiga (1989), DOS (1989), and ZX Spectrum (1989).

Game Levels: At least 99.

Number of Players: 1 (no ComLynx support).

Packaging: A full-color standard flap-tab regular-size box (5 3/8″ by 4 3/8″ by 7/8″). The French variant included a sticker on the front (2 Pin’s Gratuit) indicating the inclusion of 2 lapel pins.

Instruction Manual: Each A.P.B. box is packaged with two full color posters, 22” high by 17” wide (see photo above the “Thank You’s” section below); one poster is in English and the other is in French. The front of each poster includes an exact copy of the box cover art, with a yellow triangular banner added at the upper left with the words See reverse side for instructions in a large black font tilted upwards at a 45 degree angle. The back of each poster includes an illustrated comic book-style list of basic instructions. The posters are folded several times in order to fit in the small Lynx boxes. The English instructions for APB – All Points Bulletin were written by Scott Rhoades.

APB – All Points Bulletin CREDITS

Original Arcade: Atari Games Corporation

Publisher: Atari Corporation

Licensee: Tengen, Inc.

Developer: Quicksilver Software

Programmer and Sound Effects: Robert Barris

Graphics/Backgrounds: Shann Chastain, Arlene Caberto Somers, David Nelson

Music: Dave Bean

Movie Projector: <a style="color: #000000;" href="https://www.