In the Atari age, programmers used to hide in-game secret messages (the term “Easter Egg” was coined in 1981, some two years after Warren Robinett hid his name within the Atari 2600 classic Adventure) to get some much-deserved credit for their work, which otherwise would have gone just to the manufacturer. He was one of the first programmers to take pride in referring to himself as a “game designer”. Joining Namco in April 1981, he became one of Japan’s most respected game creators, later responsible for the equally successful Namco classic Tower of Druaga. It was designed and programmed by Masanobu “EVEZOO” Endō, who graduated from Chiba university in 1959. Like with all of their successful properties, Namco keeps up the legacy with frequent reappearances on compilations and other releases. Upon its release, it became an instant hit, and in the following years it was ported to many 8-bit home systems.
Most people reading this have probably already heard about the arcade game Xevious.
