Scramble (video game)

Scramble
North American arcade flyer
DeveloperKonami
PublishersArcade
Ports
  • NA: GCE
  • EU: Compu-Games A/S
PlatformsArcade, Vectrex, Tomy Tutor, Tomytronic
Release
March 17, 1981
  • Arcade
    • NA: March 17, 1981
    • JP: March 1981
    • EU: 1981
    Vectrex
    • October 1982
    Tomy Tutor
GenreScrolling shooter
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemKonami Scramble

Scramble is a 1981 horizontally scrolling shooter video game developed and published by Konami for arcades. It was distributed by Leijac for manufacture in Japan and Stern in North America. It was the first side-scrolling shooter with forced scrolling and multiple distinct levels, and it established the foundation for a new genre.

It was Konami's first major worldwide hit. In the United States, it sold 15,136 arcade cabinets within five months and became Stern's second best-selling game. Scramble was not ported to any major contemporary consoles or computers, but there were releases for the Tomy Tutor and Vectrex as well as dedicated tabletop/handheld versions. Unauthorized clones for the VIC-20 and Commodore 64 use the same name as the original.

Scramble's sequel, the more difficult Super Cobra, was released the same month in 1981. Gradius (1985) was originally intended to be a follow-up to Scramble.