Syracuse

About

Syracuse is a two-player shooter set during the 214, 212 BC siege of the ancient city. One player controls Archimedes using a mirror to aim sunlight at Roman galleys setting them on fire. The other player pilots the galleys trying to reach the tower while dodging solar beams. Mechanics include adjusting the mirror’s angle to hit ships which regen after being sunk and hurling rocks to shatter the mirror. The action unfolds over an 8-minute day with the sun moving across the screen and clouds occasionally blocking rays. Players must balance offense and defense as the clock ticks. The game stands out for blending historical events with competitive gameplay. The dual-control system forces players to adapt strategies whether refining aim or launching projectiles at precise distances. Though released in 1981 and limited to single-player modes on older systems its core loop remains engaging. Archimedes’ reliance on mirrors adds a resource management layer while varying speed and trajectory settings in four game modes keep matches fresh. Despite its age it’s a clever brisk challenge for those into strategic duels with a historical twist.

Storyline

Syracuse recreates the Siege of Syracuse that took place during 214–212 BC, more specifically the battle which supposedly used the legendary weapon developed by Archimedes. The weapon, sometimes called "Archimedes heat ray" consisted in a mirror used to focus sunlight onto approaching Roman ships, setting them on fire. This is a game for two players. One player controls Archimedes as he uses the mirror to reflect the sunlight at the Roman galleys. The other player controls the Roman galleys as they try to reach the base of the tower where Archimedes stands, to land troops at Syracuse. The galleys can catapult rocks to destroy Archimedes mirror in order to approach the tower without risk. The longer the player holds the button, the farther the rock goes; the rocks can also have its route altered during flight if the player moves the joystick up or down. If the mirror is broken, Archimedes can get a new one by leaving off the right side of the screen. Archimedes can move the mirror up or down to aim the reflection against one of the three approaching galleys. If a galley is hit twice by the sun light it will catch fire, and a new one will appear on the left side of the screen to replace it. The number of mirrors broken and galleys sunk is registered in the lower side of the screen. Each game can last one whole day, from sunrise to sunset (8 minutes in real time). The sun rises in the left and sets in the right, and sometimes a cloud passes by, blocking some sun rays. The game can end in three ways: when the time runs out, when one player scores 99 points or when the three galleys reach the bottom of the tower. There are 4 game variations, with different sunbeam speeds, mirror position numbers, rock speeds and trajectory modification.