Chris Oberth

Christian H. "Chris" Oberth (died July 16, 2012) was a video game programmer who began writing games for the Apple II in the late 1970s. He also developed handheld electronic games for Milton Bradley, arcade video games for Stern Electronics and other companies, and ported games to home computers and consoles.

Though not a hit in arcades, Oberth's 1982 Anteater, developed for Stern, was an influential concept, cloned multiple times for home computers, including Oil's Well from Sierra On-Line and Diamond Mine. The following year he wrote his own home version as Ardy the Aardvark (Datamost, 1983). He also wrote the twin-stick shooter Rescue (1982) and maze game Armored Car (1981) for Stern.

Oberth's first commercial games, Phasor Zap (1978) and 3-D Docking Mission (1978) for the Apple II, were published by Programma International, a company which also published games from future arcade game designers Bob Flanagan and Gary Shannon as well as rejecting the first effort from Mark Turmell. His next thirteen Apple II games, in addition to Phasor Zap and 3-D Docking Mission, were published by The Elektrik Keyboard, a musical instrument and computer store in Chicago where Oberth was head of the computer department.

Games
• Programma International

• Phasor Zap

• 3-D Docking Mission

• The Elektrik Keyboard 1978-79

• 3-D Docking Mission

• Cycle Jump

• Dart Room

• Deflectiom

• Demolition Derby

• Depth Charge

• Drawing Board

• Frustration

• Intercepter

• Kaleidoscope

• Moto-Cross

• Phasor Zap

• Recall

• RunAround

• Speed Racer

• Milton Bradley 1979-80

• Light Fight

• Finger Bowl

• Sky-Writer

• Alfie

• Stern Electronics 1981-83

• Anteater

• Minefield

• Rescue

• Tazzmania

• Armored Car

• Datamost 1983

• Ardy the Aardvark (Atari 8-bit)

• Aardvark (Commodore 16 and C64)

• Microlab 1984

• Boulder Dash (ColecoVision port)

• Dr. J and Larry Bird Go One on One (ColecoVision port)

• Epyx 1985

• Winter Games

• Mindscape 1987-88, 1990

• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

• Out Run (C64 port)

• Gametek 1992

• American Gladiators

• Incredible Technologies 1995-1997

• Time Killers

• BloodStorm

• ShuffleShot

• World Class Bowling

• Electronic Arts 2001

• NBA Live 2001

• Unreleased

• Crypt (Stern, 1983)

• Days of Thunder (unpublished version)

• Power-Up Baseball (Incredible Technologies, Midway, 1996)