Gorf
1981 · Fixed Shooter · Arcade
Overview
Gorf is a 1981 fixed shooter video game developed by Dave Nutting Associates and published by Midway Manufacturing for arcades. It features five distinct levels, the first of which is based on Space Invaders and another on Galaxian. The game makes use of synthesized speech for the Gorfian robot which taunts the player, powered by a speech chip.
Deep Dive
Gorf is a 1981 fixed shooter video game developed by Dave Nutting Associates and published by Midway Manufacturing for arcades. It features five distinct levels, the first of which is based on Space Invaders and another on Galaxian. The game makes use of synthesized speech for the Gorfian robot which taunts the player, powered by a speech chip. Gorf allows the player to buy two additional lives per quarter before starting the game, for a maximum of seven lives.
Developer Story
Gorf was designed by Jamie Fenton at Midway in 1981. It was notable for multiple distinct gameplay modes presented as a sequential campaign: Astro Battles (Space Invaders), Laser Attack, Galaxians, and Space Warp. Each section had different rules and mechanics. The game also featured speech synthesis, with the computer taunting players by name if their initials were entered on the high score table.
Did You Know?
- Gorf featured synthesised speech that addressed players by name — one of the earliest examples of personalised computer voice interaction.
- The game consisted of five distinct play modes in sequence, making it feel like five games in one cabinet.
- GORF stood for "Galactic Orbiting Robot Force" — a backronym invented after the name was chosen.
- The space warp level used a tunnel-vision zooming effect rare in 1981 arcade games.
