Let’s Play Operation Lambda


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At KansasFest 2015, I gave a presentation on how to record Let’s Play videos on an Apple II. These videos combine A/V capture of Apple II software, usually games, with the player’s audio commentary of their session. It’s a way not only to demonstrate the program, but also to capture one person’s unique, subjective experience.

My YouTube channel consists primarily of Let’s Play videos of modern gaming consoles, such as the Sony PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Wii U. I occasionally mix it up with videos featuring other kinds of content, though my ability to produce any videos at all depends on how available my day job, night job, and Juiced.GS leave me. I recently enjoyed a bout of freedom from other obligations, and so from October 22 to December 9 — 50 consecutive days — I was able to produce one video a day. I capped that streak with a Let’s Play of one of the most impressive games for the Apple IIGS: Operation Lambda.

“A logic/action game, where you work your way through a space station under distress, deflecting laser beams and saving hostages,” describes developer Bret Victor on the game’s website. The press release lists the game’s features:

  • • 100 levels, ranging from simple to challenging to brain-boggling
  • • an original, kickin’, five-song musical score
  • • impressive graphics from the PowerGS staff artist and former LiveWire IIgs art editor
  • • smooth, flicker-free animation
  • • three difficulty settings
  • • written in 100% assembly language for speed
  • • a concise, one-page printed manual

For the purpose of this recording, I used Eric Shepherd’s Sweet16 emulator, as it was quicker and easier to set up than capturing video off an actual IIGS would’ve been. It was fun to revisit this title from the creator of TextFighter, PuyoPuyo, SurfBurgers, and Opening Line.

Bret Victor was a genius programmer to have developed Operation Lambda at only 16 years old; he was interviewed for Juiced.GS Volume 2, Issue 1 and wrote the cover story for Volume 3, Issue 1. He remains a genius software developer, speaking at a Dropbox developer conference in 2013 on the future of programming:

Personally, I’d like the future of programming to include ports of Victor’s classic games. John Romero recently released Dangerous Dave for iOS — a platform I can see Operation Lambda residing on. Any chance we’ll see updates to these lost classics from Right Triangle Productions?