Impossible Mission

Overview

“Another visitor. Stay a while… stay forever!” Professor Elvin Atombender’s digitised greeting became one of gaming’s first recognisable voice samples. Epyx’s Impossible Mission combined platforming with puzzle-solving as players searched his lair for password pieces. The smooth animation, speech synthesis, and clever design created a C64 classic.

Fast facts

Developer: Epyx (Dennis Caswell).
Release: 1984.
Platform: C64 (original), ported to many others.
Speech synthesis: revolutionary use of digitised voice.
Goal: find 36 puzzle pieces, assemble passwords, reach Atombender.
Time limit: six hours (real-time).
Sequel: Impossible Mission II (1988).

The speech

Digitised voice on the C64 seemed impossible:

“Another visitor. Stay a while… stay forever!”
“Destroy him, my robots!”
Death scream when falling.
Players quoted these lines for decades.

The gameplay

Impossible Mission mixed genres:

Platforming:

Navigate rooms filled with robots.
Flip, roll, and time movements.
Search furniture for puzzle pieces.
Robots killed on contact.

Puzzles:

Collect pieces of four passwords.
Match pieces using in-game computer.
Assembled passwords unlock final areas.
Combinatorial challenge.

The animation

Dennis Caswell’s character animation impressed:

Fluid running and jumping.
Somersault moves.
Robot patrol patterns.
Smooth elevator movement.

The agent moved like nothing else on C64.

The time pressure

Six hours to complete:

Real-time countdown.
Death penalties reduced time.
Strategic room exploration.
Tension throughout.

The robots

Various robot types patrolled:

Different movement patterns.
Some destroyable temporarily.
Password-protected rooms.
Learning patrol routes essential.

Legacy

Impossible Mission showed C64 games could have production values. The speech synthesis amazed. The animation impressed. The puzzle-platformer hybrid created unique gameplay. When people discuss C64 classics, Atombender’s greeting echoes through the conversation.

Stay a while... stay forever!