The holotape game Red Menace being played on a Pip-Boy 3000 Mk IV
A video game, colloquially referred to as a holotape game,[1] is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a device such as on terminal, PIP-Boy, or even a dedicated video game console.[2]
History[]
Holotape games[]
Prior to the Great War, holotape games were a rising medium of entertainment that saw moderate success in public, with holotapes being sold stand-alone or being included in magazines to entice sales.[3] Dedicated companies[4] and divisions of companies[5] were created to develop holotape games in an attempt to get a foothold in this burgeoning market. Holotape games spanned a wide spectrum of genres, including strategic defense,[6] platforms,[7] and text adventures.[8] Holotape games had mechanics like save files, allowing one to save their score or progress in certain games, although saves could be lost, forcing players to restart.[9]
Terminals would attempt to keep up with the rapid progression of holotape games, with RobCo Industries developing consumer terminals capable of handling the highest-end graphics.[10][11] Companies would also market consoles for use on television sets to reach wider markets than the hobbyist terminal market.[2] Certain terminal games also provided players with multiplayer and full 3-dimensional experiences.[12]
Holotape games (and in turn holotape game players) are often looked down upon for being childish and generally a complete waste of time with no redeeming social value.[13] However, there are some individuals, human and robot alike, that not only enjoy playing holotape games but also boast about their skills.[14]
List of known holotape games[]
| Name | Description | Appearances | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomic Command | Defend eight cities from nuclear bombardment by firing missiles to obstruct the trajectories of the incoming warheads. | Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Fallout (TV series) | Planned Diversion Programming |
| Automatron | Destroy the evil robots before they overwhelm you. | Fallout 4, Fallout 76 | Planned Diversion Programming |
 Cyberhood, Prince of the Matrix
|
Unknown | Fallout | Unknown |
| Fallout 2 | A multiplayer 3D game. | Fallout 2 | Unknown |
| Grognak & the Ruby Ruins | Grognak the Barbarian and his party embark to vanquish the evil warlord Grelok from the realm. | Fallout 4, Fallout 76 | Hubris Comics Game Studio |
Captain Cosmos in "Jangles' Big Day" 
|
Unknown | Fallout 4, Fallout 76 | Unknown |
| Nuka Tapper | Serve bottles of Nuka-Cola down four bar lanes to various customers as customers become more frequent. | Fallout 76 | Unknown |
| Pipfall | Find five Vault-Tec bobbleheads scattered throughout the wasteland while avoiding obstacles. | Fallout 4, Fallout 76 | Vault-Tec Game Studios |
| Red Menace | Rescue Vault Girl from the Red Menace as you hop over barrels and dodge atom bombs. | Fallout 4, Fallout 76 | Vault-Tec Game Studios |
| Reign of Grelok | Grognak must adventure a fantasy landscape via text to defeat the evil warlord Grelok. | Fallout 3 | Hubris Software |
| Wastelad | Wastelad, emerging from Vault 1, must journey through a post-apocalyptic wasteland to stamp out Chairman Cheng once and for all. | Fallout 76 | Hubris Comics Game Studio |
| Zeta Invaders | Destroy a grid of invading alien targets while defending four buildings, and any cattle within the crossfire with a roving tank. | Fallout 4, Fallout 76 | Unknown |
Zorbo's Revenge 
|
Unknown | Fallout 76 | Unknown |
Appearances[]
Video games are mentioned or appear in Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Fallout (TV series).
References[]
- ↑ Vault Dweller: "How's the holotape game, Sofia?"
Sofia Daguerre: "It's been soothing to play games again -- a few moments of normalcy once more. I think it even helps my headache a bit."
(Sofia Daguerre's dialogue) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Old Man McGee: {350}{}{You must be one of those pre-war video game consoles.}
(NcCasPat.msg) - ↑ RobCo Fun
- ↑ Planned Diversion Programming
- ↑ Vault-Tec Game Studios and Hubris Comics software division
- ↑ Atomic Command
- ↑ Pipfall and Red Menace
- ↑ Grognak & the Ruby Ruins and Reign of Grelok
- ↑ Samuel: "Can't believe I lost my Nuka Tapper saves, ugh."
(Samuel (Wastelanders)/Dialogue) - ↑ RobCo Sales & Service Center terminal entries; RobCo Sales & Service Center terminal, Calvin Crenshaw
- ↑ RobCo Sales & Service Center terminal entries; RobCo RX-9000 terminal: "ROBCO Model RX-9000 Terminal System
The future of gaming has arrived! Impress your friends with the new ROBCO RX-9000.
This terminal features an upgraded processor and cutting-edge graphics unlike any other terminal on the market. Please see a sales associate for a compatible game demo holotape." - ↑ DataPlex 2000 SmarTerminal: "{117}{}{This terminal seems to be an Apricot-brand terminal. It's running something called Fallout 2. Wow, it looks like it's multiplayer and 3D.}"
(DataPlex 2000 SmarTerminal interactions) - ↑ The Vault Dweller: "{180}{}{Yeah, I had a friend.}"
Cleo: "{182}{}{Sorry I can't be more useful. Oh, and then there's the rumor about the ship from outer space. I think someone's been playing around with too many of Rufus's stupid games.}"
(CLEO.MSG) - ↑ Sofia Daguerre boasts about her skills in various games, the Rust Devils had an ongoing leaderboard competition with Automatron, Samuel boasts about his Nuka-Tapper score, and various other characters.