K-Razy Shoot-Out
Developer(s)	K-Byte
Publisher(s)	K-Byte CBS Software CBS Electronics (5200)
Designer(s)	Keith Dreyer Torre Meeder[1]
Platform(s)	Atari 8-bit, Atari 5200
Release	1981: Atari 8-bit 1983: Atari 5200
Genre(s)	Multidirectional shooter

K-Razy Shoot-Out is a clone of the arcade video game Berzerk developed by K-Byte, a division of Kay Enterprises, and released for the Atari 8-bit family in 1981.^[2] The game was written by Torre Meeder and Keith Dreyer,^[3] and was the first Atari 8-bit cartridge from a third-party developer.^[4] An Atari 5200 version followed in 1983. The team of Dreyer and Meeder also wrote the 1983 Atari 8-bit game Boulders and Bombs.^[1]

K-Razy Shoot-Out is part of a series of titles with the "K-" prefix, including K-Razy Kritters^[5] and K-Star Patrol.^[6] All of them were published on cartridge. After CBS Software purchased K-Byte,^[7] the games were published under the CBS brand, including the Atari 5200 port of K-Razy Shoot-Out.^[8]

Gameplay

As in Berzerk, the goal is to destroy all of the robots occupying a series of randomly generated mazes. In Berzerk, if the player takes too long to clear a maze, an indestructible bouncing ball ("Evil Otto") drives the player to an exit. K-Razy Shoot-Out uses a visible timer instead.^[9] If the timer runs out, the game ends. If the player exits a maze without clearing it, the player has to replay one or two mazes without getting points.^[10]

Reception

K-Razy Shoot-Out sold 35,000 copies by June 1982.^[11] John J. Anderson of Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games, wrote that as a Berzerk clone, "the only element that's missing is the speech ... lots of fun, and has a great deal of staying power".^[4] It won the 1983 Arcade Award for "Best Arcade/Action Computer Game" from Electronic Games magazine.^[2] The Berzerk similarity was mentioned, but also that the game has "a unique flavor all its own."