Editing Robotron: 2084 (section)

== Reception ==
Prior to release, the game was debuted at [[Consumer Electronics Show|CES]] in Chicago 1982, where video game critic [[Bill Kunkel (journalist)|Bill Kunkel]] praised the game as the best coin-operated game of the year.<ref name="collins19820806">{{Cite news |last=Collins |first=Glenn |date=1982-08-06 |title=Hug them to video-game heaven: Who wouldn't fight to save Mommy, Daddy and Mikey? |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qlk_AAAAIBAJ&vq=robotron&pg=PA33 |access-date=2024-03-24 |work=The Windsor Star |pages=C9 |agency=N.Y. Times Service}}</ref>

Williams sold approximately 19,000 arcade cabinets; [[Arcade cabinet#Mini cabinets|mini cabinets]] and [[cocktail cabinet|cocktail]] versions were later produced.<ref name="Ultimate-1"/><ref name="Arc-Treasure-1"/> 

In 1995, [[Flux (magazine)|Flux]] magazine ranked the arcade version 52nd on their Top 100 Video Games.<ref>{{Cite journal | date=April 1995 | title=Top 100 Video Games | url=https://archive.org/details/flux-issue-4/page/n29/mode/2up | journal=Flux | publisher=Harris Publications | issue=4 | pages=30}}</ref> In 1996, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' listed the arcade and PlayStation versions as number 63 on their "Top 100 Games of All Time", citing the game's relentless peril.<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Top 100 Games of All Time | magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | issue=21 | publisher=[[Imagine Media]] | date=September 1996 | page=48}}</ref> In 1999, ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' listed ''Robotron'' as number 21 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that the game was the "most intense interactive entertainment experience ever created".<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Top 50 Games of All Time | magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | issue=50 | publisher=[[Imagine Media]] | date=February 1999 | page=78}}</ref> ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' rated the game number two on their list of "Top 25 Arcade Games", citing its simple and addictive design.<ref name="Retro54">{{cite journal | journal = [[Retro Gamer]] | publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]] | issue = 54 | page = 68 | title = Top 25 Arcade Games | author = Retro Gamer Staff | date=September 2008}}</ref> In 2008, [[Guinness World Records]] listed it as the number eleven arcade game in technical, creative and cultural impact.<ref name="GWR08-1">{{cite book | editor= Craig Glenday | title= Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 | series= [[Guinness World Records]] | date= 2008-03-11 | publisher= Guinness | isbn= 978-1-904994-21-3 | page= [https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/235 235] | chapter= Top 100 Arcade Games: Top 20–6 | chapter-url= https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0 | url= https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/235}}</ref>

Critics lauded ''Robotron: 2084''{{'}}s gameplay. Authors Rusel DeMaria and Johnny Wilson enjoyed the excitement created by the constant waves of robots and fear of the character dying. They called it one of the more impressive games produced from the 80s and 90s.<ref name="HighScore-1"/><ref>{{cite book | title = High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games | first1 = Rusel | last1 = DeMaria | first2 = Johnny L. | last2 = Wilson | publisher = [[McGraw-Hill]] Professional | page = 339 | edition = 2 | isbn = 0-07-223172-6 | year = 2003}}</ref> Author John Vince considered the reward system (saving humans) and strategic elements as positive components.<ref name="CompAni">{{cite book | title = Handbook of Computer Animation | first = John | last = Vince | publisher = [[Springer Science+Business Media]] | pages = 1–2 | isbn = 1-85233-564-5 | year = 2002}}</ref> [[ACE (games magazine)|''ACE'' magazine]]'s David Upchurch commented that despite the poor graphics and basic design, the gameplay's simplicity was a strong point.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = [[ACE (games magazine)|Advanced Computer Entertainment]] | title = Robotron 2084 | first = David | last = Upchurch | issue = 53 | date=February 1992 | page = 77}}</ref> DeMaria and Wilson considered the control scheme a highlight which provided the player a tactical advantage.<ref name="HighScore-1">{{cite book | title = High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games | first1 = Rusel | last1 = DeMaria | first2 = Johnny L. | last2 = Wilson | publisher = [[McGraw-Hill]] Professional | page = 86 | edition = 2 | isbn = 0-07-223172-6 | year = 2003}}</ref> Owen Linzmayer of ''[[Creative Computing|Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games]]'' praised the freedom of movement afforded by the controls.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Creative Computing Video & Arcade Games | title = Mastering Robotron:2084 | first = Owen | last = Linzmayer | date = Spring 1983 | volume = 1 | issue = 1 | page = 21}}</ref> ''Retro Gamer'' described it as "one of the greatest control systems of all time".<ref name="Retro54"/> In retrospect, DeMar felt players continued to play the game because the control scheme offered a high level of precision.<ref name="Arc-Treasure-2">{{cite video game | title= [[Midway Arcade Treasures]] | developer= [[Backbone Entertainment|Digital Eclipse]] | publisher= [[Midway Games]] | date= 2003-11-18 | platform= [[PlayStation 2]] | level= Interview Clip 1 – Robotron's Controls}}</ref>

The game received praise from industry professionals as well. [[Midway Games]]'s Tony Dormanesh and [[Electronic Arts]]' Stephen Riesenberger called ''Robotron: 2084'' their favorite arcade game.<ref name="Coin-OpFavs">{{cite web | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/question-of-the-week-responses-coin-op-favorites | title = Question of the Week Responses: Coin-Op Favorites? | first = Quang | last = Hong | website = [[Gamasutra]] | date = 2005-08-05 | access-date = 2022-03-25}}</ref> David Thiel, a former [[Gottlieb]] audio engineer, referred to the game as the "pinnacle of interactive game design".<ref>{{cite book | title = Ultimate History of Video Games | first = Steven | last = Kent | page = 219 | chapter = The Fall | publisher = [[Three Rivers Press]] | isbn = 0-7615-3643-4 | year = 2001}}</ref> Jeff Peters from GearWorks Games praised the playing field as "crisp and clear", and described the strategy and dexterity required to play as a challenge to the senses. He summarized the game as "one of the best examples of game play design and execution".<ref name="Coin-OpFavs"/> [[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] magazine ranked the game 81st on their 100 Best Video Games in 2007.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/EDGE.The.100.Best.Videogames.2007/page/44/mode/2up | title=EDGE presents: The 100 Best Videogames (2007) | date=16 August 2020 | publisher=[[Future Publishing]] | location=[[United Kingdom]] | pages=44}}</ref>