# Name this arcade game! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 15, 2007, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043 "2007-01-15T07:19:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043/1 "2007-01-15T07:19:25Z")
Back in the years from around 1995 - 1997, I worked for a Mac-based software company. In my ample free time (it was a great job, I tell you), I used to play a game on my Quadra 650 that I absolutely loved, but I can’t remember what it’s called. The premise of the game as I remember it was that a number of balls (the number would increase with each level) would bounce around the screen. You had a character or machine of some sort that would shoot a laser beam out of each side that would tear across the playing surface and divide the screen. You would continue to divide the remaining portions of the screen with the goal of isolating each ball into a portion of the screen by itself. You would lose a life if one of the balls (or enemies that occasionally appeared on screen) struck your beam before it was completed (i.e., while it was still making its way across the screen). One of the most memorable aspects of the game for me was the occasional exclaimation of “SHARK!” and “Super pinche!\*” made by the game, depending on what was happening on your screen. I have an old Mac sitting in my closet that I’d consider firing up just to play this game again, but if there’s some way to play it online, even better! But for now, I’d even settle for knowing the name of it again. Help? \*I realize that the game probably wasn’t actually uttering the words “super pinche!” but I have witnesses that will testify that it’s exactly what it sounded like to all of us. ---
**Author:** ![dbuzman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de0a6/32.png) [@dbuzman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dbuzman)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043/2 "2007-01-15T07:34:16Z")
That sounds a lot like [Qix](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qix) but not exactly like it. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043/3 "2007-01-15T07:50:09Z")
I know there was a port for windows with the same basic idea called Jazball. I did a search and found [this](http://www.jezzball.net/) which looks similar. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043/4 "2007-01-15T15:28:21Z")
I suspect that game was by Ambrosia Software. ---
**Author:** ![jakeline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@jakeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jakeline)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043/5 "2007-01-15T16:52:46Z")
[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben] I suspect that game was by Ambrosia Software. [/QUOTE] You’re absolutely right. The game is called Barrack. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-this-arcade-game/388043/6 "2007-01-15T17:05:16Z")
I’ve got to give equal credit to **Scuba\_Ben** and **Jakeline** for their correct responses – thanks, folks! Who knew there was even [a Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrack_(computer_game)) about it?