Blueprint is a term stemming from old-school plan-sets for buildings. The paper was blue with white lines on it (I will node more about the printing process if I learn about it).

Used more recently are "blue-lines," called so because they consist of white paper with . . . blue lines. These are printed using a large, smelly machine involving amonia somewhere (again, I'll node it if I learn it).

What I use in my work making copies and such is a large-format Xerox copier. It's a Xerox 8830 laser printer using toner; basically a normal laser printer, but made to print 36"x400' rolls of paper. There's a second unit that can actually operate as a standalone scanner. It scans the image of the blueprint being copied, and either stores it for retrieval on a desktop computer connected to the network, or it sends the image to the printer to reproduce.

Needless to say, this is a much faster and easier process than making blue-line prints. Regardless of these differences, all three formats are commonly referred to as blueprints. What is actually meant is a plan-set, which is a packet of paper with instructions on constructing a building. Often consisting of architectural sheets, mechanical systems, plumbing, electrical plans and structural designs. (See also: shop drawing)

Arcade, Atari 5200, and Atari 2600 Game
Produced by: Midway (Arcade), Jaleco (Arcade) and CBS Games (2600 and 5200)
Model Number: 80030 (2600) and 4L 2714 (5200)
Rarity: 3 Uncommon (2600 and 5200)
Year of Release: 1982 (Arcade) and 1983 (2600 and 5200)
Programmer: Uncredited (please /msg if you know).

Blueprint is a classic arcade and console game from the early 1980's. (This game is also known as "Blue Print" and "Blue-Print".) You have a top down viewpoint of a small maze with a bunch of houses scattered around it. At the bottom of the screen is a blueprint of a wacky machine. Run into the houses to grab parts, and then drag them onto your blueprint. When your machine is assembled you must use it to blast the troll at the top of the screen.

This is a rather strange game, although the arcade version is quite fun. The graphics however, are bad by any standards. Which seems to be the fault of the programmers and not of the hardware, which is capable of much better.

From the manual (2600)

That nasty old troll, Ollie Ogre, is at it again. He is chasing poor Daisy Damsel all across the neighborhood! So what are you waiting for, hero? Get out there and stop him! You have the blueprint (plans) for the only contraption that can knock him off. All you need now are the parts with which you build it and they're hidden in the houses of the neighborhood. What you don't need are the bombs you may pick up and encounters with fiendish Fuzzy Wuzzy! But if you complete your contraption in time you'll be able to stop Ollie and save Daisy!

So get a move on already! Daisy's counting on you!

Collectors Information

Blueprint never seems to have been released in a dedicated cabinet form, at least I can't find any evidence of it. Every picture I can find of this game has it in a generic cabinet (often converted from another game). Because of this I cannot set a value on the arcade version of Blueprint.

The Atari 2600 and Atari 5200 versions of this game are fairly common and worth around $3 USD (as of September 2001). Games with boxes and manuals are worth more.

There were several ports of Blueprint to various systems. Please /msg me if you have any port specific information that I may be missing.

Blue"print.

See under Print.

 

© Webster 1913.

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