Gorillas (video game)
1991 video game
Gorillas, also known under the source code's 8.3 filename GORILLA.BAS, is a video game first distributed with MS-DOS 5 and published in 1990 by Microsoft. It is a turn-based artillery game. With allusions to King Kong, the game consists of two gorillas throwing explosive bananas at each other above a city skyline. The players can adjust the angle and velocity of each throw.
Written in QBasic, it is one of the programs included as a demonstration of that programming language. The others are Nibbles (another game), Money (a simple financial calculator), and REMLINE (a program to remove line numbers from old BASIC programs).
QB64 version
QB64 included a copy of Gorillas, adapted to be run at proper speed, until it was removed due to copyright concerns. As the compiler does not support DEF FN for inline functions, the original code was also adapted to use regular functions.
Gameplay
Before the game begins, two players enter their names, choose a target score, and set a gravity value that governs the physics of the match. The default gravity is 9.8 m/s², though any value may be selected.
“Gorillas (video game)” enters the record as 1991 video game. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Gorillas, video and game can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Gorillas (video game)” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Gorillas, video and game provides the most credible route into that argument.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q613486. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1990.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Gorillas (video game)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Gorillas (video game) primary sources, Gorillas (video game) archive and Gorillas research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Gorillas (video game)”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Gorillas (video game)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.