"Tempest" was one of the first games to use Atari's Color-QuadraScan vector display technology. It was also the first to let players choose their starting level (a system Atari called "SkillStep"). This feature increases the maximum starting level depending on the player's performance in the previous game, essentially allowing the player to continue. "Tempest" was one of the first video games with a progressive level design where the levels themselves varied rather than giving the player the same layout with increasing difficulty.