Computer + Video Games - Commodore Is Awesome

Op
ill
iti
er
t
h
Well, the ST doesn't have any
propriety chips for sound or
graphics etc. It relies almost
entirely on the power of the 16-bit
processor. The Amiga has
dedicated chips for graphics and
sound etc, consequently less is
hung on the processor to slow it
down, flaying said that, the ST is a
great machine and superb value,
after all how many people ran
afford an Amiga?
Going back to Starglider, are you
happy with the end product?
Yes, very much so. You can go on
improving a game forever and you
may never be 100% happy with it
because there is always something
that could have been slightly
different. There were little things!
still wanted to put into the game
but it had to be released this decade
you know, and I think the s•ersion
that came out was good.
Do you still enjoy playing
•
Starglider?
Not really, not now. It was a great
thrill to start with hut I spent a
huge amont of time testing the
game which was very enjoyable,
but I wouldn't play it for fun now.
How many levels are there in the
game?
I was only going to put four in but
decided to add a few more to cater
for anybody good enough to get
past these.
flow many extra ones did you put
in?
Over thirty!
Without giving too much away,
what kind of things change from
level to level?
It's generally more difficult to stay
alive On the higher levels, as you'd
expect. Things are more difficult to
destroy and missiles inflict more
damage on you too, which drains
your shields faster. Other things
become more of a hassle from levels
two and three but that would be
telling!
Go on, drop us mere mortals a
crumb or two.
OK. Well, from level two you will
encounter homing missiles which
move in very alarming ways,
usually towards you! The
proportion of homing versus
normal missiles increases with each
level. It's a shame the file on the
Pyramid launchers was lost!
Will then- be a Starghdcr
You'll have to wait and see!
REVIEW
At the 1985 PCW show, an up and
coining software house called
Rain bird was showing a short
demo of a new game being
developed for the brand new Atari
ST computer.
A year later Starglider was
released to almost universal critical
acclaim. You can think of
,Stargiicier as part Barth-wonr and
part Elite— but far superior to
both!
THE STORY SO FAR
The game takes you to the planet
Nosenia, for centuries successfully
protected from invasion by the
Sentinels, unmanned ships which
were "extremely well equipped to
bring about a messy and violent
life-style modification of any wouldbe
invader".
In fact, S4i confident were the
Novenians that their defences were
inpenet rabic. that they had long
ago disbanded their home-based
army and airforce.
Egron fleet commander
Ilermann Kruud believed he had
found a flaw in Novenia's Menem
Egrons considered themselves to be
"loveable, peace-loving people and
they maintained a powerful battle
fleet on permanent alert, ready to
beat the hell out of any planet that
said otherwise".
Kruud's plan was deceptively
simple. He had spent the last five
years assembling a new invasion
fleet comprising entirely of ships
that looked like giant Stargliders.
The Starglider was a very
strange bird that nested in
Novenia's equatorial highlands and
migrated once every five years to
the outskirts of the Novenian
system.
It was on returning from onsuch
migration that a flock of
Stargliders Was entirely wiped out
by a couple of sentinels that
mistook them for an invasion fleet.
As a result of t lie ensuing public
outcry the Sentinels on-board
computers were modified to
recognize Stargliders and leas ••
them alone.
Kruud's simple plan worked ail
too well. And now a desolate and
war-scared Novenia is about too fall
into the hands of the Egrons.
PLAYING THE GAME
The game starts as you leave one of
the four repair depots on the
planets surface, manned by
AR A MA'S (Automatic Repair And
Maintenance Androids) and left
intact when the Egrons attacked.
Although your goal is to destroy
the Egron invasion fleet, success
will not come to those whose brains
are housed entirely in their trigger
fingers.
A a inning strategy will have to
tx• worked out before delving too
far into the game or you will be
unceremoniously vapourised time
and time again. This is where the
accompanying novella, written by
James Follett (author of the
screenplay of the film Who Dares
Wins fame) comes in rather useful.
Packed with invaluable hints and
tips on how to kill and maim,
Follett's witty companion also
contains clues such as how to
recitarge ti1 . o Ars inductive
energy pods, and where the
Starglider Drone's one weak spot
can be found.
What a pleasant change to find
the story with the game concept
ACTUALLY enhancing the
overall package!
EGRON ATTACK FORCE
The planet surface is covered with
battle tanks, transport vehicles,
skim fighters, tri-launchers,
stompers, and other assorted Egron
goodies. Meanwhile, the airspace
above the plam-t's surface is littered
with mines, neutron missiles, lane
and lotus fighters, not to mention
Starglider One.
Most of the Egron attack arsenal
have specific functions and
movement patterns. Careful
observation will help you devise'
attack and defence strategies for the
various fighters, tanks etc. Apart
from differences in appearance you
will encounter craft with varying
speeds and armour class.
Apart from the repair depots, the
Egrons have also left the Energy
MINCri untouched because they
control the underground monorail
system which Novenia's in vadem
intend 10 use for thernselvea.
The novella tells you how the
towers can be switched hack ion
again but you'll need to master the
recharging manoeuvre quickly as
the Egrons won't exactly sit back
and watch!
The first thing you are likely to
do once Starglider has loaded is go
and check if your radio is on.
But that music you hear is
coming from your computer!
The game c•,;•i allIS 10 se..- N
so of sampled music, composed
especially for the game, and
guaranteed to raise the eyebrows of
even the most cynical technoatheist.
The movement and animation of
all the graphical game elements are
little short of stunning, reminiscent
of the Star Wars arcade machine.
At last somebody has really shown
us a hat 16 bit technology is
capable of!
IECTACULA