THE SPECTRUM GAMES DATABASE



STARSTRIKE II



PUBLISHER

Realtime 1986



AUTHOR



CATEGORY

Arcade



DESCRIPTION

3D Starstrike 2 is a 3D Shoot'em-up.



CONTROLS

Keyboard, Kempston, Cursor

      Up             -  Q

      Down           -  A

      Left           -  O

      Right          -  P

      Fire           -  B, N, M, Space

      Accelerate     -  X

      Decelerate     -  Z

      HUD on         -  H

      Automatic HUDs  -  J

      Dock           -  D



INSTRUCTIONS

After the failure of the Outsiders' invasion plans (in

STARSTRIKE) the aliens retire to their homeworlds to rebuild

their strength. The Federation decides to launch a pre-emptive

strike and sends in a new model starfighter, the Starstrike II,

piloted by (guess who?) you...

 

Your task is definitely non-trivial - 22 planets to be

neutralised, divided into Agricultural, Industrial and Military

categories. Each planet has a control system in charge of the

work droids and factories of that world; destroy the control

system and the planet is put out of action.



Since the Outsiders' planets are spread across five solar

systems, your first task is to choose in which system you want

to begin your campaign. Your ship is not itself capable of

interstellar travel, having to rely on a support module which

carries fuel and makes the hyperspace jump for you, using up its

fuel supply as it does so. Your own onboard engines can handle

interplanetary travel, though. Later in the game, you'll need to

find fuel supplies so that you can get to the next star and

planets.



Your ship is equipped with shield, lasers and a computer to aid

you.  The console of your ship shows laser heat, fuel and shield

gauges (all of which it's worth watching). The lasers have a

nasty habit of cutting out when they overheat, which usually

tends to be in the midst of a fierce battle with the enemy

defences. Your shields can be drained by enemy shots and

collisions, but energy can be transferred from your fuel to your

shields. You only have one life which will be lost if fuel or

shields reach zero - so be careful!



There are a number of different types of defences. On military

and industrial worlds the huge Space Wheel, a giant pentagonal

structure protected by defence pods, has to be neutralised by

shooting off the five pods of the perimeter. If this is done a

door appears in the centre of the Wheel, giving access to a

hanger which can be entered (beware the Outsider ship inside!).

To escape from this hanger, you must shoot away the three

controllers that operate the exit door. You must be careful in

doing this, as the door remains in the position it reaches at the

instant when the third door controller is destroyed - you could

end up trapping yourself.



The Outsider planets are protected by Defence Fields which

consist of of a number of gridded force barriers in space. Small

openings in the force shields allow Outsider craft to cross, but

these are obscured by spinning energy squares and are defended

by missile batteries. As you reach the more important planets,

the barriers become increasingly stronger and more difficult to

penetrate. After traversing the barriers, the Starstrike II goes

into orbit, where an Outsider fleet lurks. A head-up display

tracks the enemy using two windows; the right-hand one displays

the relative vertical position of ann object or ship in the

vicinity, while the left hand one gives a plan view of the

surrounding area of space. When an enemy craft comes within

range, the scanners flip off and combat begins.



Some Outsider ships release a fuel pod when they are destroyed,

and the pods must be collected to gain enough fuel for you to

travel to the next planet and star. The pods are only around for

a short time, before Outsider fuel scoops recover them. Once the

fighters have been defeated the Ground Attack sequence begins,

where a cross imposed over the planet's surface targets the laser

system. The Ventilation Duct is the next stage; inside the duct

your lasers won't work and survival is dependent upon your being

able to dodge the trench constructions and other obstacles.



The last stage varies according to the type of planet, but is

generally similar; a reactor system, battle computer or

agricultural control centre has to be destroyed as you fly along

a computer-controlled course. A successful attack opens a door

at the far end of the course, which marks the completion of that

planet. Then it's on to the next world... 





SEQUELS/PREQUELS

This game is the prequel to 3D Starstrike.



SCORES RECEIVED:

Crash: "A brilliant game". RATING : 96% (CRASH #28, May 1986)



GENERAL FACTS

Its authors, Realtime, were to write the classic CARRIER COMMAND

only a couple of years later.















































