doug@edge.UUCP (Doug Pardee) (09/27/88)
[f u cn rd ths thn my news link is *finally* back in operation!] Title: Starglider Type: Aerial Combat Arcade - 3D Line Graphics System: Commodore 64 disk. Publisher: Rainbird Software (British Telecomm) Price: $30 discount Overall Grade: C+ Starglider is seriously overpriced. At $30, I expect a lot more than an arcade game, even one with 3-D graphics. But that's all that Starglider is -- an ordinary multi-level arcade shoot-em-up enhanced by fancy graphics. Yes, the graphics are really impressive. The 3-D out-the-front-window view is done with 3-color line drawing with hidden line removal, and some of the targets are animated. The fixed graphics (instrument panel, etc.) are a work of art, with gray levels utilized to provide curved surface shading. But $30? For an arcade shoot-em-up? Also, Starglider suffers in the translation from the Atari ST to the C-64. Originally designed to be controlled by a mouse, the joystick handling leaves much to be desired. Worse, on the ST they had a synthesized voice warning you if you flew too low, but on the C-64 you get no audible warning at all so you have to watch the altitude bar constantly. Editorial comment: I consider the title "Starglider" and the description on the package to be a bit misleading. Starglider has nothing to do with stars or space: you don't go into space, you won't see stars. The only extra- terrestrial references are in the title and in the description -- the planet you're flying over isn't supposed to be Earth, and the enemy you're fighting isn't supposed to be native to the planet. Starglider is a fighter plane simulation nearly identical in handling to the original Skyfox. In fact, if you're looking for a 3-D aerial combat arcade shoot-em-up I'd recommend that you get Skyfox instead (it's going for $10 these days). Then if you really really like Skyfox, you might consider buying Starglider. Especially if you can get it at a reasonable price. -- Doug Pardee, Edgcore Technology (formerly Edge Computer), Scottsdale, AZ {ames,hplabs,sun,amdahl,allegra}!oliveb!edge!doug uunet!ism780c!edge!doug