Game:

Starstrike II (1986)

Category:

Review

Duration: 3:15:27

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Huge playlist archive with AY / GFX improved games: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxOanVBhqd3t74YnYAJA9p4vMQYZYCJWX
INTRODUCTION:
After the failure of the Outsiders' invasion plans (in 3D Starstrike (see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jJEefZlDnQ)) 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.

REVIEW:
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.

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.

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.

This is the sequel to Starstrike and unlike the first game this one has filled vector graphics, and unlike the first game that used the Spectrums standard colors this one also uses CRT TV colors.

For a 1986 game this is mighty impressive, but it is also made by the same people who later did Carrier Command and Battle Command.

This game could have been awesome but it is waaaaay too tough. After defeating the easiest of all planets you will already be in big problems, and you only have one life which will be lost if fuel or shields reach zero. When shooting an enemy ship it is extremely hard to collect the fuel supply before another enemy ship picks it up, and the game also seems unnecessarily long and gets repetitive.

A stunning looking sequel but the gameplay in 3D Starstrike is way better.

The game was made by Realtime Games Software Ltd in 1986.

Rating = 85%

This is a special version with AY sound fx, trainer options and alternative loading screen made by FFC Computers & Softstar, and the trainer option is enabled in this walkthrough. It is a Beta Disk version and SCL and TRD files can be downloaded here: https://vtrd.in/release.php?r=56d592f1a486299ca42c7339d10f7f5d