Friday, April 08, 2016

Stardust



Meh, another Asteroids?

Stardust was released late in the ST's life by Bloodhouse in 1994 and it's not only one of the last commercial games ever released but is actually an STe-only product. Developed by several famous names from our great demoscene (and thank you Aggression) these guys managed to deliver a wicked twist on the original Asteroids genre.

The game not only plays similarly to that old arcade favourite but also features modern content for extra zest. Such as ludicrously awesome aesthetics which are quite stunning complementing the fantastic gameplay action.

Wanna see the war plan? It translates to "kill everything and don't die!". Check this out...





Bam! Bam! Bam! Blast the rocks!

There are a total of five levels with each containing six missions. All are host to a variety of rocks along with the expected dangerous baddies. After each level is completed, you must travel through a wormhole-like tunnel onto the next part of the galaxy like something from Buck Rogers or Starwars!! These tunnels are filled to the brim with oncoming rocks for you to dodge or destroy - which is definitely no easy task. But it's a thrilling moment I never expected to enjoy!

Bonus levels pop up regularly and feel similar to a particular Thrust clone... Now, these are optional but you will be daft to ignore the fun. So don't be daft!! Of course, it wouldn't be right without End-Of-Level Bosses and each mission has them. Beware, these guys are tough! Much perseverance will be required during these enjoyable romps.

Okay, it's time to see some more pixels so let's take a peep at another screenshot...





Enhanced gaming!!

Stardust is something else. It's on another level with gritty, fast-paced gameplay. However, the basic mechanics are pretty much what you would expect so it also feels more-or-less as you would expect. This is actually very awesome because you can jump straight in and begin playing without much of a learning curve. Heck, it's all about dodging and shooting.

The controls are also familiar: left and right will manoeuvre your spacecraft around. Pushing upwards will thrust you forward into hell. Don't worry, we have a shield that can aid you during those sticky moments. Finally, our ship's main weapon is more than capable - perfect for gratifying rock-blasting!! Nothing wrong here, folks. This is all super-spacey-gun-fun!

This next screenshot does itself no justice. Seriously cool stage with mind-blowing fx...





Enhanced Aesthetics

Graphically, Stardust is utterly glorious. Everything is bold and colourful with stunningly smooth animations. The rocks are also something else with jaw-dropping 3D renditions that look beautiful. I've not finished yet - everything is running in overscan!! Yep, not only does it look HOT but it's in overscan which means lots of extra pixels to blast.

Equally impressive is the audio with beautiful examples of thumping stereo tunes, accompanied by BAM!! BAM!! BAM!! DMA sound effects. This is one game that's gonna blow your socks off. If I can offer one piece of advice: crank up the volume!! I guarantee you will love everything Stardust delivers so turn it up high. No, even higher! :-)

Oh yeah, this is one of the best-looking/sounding Atari STe games ever released...





The CryptO'pinion?

This is a spectacular showcase of what the Atari STe is capable of when in the hands of people with talent and commitment. These guys didn't simply rehash an old idea or produce a weak Amiga port. No, they unleashed a product that feels fresh and exciting. The effort that went into the gameplay, visuals and audio is commendable.

Stardust is a joyride of rock-blasting thrills and a perfect shoot 'em-up. One of the best games I have played.

Download for floppy or your hard drive.

No comments:

Post a Comment