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The Zylons are back -- those spaceway sneaks, villains of Venus, Saturnian scoundrels! They're swarming through the galaxy in huge forces, attempting another takeover. They've got to go! And we need YOU to go get 'em.
But it's a hush-hush missions. If the Zylons guess you're onto them, you're a goner. So the official report says you're out to find the lost planet Solaris and rescue the Atarian Federation Pioneers stranded there. But if the Zylons reach Solaris before you do, they'll destroy it.
You've got to hyperwarp from quadrent to quadrent, facing vicious attackers such as Kogalon Star Pirates, Planet Destroyers, and Cobra Fleet. But don't worry -- your fighter, the StarCruiser, is specially outfitted with a Galactic Scanner and plenty of photon torpedoes. Just don't let the Zylons destroy a Federation Planet, or your quadrant mutates into a terrifying Red Zone.
Ready? Then hop into the StarCruiser, rev the engine, and go! And remember -- if anything flies your way, blast it!
Game Information
Post your scores right here in this thread, and I will add them to the list. Remember to play the game with the recommended game mode and difficulty settings as shown above so that your scores will be consistent with everyone elses. The deadline for posting scores is Wednesday August 11th at 1:00 AM (Central Time, UTC-6). |
Challenges
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Current High Scores
Best Tips
TwinGalaxies Top 3
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Scoring Points in Solaris
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Hints and Tips
The Manual
As always, you really should read the manual. In case you don't have the manual, AtariAge has a typed copy and a scanned copy available online. Here are the hints it provides:
- Map your progress! It will help you find Solaris more quickly.
- Try to keep your StarCruiser in focus during hyperwarp. The better job you do at focusing, the less fuel you waste. When you arrive in the enemy sector you'll also be closer to the Zylon fleet.
- Destroy the enemy closest to Federation Planets first.
- Save fuel in an enemy sector by blasting at neutral planets only to avoid colliding with them.
- Don't shoot your Docking Bays or you'll turn the quadrant into a Red Zone.
We played this game once before in the High Score Club, you might want to check out that thread for more hints.
satan165
When you have killed all the enemies in a quadrant, you will continue to fly through space for a few seconds (or more) until the galactic map comes up. If you think you are done there (even if unsure) just bring up the map manually. If the quadrant is clear of the icon that was there previously, you are done and you can warp onward.
Blockaders (aka mine fields) are difficult. I found a great tip from world record holder (on many titles) Robert Macaulay in the previous HSC running of this title. First and foremost, make sure you warp perfectly into the quadrant. Anything more then a 1 (or a zero i might argue), just go back to the map and warp again. This is probably the most important warp youll take, because it decides how long youll spend in the minefield. Once I'm there, my strategy is 'hands off': dont touch the controls and only shoot or move when necessary. Extra movements will likely put you into the path of an oncoming mine rather then avoid it, and constant shooting is a vast waste of fuel, don't let them take advantage of you like that. With a 0 warp, youll be done in probably 8 seconds or so.
Scrabbler15
I have my own way of dealing with the blockade screens. I pull the joystick down/left the whole time, so the ship is moving up and left. Then I shoot at an even pace so that there is always one of my shots on the screen. I usually survive unscathed, which is all I'm trying to do on the blockade screen.
Some other things I've found out (since it was all new to me):
When the scanner screen is scrambled, the arrows/numbers on the left of the scanner are invaluable for finding fuel (or whatever is being scanned for). Go in the direction of the arrow and when the arrow changes to an 'X', you're lined up with the fuel. Number '7' is as far away as it gets, Number 5 means almost there.
The enemies can be defeated by superior firepower. When battling on a planet, I try to get head-on with the enemy while I shoot. My shot can destroy the enemy's shot and my follow-up shot takes out the enemy.
On the corridor levels, I tried slowing down, but the steering is less reliable that way. So what I do now is go full speed and start shooting as soon as I'm in the corridor and then work my way into the middle. If the key at the end of the corridor stays in the middle, it's easy to drive through the key, the barrier goes away, and the blasting of enemies continues. Sometimes the key jumps left or right. Moving in the direction of the key as soon as it moves is the only way to still get the key. It can be done regardless of how wide the key goes, but sometimes it's just barely.
When dogfighting, it's important to stay down far enough to keep from running into the enemies. I have the most dogfighting success by being aggressive, trying to get the enemies quick. When I just concentrate on not getting shot, it happens anyhow.
The direction that you move from sector to sector, and what you do when you get there, is critical. The path I take gets me through the first half of the game without ever dealing with a 'Red Screen of Death'. I'm gonna try to describe this path as best I can, hopefully with enough accuracy and detail to get the idea across.
- From the first screen, go east through the blockade
- Go up to get the extra guy
- Exit west and keep going to the next west exit (ignore the rest of Screen 1, except for the enemy at the west exit)
- Defeat the enemy.
- Exit west
- Attack the enemy above the federation planet
- Land and get fuel. This should be the first fuel stop
- Defeat the rest of the enemies (except for the blockade to the north), including getting through the corridor
- Get fuel
- Exit south
- Defeat the enemy directly south
- Wait for the enemy on the other side of the planet to attack the planet and when it does, defend the planet
- Get fuel
- Attack the cobra ship enemy. These are the hardest enemies to survive, but if you don't beat them here, you will have to beat them with backward 'Red screen of Death" controls later.
- Get fuel if you need it
- Defeat the last enemy on this screen
- Exit west
- Go to the blockade square and survive
- Go back to the last screen and get fuel. You'll have to wait for the wormhole to move, so you might as well fill up.
- Return to screen you were on. The wormhole should have moved, so go to the corridor. Survive.
- Exit north
- Go to the corridor square. Survive.
- Go up to the extra-guy planet and get the guy. You will exit west.
- Go to the extra-guy planet and get the guy.
- Take the wormhole.
- Go down to the extra-guy planet and get the guy.
- Land and get the fuel.
- Leave the federation planet and go back to it.
- Shoot the fuel.
- Exit west.
- Exit north.
- Take the wormhole.
- Defeat the enemy.
- Exit north.
- Go up to the extra-guy planet and get the guy.
- Exit south
- Exit east.
If I told you every step correctly, and you survived, you are now in the first sector of the second half of the game. This screen is as far as I have gotten.
There you have it. A novice's free advice and worth every penny.
--Zero
