Starglider

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Starglider

Developer(s)	Argonaut Software
Publisher(s)	Rainbird
Designer(s)	Jez San
Platform(s)	Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum
Release date	1986
Genre(s)	Space flight simulator
Mode(s)	Single player
Input methods	Joystick, Keyboard

Starglider is a 3D video game released in 1986 by Rainbird. It was developed by Argonaut Software, led by programmer Jez San. The game was inspired by Jez San's love of the 1983 Atari coin-op Star Wars,^[1] It was a fast-moving, first-person combat flight simulator, rendered with colourful wireframe vector graphics. The game took place over the surface of the occupied planet Novenia, and it was the player's goal to rid the world of the mechanised Egron invaders. To this end the player was equipped with a high-performance AGAV fighter aircraft, which was armed with lasers and television-guided missiles.

Starglider was originally developed by Argonaut Software for the 16-bit Commodore Amiga and Atari ST machines. Rainbird also commissioned Realtime Games to produce 8-bit versions for the Amstrad CPC, Amstrad PCW, and ZX Spectrum (128k, with a cut-down 48k version without sampled speech or special missions), and also for the IBM-compatible PC running in CGA. Solid Images were commissioned to produce versions for the Commodore C64 and Apple IIGS. Most versions included then-novel sampled speech, from Rainbird employee Clare Edgeley.^[1]

Starglider was packaged with a sci-fi novella by James Follett, describing the game's background story

It was followed in 1988 by the sequel, Starglider 2.

[edit] Get Fresh

A timed version of Starglider was used for the Get Mucky segment of UK Saturday morning children's TV show Get Fresh. Two contestants played three-minute sessions on the modified game, the winner being the contest with the highest score.