Previous Next

The one remarkable thing about this new Mastertronic game is that it isn't. New that is. From beginning to end there isn't one new idea in it. There are lots of old ones though. In fact, Star Force Fighter is the ultimate shoot-'em-up cliché, right down to the loading screen which features an almost exact rendition of space invaders at 4X normal speed for you to amuse yourself with while the game is loading.

If I was feeling really mean I might suggest that Star Force Fighter ought to be on the load screen with Invaders as the main feature. But I think that would be a little unfair to Mastertronic, who else after all, offers you a double bill for less than the price of a family size box of crunchy nut cornflakes.

This time it's the Imperial forces of Deisarn who are overrunning the galaxy. Only you and the rest of the pitifully depleted terran star force can stop them. One thing the Deisarns don't have on their side is the element of surprise. As an experienced star force fighter, you expect them to do what thousands of aliens have done before them and approach from the right hand side of the screen in attack formation. They play right into your hands and you decimate them with your laser cannon as they break formation and drop their shields.

But, even with the blood of four aliens on your hands, you know it's not all over yet. Another four approach, this time adopting a cunningly different formation, tight packed with shields fully extended and cannons blasting. No contest. You raise your own shield give the joystick lots of right, watch them disappear off the left of the screen and wait for something a little easier. Who said all Earthmen were cowards?

Some 20 or 30 aliens later - there's so much blood on your hands you can't see your fingers to count - and a supply capsule makes a welcome appearance on the right of your screen. It will contain an extra life, shields, new, more powerful weapons, possibly even a Klingon cloaking device. Your morale boosted, you rejoin the battle with a fresh lust for alien blood and a packet of Kleenex.

Moments, possibly hours later and it's all over. The last of the Deisarns explodes into a vapour cloud. Once again, your experience tells you there's more to come and sure enough the meteor storm is upon you in seconds. All you can do is hang on and hope you survive to complete the bonus level. No star force fighter likes to let a few meteors come between him and his bonus points, especially when it's simply a case of picking up a few pods here and there.

Experienced star pilots might have an inkling of what comes next. That's right, it's round two, more of the same, only twice as difficult. And it's by no means easy, even on the first level. It's just that I'm so brilliant and skilful, not to mention modest that I make it sound that way.

Anyone who has more than half a dozen games must have something vaguely resembling this, but I can see it appealing to software-hungry Christmas recipients of C64s.