Previous Next

Thrust is a little like a combination of the Lunar Lander and Asteroids games of old. You control a triangular-shaped craft which can be rotated clockwise and anti-clockwise and thrust forward by firing its rockets.

Controlling the craft from the keyboard is tricky at first - you have to know just when to fire the rockets to overcome inertia - but it soon becomes easier with practice.

The idea is to steal Klystron pods which can be captured with a tractor beam. To do this you must position the ship just above a pod, hover, activate the tractor beam (by pressing the Option key) and then thrust away with the pod in tow.

The programmer must have a degree in physics because the pod hangs beneath the ship like a pendulum and swings realistically from side to side as you manoeuvre the craft through the tortuous tunnels.

Should the swing become uncontrollable, you will surely be dragged into a cavern wall.

You defend yourself against enemy fire by shooting at and disabling their power plant, using your shields for extra protection.

Fuel can be taken aboard using the tractor beam, and bonus points can be gainted by both capturing a pod and sending the power plant's reactor into a critical phase.

Success at the first level leads you into more dangerous zones where you may encounter reverse gravity... or worse.

Thrust was first released on the Commodore 64, and shot immediately to number one in the charts.

However, the Atari version is a disappointment. The graphics are fairly crude, the sound is only average, and there is no joystick option.

Despite that, the game does offer a good challenge and has a certain addictive quality.