Defender

The Laser Ship is patrolling the rocky terrain of a distant planetoid, defending and delivering the Humanoids from the clutches of the Landers. The scanner in the top section of the screen shows the whole planet surface, and can be used for long-range reconnaissance. The lower part of the screen displays the section over which the Laser Ship is flying.

The Landers hover around the surface on the look-out for Humanoids which they can drag off into space. As a Lander ascends with a Humanoid you can destroy it with your lasers, or with the 'smart bombs' which disintegrate everything hostile within sight. Having annihilated the Lander, you can intercept the plummetting Humanoid before setting him back down on the surface.

Should you fail to rescue the Humanoid before the Lander carrying him reaches the top of the screen, the Lander will mutate. While contending with the Mutants, you are also attacked by Bombers, Pods, and Swarmers, all of which are to be avoided at all costs, and killed before going on to the next wave. Baiters are also dangerous, but don't have to be destroyed before you move on to the next wave. When Pods are destroyed they release a cloud of Swarmers - use the smart bombs wisely, as you only have three to begin with.

Look out when only one Humanoid remains, since if the Lander abducting him reaches the top of the screen the planetoid explodes, and all the Landers become Mutants. However, after every five attack waves you get a new planetoid, and a new set of Humanoids to defend.

You start off with three ships, but every time you score 10000 you gain a ship, plus a smart bomb.

Game Controls

A - Up, Z - Down, SHIFT - Thrust, SPACE - Reverse
RETURN - Laser Bolt, TAB - Smart Bomb
H - Hyperspace (ship dematerialises, and materialises in another position)

Scores

Bonuses for each surviving Humanoid at the end of each wave are as follows:

Three numbers are displayed at the top of the screen: the first shows your score and the second and third show the numbers of remaining laser ships and smart bombs respectively.

Loading

Tape: CHAIN"" (RETURN)

After the title page appears, the program will take about three minutes to load.

Disc: SHIFT-BREAK