| Genre: | Arcade Game: Shoot-em-up |
| Series: | Number 26 in Arcade Collection (Spectrum) |
| Publisher: | The Hit Squad |
| Cover Art Language: | English |
| Machine Compatibility: | Spectrum 48K, Spectrum 128K, Spectrum +2, Spectrum +3 |
| Release: | Professionally released on Cassette |
| Available For: | Amiga 500, Amstrad CPC464, Commodore 64/128, Sega Master System & Spectrum 48K/128K/+2/+3 |
| Compatible Emulators: | ZXSpin (PC (Windows)) Nutria (PC (MS-DOS)) |
| Original Release Date: | 1st July 1991 |
| Original Release Price: | £2.99 |
| Market Valuation: | £2.50 (How Is This Calculated?) |
| Item Weight: | 64g |
| Box Type: | Cassette Single Plastic Clear |
| Author(s): | Software Studios & Ross Harris |
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There are 3 other items featuring this same game (that we know about!). Click any of them for their details.
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Arcade Collection (Spectrum)
Crash
1st February 1989
A great game for joystick-wrestlers. Read Review
Crash
1st July 1991
Initially fun to play, SDI soon slides down into the dumper because of its repetitive nature. Read Review
Sinclair User
7th April 1991
Not a bad little game and what's there is very enjoyable. I wouldn't fancy its chances with a die hard shoot-'em-up fan though, it's just a tad too easy. Read Review
Sinclair User
7th November 1988
Surprisingly exciting coin-op conversion; plays even better than it looks. Read Review
Your Sinclair
1st July 1991
It sounds like fun, and it is full of nice touches, but the only real snag is that it's all a bit simple, monotonous, and dated, even though it's only two years old. Read Review
Your Sinclair
1st March 1989
The arthritic graphics don't help to alleviate the monotony and dullness of this mediocre shoot-'em-up. Read Review
Full Instructions
Introduction
Now the odds are even!
SDI. Strategy and Arcade action at its best! This classic Sega arcade hit, in the true Ronald Reagan Strategic Defence Initiative style, tests your skills in both offensive and defensive warfare to the limit. It's all out nuclear war and your mission is to defend your country from enemy nuclear space weapons and save the planet from imminent catastrophe.
SDI may also be played as a team game, one player moving the satellite using keyboard, and a second player controlling the cursor and laser with a joystick. An additional feature on the Spectrum version is that pressing the SPACE bar will toggle between the above controls and the alternative version, in which both satellite and cursor will move whether or not the fire button is pressed.
Special Features
- Single or multi-player modes.
- Offensive and defensive levels at each stage.
- Seven main tunes.
- Over 300 different sprites - animated deadly enemies which will collide with one another.
Screen Display
The screen displays both players' scores and lives remaining - in a two-player game the relevant "1-UP" or "2-UP" will be highlighted to show which player's turn.
The damage bar at the bottom of the screen relates to damage to your space station. If the bar fills up completely, the game will end. There are 12 levels in SDI during which you will face waves of enemy and enemy base missiles, satellites and fighters.
If at any time during an offensive half you allow any enemy craft to penetrate your defences, you must play a defensive half. At the end of each half, you will receive a report on the results of that half: a perfect score will be rewarded with 20,000 bonus points (and a dancing duck!)
During play you will also come across satellites bearing bonus pods. Shoot at the satellites to release the pods, then dock with the pod to gain extra cursors.
Game Controls
Z - Left, X - Right, J - Up, N - Down, ENTER - Fire
Press O to start game.
1 - To toggle between one and two player game, 2 - Define controls, P - Toggle Pause, Q - Restart Game
Note: The player controls both satellite and cursor; pressing Fire will aim a laser from the satellite to the current cursor position. When using a joystick or keyboard, both satellite and cursor respond to normal joystick movement. If the fire button is pressed, the cursor only will move and lasers will fire.
Loading
LOAD"" (ENTER)
If using a 128K machine, then select 48K mode and follow the above instruction.
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