Published 1986 by Rainbird Software Ltd. | Authors: Realtime Games Software Ltd. (Graeme Baird, David Lowe, Ian Oliver) | [WOS]
“SENT TO CONQUER – MACHINE VERSUS MAN”
The best bit of ITV’s mid-80s Saturday morning summer schedule-filler Get Fresh, apart from Gilbert the alien, was the section where two kids would compete for the highest score on a video game in order to win a) a Commodore Amiga and b) a reprieve for their pal who was stood perilously under a bucket of Gunge™. The game featured most frequently was Rainbird Software’s Starglider, no doubt because it was well skill.
Rainbird, named after its founder Tony Rainbird, was part of British Telecom’s portfolio of video game labels. Unlike budget stablemate Firebird (CEO Ian Firebird presumably), Rainbird had its sights fixed squarely on the full price market, releasing sophisticated simulators and atmospheric text adventures produced by a slate of well-regarded developers including Magnetic Scrolls, Argonaut and Realtime. Rainbird games were marketed as quality products, distinctively packaged in glossy, blue large-format boxes that could accommodate large, detailed manuals and other printed paraphernalia, so you knew you were getting your pocket money’s worth.
What you get in Starglider is a slick and polished combat flight simulator that sticks you in the cockpit of a futuristic aircraft with a mission to single-handedly fend off an alien invasion. Why? Well handily the game came bundled with short novella by author James Follett (Blake’s 7, Crown Court) to set the scene [SPOILERS]:
The good people of the planet Novenia were a bit too complacent about being space invaded thanks to their sophisticated automated planetary defence grid. So the baddies disguised their capital ships as giant migratory spacebirds, which fooled the satellites and allowed them to wipe out Novenia’s unprepared military. Anyway, let’s shoot stuff.
Despite its flight sim trappings, much of the fun of Starglider comes from how easy it is to pick up and play. With simple joystick and throttle controls, the player is immediately and effortlessly gliding around the 3D world zap zap zapping the scenery. Pretty much everything is there for the blasting: ground based turrets and tanks, and airborne fighters blow apart satisfyingly with a few laser hits. Giant walking mechs and the stargliders themselves can only be taken out with guided missiles – let one loose and you get the extra thrill of a high-tech HUD snapping down over the screen as you ride the weapon all the way to the target.
The impressively fast wireframe 3D action, with multiple onscreen elements, pushed the limits of the plucky Spectrum’s capabilities, and the 48K version is limited to basic shoot, reload, repeat gameplay. 128K owners were treated to an expanded game with additional missions – Crash magazine considered this distinctive enough to print a separate review for the first time. The 128K game also includes an ace chiptune theme that’s about a hundred times better than the sampled music on the Amiga and Atari ST versions your more fancypants friends had. It IS.
