Summary
- Release Year: 1984
- Platforms: BBC Microcomputer System
- Publishers: Acornsoft
Meteor Mission: A Retro Classic
Meteor Mission is a Lunar Rescue-style arcade game released in 1984 by Bally Midway. The player controls a spaceship that must drift down through a field of floating asteroids, rescue six astronauts from the surface, and return each to the safety of the mothership.
The game is played on a single screen, with the player’s ship at the top of the screen and the mothership at the bottom. The asteroids are constantly moving, and the player must carefully navigate their ship through them without crashing.
To rescue an astronaut, the player must land their ship next to the astronaut and then use the ship’s tractor beam to pull the astronaut into the ship. Once the astronaut is safely inside, the player must then return to the mothership and dock with it.
Meteor Mission is a challenging game, but it is also a lot of fun. The graphics are simple but effective, and the gameplay is addictive. The game is also notable for its use of speech synthesis, which was a relatively new technology at the time.
Gameplay
The player controls their ship using a joystick and two buttons. The joystick moves the ship left and right, and the buttons control the ship’s thrusters. The player must use the thrusters to carefully navigate their ship through the asteroids and avoid crashing.
To rescue an astronaut, the player must land their ship next to the astronaut and then use the ship’s tractor beam to pull the astronaut into the ship. Once the astronaut is safely inside, the player must then return to the mothership and dock with it.
The player has a limited amount of fuel, and they must be careful not to run out of fuel before they can return to the mothership. The player can also collect fuel canisters that are floating in the asteroid field.
Scoring
The player scores points for rescuing astronauts and for returning them to the mothership. The player also scores points for collecting fuel canisters. The game ends when the player has rescued all six astronauts or when the player runs out of fuel.
Legacy
Meteor Mission was a popular arcade game in the early 1980s. It was ported to several home computers, including the Atari 2600, the Commodore 64, and the ZX Spectrum. The game was also included in the compilation game Midway Arcade Treasures 2.
Meteor Mission is considered to be a classic arcade game. It is a challenging but fun game with simple but effective graphics and addictive gameplay. The game is also notable for its use of speech synthesis.
Tips for Playing Meteor Mission
Here are a few tips for playing Meteor Mission:
- Be careful not to crash into the asteroids.
- Use the thrusters to carefully navigate your ship through the asteroids.
- Land your ship next to the astronauts to rescue them.
- Use the ship’s tractor beam to pull the astronauts into the ship.
- Return to the mothership and dock with it to score points.
- Collect fuel canisters to replenish your fuel supply.
Conclusion
Meteor Mission is a fun and challenging retro classic. It is a game that is sure to please fans of arcade games and classic video games.
Review Score
7/10
Art
Cover Art
Screenshots
