Solar Striker
Game by Nintendo
Reviewed by Rob
trisbob1@aol.com
Size: 512 Kilobits
Save: None
Released: 1989
Works with: All Game Boy Types (Designed for Original Game Boy)
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Opening Snide Remarks: Play the first level. Lose all three lives. Play
Again. Play Again. Play Again. Throw stupid game cartridge in trash
can. Wait 30 minutes. Fish cartridge out of trash can. Play first level
twice, the make it to third level. Die instantly from stupid mistake.
Throw stupid game cart...

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Gameplay Description: You fly your space fighter up through each level,
blasting away many different types of enemies, each of which moves in a
different way. You collect power-ups which make your laser more
powerful and give it a better range. There are also end-level bosses
which use patterned attacks, but manage to still provide challenge.
Very old-school.

Liked: It's so addictive. The hit detection is perfect. The power-ups
work well.
Hated: I can't get past the 4th level! (Actually that's user error.)

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Graphics Description: It's simple, but effective. Your ship is very
large compared to other shooters, and the enemies are varied and easy
to tell apart. Unfortunately, few ships are animated. Furthermore, the
movement is smooth. The backgrounds don't blend in with the ships. I
love the Title Screen and Game Over screen.

Liked: Clear, effective, varied graphics.
Hated: More ships should have been animated.

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Sound/Music Description: Wow! The music is beautifully composed, and
after I'd put the game down for a month, I could clearly remember it.
The sound was also excellent. When different ships are destroyed, they
give off various sounds. I actually find myself killing enemies just to
hear the sound.

Liked: The clear, easily distinguishable sound effects and beautiful
music.
Hated: Nothing.

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Play Control/Game Design: It's smooth and clean. The ship moves and
fires almost as if it were using neural transmitters. The game is
challenging, but not too hard. Whenever you die, you know it was
avoidable, and you know it was your mistake. Yet you still die again.
Many times. Unfortunately, I don't understand why you can't continue at
the beginning of the current level, considering you die so often.

Liked: The smooth control and challenging game design.
Hated: Lack of a continue feature.

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Improve: Now that the Game Boy Color is released, color graphics are a
must. More animation on the ships and a save and continue feature would
be welcome additions.

RIYL: R-Type DX, Space Fever II (Game Boy Camera)

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Final Words: A Must Buy, IMHO, except for one thing... I haven't seen
it in stores since 1991.

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Score
Gameplay: *****
Graphics: ****
Sound/Music: *****
Play Control/Game Design: ****
Personal Opinion: *****
Total: 23 out of 25


Final Score: 92%

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Currently Known Codes: None.