Space Pilot Review
Time for a fight in the skies, we fight through time – every decade brings us closer to the future. That for certain when writting this Space Pilot review has become the past.
Your mission is to clear and hold the skies for a time until the mothership gets close to you – you need to shoot it down to get to the next level. I really like that the game has this clear indicator saying how much time you need to hold.
Isn’t it so that it was more a thing in the old gaming that you always had some indicator telling you how much it was left of the game?
You steer your aircraft in circles, picking up friendlys in parachutes and taking planes down. Watch out for the shots as they can jump one line when you least expect it. The difference between the levels are ofcourse a new type of aircraft that surrounds you and a new mothership in the end of each stage.
Will you survive until 2001 – I mean in the game. Now enjoy.
In the Magazines
PACKAGED IN THE NOW standard library case, Anirog’s “Space Pilot” comes with a picture showing aircraft of different eras fighting each other. In this game you are an ordinary 1984 )et Pilot. The very fact that you are from that particular time in avionic development is a definite help on the first 3 screens. In the first screen you are faced with a 56 strong squadron of bi-plane fighters (the year being 1919).
Easy you think, and easy it is, for these pilots do not stand a chance against your gleaming 1984 fighter. All that is left to do on that screen is to tackle a single Zeppelin which comes floating across your screen, but be careful because it can release a nasty little salvo of bullets when you are not expecting it. Once you have cleared the screen, you are transported to another time — 1940. Again, you must despatch a large number of aircraft. But they are getting a bit more nasty.
Clear that screen and you are launched into 1970 where you meet helicopters. This is the turning point of the game. As you clear that screen you are transported into 1990! The aircraft are more advanced than yours, so you have to play more tactically instead of just flying into them and shooting. Finally, if you clear that screen you meet from the year 2001, Flying Saucers! Unfortunately I didn’t clear that screen but I died valiantly!
This game in general has good graphics using sprites; the sound has a few effects but not too much to write home about. With the time limit and other obstacles like the clouds it can lead to very interesting suicide runs.
S.L.F.P. for Your_Commodore Issue 01 October 1984
From the Covers
Like always with the Anirog covers, great and action at the top – and usually the game also lives up to it’s cover. This game does it for sure.
Ever dreamt of roaming the open skies, engaging in dog-fights with enemy fighters. Space Pilot with its breath-taking graphics will make that dream come true. There are five screens, starting with the bi-planes of 1919 and ending with the fighters of 2001, in this 60K blockbuster. In each screen, 56 enemy craft intent on destroying you by shooting or bombing have to be shot down.
A large craft of that era (Zepplin 1919) appears. Destruction of this craft transports you through time to the next screen. As you roam the sky, you may come across a squadron of enemy fighters. Destroy them for bonus points. You can also rescue the shot down pilots of your squadron parachuting them down for bonus points.
From the Inlay
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Our Space Pilot Review Rating
We give the game four aircraft out of five – well worth some hours of play. A great shoot’em up.
