Starquake

Information

Genre

Adventure / Arcade - 2-D

Language

Machine Language

Controls

Joystick, Keyboard

Players

1

Programmer(s)

Crow, Stephen, Strange, Nick

Graphic Artist(s)

[n/a]

Sound

[n/a]

Cover Artist(s)

[unknown]

Year

1985

Publisher

Bubble Bus Software

Developer

[n/a]

Country

United Kingdom

License

Commercial

Medium

Tape, Disk

Rarity

8 (Tape), 8 (Disk)

Serial

-

Votes / Statistics

Rating: 8.1/10 · Votes: 974 · Downloads: 5,200 · Hits: 29,882

Additional Comments

Screenshots (7)

Cover Art (5)

Instructions (2)

Ads (1)

Comments (7)

• GadZombiE — 6 Jan 2016

  @Monk: Starquake is not impossible. I have finished this game many years ago. The map and list of passwords for teleports helps very much to accomplish the game. But you're right, the ZX or C64 version looks better than Atari's. It could be better here, but let's say truth - Atari's version also looks great and works perfectly. The sounds and music are great too! The main character could be made with normal graphics rather than player/missile method, but this helped to use different color for him. But, remember - this IS the hi-res sprite, not the lo-res! Atari's sprites can't have higher resolution than you can see here.

• Monk — 10 Jun 2015

  Thax and Interceptor - I can't really take anyone seriously that lack the ability to begin sentences with capital letters. Nor can I understand such opinions.. this is not a great game, and the Atari version is the worst one! This in no way warrants such praise. As for the review itself, let's go.. You know your graphician should be fired, when the graphics of your game look WORSE than the Spectrum-version! No offense towards the Spectrum, but its monochrome graphics did present quite the challenge to the graphicians. But this is the second game that I have found, where the Atari version has actually worse and MORE monochromic graphics than the Spectrum original. The C64 version outshines every other version, visually, aurally, animation-wise, how much stuff flies flawlessly all over the screen, etc. Just compare the screenshots, and honestly tell me, which one would you think a randomly selected human being would choose to play based on looks alone: Spectrum-version: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Game_start_screen_for_Bubble_Bus%27_ZX_Spectrum_game_Starquake.png C64-version: http://www.lemon64.com/games/screenshots/full/s/starquake_02.gif Atari-version: http://www.atarimania.com/8bit/screens/starquake_4.gif Not only is the Atari version more monochromatic than any other version, it is also the only version where the main sprite is a -lores- sprite instead of a -hires- sprite. This game certainly doesn't show off Atari's good side too well - I am sure the humble Atari could have done a lot better. Someone really screwed up. I mean, come on - Atari has so many great, colorful, beautiful and immersive games that I love to play with my XL, that there's no excuse to produce this kind of trash. As for the game itself - I never understood this type of games - you just run around in a hectic world and try to accomplish some impossible task, and the enemies just respawn and bleh. I just can't see why anyone would willingly play something like this, when there are so many so much better games out there - and this goes for all versions.

• thax — 19 Oct 2013

  fantastic game that i used to play for hours. addictive gameplay.

• interceptor — 17 May 2012

  great game for the atari! 10 of 10

• tommik — 27 Mar 2012

  The Atari 800 versions sadly lacks proper graphics and visuals. Can't the machine pop out more that just 2 colors and blocky ugly sprite? The programmers surely did a poor design job on this one. 5/10.

• Daniel Thomas MacInnes — 6 May 2011

  Very strange and very engaging game that was criminally overlooked in its day. It basically beat Metroid to the punch by a couple years. The Atari 800 didn't have too many games like this, so I did enjoy it, and I'm glad to be able to try it again in 2011.

• adam242 — 4 Feb 2011

  No one's commented on this masterpiece yet? Simply unimpeachable. Brilliant graphics and plot.. eminently playable... A classic and easily a '10' in my book.