Format: Amiga, Atari ST
Release: 1986
Publisher: Rainbird
Developer: Argonaut

StarGlider was – quite literally – a game that sang. When developer Argonaut released versions for the Amiga and ST in 1986, it astounded the world by producing super-crisp song lyrics (albeit among a composition of slightly questionable worth). This ensured that the game was run on every demonstration machine in Dixons, and generated enough cash and interest to launch the company into the industry’s premier league.
   
Jez San was just 19 when he started coding the game, and explains how StarGlider actually came out of a failed bid to gain the rights to Star Wars: “I was talking with their lawyers, but negotiations didn’t work out so I deviated from my plan. I created an original 3D game that had storyline, animation, sound samples and many other firsts for a 16bit game – even though nothing gives you a rush as much as ‘using the force’ on that original Star Wars coin-op did for one million bonus points.”
   


Anyone entering the game world for the first time would recognise the vector style reminiscent of some of San’s favourite games – including Battlezone, Elite and Star Wars – which he quotes as inspirations. Nevertheless, StarGlider developed its own distinctive game universe, which was bonded together by a tremendous narrative line. “I originally had [the player] shooting the tops off towers, just like the Star Wars coin-op,” explains San, “but when I didn’t get the rights I made my game more story-led, more free-roaming, and ultimately a deeper game than the one I originally wanted to do.”
   
An impressive feature was the game’s attention to detail – it came beautifully packaged with a flight manual, a novella, a functional key guide, and a poster of your AGAV vehicle. The story was based on Novenia, a dying planet ravaged by nuclear fallout and the invasion of the evil Egron empire. The novella was a welcome touch, which managed to establish the game world incredibly well before play. “My agent, Jacqui Lyons, was also a literary agent,” says San. “She represented a very good novelist called James Follett (the brother of Ken Follett), and he penned the novel and helped with the characters. But most of the storyline was inspired by the game.”
   
Interestingly, the vector style of StarGlider was explained in the novella by the post-apocalyptic state of the planet. Plausible reasons were given for why the planet was dark and how your hero could see through structures and enemies.
 


Simply flying around the StarGlider world proved a worthwhile experience in itself, and whenever an enemy installation or walker was encountered the temptation to shoot it until it disintegrated into a cloud of pixels was overwhelming. However, subtler techniques needed to be employed to stay alive in the long run. Enemy strategies developed at a fast rate, and as the levels went up their numbers and cunning would increase. Gung-ho blasting would be rejected in favour of a more tactical approach. Chief among these were managing to recharge your energy shields by carefully following the power lines while avoiding the deadly missile launchers.
   
The main objective of the game – to take out StarGlider 1 – could be incredibly tricky. Once it appeared, a missile would have to be collected from one of your silos. The mothership would then have to be tracked at the perfect speed before you launched your precious rocket. Once fired, your cockpit view would alter to show the camera directly behind the missile (an unusual technique at the time). It would then have to be directed to StarGlider’s weakest spot – its underbelly – to damage the hull. Three direct hits were required.