Instructions for

Astroclone

Hewson, 1985

Written by Chris Owen, HTML'd by Arnt Gulbrandsen.

Controls

Keyboard, Kempston, Cursor

Aim of the game

In this, the fourth of the Seiddab series of games, the aim is simply to defeat the Seiddab by shooting down Seiddab cruisers en route to the enemy bases (in a DEFENDER-like arcade section) and then to knock out all the Seiddab bases (in an adventure section which looks rather like MARSPORT). You must also use some strategy in choosing the route you take to achieve the overall aim of defeating the Seiddab.

Game play

You begin the game in your Astroclone Assault Craft with your oxygen steadily draining. To operate the clone, you use an icon driven control system. Your clone can be in one of three modes, each of which can be selected via an icon driven menu:

Movement - allows you to move around
Arm - allows you to pick up, drop or use objects
Laser - puts a weapon in your clone's hand and allows you to aim and fire it with a cross-hair cursor.

The galaxy is shown on screen as a series of 24 box-like sectors. You can move from one sector to another by using a cursor to lock on to a space ship. You can then deploy it in another sector (perhaps one which is full of Seiddab!). You must think strategically here, as you must decide where it is best to deploy your forces.

ARCADE SECTION: Once you're happy with your force dispersion you can then start fighting the Seiddab in a shoot-em-up section reminiscent of DEFENDER. Pick a sector where you want to fight and your ship enters it through a star gate. You will then be faced with a horizontally- scrolling landscape around which you can fly, and around which various Seiddab ships are also flying. As well as your targets, the Seiddab cruisers, there are also three types of smaller ship, homing missiles and asteroids. These others don't have to be destroyed to clear a sector but it makes life easier if they are!

ADVENTURE SECTION: If you clear a sector of all the Seiddab cruisers and it has a Starbase in it you can enter the base by flying into an object that looks like an electricity pylon. When you do so you enter the arcade/adventure section of the game. Here you have to work out how to destroy the Starbase by using the objects littered around the place. Wandering around the Starbase are the actual Seiddab themselves. They look like miniature three-legged robots with a vicious claw but you can defend yourself with a laser gun. Once you've destroyed the base you can go on and try to find another Starbase, beginning the whole process over again.

Comments

"A strange mix of shoot-em-up and arcade adventure."

Rating

88% (CRASH #22, November 1985)

Now

Rather crude graphics but not a bad arcade/adventure, although it is ultimately rather repetitive. (As for the name; try spelling "Seiddab" backwards...)

Keys

Up	- A to G
Down	- Z to V
Left	- B, N
Right	- M
Fire	- H to L

Nettverksgruppa, 5/10-94, sinclair@nvg.ntnu.no