Platform: Amiga, Atari ST, Macintosh, PC, ZX Spectrum
Release Date: 1988
Publisher: Rainbird Software
Designers: Argonaut Software Ltd.
Predecessors: Starglider, Elite, Mercenary
Descendants: Damocles (Mercenary II), Starfox/Starwing
OK, it’s another space-based shooter, but it's probably the greatest ever.
I'll talk a little about its prequel, Starglider, but not much because I hardly played it. Starglider was one of the first games I saw on the painfully keyboarded Spectrum 128k. Not only did it see an end to the 48k’s rubber-keyed madness, the 128 had a nifty sound chip and it was used there to great effect. Visually, Starglider was also impressive, with colourful wireframe graphics, but sadly they weren't reflected in the limited depth of gameplay. My minimalist soul still preferred Elite’s heavenly monochrome and that largely sums up my feelings for the game; an inferior Elite.
In contrast, Starglider 2, is a far more rewarding trip. The game has you streaking from planet to planet across a solar system modelled on our own, collecting materials needed to construct a neutron bomb. When completed, this is used to destroy a not-the-Death-Star-honest enemy space station. The fact that the game ended when the completed station destroyed your home planet is another happy coincidence. The Star Wars similarities end there, although your ship, ICARUS does bear a vague resemblance to a Y-wing. The bomb-making materials (that’s not going to look good on Google) are mostly found deep within tunnel complexes, which lurk under the surface of many of the planets. Each planet also has an enormous variety of wildlife, from massive space whales, to the cuter and copyright-infringing pac-worms.
As adorable as Elite’s physics-based control system is, Starglider 2’s arcade-based controls are undoubtedly more fun. Think Ridge Racer as opposed to Gran Turismo, or Starfox, but with full freedom of movement. It’s this element combined with its enormous depth that makes Starglider 2 worth your time. While there have been many space sims with a far wider scope since, none have had the same instant accessibility and sheer enjoyability as Argonaut’s finest. It's definitely a Game Worth Playing.