''Stardust'' is a vertically

scrolling shooter In computer displays, filmmaking, television production, and other kinetic displays, scrolling is sliding text, images or video across a monitor or display, vertically or horizontally. "Scrolling," as such, does not change the layout of the text ...

developed by Spanish studio

Topo Soft Topo or TOPO may refer to: * Topo (Calheta), a civil parish in the municipality of Calheta, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores * Topo (climbing), in climbing, a guide for a crag or climbing area * Topo (robot), a robot aimed at the consu ...

and released in the UK by

Kixx Kixx may refer to: * Kixx (U.S. Gold), a defunct budget video game label associated with former publisher U.S. Gold * KIXX, a radio station broadcasting a Hot AC format serving the Watertown, South Dakota, USA area * Philadelphia KiXX, an America ...

in 1987 for the

ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...

. The full version was included on a

Sinclair User ''Sinclair User'' was a magazine dedicated to the Sinclair Research range of home computers, most specifically the ZX Spectrum (while also occasionally covering arcade games). Initially published by ECC Publications, and later EMAP, it was pub ...

covertape in 1991. It was also released for

Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the S ...

DOS DOS is shorthand for the MS-DOS and IBM PC DOS family of operating systems. DOS may also refer to: Computing * Data over signalling (DoS), multiplexing data onto a signalling channel * Denial-of-service attack (DoS), an attack on a communicat ...

, and

MSX MSX is a standardized home computer architecture, announced by Microsoft and ASCII Corporation on June 16, 1983. It was initially conceived by Microsoft as a product for the Eastern sector, and jointly marketed by Kazuhiko Nishi, then vice-p ...

. The introductory screens include music composed by Pablo Toledo. The same music was later re-used for the game ''Bronx''.

Gameplay

The player controls a small space ship called an "Astrohunter", which flies over the surface of a series of large enemy supercruisers on their way to attack Earth. The player must avoid or destroy various ground targets and free-flying drones in order to eventually reach an array of shield generators. The ship is equipped with a gun that can be improved by collecting

power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chos ...

s, and a second weapon that targets objects on the ground. When all the supercruisers have been passed, the Astrohunter lands in an enemy starship and its pilot continues on foot to reach the shield generators. After destroying the generators the pilot must be returned to the ship to escape.

References

1987 video games Amstrad CPC games DOS games MSX games Multiplayer and single-player video games Vertically scrolling shooters Topo Soft games U.S. Gold games Video games developed in Spain ZX Spectrum games {{Shmup-videogame-stub