Solar Striker
Encyclopedia
is a vertical scrolling shooter video game for the Nintendo Game Boy. It was developed and released by Nintendo
. This is the only scrolling shoot 'em up
developed by Nintendo.
"The army went on the offensive, and attacked a star known as 'Turin.' However, the Earth Federal Army was no match for the overwhelming combat power of Turin, and Earth's fate seemed sealed. As Earth's last chance, a top-secret mobile unit developed a very advanced space fighter in Earth's last fortification. Flying with the mothership, 'Mother Atena', it arrived at Turin's solar system as the last chance for a violent and final attack on the Turin forces. This advanced spacecraft, and Earth's last hope for survival, is code-named 'Solar Striker'."
When you complete all six levels for the first time and after the credits roll, you'll be able to play Hard Mode by pressing Select instead of Start when you return to the title screen.
Mean Machines
described Solar Striker as "adequate", but noted a there was a lack of material to keep players interested, giving the game a score of 69%. Allgame
rated it 2.5/5, describing it as a "decent shooter but nothing great", and citing its difficulty as a deterrent to enjoying it. German magazine Power Play praised the title for its variety in terms of enemies and levels, though noted the underlying simplicity of the game as well, giving it a score of 70%. Author Jeff Rovin in the book How to Win at Game Boy Games described the title as "one of the oldest kinds of Nintendo games", comparing it to SNK
's Alpha Mission
but added there were too few instances of innovation or surprises, and the powerups were "unsatisfying".
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. This is the only scrolling shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
developed by Nintendo.
Plot
"The year is 2159. The Earth Federal Government was established, linking the people with a common government against other species. As part of this new addition and to defend the human race's peace and safety, the Earth Federal Army was also created.""The army went on the offensive, and attacked a star known as 'Turin.' However, the Earth Federal Army was no match for the overwhelming combat power of Turin, and Earth's fate seemed sealed. As Earth's last chance, a top-secret mobile unit developed a very advanced space fighter in Earth's last fortification. Flying with the mothership, 'Mother Atena', it arrived at Turin's solar system as the last chance for a violent and final attack on the Turin forces. This advanced spacecraft, and Earth's last hope for survival, is code-named 'Solar Striker'."
Gameplay
You control the advanced space fighter, code-named: Solar Striker. There are six levels of play against the forces of Reticulon. Enemies appear from the top of the screen. Special ships can be shot and power-ups can be obtained. One power-up means twice the shooting. Three power-ups mean thrice the shooting. Five power-ups means big blasts on enemies which are helpful, especially against tough enemies and bosses that take many hits to destroy. There are a variety of enemies as well as sub-bosses in the later levels. They descend in patterns and bosses have their own way to try to defeat the player.When you complete all six levels for the first time and after the credits roll, you'll be able to play Hard Mode by pressing Select instead of Start when you return to the title screen.
Reception
- Gamerankings - 75%
- Games Are Fun - 7/10
Mean Machines
Mean Machines
Mean Machines was a market-leading multi-format gaming magazine released between 1990 and 1992 in the United Kingdom. Its style was popular with gamers of the time for its irreverent humor, anarchic editorial tone and style, and its sometimes outrageously outspoken reviews.- Origins :In the late...
described Solar Striker as "adequate", but noted a there was a lack of material to keep players interested, giving the game a score of 69%. Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
rated it 2.5/5, describing it as a "decent shooter but nothing great", and citing its difficulty as a deterrent to enjoying it. German magazine Power Play praised the title for its variety in terms of enemies and levels, though noted the underlying simplicity of the game as well, giving it a score of 70%. Author Jeff Rovin in the book How to Win at Game Boy Games described the title as "one of the oldest kinds of Nintendo games", comparing it to SNK
SNK
SNK is a former name of SNK Playmore, a Japanese video game company . This may also refer to:* SNK European Democrats* SNK Union of Independents* Southeast Airlines ICAO code...
's Alpha Mission
Alpha Mission
Alpha Mission is a vertical scrolling shooter arcade game created by SNK in 1985. It was later ported to the NES/Famicom in 1986...
but added there were too few instances of innovation or surprises, and the powerups were "unsatisfying".
Appearances in other media
- The background musicBackground musicAlthough background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
for Level 1 and Level 2 was used in the beginning of the Captain N: The Game MasterCaptain N: The Game MasterCaptain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
episode, Trouble With Tetris, in a slightly altered form. A space craft seen in the same part of the episode resembles the Solar Striker on the Japanese box art of the game. In fact, the Level 1 background music was also used in later season 2 episodes of Captain N: The Game MasterCaptain N: The Game MasterCaptain N: The Game Master was an American animated television series that aired on television from 1989 to 1991 as part of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup on NBC. The show incorporated elements from many of the most popular Nintendo games of the time...
.