Press 1 on the alpha-numeric keyboard. You are now in command of the star fighter CENTURION and a legendary hero of the Earth Federation!
The sighting instrumentation for your laser starburster is at the center of your screen. The number 15 at the lower left corner of the screen represents the number of enemy invasion transports, battle frigates and star fighters to be destroyed in this action. This number will decrease by one every time a direct hit is scored.
The number at the lower right of your screen represents the quantums of energy units in your fuel receptors. These energy units are expressed in megajoules.
You will start your mission with 1000 megajoules. One megajoule per second is used to sustain flight. A laser burst uses ten megajoules of energy. If an enemy star fighter comes within range and fires, fifty megajoules of energy are required to activate your deflector shields.
The objective of your mission is to destroy all 15 units in the enemy fleet using the least number of megajoules.
Maneuver your star fighter with the joy stick on the right hand control unit. Pull it towards you to ascend. Push it away from you to descend. Push right to go right. Push left to go left. When you have an enemy ship in your sights, fire your lasers by pressing the action button. Only one enemy ship will appear on the screen at a time.
When an enemy Imperial star fighter flashes in from hyperspace, a general ALERT will sound and flash on the screen. It is important to fix the ship in your sights quickly and fire before he comes within his own firing range and costs you energy units necessary to activate your deflector shields. The star fighters will come at you from a variety of angles. It is safer strategy to outmaneuver the ones that come at you from diagonals. They require very sophisticated precision tracking. You will save megajoules by firing at those that come head-on or appear in more easily tracked vertical and horizontal courses. You can take evasive action from a star fighter only by climbing or diving to get the ship completely off-screen. If you go right or left, the fighter will continue to follow you.
There are five enemy star fighters to protect the ten enemy invasion transports and battle frigates. The engagement will terminate when all of the enemy fleet have been destroyed – or when your fuel receptors have been drained of energy units. Star Command will contact you with new orders after each action.
To play again, press the RESET key on the console and then press 1 on the alpha-numeric keyboard.
Good hunting!
