Gravitar (ARC, 1982)
Graphics-7.5 Sound-6 Control-6.5 Challenge-9 Story-N/A
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9/10* Fun-6.5 Originality-8
Overall Score-6.5
*Reverse gravity (even higher with invisible terrain)
+
Good thrust/inertia-based physics
Tractor beam for picking up fuel items
Temporary bullet shield (activated with same button as pick up item, drains fuel)
Hub area with avoidable enemy encounters (if you move into an enemy ship there's a separate zoomed in encounter arena which can't be escaped from) and a hazardous star which pulls you towards it
Planets with gravity as well as one without
Decent variety (small and round planet - single screen level, horizontal scrolling surface levels which also loop - see Defender, timed reactor core maze)
Can exit a planet/level at any point
Two levels of zoom when in a horizontally scrolling level (automatic)
Multi-directional scrolling
Difficulty options (easy or hard - easy by default, starting lives - up to 6, points until the next extra life (10k at least), coin worth)
14 planet levels in total+another identical set of levels with reverse gravity and then another with invisible terrain
+/-
Non-linear structure (after beating all levels except for the enemy base (core level) the hub area changes and new planets are introduced - can go for the core instead if you want)
Mostly a killathon (have to take out all turrets in a regular level to beat it)
Fuel management (harsh penalty - see below)
Time limited core levels (tight)
No picking up and guiding balls object interaction - see Thrust (1986)
Short range in the hub area
Can't land (introduced in Gravity Force (1989)?)
-
Immediate game over if you run out of fuel regardless of how many lives you have and there are no continues - more credits just let you play again from the beginning
Weird how planets don't have gravitational pull until you reach them and enter their level - wastes more fuel
Some control issues (overly slow turning, the camera is too loose when fully zoomed in and moving l/r in horizontal scrolling levels - makes it hard to react to danger (a bit tighter when moving left so you can sometimes use that to your advantage), some slowdown which makes it hard to tell how fast you're actually going, you keep accelerating without thrusting if you're moving towards the ground - while more realistic without air resistance I found this frustrating, it takes too long to break by accelerating in the other direction - due to the automatic acceleration increase it's hard to tell how soon you need to be "braking", no auto-fire, )
Some trial & error (in core levels after the first a bunch of turrets appear after destroying the core, shots from off screen, can move through turrets)
No music
No bosses
No alternate weapons or weapon upgrades
The regular planet levels get repetitive after a while
Somewhat hard to see which way you're turned in the zoomed out levels (less so in emulation since there's no glow effect)
Level Design-6.5 Frustration-9/10* Fun-6.5 Originality-8
Overall Score-6.5
*Reverse gravity (even higher with invisible terrain)
+
Good thrust/inertia-based physics
Tractor beam for picking up fuel items
Temporary bullet shield (activated with same button as pick up item, drains fuel)
Hub area with avoidable enemy encounters (if you move into an enemy ship there's a separate zoomed in encounter arena which can't be escaped from) and a hazardous star which pulls you towards it
Planets with gravity as well as one without
Decent variety (small and round planet - single screen level, horizontal scrolling surface levels which also loop - see Defender, timed reactor core maze)
Can exit a planet/level at any point
Two levels of zoom when in a horizontally scrolling level (automatic)
Multi-directional scrolling
Difficulty options (easy or hard - easy by default, starting lives - up to 6, points until the next extra life (10k at least), coin worth)
14 planet levels in total+another identical set of levels with reverse gravity and then another with invisible terrain
+/-
Non-linear structure (after beating all levels except for the enemy base (core level) the hub area changes and new planets are introduced - can go for the core instead if you want)
Mostly a killathon (have to take out all turrets in a regular level to beat it)
Fuel management (harsh penalty - see below)
Time limited core levels (tight)
No picking up and guiding balls object interaction - see Thrust (1986)
Short range in the hub area
Can't land (introduced in Gravity Force (1989)?)
-
Immediate game over if you run out of fuel regardless of how many lives you have and there are no continues - more credits just let you play again from the beginning
Weird how planets don't have gravitational pull until you reach them and enter their level - wastes more fuel
Some control issues (overly slow turning, the camera is too loose when fully zoomed in and moving l/r in horizontal scrolling levels - makes it hard to react to danger (a bit tighter when moving left so you can sometimes use that to your advantage), some slowdown which makes it hard to tell how fast you're actually going, you keep accelerating without thrusting if you're moving towards the ground - while more realistic without air resistance I found this frustrating, it takes too long to break by accelerating in the other direction - due to the automatic acceleration increase it's hard to tell how soon you need to be "braking", no auto-fire, )
Some trial & error (in core levels after the first a bunch of turrets appear after destroying the core, shots from off screen, can move through turrets)
No music
No bosses
No alternate weapons or weapon upgrades
The regular planet levels get repetitive after a while
Somewhat hard to see which way you're turned in the zoomed out levels (less so in emulation since there's no glow effect)