Solar Fox is an arcade game released in 1981 by Bally Midway. It was ported to the Atari 2600 console and was also released as a Commodore-published cartridge for the Commodore 64 computer in 1983.
Gameplay
The player’s task is to pilot a starship through a series of squared solar cell matrixes inside a rack. While capturing the cells the player must dodge waves of fireballs that are being thrown by Sentinels. These Sentinels move continuously along the perimeter of each cell formation. When an entire field of squares is completed (by flying through each square), the game advances to the next rack. The faster a matrix is cleared, the more points are received.
There are 26 solar cell matrix shapes. Every fifth matrix is a Challenge rack. During challenge racks there are no fireballs; the goal is to clear the entire field before the time runs out. Completing each Challenge round awards a letter, to form the mystery word Helios.
Port
The game would later be released on the Atari 2600 console and was also developed as a Commodore-published cartridge for the Commodore 64 computer in 1983.
An Atari 5200 port program written by Van Tran (of Wabbit fame) was completed but never released.
Tie-in
A comic book ad was released in 1983 to support the story of the game.
Reception
The reception of the game was probably good as there was an Atari port.
References
External links
- Solar Fox at Atari Mania
- Solar Fox at AtariAge
Gamer24h Editor's Take
Put under the Gamer24h team's microscope, Solar Fox raises the bar considerably with both its storytelling and technical polish. Thanks to Bally Midway's meticulous craftsmanship and Bally Midway (arcade), CBS Electronics, Commodore's strong presentation, the high production quality is evident in every moment of the game. Masterfully blending Action mechanics with modern standards, the game's fluid gameplay makes hours fly by unnoticed. All in all, the Gamer24h team stands firmly behind our rating. This is a unique journey you won't want to miss.