Pleiads

• Release Date: 1981
• Genre: Shooter
• Style: Fixed Screen Shooter

Game Description

The sleeper sequel to Phoenix, Pleiads is a shooter in which players maneuver an upward-firing ship horizontally along the bottom of the screen, blasting away at scrolling waves of swooping, bird-like creatures. Sporting unique and colorful graphics, the game is divided into four distinct sectors, the first of which involves protecting radar dishes, fuel tanks and unmanned ships while shooting Martians. Escaped enemies return as either deadly UFOs or "No. 2 Martians," the latter of which lay bricks that obstruct your bullets, but not enemy bullets. Sector two features eight types of space monsters that start high up on the playfield innocuously enough (a shot anywhere will kill them), but after five seconds transform into larger, missile-firing creatures that must be hit in the center (clipping a wing disables the creatures temporarily). In sector three, players must destroy a battleship by killing the emerging Martians, or by destroying the ship's five engines, which are protected by frequently opening and closing portholes. The final sector requires only the directional buttons, as players must steer the ship down a runway/obstacle course littered with unmanned ships, while picking up flags for bonus points. The ship fires very quickly, moves fast, and features an Astrosmash-like warp button to get you out of tight situations.