- Release Date: 1987
- Genre: Simulation
- Style: Space Combat Sim
- Similar Games: Moon Sweeper (Commodore 64/128), Moonsweeper (Atari Video Computer System), Moonsweeper (ColecoVision)
Game Description
The evil Zylons are attempting a takeover of the galaxy, and it's up to you to stop them. Your mission is to fly from quadrant to quadrant, battling enemies like Kogalon star pirates, Cobra ships, and Mechnoids, while protecting your planets from invasion and rescuing stranded space cadets from Zylon controlled worlds.Your ship is equipped with a powerful warp engine and a galactic scanner that allows you to plot a course through the darkness of space. Pay close attention to the scanner; it will tell you the location of enemies, wormholes, docking bays and federation planets.
~ Skyler Miller, All Game Guide
Review: Overall
Solaris tries to be too much. It would have been a better game if you had a set path. Instead Solaris has you going in circles trying to find the planet.The game ends when you find the planet Solaris. Finding Solaris can take a while as the galactic scanner is not as useful as it needs to be. From the scanner you select a quadrant to go to. When you reach the quadrant you usually have a space shootout with some enemies. Shooting scenes are not too enjoyable. Move around a lot to avoid the enemy fire and hit the enemy once to destroy it.
As if you did not have enough to do trying to find the planet, you also have to worry about running out of fuel. When fuel is low you need to go to a Federation planet and fly into a square item that is a refueling station.
Graphically Solaris is quite good. There are a variety of different screens with many colors and good detail. Hyperwarp screens are also rather impressive. Sounds are good too. Listen to your StarCruiser's thruster as you navigate through space. Unfortunately graphics and sounds do not make a great game.
Solaris needs to be simplified in order to be fun to play. Trying to make sense of everything is not worth your time or effort.
~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide
Review: Enjoyment
Needs more interesting shooting scenes.~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide
Review: Graphics
The Atari 2600 at its best.~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide
Review: Sound
Good effects help the game but not enough.~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide
Review: Replay Value
Takes too much time to get nowhere.~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide
Review: Documentation
Reads more like a book than an informative manual.~ Jonathan Sutyak, All Game Guide
Production Credits
Designer: Doug Neubauer
~ Skyler Miller, All Game Guide
