Astro Chase
| Astro Chase | |
|---|---|
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| Developer(s) | First Star Software |
| Publisher(s) | First Star Software |
| Platform(s) | Atari 8-bit (original) Arcade, Atari 5200, C64 |
| Release | 1982 (Atari 8-bit) |
| Genre(s) | Shooter game |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Cabinet | Horizontal |
| Arcade system | Max-A-Flex |
| CPU | M6502, M68705 |
| Sound | POKEY, DAC |
| Display | Raster, 336 x 225 pixels, 256 colors |
Astro Chase is a scrolling shoot 'em up game originally released by First Star Software in 1982 for the Atari 8-bit family. The company later licensed certain platform rights to Parker Brothers for release on several home computers, and to Exidy for use with their Max-A-Flex arcade cabinet.
Gameplay takes place on a 2D scrolling map of space around Earth, which the player has to defend from an alien force. The primary target is a number of Mega-Mines, which approach the Earth and must be destroyed. The game is level-based (there are 36), and after all the Mega-Mines are destroyed the game progresses to the next level where players encounter a growing variety of enemy attack ships, with different speeds and offensive capabilities. An animated cut-scene is played every four levels.
In 1981, Atari introduced the Atari Star Award for the best new program distributed though their Atari Program Exchange. Winner of the first $25,000 grand prize was Fernando Herrera for My First Alphabet, a children's game. Fernando was working at a computer retail store owned by Billy Blake who was also partners with Richard Spitalny at the time. Billy and Richard, then feature film producers, decided to start and fund an interactive software company to showcase Fernado's talents. Richard and Billy funded the company, naming it First Star Software.
Astro Chase was the first title from the new company, released on 7 December 1982. It spent three months in Popular Computer World's top-ten list and became the first game to be awarded “Computer Game of the Month” by Dealerscope. This success led to a Commodore 64 port, and soon after a license with Parker Brothers who released it on the Atari home computers in cartridge format, along with an Atari 5200 port. Exidy also licensed it for arcade use.
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