Solar Quest

Solar Quest was produced by Cinematronics in 1981.

In Solar Quest the player has to defend their star against incoming waves of enemy ships. Up to two players can play, taking turns.

The player controls their ship from a top-down view. It is possible to rotate the ship 360° and exit/enter the screen at opposite edges. To defend themselves, players are equipped with rockets and nukes. Nukes are only available in limited supply. After firing a nuke, it can be detonated with a second push of the button, destroying a larger amount of enemies in its vicinity. Pressing the first button on the pad warps the player to a random position on the screen.

After destroying an enemy ship, its survivor will float towards the sun. The survivor can either be shot or collected with the ship by flying through them. Scoring depends on the type of alien ship. Later waves bring more points when destroyed. The player can lose a life by crashing into an enemy ship or getting too close to the sun.

The game was ported by Milton Bradley to it’s Vectrex console in 1983.