Vs. Star Luster

Star Luster is a 1985 space combat simulator game developed and published by Namco for the Family Computer in Japan, and adapted for play in arcades via the Nintendo VS. System. Star Luster is set in the same universe as Namco’s Bosconian (1981), and the gameplay has strong similarities to Atari’s Star Raiders from 1979.

An enhanced version of Star Luster was published for the X68000 in August 1994. A sequel, Star Ixiom, was released for the PlayStation in 1999.

Star Luster was initially met with mixed reviews and poor sales. The game’s reliance on obtuse level objectives and random enemy encounters have been blamed for its lack of popularity, in addition to the Famicom’s userbase being primarily children that didn’t understand its design. Retrospectively, Star Luster has been acclaimed for its 3D perspective and presentation, and has been labeled a masterpiece.

Star Luster involves moving through open space via a first-person cockpit view and engaging enemy ships. The player’s ship has limited fuel and can be refueled at bases. A map and radar show locations of enemies and bases. The player can choose a location on the map and warp to it, with the current date changing based on the warp distance. The game uses a regenerating shield and may be the first game with such a mechanic.