Platform: Commodore 64
Region: Region Not Set
Developer(s): System 3 Software Ltd.
Publishers(s): System 3 Software, Ltd.
ReleaseDate: 1984-01-01
Co-op: No
Death Star Interceptor belongs to a Sci-fi sub-genre of shooting games and it is one of the firsts to have a tie-in licence somehow related to Star Wars universe. Specifically to John Williams's Star Wars main title music. It has all the suggestions needed to implicitly relate the game to Star Wars's franchise: The title mentioning the galactic superweapon of Star Wars's universe, the main goal (which basically follows the same steps in Star Wars: Episode IV when the Rebellion attempts to destroy the Death Star battle station in one final desperate mission), the similarity between the spaceships (X-Wing and Tie Fighter). It looks, sounds and feels like Star Wars, but it isn't really Star Wars. As for the story of the game the year corresponds to ours 4020 C.E and The Galactic Empire, a dominating force of the Galaxy subjugated by the evil Ardans, was obsessed to acquire and process at any cost the precious Aix, a powerful ore which had the properties of life prolonging in its processed state, and severe ageing and deformation when in contact to its raw state. The "Quota-Law" was a radical imposition to all humanoid inhabitant planets by the The Galactic Empire, demanding them to produce a labour slavery force to work in the mines which were destined to profusely extract the coveted ore, or otherwise these planets would face extermination. But Earth refused to cooperate with this madness and stopped sending more people to be slaughtered by these lethal working conditions, contradicting the imposed new law. War begins. The Galactic Empire to make an example for other potential rebellious planets decided to sent its most powerful weapon to crush the rebellion: a DeathStar, a massive and almost flawless battle station, only known to have one weakness at the central reactor. The only hope for Earth now is to infiltrate a small fighter deep inside the central reactor and then manoeuvre the ship to score a direct blast into the reactor's exhaust section... ...And the game begins at this point in one hangar in Earth where the player starts the mission by commanding one of those small fighters (which very much looks alike a X-Wing): a Starfighter One. His first mission is to be successful in the take off of the ship and safely leave the hangar. The second mission takes place in space, where he has to approach the trenches of the DeathStar. Before he reaches this destiny he will face many Galactic Fighters which are defending the orbit of the battle station and very much look alike and sound as Tie fighters. Once penetrating the trenches of the artificial satellite, the player has to avoid being destroyed by the defensive laser turrets, the fighting crafts and forcefields. Now it's up to him to blast a direct hit on the reactor's exhaust section when the exact moment arrives.
Genre(s): Action | Shooter