It was a little known horizontal space shooter that was very underrated back in the days of DOS PC gaming. It Was created by Apogee software and originally released in November 19th 1996.
I first played Stargunner as a shareware demo on the cover of a magazine. I was surprised to see such a game on the PC having being used to the likes of Descent and Duke Nukem 3D. Although simple in comparison, the fury of the gameplay makes for a cool game. The graphics and sound were superb setting it apart from many PC games of the time.
Since then it became one of my favorite games simply because there are so few of these type and quality on the PC.
Almost 10 years later it was released as a freeware product in July 2005.
Case Quote
"Feel your adrenaline pump as the count down begins. You must strike now. There'll be no second chance. It's time to take your seat amongst the squadron of elite. It's time for STARGUNNER - the fastest, most action-packed, inter-galactic white knuckle-shoot-'em-up in the stratosphere."
Click image for larger.
STORY
Manual Version
The huge carrier ships of Barak entered Amdara space with signs of friendship and cooperation. The peaceful Amdarans welcomed them and helped them colonize a nearby planet. But soon after, the masked Barakians revealed themselves as a warring race with conquest in their blood. Now two thousand years have passed.
Locked and beaten down in a staggering war, the Amdarans have one final hope before surrendering to the overwhelming Barakian forces. The Amdaran's have trained an elite squad for an offensive strike designed to cripple three strongholds on Barak, where the majority of Barak's fleets are amassed. If the offensive strike team can surprise the Barakians on their own planet, and destroy most of their fleet, then hope is not lost for the Amdarans.
The people of Amdara have nicknamed their elite force the "STARGUNNERS".
Website Version
Deep within the Andromeda galaxy, the people of Zile grow restless--and greedy. The Zilions secretly prepare for a massive strike against the nearby planet Ytima. Fearing such an attack the Ytimians train an elite squad of "Stargunners." Their mission: To strike the planet Zile first, and cripple the Zilions three strongholds, where the Zilion war fleets await the launch order. If the Stargunners can surprise the Zilions on their own planet, and destroy most of their fleet, then good will triumph at least one more time.
GAMEPLAY
Stargunner is a simplistic game and very much plays like an arcade shoot'em up in the vein of Gradius and R-Type. The screen will scroll at a steady pace from left to right and waves upon waves of enemies will swarm at you from all directions. At no point can you backtrack.
Your ship will be shot at from ground targets and other serious threats will be swarms of asteroids, missiles, depth charges and mines. The games action will take place in open space, across volcanic terrain or deep underwater. Enemies can be spacecraft, helicopters and even deadly fish. Some brief sections will be a full on swarm like an asteroid field to deal with others will be a wave of more tricky enemies to defeat. A voice will relay important information such as "shield low", "danger approaching" or whichever power-up is collected. Across the bottom of the screen will be all your vitals. These are pretty self explanatory.
As you blast your way through targets and areas of the landscape they will leave behind green credit crystals. They can also be found in boxes about the landscape. These are the currency of the game that allow you to purchase upgraded engines, weapons and extra lives in the Supply Store. Before beginning a stage you have the option to upgrade/customize your ship with an array of different weapons as well as engine and defense upgrades. See Power-Ups for more info on the items available. There will also be plenty of power-ups to the collected during the course of each stage. Destroying a cluster of enemies will release a power up or they will be hidden at various locations.
[shots]
Your ship will be destroyed by crashing into scenery or an enemy or when taking a hit when the shields have been depleted. You will have a few seconds afterwards where you are invincible.
Supply Store and Weapons (Upgrade System)
Your primary weapon has unlimited ammo and this will be either Pulse (red) or Plasma (blue). Pulse is a concentrated stream of fire whereas Plasma is a wider spread of fire (blue) but less powerful. Which weapon is used it toggled by collecting the power-ups.
There are 2 ports on your ship where you can customize which weapons are to be used. Certain configurations are more effective than others so experiment.
In addition you can use 2 satellites (moons) for defence and carry 4 nukes.
Credit Drone |
Fires a fast homing drone which is equipped with the most advanced credit seeking technology. This is a must have tool for saving up for those expensive super-weapons. |
400 |
Nuke Blast |
(Press "2" to select). The Nuke Blast radiates an immense wave of proton emissions from your ship which causes great damage to all nearby ships and energy weapon discharges. |
200 |
Engines |
||
Standard Impulser |
low performance engine. This is a sturdy and reliable engine used in many older military ships. It's a great starter rocket booster for the first few missions. |
500 |
Hydrogen Ioniser |
A medium performance engine. By a massive discharge of ionized gasses, this engine offers good forward and vertical thrust. Warning: don't go too fast toward enemies. |
1500 |
Megapulse 2000 |
A high performance impulse drive. The latest in technology, it provides increased acceleration in all directions. This engine offers a true test for the experienced pilot. |
3000 |
Gravdis 5 |
a super performance engine. It utilizes gravity displacement and localized warp fields to move at great speeds with very little inertia. This is not an engine for the weak heart. |
4500 |
Weapons |
||
Plasma Bomb |
A high energy plasma bomb. It does devastating damage to crafts and any structures it hits. Obliterate all enemy structures with only a few of these babies. |
500 |
Maxipow Evolter |
Fires a high voltage blast that can penetrate multiple small crafts before dissipating. Great for blasting enemy structures while you concentrate on what's attacking you. |
700 |
Matter Disruptor |
Generates a wave of matter disruption that will do great damage to anything it passes through. A good cheap weapon for hitting enemy structures and hard to get turrets. |
1200 |
Rebounder |
Shoots quick repulses blast that will reflect off non-energy charged surfaces several times before exploding. |
2200 |
A-Matt Boomerang |
This fires an auto returning bolt of anti-matter. It's fast discharge rate and arc shaped path makes it a formidable weapon for getting a second shot with each fire. |
2600 |
Fragmentor BE 800 |
it fires a heavy duty range restricted missile. It's explosion has a long duration which provides a very effective ball of defence. Kill a whole wave of enemies in one shot. |
3000 |
Biparticle Cannon |
Fires a small missile equipped with energy sensors. On detection of an enemy vessel, it will fire two approaching vertical magnetized particle blasts. |
3300 |
Flamer |
This weapon carries a jet of intense heat by burning a stream of a liquidized gas compound. You'll be safe behind a couple of thousand degrees if you fire this one up. |
3600 |
Ion Cannon |
The auto-aiming cannon delivers a quick and deadly pulses of ionic discharge. Good for knocking out those annoying enemy turrets and slow flying formation ships. |
3000 |
Magnum 3000DX |
This heavy missile launcher has an onboard fission replicator device which allows for quick and virtually infinite missile dispersal. Pity the poor fool that gets hit by one of these. |
4400 |
Dual Laser |
This dual directional laser fires a piercing beam ahead and behind. An internal generator supplies the incredible energy required to fire, if they see this one fire, they're already dead. |
4800 |
Torpedo Launcher |
This shoots fast and accurate photon driven torpedoes which target the nearest alien vessel and attempt to home in on it. Just close your eyes and let this baby do the work for you. |
5000 |
Defence |
||
Enertron |
A cheap and effective satellite of defence. It maintains a locally powered force shield to protect it's hardened silicon body. |
300 |
Mineslammer |
Mineslammer - A heavy duty satellite, that due to it's incredibly dense body, can withstand huge amounts of punishment. |
700 |
Dynamo 500 |
The top of the range satellite, that generates intermittent, high powered discharges that can wipe out or damage ships. |
1000 |
Extra Life |
Extra Life - Invest in life-saving inter-dimension shifts. Each 'life' charge will activate when your ship destructs. shifting an image of you and your ship from a compatible dimension to this one. |
4000 |
Weapon descriptions taken from manual
Items and Power-Ups
Power-Ups/Bonus/Secret Items will appear in many places throughout the run of a stage. As you play you will get a feel where they will most likely appear for example tight spaces, above a laser turret or inside clusters of Credit boxes. Clusters of enemies will leave behind a power-up when destroyed. Simply fly over them to collect.
Credits - These are used to buy more power-up components for your ship. Each is worth 15 credits. Crystals surrounding structures are worth 25. Collect them with your ship for an extra 25-500 points, depending on how quickly they are picked after appearing. Credits can also be found in C boxes dotted about the landscape. Beware that you can still collide (and die) with these if they have not been shot open.
Pulse/Plasma Icon - Power Up. increases the firepower of your primary weapon.
Shield - Restores shields strength by 50%.
Mega Points - Worth 50,000 points. If you shoot this power-up it can turn into something more useful.
Credits (Silver) - Worth 200 credits.
Mega Credits (Gold) - Worth 500 credits.
Extra Live - An extra life. These can appear static or will rush across the screen when moving across specific locations in a stage.
Invincibility - your ship will be indestructible for a short period of time. These are usually well hidden in a stage. When invincible, you can fly into structures and enemy ships.
Nuke - an extra nuke. There are two types of these; some will explode instantly when collected and others will store a blast in your arsenal.
Mystery - Can be any one of the above!
Hidden Items - These are hidden around structures mostly and can be any one of the power-ups available. Collecting them will also increase the secret score at the end of a stage.
Men - Simply fly over these to earn 1000 points each. Firing on them will destroy them.
Game Options
When the game starts you are presented with the main menu. The run down is as follows:
Play Mission - Starts a new game or loads a previously saved game.
Load Game - Load a previously saved game.
Ordering - How to obtain the complete version of the game. (Obsolete)
Configuration - Here control, graphics and sound options can be adjusted
Information - A brief 'How to Play' and credits.
High Scores - High Scores.
Run Demo - Runs a demo of the game.
Quit to Dos - Ends the game. Returns to the command prompt. Well worth a look for getting the basics.
SCREENSHOTS
Stargunner has four episodes in total each having 9 stages. Before beginning an episode you select the difficulty between Ensign (easiest), Captain and Admiral (hardest).
When a mission is selected a brief introduction sets the scene.
Episode 1: Scout Mission
 Scout Stage 1 |
 Boss |
Episode 2: Stellar Attack
 Stellar Attack Stage 1 |
 Boss |
Episode 3: Terran Assault
 Stage 1 |
 Boss |
Episode 4: Aquatic Combat
 Aquatic Combat Stage 1 |
 Boss |
SOUNDTRACK
Included on the original CDROM is the soundtrack to the game in CD audio format. These tracks can also be played via the configuration menu and are available to download along with the freeware edition of the game. See the links section below.
Track |
Title |
Length |
01 |
Data Track (Do not play) |
N/A |
02 |
Apogee Fanfare |
0:14 |
03 |
Stargunner Main Title |
1:50 |
04 |
Spend More Money (The Shop) |
0:57 |
Stellar Mission |
||
05 |
Episode 1 Levels 1-3 - Main Level |
1:32 |
06 |
Episode 1 Levels 1-3 - Stage Guardian |
1:14 |
07 |
Episode 1 Levels 1-3 - Zone Guardian |
1:21 |
08 |
Episode 1 Levels 1-3 - Victory |
0:28 |
09 |
Episode 1 Levels 4-6 - Main Level |
1:47 |
10 |
Episode 1 Levels 4-6 - Stage Guardian |
1:05 |
11 |
Episode 1 Levels 4-6 - Zone Guardian |
1:18 |
12 |
Episode 1 Levels 4-6 - Victory |
0:21 |
13 |
Episode 1 Levels 7-9 - Main Level |
2:10 |
14 |
Episode 1 Levels 7-9 - Stage Guardian |
1:40 |
15 |
Episode 1 Levels 7-9 - Zone Guardian |
1:20 |
16 |
Episode 1 Levels 7-9 - Victory |
0:37 |
Terran Mission |
||
17 |
Episode 2 Levels 1-3 - Main Level |
2:15 |
18 |
Episode 2 Levels 1-3 - Stage Guardian |
1:17 |
19 |
Episode 2 Levels 1-3 - Zone Guardian |
1:33 |
20 |
Episode 2 Levels 1-3 - Victory |
0:26 |
21 |
Episode 2 Levels 4-6 - Main Level |
1:47 |
22 |
Episode 2 Levels 4-6 - Stage Guardian |
1:26 |
23 |
Episode 2 Levels 4-6 - Zone Guardian |
1:29 |
24 |
Episode 2 Levels 4-6 - Victory |
0:26 |
25 |
Episode 2 Levels 7-9 - Main Level |
1:41 |
26 |
Episode 2 Levels 7-9 - Stage Guardian |
1:29 |
27 |
Episode 2 Levels 7-9 - Zone Guardian |
1:34 |
28 |
Episode 2 Levels 7-9 - Victory |
0:28 |
Aquatic Mission |
||
29 |
Episode 3 Levels 1-3 - Main Level |
1:42 |
30 |
Episode 3 Levels 1-3 - Stage Guardian |
1:32 |
31 |
Episode 3 Levels 1-3 - Zone Guardian |
1:10 |
32 |
Episode 3 Levels 1-3 - Victory |
0:32 |
33 |
Episode 3 Levels 4-6 - Main Level |
1:41 |
34 |
Episode 3 Levels 4-6 - Stage Guardian |
1:15 |
35 |
Episode 3 Levels 4-6 - Zone Guardian |
1:31 |
36 |
Episode 3 Levels 4-6 - Victory |
0:26 |
37 |
Episode 3 Levels 7-9 - Main Level |
2:02 |
38 |
Episode 3 Levels 7-9 - Stage Guardian |
1:41 |
39 |
Episode 3 Levels 7-9 - Zone Guardian |
1:21 |
40 |
Episode 3 Levels 7-9 - Victory |
0:32 |
41 |
Crash and Burn (Game Over) |
1:07 |
CHEATS AND TIPS
Collect Credits
One the first stage of any episode start with two credit drones to collect as many credits as possible to begin with. Even if they find nothing, they still inflict some damage on enemies.
Starting Configuration
The optimum configuration for starting a new mission will be credit drone, plasma bomb and two enertron satellites.
Easy Kills
In sections where enemies are homing on you be manoeuvre so that they will crash into the landscape if possible. When invincible use the opportunity to crash into and destroy any enemies and particularly any large ones that are on the screen.
Killing Bosses
Sometimes if you manoeuvre close enough, one of the moons on your ship will penetrate the boss killing it instantly. This is very tricky and not always successful.
Cheat Codes
Cheat codes can only be used in the registered version of the game. To enable cheats, press the "Pause" key (you must be in pause mode to type in cheat codes), then type "imabigcheat". You will hear a bell sound when cheats become enabled as well as see your score disappear. Now enter the desired codes.
blast |
Full powerup of the current main weapon. |
plasma |
Selects plasma main weapon (blue wide fire) |
pulse |
Selects pulse main weapon (red stream fire) |
cash |
Mega credits, gives you 5,000 credits. |
flames |
Ship becomes invincible for a short time. |
nuke |
Full nukes; gives you up to 4 nukes. |
life |
Extra Life |
warpto# |
Warp to any level in current episode where # is a level from 1 to 9 |
impulse |
Gives Standard Impulser |
ioniser |
Gives Hydrogen Ioniser |
megapulse |
Gives Megapulse 2000 |
gravdis |
Gives Gravdis 5 |
ener |
Enertron |
mine |
Mineslammer |
dyna |
Dynamo 500 |
t00 |
Removes top sidearm |
t01 |
Credit Drone |
t02 |
Plasma Bomb |
t03 |
Evolter |
t04 |
Matter Disruptor |
t05 |
Rebounder |
t06 |
A-Matt Boomerang |
t07 |
Fragmentor BE800 |
t08 |
Bi-Partical Cannon |
t09 |
Flamer |
t10 |
Ion Cannon |
t11 |
Magnum 3000DX |
t12 |
Dual Laser |
t13 |
Torpedo Launcher |
b00 |
Removes bottom sidearm |
b01 |
Credit Drone |
b02 |
Plasma Bomb |
b03 |
Evolter |
b04 |
Matter Disrupter |
b05 |
Rebounder |
b06 |
A- Matt Boomerang |
b07 |
Fragmentor BE800 |
b08 |
Bi-Partical Cannon |
b09 |
Flamer |
b10 |
Ion Cannon |
b11 |
Magnum 3000DX |
b12 |
Dual Laser |
b13 |
Torpedo Launcher |
Note: You can not enter a high score if you cheat.
LINKS
Official Website of the Game
You can download the freeware edition, patches and the soundtrack to the game.
http://www.3drealms.com/stargunner/
http://www.3drealms.com/news/2005/06/stargunner_rele.html
Stargunner Review
http://www.dosgamesonline.com/index/game/295/Star_Gunner.html
MISC INFO
- In the shareware version of the game only the Scout Mission was playable and some of the more advanced weapons and engines could not be purchased.
- On the original CDROM Raptor, UniVBE and Doskey.
- There are many subtle references to the Star Trek universe especially Deep Space Nine if you pay attention to the backgrounds.
- There are two versions of the games story depending on whether you read official playing manual included with the CD-ROM copy or the version on the Apogees webpage.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
This section will detail the best way to play the game. Much more information can be obtained by reading the webpage included on the CDROM. This can also be downloaded here. Simply extract all the files to a folder and view the STARHELP.HTM page.
Minimum Requirements |
Reccomended |
486 CPU |
Pentium 90 |
Windows XP/Vista with DOSBox
This game will not work correctly under Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista and simply will not execute on an x64 based computer.
It is possible to play Stargunner under modern versions of Windows such as XP and Vista (even the x64 versions) by using DOSBox - a free DOS emulator which you can obtain from http://www.dosbox.com. It runs very well and is constantly under development.
DOSBox can be complicated to use but these instructions are the minimum in which to get the game running without issues. There is plenty of in-depth information on the DOSBox website.
Guide:
Download and install DOSBox.
Create a folder on the hard drive where you want the game to be stored. For example, c:\oldgames\stargunner
You can 'install' the game via several methods.
Method 1: Extract the Freeware files
For the freeware edition simply extract all the files into your specified folder.
Method 2: Run the install.bat off the Stargunner CDROM. Specify your folder as the destination. You have the option to run from CDROM. A Full install will not require the use of the CDROM to play.
Method 3: Copy the files from the STARINST folder off the CDROM into your folder. Ensure they are not set to read only.
Launch DOSBox. A shortcut will be installed on your programs menu. Two windows will appear. One is output and the other is the command prompt.
In the command prompt enter the commands shown in the following screenshot pressing ENTER after each line.
This has mounted your folder as your hard drive and now we need to setup the sound card details for the game.
Type 'setup' and press ENTER.
Ensure the sound card details match the screenshot below.
Click on Test Sound to ensure it works. You should hear the Stargunner main theme.
Save and Quit.
Type 'stargun' and press ENTER. The game will launch
Depending on the speed of your machine, the game could be unplayable. To fix this on the Main Menu select Configuration then Game Options. Set the Refresh Rate to DISABLED (using the arrow keys).
If further tweaking is required use CTRL+F11 to slow and CTRL+F12 to speed up until you reach a playable speed.
You can press ALT+ENTER to switch to full screen.
Working Under DOS/Windows95/98/Me
Stargunner will play under Windows 9x. However, you will not be able to return to Windows by means of the Windows key (or other method) and especially when using VESA 2.0.
It is advisable to boot t into DOS mode by pressing F8 and launching the game then.
Command Line switches
There are a number of switches for stargun.exe that can be used. Each is explained in more detail in the HTML Help file though they typically allow the turning off of intro's and use of other control devices.
Scitech Display Dr
This was a BIOS extension that was somewhat widespread back in the days of DOS programs. Its purpose was to essentially to speed up graphics on old 486 PCs that were using PCI video cards and provide higher resolutions. Some cards later came with VESA 2.0 directly on their BIOS chip (later upgraded to VESA 3.0)
If you have such an old PC that you use specifically for DOS games (which I do) then check in the BIOS for an option called PCI Dynamic Bursting and make sure this is set to ON.
You can still get the program from here if you with to play it with Stargunner. Be sure to run the setup program and specify that you are using VESA 2.0. This is not necessary for using DOSBox.
Patches - Retail (Freeware) Version
The patch for the game fixes a small number of issues.
There are versions for the shareware edition of the game and the retail/registered version.
You can get them here.
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