Thrust (video game)

Acorn Electron screenshot of Thrust - due to technical limitations specific to the Electron, this version ran in two colour mode

Thrust is a computer game originally for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. The game idea is based on arcade game Gravitar. The player controls a spaceship in corridors by rotating, thrusting and shooting.

Programmed by Jeremy Smith (co-author of Exile) and originally published by Superior Software, it involved piloting a ship in a side-on 2d view of a planet and cave system and was subsequently ported to a wide number of other computers, including the Atari, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Vectrex and even to Atari 2600 console. It is based on the Atari arcade game, Gravitar. The Atari 2600 version, whose code was programmed by Thomas Jentzsch, was published in 2000 by XYPE, and used the Atari CX-40 joystick; the game was re-released for the 2600 in 2002 as Thrust+ DC Edition (in addition to the CX-40 joystick, incorporates compatibility with the Atari Driving Controller, CBS Booster Grip, and an Atari 2600-compatible foot pedal controller) and again in 2003 as Thrust+ Platinum (uses the same controllers as Thrust+ DC, but includes music code by Paul Slocum which adds a title theme based on the C64 version's title theme by Rob Hubbard).

The aim is to pick up a pod using a tractor beam and fly it into space. The ship and pod are subject to gravity and inertia, and being connected by a stiff rod can end up spinning around each other, out of control. Hitting the walls of the cave with either the ship or the pod results in death.

Each planet has turrets which fire bullets at you, which can be destroyed with a single shot, and a reactor which powers the defence system of each planet. If the reactor is shot enough the turrets will cease firing for a short amount of time. Hitting the reactor with many bullets causes it to go critical and destroy the planet in 10 seconds, you must escape into space before this happens, with or without the pod (more points are gained if you take the pod).

Fuel is needed to manœuvre the ship and can be collected with the tractor beam, if you run out of fuel the whole game is over. A shield is also available, when activated it uses fuel and you cannot shoot.

Later levels have doors that are opened by shooting a panel. After all 6 levels have been completed the levels start again, but first with gravity reversed, then with the planet and walls invisible unless the shield is used, and finally with invisible walls and reverse gravity. After the 24th level is complete a message is displayed. Two more messages are available after completing the 48th and 72nd level, and from then on the 3rd message is repeated.

The realistic physics and pixel perfect collision detection were two of the main attractions of the game.

See also

• Gravity Force
• Zarathrusta, Commodore Amiga game, basically an updated version of Thrust.
• Rotor, Commodore Amiga game, also inspired on Thrust.
• Fly Harder, Commodore Amiga game, inspired on Thrust, but with a modified wy to get and carry the ball (ar balls!).

External links

• Thrust for the Atari 2600
• A Thrust remake for the PC
• Thrust for the Vectrex
• Thrust Deluxe - a Thrust remake for Windows
• Thrust at MobyGames
• A Thrust remake originally for Linux/SVGAlib (also runs on Windows and many versions of Unix)
• Star Fray (mobile phone game) - a bit like Thrust
• Superb online Flash version of Thrust based on ATARI version
• Transball, an addictive thrust inspired game (Windows, Linux, Mac and Symbian)
• See the BBC Micro version of Thrust in action