Solaris

The Zylons are back—those spaceway sneaks, villains of Venus, Saturnian scoundrels! They’re swarming through the galaxy in huge forces, attempting another takeover. They’ve got to go! And we need YOU to go get ’em.

But it’s a hush-hush mission. If the Zylons guess you’re onto them, you’re a goner. So the official report says you’re out to find the lost planet Solaris and rescue the Atarian Federation Pioneers stranded there. But if the Zylons reach Solaris before you do, they’ll destroy it.

You’ve got to hyperwarp from quadrant to quadrant, facing vicious attackers such as Kogalon Star Pirates, Planet Destroyers, and Cobra Fleets. But don’t worry—your fighter, the StarCruiser, is specially outfitted with a Galactic Scanner and plenty of photon torpedoes. Just don’t let the Zylons destroy a Federation Planet, or your quadrant mutates into a terrifying Red Zone.

Ready? Then hop into the StarCruiser, rev the engine, and go! And remember—if anything flies your way, blast it!

About the Game

Doug Neubauer, who had previously created Star Raiders for multiple Atari systems, created Solaris. The purpose of Star Raiders was to take tactical and action elements from contemporary space-themed television shows and movies, and translate them to interactive entertainment format. Star Raiders was first released in 1979.

Solaris, meanwhile, was released in 1986. Some terms and entities such as the Zylons carry over from Star Raiders to Solaris, but with different names and forms. The philosophy of players using star charts to plan their next missions carries over as well. Solaris is most known today for boasting some of the best graphics to ever come out of the Atari 2600, as well as some of the most involved gameplay.

Object of the Game

Your mission is to destroy Zylons as you battle your way through galactic mazes trying to reach Solaris.

How to Play

You start the game with three fighters. You score points by blasting the enemy with your photon torpedoes. When you lose a ship, it’s replaced until all your StarCruisers are gone. When a reserve ship appears, press the red controller button to restart game action. Push the joystick handle to the right or left to fly your StarCruiser in that direction.

Push the handle forward to dive, or speed up when flying over a planet; pull backward to climb, or slow down over a planet. Press the red controller button to fire your photon torpedoes during battle.

To attack a Zylon force or defend a Federation Planet, move to its sector and press the red controller button. You immediately hyperwarp to that sector. Watch your Targeting Computer during hyperwarp. It shows your StarCruiser hyperwarping in and out of focus, while the number on the right of the Computer displays your hyperwarp focus value (0 is a perfect warp, 3 is terrible). Move the joystick handle left or right to keep your fighter in focus.

Once you land in an enemy sector, start blasting. Watch your Targeting Computer to find unseen Zylon ships. The number on the left of the Computer tells their left/right distance from you; the number on the right tells their up/down distance. Zero means they’re straight ahead.

When your Targeting Computer is damaged, it flashes bright white. Use the left/right, up/down numbers to track the enemy until you can dock at a Federation Planet for repairs.

When you’ve destroyed all Zylons in a sector, the Galactic Scanner reappears. (If you’re using a second joystick, press its red controller button to redisplay your Scanner at will, even during battle.) To hyperwarp to another quadrant, move the StarCruiser to a sector with an Exit and press the red controller button. Choose an enemy sector from that quadrant and get going!

An alarm rings when Zylons are attacking a Federation Planet in your quadrant; you can also spot the attack on your Galactic Scanner—the planet flashes. You’ve got 40 seconds to save the planet. If you fail, the whole quadrant regresses into a Red Zone, and joystick control is reversed. Watch it!

When your fuel gets critically low, another alarm buzzes. Hyperwarp to a Federation Planet as soon as you can for refueling. Dock into a Docking Bay (fly into it) to refuel and repair any damage to your StarCruiser. If you run out of fuel, your StarCruiser explodes.

Battle gets increasingly fast and furious as the game progresses. You must continue to search for Solaris while destroying all enemy ships. You’ll know Solaris when you find it—it’s the only blinking planet in the galaxy.

The game ends when all your ships are destroyed or you reach Solaris. Press Reset, then the red controller button, to play again.

The Galactic Scanner

A few moments after you launch your StarCruiser, the Galactic Scanner appears, detailing one of the 16 quadrants in the galaxy. The quadrant’s 48 sectors can be occupied by Zylons, Zylon Planets, Corridors, Wormholes, Star Clusters, or Federation Planets. The quadrant has four Exits, one on each side, leading to other quadrants. A flashing X shows your sector position.

Move the joystick handle left, right, forward, or back to move the StarCruiser to an occupied sector in the quadrant. Sectors with Star Clusters are blockades; you cannot enter them. Zylons often occupy sectors blocking an Exit or threatening a Federation Planet.

Watch the Jump Value at the bottom of the Scanner. When it reaches 0, Zylons may change their sector positions. A Federation Planet starts flashing when Zylons enter its sector. You must defend the planet immediately or it will be destroyed.

Good Guys

Solaris is the only blinking Federation Planet in the galaxy. Watch your Scanner to find it.

Federation Planets can’t defend themselves from Zylons. When the enemy destroys one, the whole quadrant turns into a Red Zone. To rescue your planet, blast all Zylons off it. If you don’t, a whole new fleet attacks.

Space Cadets are stranded on Zylon Planets. Fly over them to pick them up. Rescuing all Cadets on a Zylon Planet earns you 8,000 points, an extra fighter, and blows up the planet. (Ignore Space Cadets on Federation Planets—they’re just waving at you.)

Docking Bays are where you refuel and repair damage to the StarCruiser. Find them on Federation Planets.

Hyperwarp through a Wormhole to jump over a wall of Star Clusters in the Galactic Scanner.

Bad Guys

Hyperwarp to Zylon Planets. Rescuing all Space Cadets stranded there blows up the planet and earns you a bonus fighter and points.

Corridors are tricky. Guardians protect the entrance and don’t shoot unless you shoot first. Once inside a Corridor, you must fly over the Key (and blast some Guardians) to gain safe passage through the Ion Doors. If you make it through, another Zylon Planet blows up and you earn 8,000 points!

Blockaders are space minefields. Dodge ’em or shoot ’em.

Attack Groups contain Mechnoids, FlagShips, and a smattering of Kogalon Star Pirates.

Kogalon Star Pirates attack Federation and Zylon ships alike. They hang back, then take potshots. They also make sweeping runs to ram your ship. Look out!

Vicious Cobra Ships are sent out to persuade you to vacate a sector.

Big, clumsy FlagShips send out Distractors as defenders. They also shoot Federation Ships. A FlagShip’s direct hit will destroy your StarCruiser.

Distractors are fast but carry little firepower. You lose fuel when hit by one.

Mechnoids are easy targets at first, then get nastier. These mechanical ash cans like to move up close or just off to one side, then pow!

Gliders employ a slippery, sliding-gliding motion.

Raiders attack Federation Planets.

Targeters come right at you.

Scoring

When you rescue all Space Cadets on a Zylon Planet, you earn an extra StarCruiser and blow up the planet. You blow up another Zylon Planet when you make it safely through a Corridor.