SDI: Now The Odds Are Even

The Star Wars program is happening!

It's incredible how quickly time passes, as I've not played this since I got my first Atari ST. The Sega shooter was converted by Alaric Binnie for Activision and released in 1988. I remember being impressed and unimpressed in equal measure - probably because I liked what I saw but was absolutely terrible at playing it!

As most of us, older gamers might remember, SDI stands for Strategic Defence Initiative and is based on the original Star Wars concept by President Regan devised during the Cold War. This technology was supposed to defend Earth from the inevitable Soviet attack. Yeah, I know, it never happened... shocker, right?

The game is an action shooter set within the darkness of Earth's space. As it turns out, the defence initiative is just a lone satellite armed with a laser gun! Use that to protect mankind from a legion of Soviet nuclear missiles, fighters, and more. Why only one satellite, I don't know, but that's the game, so let's crack on.

Okay, let's take the first break from reading with two sexy screenshots...

The Soviets are sending everything they have. Well, in stages, thankfully.

At first, it was distracting to see the moon moving by. I should have been concentrating!

The fate of mankind...

Our quest begins with the Space Shuttle dropping us off before a barrage of Soviet missiles appears. The game is split into two separate modes, depending on your performance: offensive and defensive. The first is not unlike other horizontally scrolling shooters, attacking everything that swarms onto the screen. The second is like a 3D Missile Command and a final chance to save everyone from the previously missed missiles.

You'll soon discover that SDI isn't a complex game at all. It's a frenzied shooter battling squadrons of enemy artillery. So shoot everything as quickly as you can physically move the mouse. Each stage gets more aggressive, right up until the point my hand-to-eye reactions simply cannot cope anymore (see the video!).

No need to fret, you're not alone, as allies will periodically send power-ups. Sadly, during the heat of battle, these look similar to everything else! Especially when you're in a mindset of blasting everything as quickly as possible. This means they’re destroyed far too quickly to collect their cargo as you watch it drift away. Sigh...

The damage meter at the bottom of the screen shows your performance’s current state. Survive, and the Space Shuttle reappears to whisk you off to safety, where that performance is rated on a scale. Anything less than perfect and you're sent through to a defensive stage to help defend from the attack. A perfect score gets you lots of extra points with a blue dancing duck. (And that makes it all worthwhile!!)

Are you bored with reading this? Chill. Take five. Look at these screenshots...

The blood-red moon looks awesome. Don't admire, concentrate on the killing!

I let some missiles get through, so now I'm defending the base Missile Command style!

Input

SDI might seem tricky because you need to do two things simultaneously: keep the satellite safe and select its firing direction. Arcade games can sometimes lose functionality when converted to a home computer. Not here; all controls are fully configurable using a combination of mouse, joystick and keyboard.

It is possible to use only the mouse, but I wouldn't advise it. I use the keyboard to direct the satellite and my mouse to aim/shoot. A joystick would also be a good idea, but only if it has good suckers to stick onto your desk. The keyboard/mouse method is kinda like the WASD/mouse combo as used in FPS games.

This plays great, but that doesn't mean we don't want screenshots. So, here you are...

It's not long before things get crazy with lots to shoot at. Trigger-happy heaven!

Ignore the asteroid shower because it's time to shoot more of that Ruskie hardware.

Output

Space is mostly empty, but the good thing about this Cold War is celestial objects as backgrounds rather than being empty. All graphics are by Bryn Redman, who treats us to images of the Earth, its Moon and an asteroid field - I believe later levels feature the Death Star? My gaming skills won't allow me to witness it!

The darkness of space dictates a sombre palette, which suits the Cold War scene, but there are brighter moments to behold. I love the red moon that boldly stands out; it looks amazing. Sadly, there is some slowdown during the later levels that are bombarded by tons of enemies. Meh, I can live with that as it's not too bad.

Paul Summers is responsible for the audio, and he did a stellar job (see what I did there?). The title features a grungy sample, but nothing compares to the in-game chiptunes. These are subtle and suit the ambience whilst also complementing the zappy effects. To say I adore these tunes would be an understatement!

Breathe and relax as it's the final screenshot break before the gripping conclusion...

Come on, the defensive stages really are Missile Command. Rip-off but brilliantly done!!

Do well and make the high-score table. Hang on, this feels like a game in itself? ;-)

The CryptO'pinion?

SDI could easily have been a bust due to the control system and visual demands. Alaric Binnie has done a fantastic job, not only aesthetically speaking but also in migrating the arcade's control system to the ST by using its keyboard/joystick and mouse. This combination works a treat, a commendable effort.

I usually find something to moan about, so here we go: I failed to see the logic in having a dark blue cursor against the dark backgrounds. Also, the power-ups are so difficult to catch. No, impossible (for me) to catch!! Finally, why aren't we treated to a nuclear explosion at Game Over? Oh, how I wanted to see that...

Some might say it's an alternative to Missile Command, and I get that; the similarities are there. SDI is an exciting shooter and one that is utterly addictive, albeit I'm shockingly bad at it. Make sure you choose the control method that suits you to prevent Western civilisation from catastrophic demise!

Let me know in the comments what you think about SDI (download for hard drive or floppy disk)