Stardust Longplay (Amiga) [4K]

Game Info
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Developer: Bloodhouse
Publisher: Bloodhouse
Year of Release: 1993
Coding: Harri Tikkanen
Graphics: Jani Isoranta, Harri Tikkanen, Petteri Putkonen, Santtu Luopajärvi, Mare Ollinkari
Music: Risto Vuori, Bassbomb

Game Review & Impressions
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One of the greatest technical achievements in gaming on the Amiga, Stardust is the first game ever released by Finnish development studio Housemarque (then Bloodhouse). Even before Amiga owners got their hands on the game, we'd been wowed by the screenshots cropping up in the various magazine previews of the time. The game couldn't actually be as good as it looked in those images, could it?

The answer, as it turns out, is yes. In fact, still images really don't do Stardust justice; this a game you have to see (and hear) running to fully appreciate the next-level production values. As far as I'm concerned, if there's a high watermark for audio and visuals on the Amiga, Stardust is right at the very top. The use of pre-rendered 3D objects for asteroids and ships hadn't really been used to any great effect on the Amiga, at least to this point in time at least, and the warp sections, flying headlong through pseudo-3D tunnels with 3D rocks, mines and all kinds of debris hurtling your way was enough to knock your socks off. What's more, Stardust runs on OCS Amigas, which is even more impressive. Super Stardust followed a year later, specifically targeting machines with the AGA chipset, and while it looks even better, the original game is the real show-stealer, at least in my opinion.

Turning our attention to the actual game design, Stardust is often referred to as a clone of Asteroids. This is a fair assessment, but not wholly accurate. Stardust is actually much closer in design to Blasteroids, Atari's very own sequel to its rock-blasting arcade classic. Both games use pre-rendered 3D graphics, but the similarities don't end there. Like Blasteroids, Stardust's campaign is split across various sectors of space, with each sector divided into a number of levels. Players can choose to tackle these levels in any order, but the order in which levels are tackled can make a big difference to their chances of success in beating the game. Certain levels may contain weapon transport ships carrying new weapons, so these levels should be prioritised where possible; more powerful guns are vitally important for cutting space rocks and enemy craft down to size.

Taking a step back, Stardust is a far more subtle game than meets the eye. Destroyed asteroids may sometimes jettison a token on to the screen, each marked with a letter denoting the type of power-up it will convey. These include upgrades to your chosen weapon, replenishing shields, or even restoring your craft's health - all vital to your success. These tokens change over time if not collected, and there's a pre-determined hierarchy determining exactly which power-up comes next. Instead of mindlessly harvesting tokens as they appear, you should wait for them to change to something you actually need, such as the shield token. No amount of fancy flying will be enough to save you from the onslaught faced in later levels, so maximising the efficacy of such tokens becomes paramount.

On the subject of difficulty, this is the one area in which the game suffers. Housemarque games have always been difficult, as typified by their arcade heritage, and Stardust pulls absolutely no punches. Coming back to the game 30 years later, I expect many fellow retro gamers will throw their hands up in despair at just how hard the game can be. The final parsec, containing 9 levels, rather than the standard 6, is particularly brutal, thanks to each stage featuring bosses from previous zones as standard enemies, or making you dodge and weave through lanes of fast-moving obstacles. This isn't a game for the faint of heart.

Put in enough practice and Stardust really starts to shine. The gameplay, even with it's mountainous difficulty curve, is remarkably refined. Packaged with some stonkingly excellent techno soundtracks and glorious visuals, it's one of the best games to feature on Amiga. If you've never played it, you owe it to yourself to give it a try. You won't regret it.

Video Notes
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Recorded using WinUAE (A500, cycle exact, OCS chipset)

Related Longplays & Videos
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Chapters
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0:00:00 Intro
0:01:46 Main menu music
0:05:31 Levels 1 - 6
0:12:05 Warp Sequence 1
0:14:03 Levels 7 - 12
0:22:01 Special Voluntary Mission 1
0:24:48 Warp Sequence 2
0:26:39 Levels 13 - 18
0:35:11 Warp Sequence 3
0:36:47 Levels 19 - 24
0:45:33 Special Voluntary Mission 2
0:50:01 Warp Sequence 4
0:51:49 Levels 25 - 33
1:02:37 Final boss
1:03:46 Ending

#stardust
#amiga
#retrogaming