Difference between revisions of "Rocket Fighter"

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'''Registration price:''' $15<br />
 
'''Registration price:''' $15<br />
 
'''Related games:''' none
 
'''Related games:''' none
}}''[[Rocket Fighter]]'' tries to sell itself as a space shooter, and kind of misses the mark. That's nothing new for [[Game-Maker]]; many have tried and failed to wrangle the engine into such a shape. Beyond that ambition, the game takes no creative or technical risks and betrays little mastery of the tools at hand.
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}}{{Disambig|Matt Bell|Rocket}}
  
The arrow keys move, and the space bar shoots in the last direction pressed. The ship moves very slowly and jerkily; the bullets are small, and difficult to aim. Juggling both movement and aiming is a task for the truly patient. Typically for [[Sherwood Forest Software|Sherwood]]'s games, there seems no end or sense to the enemies. They just keep swarming, and moving erratically.  
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''[[Rocket Fighter]]'' tries to sell itself as a space shooter, and (not unusually for [[Game-Maker]]) kind of misses the mark. Perhaps of interest is ''Rocket Fighter'''s huge open maps, and basically free roaming design. The player's ship constantly drifts up the screen, as in a typical top-down shooter. Despite this, the player can turn around entirely or fly straight to the left or right.  
  
As with ''[[Big Bob's Drive-In]]'' and ''[[Airstrike 42]]'', the game is accompanied by a constant, irritating screech. One wonders how they managed that in so many games. Did they play these things before releasing them?
+
The arrow keys move, and the space bar shoots in the last direction pressed. Running into certain background features -- planets, specks of dust -- will increase the player's hit points, score, or other counters. Typically for [[Sherwood Forest Software|Sherwood]]'s games, there seems no end and little sense to the enemies. They just keep swarming, and moving erratically.
 +
 
 +
As in ''[[Air-Strike 42]]'', the level objectives are completely opaque. The levels all seem to be variations on the same starfield, and the links between levels are unmarked. This means that you basically have to fly over every tile in the map, hoping to hit the gateway to the next level. Huzzah.
  
 
==Story==
 
==Story==
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''Rocket Fighter'' is from your friends at Sherwood Forest Software. We are the nut hut responsible for such games as ''Attack of the Killer Dandelions'', ''Airstrike 42'', ''[[Big Bob's Drive-In]]'', and ''Melvin Freebush'', just to name a few.
 
''Rocket Fighter'' is from your friends at Sherwood Forest Software. We are the nut hut responsible for such games as ''Attack of the Killer Dandelions'', ''Airstrike 42'', ''[[Big Bob's Drive-In]]'', and ''Melvin Freebush'', just to name a few.
  
==Links==
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== Availability ==
 +
 
 +
Available on several shareware compilation CD-ROMs, including:
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* Public Software Library's '''[[:Category: PSL Monthly: November 1993|PSL Monthly: November 1993]]'''[[Category: PSL Monthly: November 1993]] (November 1993),
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* Public Software Library's '''[[:Category: PSL Monthly 2-01: Games|PSL Monthly #2-01: Games]]'''[[Category: PSL Monthly 2-01: Games]] (January 1994),
 +
* Public Software Library's '''[[:Category: PSL Monthly 2-07: Games|PSL Monthly #2-07: Games]]'''[[Category: PSL Monthly 2-07: Games]] (July 1994),
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* '''[[:Category: Adventures in Heaven 2|Adventures in Heaven 2]]'''[[Category: Adventures in Heaven 2]] (1994),
 +
* Public Software Library's '''[[:Category: PSL Monthly Volume 3-01: Games|PSL Monthly Volume #3-01: Games]]'''[[Category: PSL Monthly Volume 3-01: Games]] (January 1995),
 +
* Public Software Library's '''[[:Category: PSL Monthly 3-10: Education|PSL Monthly #3-10: Education]]'''[[Category: PSL Monthly 3-10: Education]] (August 1995), and
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* International Software Values' '''[[:Category: 10 Tons of Games Mega Collection 1|10 Tons of Games Mega Collection 1]]'''[[Category: 10 Tons of Games Mega Collection 1]] (June 1997).
 +
 
 +
== Archive History ==
 +
 
 +
This game was added to the Archive on July 25, 2010. A search for common Game-Maker file types located the game on one of several CD-ROMs hosted on cd.archive.org.
 +
 
 +
== Links ==
  
 
<videoflash>IWTkXVV_jhI</videoflash>
 
<videoflash>IWTkXVV_jhI</videoflash>
  
* [http://www.diygamer.com/2010/07/gamemaker-archive-part-12-cutandpaste-opportunism/ Cut-and-Paste Opportunism (DIYGamer)]
+
=== Interviews / Articles ===
 +
 
 +
* [http://www.aderack.com/diygamer/GMA-2010-07-25---12-opportunism.html Cut-and-Paste Opportunism] (DIYGamer.com - archive)
 +
 
 +
=== Listings ===
 +
 
 +
* [https://www.mobygames.com/game/rocket-fighter MobyGames entry]
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* [http://www.archive.org/details/RocketFighter_1020 archive.org entry]
 +
* [http://www.demu.org/resource/RocketFighter_1020 demu.org entry]
 +
 
 +
=== Misc. Links ===
 +
 
 +
* '''[http://www.aderack.com/game-maker/java/rfighter.php Play ''Rocket Fighter'' online]'''
  
==Downloads==
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== Downloads ==
  
 
* '''''[http://www.aderack.com/game-maker/downloads/rocket.zip Rocket Fighter]''''' (232.0 kB)
 
* '''''[http://www.aderack.com/game-maker/downloads/rocket.zip Rocket Fighter]''''' (232.0 kB)
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[[Category: Shooters]]
 
[[Category: Shooters]]
 
[[Category: New discoveries]]
 
[[Category: New discoveries]]
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[[Category: Complete games]]
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[[Category: Compilation CD-ROMs]]
 +
[[Category: Pennsylvania]]
 +
[[Category: United States]]
 +
[[Category: Rob Sherwood]]
 +
[[Category: Dan Whalen]]
 +
[[Category: DIYGamer]]

Latest revision as of 00:27, 20 July 2020

Rocket Fighter
Rocket-title.gif

Release type: Shareware
Release date: 1993
Levels: 5
Author: Sherwood Forest
Registration bonus: Free game or two + current catalog
Registration price: $15
Related games: none


Not to be mistaken for Matt Bell's Rocket.

Rocket Fighter tries to sell itself as a space shooter, and (not unusually for Game-Maker) kind of misses the mark. Perhaps of interest is Rocket Fighter's huge open maps, and basically free roaming design. The player's ship constantly drifts up the screen, as in a typical top-down shooter. Despite this, the player can turn around entirely or fly straight to the left or right.

The arrow keys move, and the space bar shoots in the last direction pressed. Running into certain background features -- planets, specks of dust -- will increase the player's hit points, score, or other counters. Typically for Sherwood's games, there seems no end and little sense to the enemies. They just keep swarming, and moving erratically.

As in Air-Strike 42, the level objectives are completely opaque. The levels all seem to be variations on the same starfield, and the links between levels are unmarked. This means that you basically have to fly over every tile in the map, hoping to hit the gateway to the next level. Huzzah.

Story

You belong to the elite corps of Rocket Fighters, as a matter of fact you are the resident ace of the group. Your mission is to warp through the galaxy as you take out the various enemies of the Alliance. Armed with only the laser cannon in your ship, you must make the spaceways safe for mankind.

Instructions

Sherwood Forest's Rocket Fighter

Welcome to Rocket Fighter. You are the pilot of the red fighter ship. You can control the ship by using the four main arrow keys, or the joystick.

RedFighter.png

Your ship is equipped with a laser cannon which you can fire by either the spacebar, or the fire button.

The idea is to fly around space, blasting the enemy ships while you look for the space-warp. When you find the warp, fly into it, and be transported to the next level, where the ships are faster, and they fly in harder patterns.

After five levels are all cleared, you can rest as the hero of the galaxy.

Good luck, and good flying.

Credits

Rocket Fighter is from your friends at Sherwood Forest Software. We are the nut hut responsible for such games as Attack of the Killer Dandelions, Airstrike 42, Big Bob's Drive-In, and Melvin Freebush, just to name a few.

Availability

Available on several shareware compilation CD-ROMs, including:

Archive History

This game was added to the Archive on July 25, 2010. A search for common Game-Maker file types located the game on one of several CD-ROMs hosted on cd.archive.org.

Links

Interviews / Articles

Listings

Misc. Links

Downloads