Program Printout: Phasor

Remarkable graphics effects are the striking feature of Phasor for the 16K TS1000, ZX81. You are an infamous space pirate travelling home through hyperspace after a hard day’s murder and mayhem. Suddenly you find yourself wrenched back into real space/time by a squadron of Federation star-ships. You are hopelessly surrounded. Can you fight your last battle with style?

The view from your cockpit is of stars and galaxies in the blackness of space. Each attracting star-ship is an inverse 0 appearing at random positions around the screen. You are required to note in which column it appears, relate that to the letters at the bottom of the? display and hit the appropriate key on the computer.

If you miss, or delay too long, your assailant will take up position at screen center and send out a series of devastating thermal bolts at your ship.

That is where the original graphics come in. The two energy beams from the Federation ship approach with a striking 3D effect. If they are on target, they rock your pirate ship by means of the FAST/SLOW loop in lines 1200 to 1240, Excellent!

You cannot fire at the ship when it is firing at you. You must destroy 15 ships to qualify for a new screen and the game speeds up as each screen is cleared. If you break into the program, remember to re-start it with “RUN 2”, since the program saves itself in line 1.

A series of honorary accolades is awarded for a high score. Anything above 1,050 gains the accolade of Starfalcon, Starhawk or Stareagle, depending on the level of difficulty selected. You will have to be good, though, since the author of the program, Marcus Harvey, has managed a personal best of only 550. Let us know you how make out!