Azurian Attack

About

Azurian Attack is a 1982 arcade shooter where you pilot a spacecraft fighting waves of alien formations. Your ship moves in eight directions a departure from the four-way controls in many contemporaries. The game plays out in a side scrolling battlefield with enemies that descend in patterns requiring precise aiming. Firepower and positioning matter as you clear each stage before waves overwhelm you. The standout here is the responsive control scheme which gave players more freedom than most games of the era. Built on a modified Galaxian cabinet but with original code written by Christchurch based Rait Electronics the game carries similar pixel art and music but adds a layer of technical customization. While largely unknown outside arcade history circles its 8 direction system would later influence more modern shoot em ups.