Solaris

About

Solaris is a space combat simulator and shooter for the Atari 2600 that tasks you with defending the galaxy from the Zylon forces. You pilot a spaceship with a galactic map to navigate sectors, targeting enemy fighters, dodging obstacles, and rescuing trapped cadets. Fuel is a key resource, warp to starbases to refuel but leave enough to return. The game mixes dogfighting with strategic planning as you track Zylon squadrons, clear blockades, and locate the hidden planet Solaris. Each sector offers varied challenges from narrow corridors to asteroid fields, and rescuing all cadets on a planet grants extra lives. Created by Doug Neubauer, Solaris follows his earlier Star Raiders but shifts to third-person gameplay. It was initially linked to The Last Starfighter before development pivots. While not directly endorsed by the Atari brand today, it remains a cult pick for retro space shooters. Its blend of exploration and resource management feels ahead of its time on an 8-bit platform. Players who remember the era often praise its tight controls and replay value despite the hardware limitations.

Storyline

The Zylons are back, and are attempting another takeover of the galaxy! Your goal is to destroy all of the Zylon fighters you encounter, rescue cadets that are trapped on Zylon planets, and to find the planet Solaris to protect it from the Zylons. Your spaceship is equipped with a galactic map which can be used to warp to different sectors of the galaxy. The map shows the location of Zylon squadrons, Zylon planets, federation starbases, wormholes, clusters of stars, and Solaris when you find it. By warping to the correct sector, you can battle the numerous types of Zylon fighters to keep them from attacking federation bases and planets. Your spaceship has a limited amount of fuel; when you see the fuel gauge get too low, you will need to warp to a federation starbase to refuel (make sure you leave enough fuel to warp). When flying over a Zylon controlled planet, you will see your cadets on the surface. If you rescue all of the cadets as you fly past, you will receive bonus points and an extra spaceship. The Zylons have many different types of fighters which you will encounter, as well as some narrow corridors with blockades which you will need to clear in order to reach new locations in the galaxy.