website/content/software/astro-command.md

title, tags, years, params

title	tags	years	params
Astro Command	horizontal scrolling shoot them up space	1983	specs screenshots machines company oc_id source label value year of release 1983 label value companies Epoch label value type game label value media cartridge label value systems Epoch Cassette Vision label value number of players 1 player title subtitle text image level 1 null title subtitle text image destroy the mines null title subtitle text image level 2 - you must maneuver smartly to pass this part null title subtitle text image level 3 - in the caverns null title subtitle text image destroy the energy pods to turn off the laser wall null title subtitle text image level 4 - the big boss null title subtitle text image shoot in the center, its weakness null title subtitle text image bravo, you destroyed the boss null title subtitle text image you can also be shot null title subtitle text image game over null title subtitle text image Box null title subtitle text image box art null title subtitle text image box - back null title subtitle text image cartridge null title subtitle text image cartridge null title subtitle text image documentation null title subtitle text image documentation (verso) null /museum/epoch-cassette-vision /companies/epoch 668 url date https://web.archive.org/web/20220819044353/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=668 2022-08-19

Astro Command is a clone of the arcade hit Scramble from Konami (1980), and quite a good one considered the limited features of the Epoch Cassette Vision console. Its is also one of the latest games released for the Cassette Vision. It's clear the that programmers tried to push the system to its limits.

As in the original version, your fuel is limited and you must constantly keep an eye on its level (upper left number on the screenshots). If it reachs zero, your ship will crash. So you have to keep destroying fuel tanks on your way to keep the fuel level high.

Each game is divided into four levels:
- the city: avoid ground missiles and destroy mines while flying over the space cuty
- enemy base: maneuver smartly inside the tight corridors of the enemy base
- the cave: avoid missiles launched from the ground and the ceiling
- the boss: after the laser barrier, fight the big boss. Kill it by shooting in its center five times.

The game is one player only but offers 2 difficulty levels.

As usual with the Cassette Vision when games require 4 driections movement, the controls are difficult to get used to, as there are no up/down built-in the console. Here the left player leveler is used to move your ship up/down while the two action buttons are used to move forward/backward. Cumbersome.