Beamrider

"Let's make our escape..."

Shields have traditionally been used as a protection from potential harm. They absorb the impact of a swinging blade, stop bullets from piercing our tender flash, and prevent the destruction of every science fiction starship known to mankind. Yes, this simple concept of defense can be applied countless times, with newer ideas and designs built upon a foundation of simple technical marvels. They cover us, give us shelter, and block us from the hazards that plague our worlds. These crude but effective lifesavers have proven to be a truly wonderful defense. But what if things suddenly changed, and your once beloved shield turned out to be your greatest threat? Through a simple transition of circumstances, your best shield can become your worst traitor, leaving you defenseless and begging for your poor, pitiful life.

Welcome to the realm of Beamrider, where a massive planet is surrounded by thick layers of a giant shield of light. However, this technical marvel isn't for the planet's defense. In a cruel twist of fate, this barrier of illumination has engulfed the entire world, its people under siege of a hostile takeover of incredible proportions. And as the people quietly surrender to their strange and unfortunate fate, one hero will rise up and challenge the evil that controls the light shield. However, the odds are stacked heavily against him. Not only must he fly through 99 layers of light, but he also has to deal with a massive fleet of aliens that are just itching to blast him into the dark void of space. Using nothing but some impressive piloting skills and an itchy trigger finger, you must control this unnamed hero and break through the barrier and annihilate some alien scum, eventually freeing the masses from their imprisonment. Thus the epic adventure starts, with a hero digging deeper into the nether regions of a seemingly impenetrable defense.

As soon as his engines flare up and he reaches the upper stratosphere, our hero will fly along the individual beams of light that make up the massive layer of light shielding. But before he can sit back and admire the view of the doomed planet, a phalanx of alien ships will fly toward him, careening to and fro through the cosmos. And unfortunately for our brave pilot, the majority of these intergalactic baddies are invincible, forcing him to weave in and out of their paths as he continues his perilous quest for victory. However, not all is in vain. Though many of the indestructible foes will try to ram him, our hero's main concern lies with the fifteen white saucers that are cruising around the sky. These quick and nimble fighters come armed to the teeth with pixilated shots and some fancy maneuvers. Not only will you have to move the ship around to avoid obstacles, but you'll also have to snipe out these UFOs in the process. Once your cool and steady hand dispatches the entire squadron, you'll be allowed to move onto the next layer, where yet another troop of foes awaits your coming.

No matter how far you progress through this game, your objective will always be the destruction of these fifteen saucers. While the concept can seem like an easy task for veteran and newer gamers alike, the learning curve on this game shoots skyward as soon as it starts. Though the fist few seconds may seem like a dull romp through the cosmos, you'll be overwhelmed by the sheer number of baddies that will constantly bombard you left and right. Considering that your sleek fighter spaceship can only scroll left and right along the bottom of the screen, you'll be in for a challenge once the skirmish starts. The invincible villains are bad enough, erratic movements and sudden rushes forcing you to stay on your toes. But once you factor in the laser-toting flying saucers, you'll be spending more time worrying about dodging hazards than bringing about your foe's demise. And if you somehow manage to master your evasion skills and annihilate some aliens, you'll still be faced with yet another level, with even more hazards and an enemy that will test your limits of gaming skill.

As if the gameplay wasn't impressive enough, Beamrider takes the standards of graphical presentations and kicks it up a few notches. Unlike the bland space shooters that we all know and love, this game makes a bold attempt at the three-dimensional perspective. Enemies will appear as mere blips on the artificial horizon, and then grow in size as they rush in to take you out. You can almost feel the speed as you zoom over beam after beam, their angles and placements making a primitive rendering of the round surface of the planet. Though you and your enemies look like nothing more than tiny blotches of colored pixels, the decent variety of sound effects make up for it. You can hear the roar of your supersonic engines as you race to the rescue, or loud zing as you use your lasers to pierce the dark heart of your enemy. It's this rich blend of challenging gameplay and impressive visuals that makes for an excellent brew of Atari goodness.

Activision is infamous for pushing out classic games for the Atari 2600. However, Beamrider shines high above the rest, soaring in the lofty heights of quality gaming. Unfortunately, finding this game is uncommon occurrence, thus shrouding it behind a veil of mainstream obscurity. With Space Invaders, Demon Attack, Galaxian, and countless other shooters on the system, it's easy to pass up this gem for something more recognizable and admired. However, Beamrider doesn't deserve to simply fade away into the annals of the ancient gaming library.. Instead, it should be cherished by old and new gamers alike for its unusually high challenge level and setting a new precedent for the shooting games of the current generation. While many other games are considered vintage classics in the hearts of veteran gamers the world over, Beamrider's merits cannot go unsung.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/25/05