Solar Fox
| Industry | Video games |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Solar Fox (arcade game) |
Solar Fox is an arcade game introduced in 1981 by Bally Midway. It was subsequently adapted for the Atari 2600 and issued as a Commodore cartridge for the Commodore 64 in 1983.
Gameplay
In this game, players control a spacecraft navigating through grids composed of solar cells, collecting these cells while evading fireballs launched by Sentinels that patrol the edges of each grid. Successfully clearing all cells in a matrix progresses the player to the next stage, with quicker completions resulting in higher scores.
There are 26 distinct solar cell grid patterns featured, with every fifth level designated as a Challenge stage where fireballs are absent. During these Challenge rounds, players must clear the grid within a set time to earn letters that spell Helios, introducing an additional layer of strategy to advancing through the game.
Port
In 1983, Solar Fox was converted for both the Atari 2600 and Commodore 64 systems. Although an Atari 5200 version was developed by Van Tran—recognized for Wabbit—this edition was finished but never released commercially.
Tie-in
To complement the game's storyline and boost brand interaction, a comic book advertisement was published in 1983.
Reception
The existence of an Atari port suggests that the game received a favorable response upon release.