Star Fire

Technical Magic

Industry	Video game development
Founded	1976
Founder	Ted Michon
Key people	Ted Michon, David Rolfe, Susan Ogg
Products	Star Fire

Star Fire is a first-person, coin-operated arcade game centered on space combat, developed by Technical Magic for Midway-Bally and licensed to Exidy in December 1978. In 1979, distribution in Japan was handled by Taito and Esco Trading. Created by Ted Michon and David Rolfe, the title drew inspiration from Star Wars but was not officially licensed from the franchise.

Achieving significant commercial success for Exidy, Star Fire introduced innovations such as the enclosed sit-down cockpit-style arcade cabinet and was the first arcade game to feature a high score table that allowed players to input their initials. It was also among the earliest arcade machines to utilize a reprogrammable microprocessor system with full-color visuals. An enhanced edition, Star Fire II, addressed gameplay improvements. Subsequently, Epyx adapted the game for the Commodore 64 and Atari 8-bit computers, packaging it alongside Fire One, another Exidy release.

Gameplay

In this game, players control a starfighter navigating through starfields, aiming at enemy vessels using quad-linked lasers operated by a control yoke and a firing button. Shots travel at a slow pace, demanding careful targeting since only one shot can be active simultaneously. Firing generates heat within the ship’s weapons system; excessive heat leads to temporary firing disablement.

When an enemy resembling a TIE fighter aligns with the targeting reticle, lock-on targeting activates, guaranteeing hits. Occasionally, a high-value target designed after a Colonial Viper appears with "Exidy" displayed on its tail; these ships cannot be locked onto but offer greater point rewards. Successful hits trigger on-screen notifications such as "GOT HIM" or "GOT US."

Playtime is determined by credits inserted, with enemy difficulty and scoring values escalating as players advance. Achieving certain score milestones awards extra fuel, prolonging gameplay. If the player’s ship is destroyed, enemy difficulty resets to its initial level.

A distinctive element is the high score table that enables players to enter their initials, enhancing player engagement. Specific initials prompt personalized greetings referencing the developers: "DBR" displays "HI DAVE," "SKO" shows "HI SUSAN," and "TZM" reveals "HI TED."

Development

Ted Michon, an alumnus of California Technical Institute and former technician at Digital Games/Micronetics, founded Techni-Cal in 1976 following his creation of the microprocessor-based game Night Racer. He recruited David Rolfe, an assembly language programmer, to assist with coding challenges.

Motivated by Star Wars, Michon sought to evoke the sensation of unrestricted space flight. His girlfriend—and later wife—Susan Ogg contributed artwork heavily influenced by Star Wars aesthetics, including TIE fighter-like enemies and a base reminiscent of the Death Star. The team aspired to obtain an official Star Wars license to become pioneers in licensed video games.

To render up to eight colors, Michon developed a "color cell" method akin to that used in the Commodore 64. To conserve memory, compromises were made such as stars changing color when ships passed in front of them. For three-dimensional effects, Owen created multiple scaled images of enemy ships at varying sizes while Rolfe implemented sprite-scaling techniques to simulate approach. The graphics and code collectively required 21 ROM chips.

Initially collaborating with Midway Manufacturing, the developers encountered rejection after Midway’s president suggested replacing enemy ships with a witch riding a bicycle—a concept they declined. Rolfe simultaneously worked overtime at APh Technological Consulting programming for the Mattel Intellivision.

Michon eventually secured publishing through Exidy, a smaller arcade company known for technical innovation with titles like Death Race. Exidy applied its branding and created a sit-down cabinet designed for immersive play. The cabinet’s graphics echoed Ralph McQuarrie’s original design for the Cylon Basestar from Battlestar Galactica. Released as Star Fire in December 1978, it marked Exidy’s debut in space combat arcade games.

By March 1980, Exidy was concluding sales of Star Fire cabinets. In 1983, Epyx ported both Star Fire and another Exidy title, Fire One!, to Atari 8-bit computers and Commodore 64, bundling them into an arcade classics collection. Exidy later issued an updated version named Star Fire II, which enhanced the high score functionality.

Reception

During the 1978 Amusement & Music Operators Association Exposition, Play Meter commended the predominantly enclosed design of Star Fires cabinet for delivering a deeply engaging pilot simulation. The publication drew comparisons to Atari's Starship 1, emphasizing that Star Fires incorporation of a color display provided a notable edge. The review also praised the game's graphical presentation, audio effects, high score system utilizing player initials, and the cabinet's vibration feature activated by collisions within gameplay.

In a 1983 feature by Electronic Games, Star Fire was described as a "closet classic ... ahead of its time and unable to find a market." Robert J. Sodaro from Ahoy! expressed a preference for the Commodore 64 adaptation over Fire One, highlighting the immersive starfield animation, while acknowledging both titles as well-executed programming achievements.

Legacy

Star Fire holds the distinction of being the pioneering game that enabled players to input their initials alongside top scores. It is among a select number of games authorized by its copyright holders for free, non-commercial play through MAME.

The game gained notable exposure through its prominent role in Disney’s 1980 film Midnight Madness, where competing teams aim to reach high scores as part of a treasure hunt challenge.

As of 2010, the highest recorded score of 9,780 points was achieved by Laura Curran from Las Vegas in January 1982, recognized as the longest-standing record within the Twin Galaxies arcade leaderboard.

On August 19, 2020, David Rolfe made the source code for the enhanced edition, Star Fire II, publicly available on the Internet Archive, licensing it under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.

External links

• Interview with Star Fire creator David Rolfe