This is the spiritual sequel to Stellar 7, which gained quite a bit of exposure due to the large amount of platforms supported (everything from the Apple II to the Amiga). The game takes place in the year 2005 – aliens have conquered Antarctica, and it’s your job as tank commander to take it back. Your crew mans the controls of the Slye-Hicks MX-100 “Arctic Fox,” capable of traversing the rough icy terrain with ease, and with several unique functions including an aimable cannon, guided missiles, rear-view camera, land mines, and a digging function which buries the Fox under snow, leaving you invisible to enemies while you monitor their patrols with your radar screen.
This time, the emphasis is on strategy, rather than run-and-gun tactics. An indicator on the top of the screen shows you the status of enemy contacts, informing you when you’ve been spotted or if there is a patrol nearing your position. There are several different types of buildings you can destroy, and they all have different effects – for example, destroying an enemy radar dish will result in fewer air attacks due to the fact that they can’t find you. Also, some enemies (like the scout sled) will report back to headquarters when they’ve spotted you, so if you encounter a sled, expect to encounter a whole lot more. You can also use terrain to your advantage – there are mountains and crevices scattered about the landscape. You can use the mountains as cover, and the crevices are typically more of a hazard to you than they are to enemies (be careful not to back into them).
Graphically, the game has shown quite a bit of improvement. Enemy tanks are still wireframes, but in many versions of the game, they are actually filled in. Terrain takes many different colors, and the cockpit is well-designed and really gives you the feeling of commanding a futuristic tank. The Atari ST version looks the best, with its selection of colors evoking an almost retro-futuristic style.
