Solar Striker

• Title — Solar Striker • Developer — Nintendo R&D1 Minakuchi Engineering • Publisher — Nintendo • Designer — K. Hayashi A. Higashiya K. Katsuyama K. Yamagami • Producer — Gunpei Yokoi • Director — Satoru Okada Keisuke Terasaki • Programmer — K. Sugimoto • Composer — Toru Osada • Platforms — Game Boy • Genre — Scrolling shooter • Modes — Single-player

In the year 2159, the Earth is at war with the planet Reticulon (Great Dark Star Torino in the Japanese version). The Earth Federation Army creates the advanced fighter Solar Striker on a secret base on the Moon. Solar Striker's mission is to fly to Reticulon and destroy the core.

• Illustration — The Solar Striker shooting the first boss The player controls the advanced space fighter, code-named Solar Striker. There are six levels of play against enemies known as the forces of Reticulon. These enemies appear from the top of the screen. The player can amass power-ups by shooting special ships. One power-up doubles the player's firepower, three power-ups triples the player's firepower, and five power-ups causes shots to explode on impact with enemies, greatly aiding combat against tough enemies and bosses that take many hits to destroy. There are a variety of enemies as well as sub-bosses in later levels. When the player completes all six levels for the first time and after the credits roll, the player will be able to play Hard Mode by pressing Select instead of Start from the title screen.

Solar Striker was designed by Gunpei Yokoi and Keisuke Terasaki, and developed by Nintendo in co-operation with the external company Minakuchi Engineering. It was first published in Japan on January 26, 1990, then released later in North America in February, and in Europe on September 28. As such, it is one of the few scrolling shooters developed by Nintendo.