Alien Fire! (Atari 2600 homebrew)

The Story:

Deep in the core of the planet Volexion, hidden within its intricate caverns (caverns that contain the mineral responsible for giving life to every being here) lies a terrible truth! Your world has been infiltrated by an alien invader with a treacherous goal: to seize control of the planet by taking command of its most valuable resource, the life‑giving mineral known as Soplexion.

Fortunately, your people have you — a young, hot‑shot pilot entrusted with the mission to eliminate this invader and protect the future of Volexion. Now you must navigate the caverns, track down the invader, and blast it into oblivion. But beware — this alien has a few deadly tools at its disposal. A roaming fireball sweeps through the cavern halls, determined to stop you from reaching the target site, a small pit directly beneath this moving alien, who vigorously patrols and protects the precious Soplexion. This is where you can finally blast and eliminate this creature for good! But also beware of colliding with this creature on your way to the pit - its body is protected by a lethal energy shield that will kill you instantly on impact.

Move carefully through 10 different versions of the caverns and stay alert! Good luck pilot!

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Instructions:

Navigate the ship through the caverns, all the way to the top where the alien roams. You'll see a pit up there, where you must land your ship and then fire a laser at the invader. Once you hit it, you will advance to the next cavern (the score number represents the level number in this case - it'll count up by 1 each time you reach a new level). Advance through all 10 levels, and win the game. Watch out for the fireball, as it will send you back to the bottom center of the screen if colliding with you, delaying you from reaching your goal.

PS - Take caution while navigating the cavern walls — they’re moist and sticky. Get too close and you’ll become temporarily stuck until you pull yourself free.

Your purchase includes three modes:

Easy — The ball moves at its slowest speed.

Normal — The ball moves faster horizontally, but at the same vertical speed as Easy mode.

Hard — The ball moves at the same speed as Normal mode, but now the alien fires a laser at you. If you’re hit by an alien shot while in the pit, you’re sent back down to the bottom‑center of the screen, just as you would be if struck by the ball.