IMPORTANT NOTE: After the game has reset its high score, press the F2 key to make the arcade machine playable. Blaster is an arcade game developed by Eugene Jarvis and released by Williams in 1983. The game is a 3D shooter set in outer space and is a quasi-sequel to Robotron: 2084. The objective is to shoot enemies and avoid obstacles in twenty differently-goaled levels in order to reach paradise. The game had advanced graphics at the time of release, that used scaled sprites to display the impression of three dimensional worlds and asteroid fields. Story According to the opening demo: "The year is 2085 and the Robotrons have destroyed the human race. You escape in a stolen space shuttle. Your destination: Paradise. A remote outpost 20 million light years away. Does paradise exist? Can civilization be started again? These questions will be answered at the end of your journey. But first, you must BLAST... OR BE BLASTED!" The introductory text implies that the game takes place after the events of Robotron: 2084. However, aside from a few oversized G.R.U.N.T. robots in the first stage, none of the Robotron characters make an appearance in Blaster. Gameplay The game is controlled with an optical joystick and two buttons: fire and thrust. The ships weapon fires from a linear bank of four pyramid-shaped shots. Shots do not emanate toward the exact center of the screen; the first shot in the series will be furthest left, while the fourth will be furthest right. The player is given three lives and extra lives are awarded every 100,000 points. The player has a life bar, in likeness to similar games such as Star Fox; however in this implementation, the life bar represents three hit points, and not a continuum of health points. When the ship gets hit a second time the text "ENERGY CRITICAL" will be flashed on-screen. Almost everything in the game can be destroyed, from the asteroids to enemy shots. In fact the latter is a critical component of surviving for an extended period...