Astron Belt was a relatively simple game that used the then-groundbreaking Laserdisc technology. The player controller a sprite-based spaceship which was overlaid onto pre-rendered video (played from a Laserdisc inside the cabinet), similar to Rebel Assault.
The game play was simplistic and the combat actions of the player's starship often had nothing to do with the futuristic video being displayed. There was no collision detection with the pre-rendered video, so while the technology was groundbreaking, the illusion of flight was poor. Astron Belt used footage which was culled from various Japanese science fiction movies. A few years later, M.A.C.H. 3 recycled the concept using aerial photography which was specifically filmed for the game.
Log in to comment