1985: The Day After

1985: The Day After refers to the George Orwell's 1984. In order to become self-sufficient, the player must travel to five planets and collect the nuclear plasma left by big brother.

Gameplay

The player controls a ship which is constantly falling, due to gravity. The ship can rotate and thrust, but a limited supply of fuel means that locomotion must be strategic. On the hub world, the player controls the ship to one of five planets. Each planet has caverns containing nuclear fuel pods and stationary enemy sentries which guard them. The player must carefully avoid enemy fire, and hover above the fuel pod. Once within range, the player engages a tractor beam to collect the fuel. Once all fuel has been gathered, the player returns to hub world to select another planet.

Points are awarded for using as little fuel as possible, and for collecting fuel successfully. If all fuel (including the final reactor, in a difficult final cavern) is collected, the game repeats with the score intact, and the level counter advances. Subsequent levels alternate the direction of gravity, adding to the difficulty of the game.

Gameplay ends when the player loses three lives by crashing, running out of fuel, or getting hit by enemy fire.