Thrust

The resistance is about to launch a major offensive against the Intergalactic Empire. In preparation for this, they have captured several battle-grade starships, but they lack the essential power sources for these formidable craft; Klystron Pods.

You have been commissioned by the resistance to steal these pods from the Empire's storage planets. Each planet is defended by a battery of "Limpet" guns, powered by a nuclear power plant. By firing shots at the power plant, the guns can be temporarily disabled; the more shots fired at the nuclear reactor, the longer the guns will take to recharge. BUT BEWARE!! If you fire too many shots at the reactor, it will become critical, giving you just ten seconds to clear the planet before it is destroyed. If you have not already retrieved the pod stored at that planet, then you will have failed the mission. If you have retrieved the pod, and you manage to send the reactor into its critical phase, and leave the planet safely, you will receive a hefty bonus. Further into the Empire's system, you will encounter planets with REVERSE GRAVITY and something even more deadly...

PLAYING THE GAME

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You can control your ship with the standard joystick:

LEFT = ROTATE SHIP ANTICLOCKWISE

RIGHT = ROTATE SHIP CLOCKWISE

FIRE = FIRE (THRUST while joystick is DOWN)

UP = THRUST

DOWN = ACTIVATE TRACTOR BEAMS/EXTERNAL SHIELDS

SELECT = SELECT GAME VARIATION

RESET = ABORT GAME

The Omega Booster Grip buttons are also supported:

Trigger = FIRE

Booster = THRUST

Use the RIGHT DIFFICULTY switch to adjust colors for NTSC or PAL TVs.

To collect a Klystron Pod, hover just above the pod, activate the tractor beam, and thrust away from the pod. When the automatic tow-bar has fixed to the pod, you can deactivate the tractor beam. To collect fuel, hover above a fuel cell, and activate the tractor beam.

A spare ship is allocated for every 10,000 points.

The game will end if (a) You die and have no spare ships (b) You run out of fuel.

Your fuel is displayed in yellow, your score in blue, and the countdown in red.

Before the digits, your spare ships or the game variation are shown.

GAME SELECT MATRIX

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THRUST includes five game variations. Press the GAME SELECT switch until the number appears on the very left of the score display.

Two improved editions of Thrust were released later, Thrust+ DC Edition in 2002, and Thrust+ Platinum in 2004.