Thrust is a computer game originally for the BBC Micro and Acorn Electron. Programmed by Jeremy Smith (co-author of Exile), it involved piloting a ship in a side on 2d view of a planet and cave system and was subsequently ported to a wide number of other computers, including the Atari, ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and even to Vectrex console .

The aim is to pick up a pod using a tractor beam and fly it into space. The ship and pod are subject to gravity and inertia, and being connected by a stiff rod can end up spinning around each other, out of control. Hitting the walls of the cave with either the ship or the pod results in death.

Each planet has a reactor which powers the defence system of each planet, turrets which fire bullets at you, these can be destroyed with a single shot. If the reactor is shot enough the turrents will cease firing for a short amount of time. Hitting the reactor with many bullets causes it to go critical and destroy the planet in 10 seconds, you must escape into space before this happens, with or without the pod (more points are gained if you take the pod).

Fuel is needed to manouver the ship and can be collected with the tractor beam, if you run out of fuel the whole game is over. A shield is also available, when activated it uses fuel and you cannot shoot.

Later levels have doors that are opened by shooting a panel. After all 6 levels have been completed the levels start again, but first with gravity reversed, then with the planet and walls invisible unless the shield is used, and finally with invisible walls and reverse gravity. After the 24th level is complete a message is displayed. Two more messages are available after completing the 48th and 72nd level, and from then on the 3rd message is repeated.

The realistic physics and pixel perfect collision detection were two of the main attractions of the game.

External Links

• Thrust Deluxe - a Thrust remake