game
icon
title Astro Fighter (set 1)
set name astrof
manufacturer Data East
year 1979
genre Shooter (hof)
category Shooter / Gallery (hof)
driver status good
driver source astrof.c
snapshots MW: in game / CT: in game | title / PS: in game | title
zoom
rating

72.4% after 43 votes
 
clones Astro Battle (set 1)
Astro Battle (set 2)
Astro Combat (newer, CB)
Astro Combat (older, PZ)
Astro Fighter (set 2)
Astro Fighter (set 3)
Astro Fire
Super Star Battle
display
colour emulation good
palette 0
display type raster
orientation vertical
resolution 256x256
frequency 56.308461Hz
sound
sound emulation good
channels mono
samples fire.wav
ekilled.wav
wave1.wav
wave2.wav
wave3.wav
wave4.wav
bossfire.wav
fuel.wav
death.wav
bosshit.wav
bosskill.wav
controls
players 2
nplayers 2P alt
controls 2 way joystick
buttons 1
coin slots 1
hardware
cpu M6502 @ 0.662187MHz
audio Samples
data
version added .030
last change(s) none since version .53
roms
name size crc set flags sha1
afii.6  2048  d6cd13a4  astrof    359b00b02f4256f1138c8526214c6a34d2e5b47a 
afii.5  2048  6fd3c4df  astrof    73aad03e2588ac9f249d5751eb4a7c7cd12fd3b9 
afii.4  2048  9612dae3  astrof    8ee1797c212e06c381972b7b555f240ff317d75d 
afii.3  2048  5a0fef42  astrof    92a575abdf17bbb5ed6bc67479049523a985aa75 
afii.2  2048  69f8a4fc  astrof    9f9a935f19187640018009ade92f8993912ef6c2 
afii.1  2048  322c09d2  astrof    89723e3d998ff9cb9b174bca4b072b412b290c04 
astrf.clr  32  61329fd1  astrof    15782d8757d4dda5a8b97815e94c90218f0e08dd 
cabinet art
cabinet astrof.png astrof.png
marquee astrof.png
control panel astrof.png
flyer astrof.png
additional information
info 0.30 [Lee Taylor]

Samples required

NOTE:
  • The background color is blue - like in the real arcade (Super Astro Fighter is black!).
Bugs:
  • astrof, astrof2 and sstarbtl are affected by the same issue, but in different way. During the demonstration: In astrof, astrof2 player 1 score increases +60 points for every asteroid destroyed by spaceship. In sstarbtl player 1 score increases +300 or +950 for every boss destroyed by spaceship. Germano (ID 01549)
  • Clones acombat, acombato: High score resets to 00000 during demo play. Tafoid: This seems to happen only when using -autosave. Germano (ID 01540)
  • Clones sstarbtl: Graphic corruption during demontration (Boss Screen). When you start the game, let the demonstration play until it shows the level ending boss. There will be graphics corruption in the upper part of the screen. Tafoid (ID 01554)
WIP:
  • 0.122u6: Changed visible area to 256x256 and changed VSync to 56.308461 Hz.
  • 0.118u3: Atari Ace added new AM_READ_PORT() macro which lets you define an input port read callback based on a port tag. This is now preferred over the previous technique of calling port_tag_to_handler() within an AM_READ() macro. Updated Astro Fighter that uses the latter pattern to the new system.
  • 0.115u4: Astro Fighter driver update [Zsolt Vasvari]: Added memory map/interrupt/video timings from schematics. General driver clean-up. Changed visible area to 248x256 and VSync to 59.948171 Hz. Added 'Flip Screen for Player 2' dipswitch.
  • 0.109: f205v added clone Astro Combat (older, PZ). This is an older revision of Astro Combat (most probably manufactured by Sidam), with incorrect spelling for fuel as FLUEL and the main boss sporting "PZ".
  • 0.103u1: Pierpaolo Prazzoli added clone Super Star Battle.
  • 0.92u1: Pierpaolo Prazzoli added clone Astro Combat.
  • 0.90: Pierpaolo Prazzoli added clone Astro Fire (Rene Pierre 1979). And fixed with Highwayman the Astro Battle clones.
  • 0.89u5: Highwayman added with help from Pierpaolo Prazzoli the clones Astro Battle (set 1) and (set 2). One set may be a bad or they may simply be different. Protection involves the EPROM datalines being routed through an 8bit x 256byte PROM. This game is not currently playable due to the NMI causing a reset. It may have a more complex palette, it needs to be investigated when i get more time.
  • 27th February 2000: Nicola Salmoria fixed Astro Fighter from crashing.
  • 0.34RC1: Zsolt Vasvari support samples in Astro Fighter. The sound library took a lot of work. Two boardsets made this possible.
  • 0.34b2: Zsolt Vasvari added clone Astro Fighter (set 3) and accurated the colors (PROMs required).
  • 0.31: Santeri Saarimaa added hiscore save in Astro Fighter.
- 0.30: Lee Taylor added Astro Fighter (Data East 1980) and clone (alternate). TODO: Sound, correct Colours (cuurent are best guess from memory) and dipswitches.
  • 5
Other Emulators:
  • JAE
Recommended Games (Space Shooter):

Astro Fighter

Super Astro Fighter (Cassette)

Galaxia

Astro Wars

Ozma Wars

The End

Killer Comet

Magical Spot

Magical Spot II

MegaTack

Quasar

Space Trek

Speak & Rescue

Zero Hour

Altair

Astro Blaster

Black Hole

Challenger

Cosmos

Laser Battle

Moon Shuttle

Red Clash

Space Cruiser

Spiders

Terranean (Cassette)

Astro Chase (Max-A-Flex)

Azurian Attack

Battle Cross

A. D. 2083

Gyruss

Mad Planets

Saturn

Flower

Halley's Comet

Sky Fox

Romset: 13 kb / 7 files / 9.13 zip
history Astro Fighter [Upright model] (c) 1979 Data East.


Astro Fighter is a 2-D, space shooter style game. Your job is to protect the various sectors from the hoards of invading aliens. You will have to defeat 4 waves of alien spaceships in order to dock with the 'GS' ship and refuel. In addition to battling the alien spaceships, you will also have to dodge bombs that seem to come out of nowhere. Armed only with your fighter and a lot of spirit, you must ensure that you clear the screen of invaders before they pass you by. All in all, another walk in the park.


- TECHNICAL -


Dimensions : 25,5'' (64,77cm) wide x 67'' (171,8cm) high x 28'' (71,12cm) deep. Weith : 290 lbs (132 kg).


Board Number : AG070001

Prom Stickers : AG01-AG06


Main CPU : M6502 (Number : AG070002) (@ 662.187 Khz)

Sound Chips : Samples


Screen orientation : Vertical

Video resolution : 240 x 240 pixels

Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz

Palette colors : 16


Players : 2

Buttons : 3 (LEFT, RIGHT, FIRE)


- TRIVIA -


This is the first game manufactured by Data East. Astro Fighter came as a result of a merging of ideas between Sega and Data East. Unfortunately, this game wasn't well received and didn't sell many units. Sega would improve on the overall design and release "Astro Blaster", which was a superior game in every way to this one. Astro Fighter, though, was still a challenging game and a definite departure from the standard 'shoot'em up' type of space games, it just never caught on.


David Nelson of Derry, New Hampshire, holds the official record for this game with 37,150 points on May 31, 2008.


An Astro Fighter unit appears in the 1982 movie 'Rocky III'.


Official Releases :

Astro Fighter [Upright model] (Data East)

Astro Fighter [Cocktail model] (Data East)

Astro Fighter [Slimline model] (Data East)


Licensed products :

Astro Fire (René Pierre)


Bootleg/Hacks :

Astro Combat

Astro-Battle (Sidam)

Super Star Battle (SG)


- UPDATES -


Set 1 :

* 16Kbit ROMs.

* Green/Hollow empty fuel bar.

* 60 points for every bomb destroyed.


Set 2 :

* 8Kbit ROMs.

* Blue/Solid empty fuel bar.

* 60 points for every bomb destroyed.


Set 3 :

* 8Kbit ROMs.

* Blue/Solid empty fuel bar.

* 300 points for every seven bombs destroyed.


- SCORING -


Blue Alien : 20 points

Purple Alien : 30 points

Green Alien : 40 points

Yellow Alien : 50 points

'GS' Alien : 300 or 950 points

Bomb : 60 or 300 points per seven bombs destroyed (depends on what version machine you play, see 'Updates' section).

Fuel Bonus : 3,000, 6,000 or 9,000 points

Spaceship Bonus : 5000 points/spaceship


- TIPS AND TRICKS -


* When you start the game, your fighter will be in the middle at the bottom of the screen. The alien spaceships have two ways they shoot at your fighter. They either shoot straight down or they shoot diagonally. You must take out all the alien spaceships on a screen. If you fail to do so, you will have to deal with their full complement again and your fighter will be set at the next higher level. If you happen to get killed during a wave, you only have to deal with the remaining alien spaceships.


* Fuel is a precious commodity in this game. You may be able to let one or two waves of aliens escape but you will really be pressed to finish the entire round with enough fuel. If your fuel runs out, your game is over regardless of how many fighters you have left.


* You can only have one shot on the screen at a time. This means you will need to plan your shots and don't fire unless you need to.


* The first four waves of alien spaceships, come down in distinct formations. Understanding how these formations are set up is the key to taking them out quickly.

1) The Blue Aliens come down in a 'pyramid-type' formation. Starting from the bottom, the numbers are five at the bottom, three at the next level, two at the next level, and one at the top.

2) The Purple Aliens come down in two straight lines. With six in the bottom line and six in the top line.

3) The Green Aliens come down in a haphazard-type formation. They move back and forth across the screen and they are the hardest spaceships to deal with.

4) The Yellow Aliens come down in three rows with five spaceships per row.


* As you shoot the alien formations, you will notice that the remaining alien spaceships will speed up. The key is to shoot them high up on the screen so that you are not desperately trying to take out the last ones at the bottom. This also means taking out the bottom attackers first to give yourself some 'breathing' room.


* In addition to the alien spaceships, you must be wary of the bombs that drop down. When you are lining up your shots at the alien spaceships, always be aware of where the bombs may be heading and act accordingly.


* On the fifth wave, you will have to deal with the 'GS' mother ship. Its shots are pretty easy to avoid and it must be hit dead center to stop it, collect the points, and refuel your fighter for the next round.


* There is a 10k bonus trick. Normally, if you hit the GS mother ship with your first shot you get 950 points, otherwise you get 300 points. However, if you miss with your first shot and then destroy it with your 55th shot (counting from the beginning of the level, or when you start with a new ship) you get 10,000 points! There are 4 waves per level - 11 enemies on the 1st, 12 on the 2nd and 3rd, and 15 on the 4th (50 total), so you can miss 3 times (or hit bombs) before you reach the mother ship.


- SERIES -
  1. Astro Fighter [Upright model] (1979)
  2. Super Astro Fighter (1981)
resource links view in MAWS
view in CAESAR
view high score and replay at MARP
view in Progetto EMMA (Italian)
view in arcade-history.com
view in GameFAQs
view in KLOV
view in MamEnd
view in System16
view in System16
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in VGMuseum Gamepics
cheats
cheats
code comments
00000000:007D:000000E3:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Fuel:Note the display may not be correct
20900000:DF1D:00000CB0:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility
20910000:E55E:000016B0:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility (2/3):1st = Fire, 2nd = Meteorite
20910000:E95D:000029B0:FFFFFFFF  Invincibility (3/3):Enemy
00000000:0035:000000FF:FFFFFFFF  Rapid Fire
20800000:DC79:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Bullet Speed Up
60000000:0000:00000000:00000000 
00000000:0095:00000009:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Lives PL1
00000000:0096:00000009:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Lives PL2
2004-2008 MAWS all copyrights belong to their respective owners