Star Luster is a space combat simulator developed and published by Namco for the Family Computer in 1985. A Polished Port was released on the Sharp X68000 in 1994, and the game received a 3D remake as a part of Namco Anthology 1, which also included the Famicom original, in 1998. A sequel, Star Ixiom, was released on the PlayStation in Japan in 1999, and in Europe in 2000. This sequel featured crossovers with Starblade and Galaxian with the player given control of the Geosword, Galaxip, and Dragoon J2 from Galaxian 3.
The game places players in the role of Dan Heinick, the pilot of the space fighter ship "Gaia", and tasks them with saving the Milky Way galaxy from the sinister forces of Battura. Gameplay consists of warping around the galaxy to engage enemies in combat and protect planets and bases while collecting the keys needed to launch a final assault on Battura's homeworld. Players must also take care to maintain their energy supplies and keep their ship running: taking enemy fire can cause Subsystem Damage, and everything the player does, from firing their weapons and recharging shields to flying and warping, draws from a limited supply of energy. Running out of energy will leave players stranded in space, resulting in a Game Over.
Tropes
- Continuity Nod: After the events of Bosconian, their bases were now used as defensive outposts as well as refueling and repair stations for the Gaia starfighter.
- Expy: The globular and powerful Disruptors
◊ heavily evoke the Death Star of Star Wars fame. - One-Hit Kill: Purple Disruptors can destroy the player's ship in a single shot, even at full shields. Be careful!
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: The player's ship will be destroyed instantly if hit without shields.
- Purple Is Powerful: Purple enemy units are far more durable and hit much harder than blue or gray ones. Notably, as stated above, the purple Disruptors are capable of one hit KO'ing you no matter what.
- Regenerating Shields, Static Health: Shields will recharge so long as the player has energy to spare and the Energy Core is operating. The player's ship, however, cannot sustain a single unshielded hit.
- Subsystem Damage: Taking fire can result in one of the player's three subsystems being damaged or rendered inoperable:
- Damage to the Radar will hinder the player's ability to track enemies on their minimap. If the radar is taken offline, the galaxy map will not update the player.
- If the Combat Computer is damage, the player will not be able to move their targeting reticle, making it harder to land shots on enemies. If taken offline, photon torpedoes will become unavailable.
- Damage to the Energy Core will prevent shields from recharging, leaving the player extremely vulnerable. If taken offline, the player's flying speed will be significantly reduced.
