A 1995 sci-fi Action RPG developed by LucasArts for the Super Nintendo in which you play as a kid who instantly gets promoted to a 21-star general in the Siderian Space Army. He or she must battle the evil Space Slug army led by the Sultan of Slime, who has declared war on humanity.
This game is set in a top-down perspective, and uses the same Game Engine as Zombies Ate My Neighbors. You fly on the E.S.S. Dire Wolf — which is run by the dog-like Flexible Interactive Digital Omnicomputer, or FIDO — and you must complete various missions while killing off slugs on the planets. When you arrive on a new planet, you fight off aerial slugs Asteroids-style, and you then must fight the slugs on the surface before you can go to the next. Along the way, you can acquire new weapons, ship upgrades to access new galaxies, and items. One of these is the ability to set up fast food stations (slugs hate advertising, and fast food is a form of it), which guarantees you that the slugs will never return to that planet again.
This game provides examples of:
- Added Alliterative Appeal: Boy, is there a lot of it in the dialogue.
- Bold Inflation: IMPORTANT words are written in ALL-CAPS.
- Capitalism Is Bad: Hilariously inverted. The power of flashy advertising and kitschy businesses is what helps you fight the slugs and eventually beat the Slug Leader.
- Eternal Engine: The Quantum Machines are this combined with Eldritch Location.
- 15 Puzzle: The inventory menu features one of these that lets you mix and match the modules to access your combat suit powers. Once you get them, of course.
- Frictionless Ice: It is entirely possible to get stuck in a permanent loop of bouncing on one planet; after about three minutes, your ship's A.I. declares that it must pull you out and teleports you back to the ship.
- Fun with Acronyms: FIDO, as well as the sanitation robot FIFI (Free-Floating Interstellar Flotsam Investigator).
- Guide Dang It!: Frequent, since while the game will tell you what planet you need to go to, it otherwise gives you no hints as to how to actually progress.
- Honest John's Dealership: Black Market Max, Bargain Bob, and Demolition Dan are all shady businessmen in appearance and behavior. Though are otherwise oddly helpful.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Captain Slack is a very gruff guy who is all the more rude given him hiring you gets him demoted, however he is still a decent guy who helps you even after it got him into trouble.
- Logo Joke: The Slug leader and a lackey descend on the LucasArts "Gold Man" logo, discuss how it has bones and appears to be an ad, then destroy it - as the Slug leader declares, the two things he hates are bones and advertising.
- Pro Bono Barter: Between the salesman, though a lot of the items you receive in exchange are useful.
- Shout-Out: Two nearby planets are called Peabody and Sherman. A couple of others are named Klaatu, Barada, and Nicto.
- So Proud of You: At the very end it is made clear all the allies you made are proud of your accomplishments. Even Captain Slack.
- Static Role, Exchangeable Character: At the beginning you pick your character from a guy and girl, the one you don't pick is a high ranking trooper who becomes your guide and mentor.
- Wraparound Levels: Justified as the levels with wraparound are round planets.
