Rocket Pilot

Name: Rocket Pilot
Programmer(s): Bob Bishop
Publisher: Softape
Year: 1977

Description:

Rocket Pilot came out in 1983 for the Apple II computer. This space action game put players in control of a small spacecraft trying to survive waves of enemy attacks. The game was created by a small independent developer and sold through mail order catalogs, which was common for Apple II games at the time.

In Rocket Pilot, you control a triangular spaceship at the bottom of the screen. Enemy ships appear from the top and sides, moving in different patterns. Your goal is simple: shoot them before they shoot you. You move left and right using the keyboard and press the spacebar to fire. The game gets harder as you progress through levels. More enemies appear, they move faster, and some take multiple hits to destroy.

The game uses basic graphics typical of early Apple II games. Your ship and the enemies are simple shapes made of white lines on a black background. There are no fancy backgrounds or detailed sprites. When you shoot an enemy, it disappears with a small explosion effect. The sound consists of simple beeps and buzzes. You hear a beep when you fire and a different sound when you hit an enemy.

What made Rocket Pilot interesting was its enemy variety. Unlike Space Invaders where enemies move in predictable patterns, Rocket Pilot had enemies that would dive at your ship, zigzag across the screen, or even shoot back at you. Some enemies split into smaller ships when hit. Others would speed up when they got close to you. This variety kept the game challenging even after you learned the patterns.

The scoring system rewarded risky play. Enemies were worth more points if you shot them when they were close to your ship. This encouraged players to wait until the last second before firing, adding tension to the gameplay. Every 10,000 points earned you an extra life, which you needed because the game got very difficult in later levels.

Rocket Pilot wasn't a huge commercial success. It competed against more popular games like Defender and Galaxian. However, it found an audience among Apple II owners who wanted a challenging space shooter. The game demonstrated that independent developers could create fun games without big budgets or teams.

Today, Rocket Pilot is remembered as a typical example of early 1980s Apple II gaming. It wasn't groundbreaking, but it provided solid arcade action for home computer owners. The game shows how developers worked within the Apple II's limits to create enjoyable experiences. While modern games have better graphics and sound, Rocket Pilot's simple gameplay still holds up as a test of reflexes and timing.