Rescue on Fractalus was one of those little-known, seldom-talked-about, but unbelievably addictive games that I remember from my high school days in the 80’s. You launch from your mother ship in orbit around the planet Fractalus, and pilot your ship through mountainous terrain to find and rescue fellow pilots that have crash landed on the surface below. The flight mechanics are very simple, but fun. It isn’t intended to be anything resembling a realistic flight simulator, but still manages to give you the sensation that you’re flying through very treacherous terrain, and you have to pay attention to your altitude and your wingspan so as not to crash into any nearby mountains.
When you’ve found a downed pilot, you have to land and turn off your shields so the pilot can exit his temporary shelter and run to your ship. If he makes it in time, you’ll hear him knocking on your airlock, which you have to open to let him in. Once you’ve picked up your quota of downed pilots for the level, you return to your mother ship to drop them off.
The challenge comes from higher levels, when you not only have to be more cautious about managing your energy reserves, but you’ll more frequently run into hostile aliens who may try to masquerade as one of your downed pilots in an attempt to sneak on board your ship. It’s important not to open your airlock until
you’re sure the pilot you’re picking up is friendly. If an alien imposter runs to your ship and finds the airlock shut, it’ll jump up and start trying to smash its way into your cockpit. You need to turn your shields back on to fry the alien and make your escape. It may sound silly, but the first time I played this game as a kid and an alien tried to bust its way into the cockpit, it really scared me. They make a really creepy sound as they start pounding on your cockpit window.
General graphics and sounds are mediocre for the C64 system, but the original game concept and addictively fun gameplay are what make this one a real gem. I had forgotten all about this game until I ran across it just recently, and I’ve been playing it ever since.
