Thrust
Gravity is a harsh mistress
Jeremy Smith's physics-based game brought Gravitar-style gameplay to home computers with brutal precision requirements.
Overview
Thrust was punishment disguised as a game. Navigate a spaceship through caverns using thrust and rotation. Tractor-beam a heavy pod. Escape before the reactor explodes—or shoot the reactor and make escape even harder. Jeremy Smith’s 1986 creation demanded precise control of Newtonian physics in environments that punished every mistake.
Fast facts
- Developer: Jeremy Smith.
- Publisher: Firebird.
- Release: 1986.
- Platforms: BBC Micro (original), C64, Spectrum, Amstrad.
- Inspiration: Atari’s Gravitar (1982).
- Physics: thrust, gravity, momentum—all deadly.
- Price: £1.99 budget range.
The gameplay
Thrust combined multiple challenges:
- Navigation: tight caverns requiring precise movement.
- Physics: momentum carried; stopping required counter-thrust.
- Tractor beam: attach to pod, navigate while connected.
- Pod weight: physics changed when carrying cargo.
- Reactor: destroy it for bonus, but reactor explosion chases you.
The controls
Mastery required understanding:
- Rotate: turn ship left/right.
- Thrust: accelerate in facing direction.
- Fire: shoot turrets and reactor.
- Tractor: attract and carry pod.
No air brakes. No easy stops. Pure physics.
The difficulty curve
Thrust escalated:
- Early levels taught basics.
- Later levels added reverse gravity, invisible walls.
- Reactor destruction triggered countdown.
- Nuclear explosion followed if too slow.
Budget pricing brilliance
Firebird’s £1.99 price point:
- Quality game at budget price.
- Encouraged impulse purchases.
- Proved budget didn’t mean bad.
- Created cult following.
Legacy
Thrust created a micro-genre. Games like Exile, Solar Jetman, and countless indie titles carry its DNA. The physics-based precision gameplay influenced design thinking. Jeremy Smith proved one person could create something lasting—and Firebird’s budget pricing showed quality could be affordable.