Vault Entry
[📷 suggested: screenshot of a Manta fighter skimming a dreadnought]
Overview
Released in 1986 by Hewson Consultants, Uridium tasks pilots with strafing enemy dreadnoughts, dodging towers, and landing for reactor destruction. Its smooth scroll and crisp controls made it a C64 showcase.
Fast facts
- Developer: Andrew Braybrook, following the success of Paradroid.
- Tech: 50 Hz scrolling achieved through careful CPU budget and sprite multiplexing.
- Ports: Spectrum and Amstrad conversions reimagined the action with clever compromises.
Lesson connections
- BASIC Block 5’s scrolling lessons draw directly from Uridium’s techniques.
- Assembly Act II examines how Braybrook timed sprite updates to avoid badlines.
- Vault comparisons encourage learners to contrast shooter pacing across platforms.