5 TEAM CHALLENGE - PART 4: Sector & Sector Invasion

SECTOR

(RetroSouls, 2013)

If the guys from the movie Dark Star were to paint their spaceship...

The mighty Denis Grachev authored this remake of early Ocean title Transversion. Never played it myself, was it anything like Kong? Is this what most of Jeff Minter's games were like then, they seemed very...griddy? Usually with llamas. Anyway, both Sector and Sector Invasion were re-released as a bundle by Bumfun (groan) in 2016. Handy, as now I've got some English instructions to refer to. Thanks Bumfun! (cringe)

Your li'l green ship needs to move so quickly to avoid them red lasers

Aliens have invaded the shadow quadrant, which is presumably a bad thing. Your little ship has to infiltrate the enemy and steal their mineral resources, buying humanity some time to fight back...in the sequel. (Looks grimly into the distance muttering "Let's hope we make it to the sequel.") Sometimes the aliens destroy their own resources themselves while trying to get you. Space-oops!

Might have guessed Plankton would be behind this

This is the sort of thing Denis & The RetroSouls (great band) do so well. A simple idea, not theirs admittedly, done super stylishly with colour and sound turned up to 11. In fact the AY music is quite brilliant, so big up to Roman Lashkov. It's a hard little game, but a good larf to play if you've got half an hour to kill.

You're briefly safe behind the red bits, but the aliens soon wear them away, the heartless bar stewards

SECTOR INVASION

(RetroSouls, 2014)

It's Sector Invasion

You've been promoted out of trouble and now you're part of humanity's attack force against the alien menace. You must destroy their stockpile of minerals, which they've started using as ammo, the scamps, and thus secure a future for mankind. Good job the future for mankind isn't really in my hands, as...well, there'd be no future for mankind.

Not much room to manoeuvre here as the red aliens circulate and rain hell down on your noggin

This time we've got Arkanoid meets Galaxian. You have to shoot away all the colourful stars, except the red ones which only enemy bullets can destroy, while avoiding their fire into the bargain. It's fast and frantic again, and not as puzzly as these guys' usual offerings, so give your brain the day off.

This screen really is like Arkanoid without balls, but with hangry alien lifeforms

Graphics = functional. Colour = plentiful. Sound = pretty good, more decent AY earwormery, although it breaks up a little in amongst all the gunfire going on.

Sector Invasion is a nicely presented straightforward thing which ain't half bad.

SCORES ON THE DOORS

SECTOR 7.5/10

SECTOR INVASION 7/10

TEAM SECTOR SCORE 14.5/20

POSITION 2nd out of 5

REWARD Premier League Winners!