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Uridium

Description official description

Your home solar system of 15 planets has been attacked by a horde of Super Dreadnoughts, from a race who wish to harvest your universe's minerals for their own use.

You must pilot your craft through some of the hardest levels ever created, shoot down enemy space craft and ground weapons, and avoid the many indestructible hazards. When a sufficient number of enemies have been defeated the player can then land on the Dreadnought and proceed to destroy the ship's reactor.

The innovation is that you do not simply travel in a single direction, but instead move from left to right or right to left depending on where the current targets are, in a manner more similar to Defender than most shoot 'em ups.

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Screenshots

Credits (ZX Spectrum version)

4 People (3 developers, 1 thanks)

Original design and concept by
Programmed by
Spectrum version designed by
Music written and programmed by
Name created by

Reviews

Discussion

Subject User Date
MSX Version RetroArchives.fr (703) 2021-08-16 23:42:13

Trivia

Name

Robert Orchard believed that there was an element called Uridium when he named the game - it is thought that he had heard a mispronounciation of the real element Iridum. The game's title was seemingly later referenced by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in which it is a volatile element used by the Cardassians in spaceship construction. 'Uridium' has also been incorrectly given as an answer on the British TV gameshow Pointless, in which obscure (but correct) answers are required, on rounds requiring the name of a chemical element that fits certain criteria (such as beginning with a vowel or ending 'ium')

Spectrum joystick issue

Initial copies of the Spectrum version only supported the Kempston joystick protocol, rather than the Sinclair system which was the only one available to users of the then-new +2 models. After complaint from several people who'd bought the game and only been able to play it using the keyboard, Hewson altered the code.

Awards

  • Commodore Format
    • July 1991 (Issue 10) - listed in the A to Z of Classic Games article (Great)
    • January 1992 (Issue 16) - Cf's all time Top Ten Essential Mega Games
    • November 1994 (Issue 50) – #46 The All-Time Top 50 C64 Games* Happy Computer
    • 1986 - Best Action Game of the Year
    • Issue 04/1987 - #4 Best Game in 1986 (Readers' Vote)

Related Games

Uridium 2
Released 1993 on Amiga
Firelord + Uridium
Released 1986 on ZX Spectrum
Uridium Plus & Paradroid: Competition Edition
Released 1986 on Commodore 64

Related Sites +

Identifiers +

  • MobyGames ID: 1112

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by Derrick 'Knight' Steele.

Commodore 64 added by Quapil. iPhone, iPad added by Sciere. Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro added by Kabushi. ZX Spectrum, Atari ST added by Martin Smith. Wii added by gamewarrior.

Additional contributors: Trixter, Martin Smith, Patrick Bregger, FatherJack.

Last modified February 22nd, 2023.