Zuran Defender

There's an all-out galactic war going on, and as such things usually go, you have the good guys and the bad guys: the Zuran were just minding their own business when the conquering Eclons decided to invade their galaxy. As a Zuran Defender, your mission is twofold - cleanse the stellar neighborhood of Eclon forces, while locating and recovering survivors from incapacitated friendly ships.

The galaxy is made up of nine quadrants on a 3x3 grid, connected by portals (which seal up behind you as you warp through); you get a long-range scanner to find your bearings. Each quadrant is populated with obstructive asteroids, explosive mines and Eclon outposts, as well as damaged Zuran ships: you can beam survivors aboard if you park your ship nearby. You'll also encounter larger structures - Eclon stations to be obliterated, and Zuran stations that let you re-energize your tanks.

Eclon fighters will occasionally warp in to menace you, which means you'll have to use your shields or face certain termination (the same fate awaits you if you run out of energy, which is depleted by doing pretty much anything). In tight spots you can rely on your hyperspace drive to get you out of trouble. Points are given for taking out enemy craft... but taken away if you accidentally blow up a friend.