Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom

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Description

Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom is a single player science fiction themed obstacle race, where the player controls Buck Rogers' space ship and must guide it through multiple pairs of pylons throughout the game. Controlling the ship involves side scrolling to the left or right, stop, moving forward (and faster), and moving backwards/break (and slower). Additionally, the spaceship can also fire its weapon to unleash a pair of energy bolts.

The player starts in sector 1.0 and will finish this level after the player successfully goes between an allocated number of pylons, indicated at the top left side of the screen; the first requirement is 9 pylons and will gradually increase with each new sector. In sector 1.1., with the addition of having to complete the pylon requirement, a group of flying saucers, ranging from 1 to 4 (per group), fly in a pattern. The player must avoid these flying saucers by maneuvering out of their way or by shooting them down. In sector 1.3., a new type of robot spaceship (at least one) will fly erratically and attempt to crash into the player's space ship (due to the marvel of technology of that era, enemy ships that disappear from one side of the screen, will emerge on the other side of the screen). Later sectors will gradually introduce more difficult challenges.

The game ends when the player loses all three lives by crashing into (or being crashed by, it seems sometimes) pylons or enemy space ships. Although there is no penalty in avoiding pylons altogether, the game will also end if the allocated amount of time (indicated by a long bar at the top center screen) runs out. The player may increase speed to move faster, which will present maneuverability challenges in itself. The overall score increases by distance traveled, pylons traveled through, and enemy spaceships shot down. The latest score and the high score are saved and shown in the main menu.

Screenshots

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Trailer

Alternate Titles

• "Zoom 909" -- Japanese SG-1000 title
• "Zoom 909" -- Unlicenced Arcade Title
• "ズーム909" -- Japanese SG-1000 spelling

Part of the Following Groups

• Buck Rogers games
• Genre: Chase-view / Space Harrier-style shooter
• Inspiration: Comics

User Reviews

Skim the Planet of Zoom avoiding obstacles before you launch into a space battle

TI-99/4A

Andy Frueh (176)

Critic Reviews

Computer and Video Games (CVG)	MSX	Jun, 1985	37 out of 40	92
Atari HQ	Atari 2600	2000	5 out of 10	50
Digital Press - Classic Video Games	Atari 5200	Feb 08, 2004	5 out of 10	50
Micro 7	Atari 8-bit	Feb, 1984		50
All Game Guide	Arcade	1998		50
TeleMatch	Atari 2600	Jan, 1984	4 out of 6	40
Popular Computing Weekly	ZX Spectrum	Jul 18, 1985		40
Sinclair User	ZX Spectrum	Sep, 1985		40
Zzap!	Commodore 64	May, 1985	38 out of 100	38
The Video Game Critic	ColecoVision	May 11, 2006	D	25

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Trivia

Cancelled Intellivision version

SEGA announced a version for Intellivision but it was never released.