SPACE STATION ZULU (SSZ) is a humorous strategy goodgamestation of space station defence. The Yargs are a peace loving race who like to study and investigate the galaxy they inhabit. After discovering the Xhapthon Star Drive, the Yargs became very deeply involved in space exploration. They established a number of outposts where their expeditions could re-supply and relax without always returning to planet Yarg. Space Station Zulu is such an outpost. It has a 43 member crew and you are the Captain. The crew stand three month tours, in between which they are frozen in suspended animation. Shortly after an exploration ship left the station “Intruder Alert” sounded. Space Station Zulu’s sanctity has been violated by unknown life forms!
The computer reports these aliens have three stages of growth: spore, larva, and adult. The creatures are scattered throughout the station and their numbers are increasing rapidly. Their favourite dish is “Yarg”!
As Captain, your job is to rid the station of all adult and larva alien life forms. There are 21 rooms lettered A through U; four docks numbered 1 through 4; and four passage tubes numbered 5 through 8. Access between chambers is through hatches represented as small niches in the wall. Rooms S and T contain suspension freezers for the crew not currently on watch. Scattered throughout the rooms are ten different types of weapons, ranging from hammers to rifles.
You start the game with four robots, 16 Yargs awake, and 32 frozen Yargs. You can place the Yargs and robots in any rooms. Yargs are peace-loving and not good at fighting, two or more Yargs should be placed in a room. Robots are good fighters and if all else fail can self destruct destroying everything in the room. But, you only have a total of four robots.
To unfreeze a Yarg in rooms S or T, one awake Yarg must be there with no alien spores, larva, or adults in the room. Rooms S and T are critical because you need to add crew to combat the aliens. Until you use a weapon you don’t know whether it will kill the alien, have no effect, or worse – “make them grow”! The best strategy is to use at least four Yargs to confront an alien. Try out as many weapons as you can to learn which do the most damage and use only those for the rest of the game. If all else fails, send a robot into a room full of aliens and self destruct. The game ends when all Yargs are dead or all aliens have been destroyed.
The graphics are simple, but close ups of individual rooms are very well detailed. Actions are portrayed with text statements rather than graphic displays. For example: “YOU KILLED HIM or MISSED”; “KILLED AN ADULT – DAMAGE: – NEEDED- “; “WEAPON HAS NO EFFECT”; or “WEAPON MAKES MONSTER GROW”.
