Demonstar

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For the binary star, see Algol.

Demonstar is a shareware arcade game developed by Mountain King Studios. The game is a top-down vertical scrolling shooter game with an outer space theme. Demonstar features various powerups, including smart bombs and other powerups which modify the type of projectile that your ship fires.[1]

At the end of each level is a boss ship that you must defeat to finish the level.

An original Demonstar 3 screenshot, 2-player mission

[edit] Storyline

Demonstar's so-called storyline is not considered a major part of gameplay in Demonstar, and nor is it featured in-game. One can only find a short description in its help file. The story starts with the Terran Fleet developing a new prototype fighter (the RaptorX), and the player is a test pilot of the prototype (in a remote base, possibly). But then the Xidus Armada Fleet, Terran Fleet's arch enemy, launched a surprise attack on Terran Fleet. All Raptor fighters has been destroyed except the few RaptorX prototype which was out testing. So now the player must battle through the Xidus Fleet, destroy their ultimate weapon, the Demonstar, and save the rest of the Terran Fleet.

[edit] PowerUps and Bonus

A number of powerups are featured in game:

Secondary shots. The player starts with a primary shot which can't be upgraded, and the secondary weapons adds extra strength. There are four type of projectiles available:

The proton laser (yellow), which is the weakest of all, but has the ability to spread-shot after upgrades and can attack enemies at a wide angle. The ion cannon (blue), more powerful than proton lasers, but shoots only in the foward direction. The plasma cannon (red), the most powerful and most concentrated shot of all. Fires a single beam of plasma cannon in the foward direction. The magnetic pulse (orange), a rare power-up which homes on to the enemy. Its power is weak at the start but after upgrading its power is able to match that of the ion cannon.

All secondary shots can be upgraded 6 times, but if the player collects another type of shot in the process, its level immediately drops back to one. The power of both primary and secondary shots diminish with distance, so it is desirable to shoot from as close to the enemy as possible.

Full power. This powerup upgrades the player's secondary shot straight to the highest level.

Bombs. The type of mega-weapon which is a standard in "shoot'em up" games:

Mega bomb (yellow), its action is similar to a nuclear weapon which deals huge amounts of damage to enemies in close proximity. Clears all enemy bullets on screen. Scatter bomb (orange), a defensive weapon that scatters explosives around the player before exploding. Clears all enemy bullets on screen. Mega pulse (blue), a laser-type weapon which is very damaging to enemy in front.

Missiles. Two kinds of missiles are available in game:

"Normal" missiles, hard-hitting missiles that shoots in foward direction only. Homing missiles, have the same strength as above, but homes in to the enemy.