Captain Quazar is a science fiction themed shooter that plays out entirely from an isometric viewpoint. It was developed by Cyclone Studios and was released by the once quite popular 3DO, which is most well renowned for its work on the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise. It was released in the middle nineties and features some fast paced shooting action that is very reminiscent of the body swinging coin operated cabinet games of the eighties and nineties.
The premise of Captain Quazar is very simple.
There are dangerous crime lords all over the galaxy and it will be up to Captain Quazar to ferret them out, one by one, and bring them to justice. He will patrol the galaxy and various planets completing these missions. The gaming environment is enormous, which makes many of the missions take a very long time. Thankfully, the scroll is very smooth regardless of the game’s size and age.
There are many destructible obstacles in each of the Captain Quazar environments. This is a great addition to the game because it adds a very nice strategic element. Captain Quazar has to think about what he needs to destroy and when he needs to destroy it
in order to successfully navigate each area. He can’t just shoot up everything, which is admittedly fun, but not very deep. As he sails along, he collects gems and cash for destroying the enemy or finding things. With this cash, he can purchase some pretty cool upgrades from the shop. Another interesting idea is the fact that there are numerous prisoners being held on the penal planet where the game takes place, and many of them will offer (or can be persuaded) valuable information under the right circumstances.
To stay on track during each of his missions, Captain Quazar has two options. The first and most obvious manner is by checking his in-ship log book, which will remind him of his current object. He will also, periodically, receive radio updates from his boss. While they are sometimes beneficial, they are mainly used to provide some sort of comedic relief, as his boss is a zany and funny character.
Captain Quazar can be played in two-player mode, with the second player taking on the role of Captain Quazar’s buddy, Lieutenant Pulzar. Both ships have to stay on the screen at the same time and within the same parameters or they can become stuck in the environments and explode. It is just another way to play this already fun and colorful action shooter.
