Fight reptilian aliens in Stone Protectors and search for the legendary planet in Solaris.
Two new titles once again join the Antstream library this week. Retro gamers can enjoy some beat ‘em up action with a quirky cast of rock musicians in Stone Protectors (Megadrive), or head to the stars for spaceship combat and exploration in Solaris (Atari 2600).
Stone Protectors was a multi-media property from the early 90s that consisted of an animated series, action figures and a video game. Stone Protectors was originally launched for SNES in 1994.
The Megadrive version was not officially released until 2022, after Piko Interactive acquired the rights. The story for Stone Protectors revolved around the members of a rock band who found some magical stones that not only allowed them to play music well and gain special powers, but also put them at odds with a reptilian alien called Zok.
In the game, players punch, kick, grab and throw their way through ten levels of beat 'em up action, completing one area before moving on to the next stage. With objects to smash, weapons to pick up and use, crystals to collect and a cast of zany characters, Stone Protectors is instant classic gaming fun.
Solaris was originally launched for the Atari 2600 back in 1986. In this space combat game, players would be searching for the planet Solaris by exploring quadrants of the galaxy and fighting aliens known as Zylons. Using their galactic scanner, the player is able to see where all points of interest are, from enemy fleets to planets where refuelling is possible. Entering systems with an enemy presence, the player will have to eradicate the Zylon threat before moving on. Wormholes and corridors will also have to be navigated if the player ever hopes to find Solaris and reach the ending.
Regarded as one of the best games for the Atari 2600, Solaris is both visually impressive and has a depth of gameplay previously unseen. The game pushed the Atari 2600 to the limit of its capabilities. In recent times, Solaris was exclusively available to Atari VCS users, until coming to Antstream this week.
As if the challenge of Stone Protectors and Solaris wasn’t enough, this week’s challenge takes place in the hugely popular Zombies Ate My Neighbors (SNES) and is titled Neighborhood Watch.
Come back next week to see which new titles will be available to play anytime, anywhere.