How to play Assault online
- Move and aim: arrow keys
- Fire: Space bar
- Start a new game: F12 (the console’s Reset switch)
- Save and load your progress: Ctrl + 0–9 saves to a slot, Alt + 0–9 loads it
Gameplay
Your weapon sits at the bottom of the screen. The mother ship near the top releases three smaller ships at a time, and together they rain shots down on you. You can fire straight up, but also to the left and to the right, which matters because the small ships do not stay politely above you. Every enemy shot that reaches the bottom of the screen damages your weapon, and if it takes too many hits it is destroyed. It is a one-player game.
Tips
- Use the side shots. Small ships that drop low at the edges are easier to hit with a sideways shot than by chasing them.
- Thin out the small ships first. The mother ship keeps launching them, and every one that is alive adds to the fire coming your way.
- Keep moving. Shots that reach the ground still hurt, so standing still under a busy sky wears your weapon down fast.
History and reception
Assault came out in North America, the UK and Germany in 1983. Reviews at the time were mixed to positive: TV Gamer liked it a lot, Computer and Video Games singled out the directional shooting, and TeleMatch gave it an average score. Later reviewers were harder on it, pointing to how much it resembles Galaxian and Demon Attack, though some still found it a fun, colourful game and one of Bomb’s better cartridges. Original copies are extremely rare today.
