Solar Fox is an arcade game developed by Bally/Midway in 1981 and later ported to the Atari 2600 in 1983. In the game, players control a starship with the objective of navigating through a series of solar cell matrixes within racks. The goal is to capture all the cells in each matrix while avoiding fireballs thrown by Sentinels that patrol the matrix perimeter.
The game features 26 different solar cell matrix shapes, with every fifth matrix being a Challenge rack. In Challenge racks, there are no fireballs, and the player’s objective is to clear the entire field before the timer runs out. Successfully completing each Challenge round awards the player a letter that eventually spells the mystery word “Helios.”
The faster a player clears a matrix, the more points they earn. Solar Fox combines elements of strategy, quick reflexes, and puzzle-solving, offering a unique and entertaining experience for players on the Atari 2600 platform.