Solar Storm is an arcade-style action game on the Atari 2600 in which you pilot a spaceship to protect your home planet. Deltoid ships pose a threat as they attempt to annihilate your planet, while an exploded distant sun sends debris hurtling towards you. Your mission is to shoot down all incoming threats before they reach your planet (at the screen’s bottom). Each time an enemy ship or debris slips past you, your planet’s shield absorbs the energy and heats up. If it overheats, the planet is destroyed, and the game ends.
If your laser ship collides with any incoming danger, you lose a life, and the game concludes when all lives are lost. For every 500 points, a bonus screen appears, offering a chance to earn extra lives. As you progress, the game’s pace quickens.