How to play Sentinel online
- Aim: move the mouse (it stands in for the XG-1 light gun)
- Shoot: click
- Super Shot: click on the Sentinel orb itself
- Choose difficulty and one or two players: F2 (Select)
- Start or restart: F3 (Reset), or shoot at the screen
- Pause: F4
- Full screen: F9
The Europe (PAL) version is the game Atari actually sold. The USA (NTSC) version on this page is a prototype that never reached American shops.
Gameplay
You are a scientist whose invention, the Sentinel, absorbs energy. To save Earth from aliens, the orb glides steadily across four enemy worlds, each harder than the last. Shoot ground targets before they fire and ships before they reach the orb; every hit drains the target’s energy into the Sentinel. Enemy fire drains it again, and missing aliens costs energy too. You have four Sentinels. Each world ends at its alien leader’s spinning space station, which repairs itself quickly, so you must shoot fast. After four worlds you face the entity that controls them all.
Power pods and energy capsules give you extra Super Shots (which clear the screen but don’t affect leaders), automatic energy absorption, faster movement or fresh energy. There are three difficulty levels: Easy, Standard and Difficult.
Tips
- Shoot the nearest enemy first.
- Keep Super Shots for emergencies. Use one only when you are badly outnumbered.
- Look for secret spots. Each world hides unmarked places that give bonus points and items when you shoot them.
The story behind Sentinel
Sentinel also appeared on the Atari 2600, and the 7800 version is very similar, with improved graphics. Programmer David Lubar has said it was meant to be a four-month job but took more than a year, because Atari kept changing the game’s direction. With the 7800 market in America collapsing, Atari released it only in Europe, in PAL format, in 1991. According to AtariProtos it was the last 7800 game released. Its manual was simply a copy of the draft, placeholder text and all.
An NTSC version was made for North America but never sold; AtariProtos lists NTSC builds dated 21 November 1990. The USA version on this page is such an unreleased NTSC prototype.
