''SDI - Strategic Defense Initiative'', or simply titled ''SDI'' and sometimes known as ''Global Defense'', is a

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

horizontally scrolling shooter produced and released internationally in arcades by

Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...

. It was later ported to home computers and

game consoles A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a ...

, some by other companies. Players control a

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

and must destroy enemies by moving a

crosshair A reticle, or reticule also known as a graticule, is a pattern of fine lines or markings built into the eyepiece of an optical device such as a telescopic sight, spotting scope, theodolite, optical microscope or the screen of an oscilloscope ...

over them and firing the satellite's weapons.

Gameplay

Players control a

Strategic Defense Initiative The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), derisively nicknamed the "''Star Wars'' program", was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons (intercontinental ballistic ...

satellite orbiting the Earth and must destroy enemy missiles/satellites with its weapons, and when activated the satellite's weapon systems fire at the

present onscreen during play. The arcade version features a

joystick A joystick, sometimes called a flight stick, is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. A joystick, also known as the control column, is the principal cont ...

to control the satellite and a

trackball A trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the ball about two axes—like an upside-down ball mouse with an exposed protruding ball. Users roll the ball to position the o ...

to control the crosshair. Home computer versions use different control schemes, such as depressing the fire button to control the crosshair, alternating between controlling the satellite and its weapons. It is also possible to use a

and mouse in combination to control the satellite and crosshair at the same time, emulating the arcade game's controls. Each stage is split into two sections; offensive mode and defensive mode. During offensive mode the player engages a number of enemies, with the aim of destroying them all without the satellite being destroyed by the enemy. Should the player destroy all enemies during offensive mode, they are awarded 20,000 bonus points and begin the next stage on the offensive. If any enemies evade destruction during offensive mode, the player must complete defensive mode, where they are tasked with protecting the homeland from incoming warheads. Completion of defensive mode advances the player to the next stage, where they go on the offensive again. This so-called "Star Wars" program was introduced by

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

to promote defensive weaponry that could shoot ICBMs out of space.

Reception

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''SDI'' on their June 1, 1987 issue as being the sixth most-successful table arcade unit of the month.

References

External links

* *{{WoS game, id=0004384, name=SDI 1987 video games Amiga games Amstrad CPC games Arcade video games Cold War video games Sega arcade games Atari ST games Commodore 64 games Sega video games Master System games Horizontally scrolling shooters Strategic Defense Initiative Trackball video games Video games set in outer space ZX Spectrum games Activision games Video games developed in Japan ja:SDI (ゲーム)