TerraFire
Encyclopedia
TerraFire is a multidirectional shooter for MS-DOS
. It was originally released on October 1, 1997 as shareware
with a demo limiting the player to only the first 8 levels. However, in 2007 it was re-released as freeware
.
The game is best called a shoot 'em up
, but unlike most games of this genre, the player is free to move in any direction, with physics similar to the well-known arcade game Asteroids. Bullet patterns from enemies and obstacles are also far more sparse and predictable, and there are no bosses. The game has a total of 27 levels, where every fourth level is a bonus level which is a direct clone of the aforementioned Asteroids. The normal levels, which scroll both horizontally and vertically and wrap horizontally, have gravity and are completed by finding a nuke
and dragging it out of the top of the level.
TerraFire uses pre-rendered
3D graphics and full animation, making it very graphically detailed for its time and system.
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
. It was originally released on October 1, 1997 as shareware
Shareware
The term shareware is a proprietary software that is provided to users without payment on a trial basis and is often limited by any combination of functionality, availability, or convenience. Shareware is often offered as a download from an Internet website or as a compact disc included with a...
with a demo limiting the player to only the first 8 levels. However, in 2007 it was re-released as freeware
Freeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
.
The game is best called a shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
, but unlike most games of this genre, the player is free to move in any direction, with physics similar to the well-known arcade game Asteroids. Bullet patterns from enemies and obstacles are also far more sparse and predictable, and there are no bosses. The game has a total of 27 levels, where every fourth level is a bonus level which is a direct clone of the aforementioned Asteroids. The normal levels, which scroll both horizontally and vertically and wrap horizontally, have gravity and are completed by finding a nuke
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
and dragging it out of the top of the level.
TerraFire uses pre-rendered
Pre-rendered
Pre-rendering is the process in which video footage is not rendered in real-time by the hardware that is outputing or playing back the video. Instead, the video is a recording of a footage that was previously rendered on a different equipment...
3D graphics and full animation, making it very graphically detailed for its time and system.