Rescue on Fractalus

Rescue On Fractalus was a computer game title created by Lucasfilm Games (later LucasArts Entertainment), released in 1985 for the Atari 8-bit systems, such as the Atari 800 and the Atari 5200. It was also converted to other popular platforms of the day, such as ZX Spectrum (by Dalali Software Ltd), Amstrad and Commodore 64.

The game utilized fractal technology to create the mountains of an alien planet, where the player controlled a space lander from a first-person view, attempting to land and pick up stranded pilots. Some of these mountains held anti-aircraft-type guns, which had to be avoided or destroyed.

As an interesting twist on this relatively straightforward premise, some of the "pilots in distress" were actually hostile aliens in disguise. After landing near a figure, the player could watch it run off-screen, and then wait for several tense seconds -- if it was human, a frantic "tap-tap" noise would be heard from the ship's hatch; otherwise, the alien would suddenly jump back into view, roaring and trying to smash into the cockpit.

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