Dominator

Dominator is a scrolling shoot 'em up for the Commodore 64.

Gameplay[ | ]

Dominator plays like a standard shmup at the time for that platform. Enemies approach in single groups, arriving in single-file formation and along their path. Enemies also approach from behind without coreograph or warning. From time to time, an enemy will shoot a single bullet of varying speed (sometimes being impossible to dodge). The player is given four lives (game over occurring if you die when lives read 0), and death causes the player to be moved back to predefined checkpoints.

The first stage is a vertically scrolling section, with your main ship travelling through space to attack some target.

In the second, third and forth stages, you pilot a ship within a horizontally scrolling section. This different ship can obtain one of four powerups: Speed up (first allows ship to move faster than molasses, while later pickups can cause the ship to go too fast), rear fire (adjustable by moving back and forth), auto fire (which was already part of the ship on stage 1), and lasers (two pickups; each gives an extra forward shot). Powerups are lost between stages.

Stage 4 includes "Fun Units", where you choose between an up and down path, but one of them is solidly blocked.

The ending is simply two scrolling words saying "Shit Hot!".^[1]

Gallery[ | ]

Dominator - stage 1 boss. Can be farmed for points using the elastic on button trick.
Stage 2 miniboss.
Stage 2 boss. Parking here is safest for shooting down the boss.
Stage 3 miniboss - If you have rear shot, attack it from behind.
Stage 3 "boss". No threat when minions stop spawning.
Final boss. Shoot it from top-to-bottom; three segments need to be destroyed.