Scorpion (set 1)

Pilots take to the skies in Scorpion, a two-player vertical shooter released by Zaccaria in 1982. As one of two ships, players maneuver across the screen using an eight-way joystick to destroy waves of approaching enemies while dodging projectiles and navigating obstacles. The game presents a challenge requiring skillful control as you work your way through increasingly difficult formations. Developed initially for Zaccaria by I.G.R., Scorpion utilizes a Starplex system from National Semiconductor and features graphics rendered at a resolution of 224x256 pixels, displayed on a vertical screen with a palette of 99 colors. The game’s soundtrack is produced using three General Instrument AY8910 sound chips, driven by two Zilog Z80 processors—one managing the main gameplay and another dedicated to audio. A bootleg version of Scorpion was later released under the name "Dorneer" on “Moon Cresta” hardware, demonstrating its reach beyond Zaccaria’s original distribution. Two buttons are available for player control alongside the joystick, allowing players to engage in aerial combat against their opponent or cooperate as they attempt to achieve a high score.