Zero-5

This article is about the 1994 Atari ST game. For the 1997 Atari Jaguar remake, see Zero 5 (Atari Jaguar game).
Zero-5
Developer(s)Caspian Software
Publisher(s)
  • EU: Caspian Software
  • FR: Frontier Software
Programmer(s)Andrew Gisby
Tony Bennett
Artist(s)Andrew Gisby
Composer(s)Dave Newman
James Veal
Platform(s)Atari STe
Release
Genre(s)Shooter
Mode(s)Single-player

Zero-5 is a shooter video game developed and published by Caspian Software for the Atari STe in 1994. It is one of the last official releases for the Atari ST after being discontinued in 1993 by Atari Corporation.

Set in the year 2044, players assume the role of a recently recruited Space Hound by DEFCON to take control of the Perseus space fighter in a battle to defend Earth and counterattack the invading forces of the Morphon alien race, who wants to reach the planet and destroy the human race after picking up signal of the Europa III satellite and destroying it as a result. Zero-5 was conceived by Andrew Gisby and spent well over a year in development, though its programming routines were being changed three years prior to release and is inspired by Universal Pictures' 1984 space opera film The Last Starfighter.[1][2][3]

Zero-5 was well received by video game magazines and commended for its 3D graphics, sound, and gameplay, but was criticized for the constant disk swapping if players did not have more than one disk drive to be used when playing the game and sold very few copies.[2][4] In 1997, it received a remake by the same team for the Atari Jaguar under the same name.

  1. ^ Forrester, Simon (November 1994). "Interview - Zero-5 - 3D-Oh!". ST Format. No. 64. Future plc. pp. 82–83. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2018.
  2. ^ a b gisbya (July 2, 2006). "Games - Zero-5 - Comments". atarilegend.com. Archived from the original on August 8, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  3. ^ "Interview with Andrew T Gisby | Atari Legend". www.atarilegend.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Operation: Zero-5". ataricrypt.blogspot.com. March 25, 2016. Archived from the original on 5 December 2018. Retrieved 2018-12-05.