warhawk Commodore 64 game

Warhawk is a shoot 'em up game with a vertically scrolling gameplay and single player mode only. The player controls the ship with a joystick in port 2 and can pause the game with SPACE. The objective is to destroy enemy space bases in various asteroid belts, without a proper story. The game features enemy space ships, meteorites, and space mines that try to prevent the player from completing the mission. The player has only one ship and cannot gain extra lives, but the ship has a shield that recovers at the end of each level. The game awards bonuses for total base destruct, shield energy preservation, and level completion. The only upgrade is a diamond-shaped object that appears after shooting a face-like enemy sprite, providing extra speed and auto-fire for a limited time. The 'normal' version ends each level with a squadron of kamikaze enemies, while the alternative version has a boss enemy awaiting the player.

The game graphics lack detailed three-dimensional effects and the own spacecraft looks odd compared to the enemy sprites. The background is plain, and it is not always easy to determine whether a space base element is a target or decoration. The title screen is detailed, and the game music by Rob Hubbard is a classic that shares the channel with the sound effects. However, the melody is hardly heard during the game due to frequent firing, and there is no option to switch between "music only" and "FX only".

Hints for playing the game include keeping at least one-third of the shield energy in reserve for the final battle, being cautious when completing a level after missing the total destruct bonus, and being aware of faster and different enemy movements in higher levels.