Alien Dropout

Alien Dropout is an arcade shoot ’em up based on Astro Invader. Players defend Earth from aliens launched by a mothership moving across the top of the screen.

Aliens enter columns beneath the mothership before descending toward the ground. When they land, they explode, requiring the player to avoid the blast radius. A larger alien can appear in the middle of the screen; its landing explosion covers the entire ground, so it must be shot down.

The game ends after all three lives are lost. Before starting, players can select a skill level that changes the speed of the player, aliens, and mothership.

Game details

• Release date: December 31, 1981
• Platforms: Acorn Electron, BBC Microcomputer System, Sinclair ZX-81
• Genres: Arcade, Shooter
• Developers: Richard Hanson, Silversoft
• Publishers: Silversoft, Superior Software