Hyperspeed

Hyperspeed is a fast-paced PowerMac arcade shooter from Norway-based Yellow Lemon Software, released in 1997 and distributed as shareware for fifteen US dollars. It draws openly on Space Invaders: the player pilots an Exodus SSC-12 spacecraft and fights off an alien invasion threatening the Alliance of Unioned Planets across fifty levels.

Gameplay

The SSC starts armed only with a plasma cannon, but downed enemies drop power-ups that upgrade the ship to triple shots, grenades and other heavier weapons. Levels are short, dense and pitched at sustained reflex play rather than exploration.

Presentation

Hyperspeed runs at a 60 fps target with pre-rendered 3D sprite art and stereo sound effects, which was an aggressive ambition for shareware in 1997 and one of the reasons it required a Power Mac rather than a 68k machine.

Requirements

The game targets Mac OS 8 and 8.5, requires Apple's free DrawSprocket extension for full-screen graphics, and asks for around 6 MB of RAM. It is unrelated to the much earlier MicroProse PC title that shares the name.

Distribution

Submitted to Info-Mac by stoedle@online.no and survives in the funet mirror as hyperspeed-110.hqx. Yellow Lemon Software's product page at home.sol.no/~stoedle/YLS/ hosted updates and ordering details for registered users.