Uridium /

Uridium is a science fiction side-scrolling shoot 'em up for the Commodore 64 (and other 8-bit machines). It consists of fifteen levels, each named after a metal element, with the last level being called Uridium (a fictional metallic element, not to be confused with the real metallic element iridium). The manual quotes Robert Orchard, who "invented" the name: "I really thought it existed." Uridium was later released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. Mindscape purchased a license to release a game based on the film The Last Starfighter. Rather than program a new game, however, Mindscape decided to take an easier route by recycling an older, relatively obscure game. The title screen, sprites, and soundtrack were modified, but the levels and gameplay were identical. In 2003, it was "re-released" on the C64 Direct-to-TV. In 2008, the C64 version was announced as a title on the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. On 28 March 2008, Uridium was released for the Virtual Console in Europe, costing 500 Wii Points. The plot of Uridium is described as follows: The solar system is under attack! Enemy Super-Dreadnoughts have been placed in orbit around each of the fifteen planets in this