Cosmic Ark for the Atari 2600. The sun of Alpha Ro is fading fast! Soon it will flicker out. The Cosmic Ark races to save creatures from doomed planets in that solar system. Meteor showers bombard the Ark, threatening its Atlantean crew - and planetary defense systems make this mission of mercy doubly treacherous! Time and energy slip away - work fast or these defenseless little beasties will disappear for all time. The Cosmic Ark has travelled thousands of light years in order to preserve the many exotic species peculiar to the Alpha Ro solar system. When that sun novas, life on planets there will wither and die. Nothing about this mission is easy. Heavy meteor activity throughout the system makes travel hazardous. And each planet has an automatic defense system that cannot be knocked out. Can the Ark succeed in saving the many helpless creatures of Alpha Ro? Can the Cosmic Ark survive? How many planets can you reach? GAME OBJECTIVE: Pilot the Cosmic Ark through dangerous territory. Destroy meteors that come too close. You score each time you eliminate a meteor. If you survive the meteor shower, launch a shuttleship to the surface of each planet. Try to capture 2 skittish beasties in your tractor beam in order to gain fuel and points. Be quick about it! Return to the Ark before it undergoes another meteor barrage. But be careful - automatic planetary defense systems attempt to disable the shuttleship, releasing your precious cargo before you can safely transport them to the Ark. Reach as many planets as your fuel reserves allow. Game ends when you've exhausted your store of fuel.
