X-Bomber the Game

Re-processing Star Fleet DVD screenshots as PNG, for improved quality:
	US (2017) - Done
	UK (2009) - In Progress, 75% ...
	Japan (2002)
	Japan (2013, remaster)
	France (2010)

2017.07.19 - US 2017 DVDs added to Star Fleet screenshot gallery
2017.07.14 - Large image loading glitch resolved - More info ...
2017.07.04 - New Media folder: Sketchbook
2017.06.24 - Website improvements
2017.06.22 - Star Fleet Fan Work section updated
2017.06.20 - Rain Song chapter 7 released
2017.05.17 - Andy Thomas' X-Bomber in Lego

Missions
 *  0. EDF Transports and Tankers
 * 14. EDF Conestoga Missile Destroyer
 * 16. Battlecruiser Docks and Grey Attack Cruiser (more beam firepower than blue variant but less armour)
 - Handling of weapon system activation improved in training mission

General
 * Briefing screen upgrade - 25% *
 * Get astrofighter carriers to release astrofighters during levels - 40% *
 * Vapour and smoke trail performance improvement - 25% *
 - Automatic Dai-X junction (Hold shift).
 - Quantum blaster mechanics improved
 - Dialogue system improved for better readability
 - In-game music handling skips unplayable files.
 - fixed event ordering glitch, when friendly Astrofighters are destroyed

Weapons
 - Quantum blaster (X-Bomber special weapon) graphics updated

Thunder in Paradise is like Knight Rider but with a boat. It's light-hearted and awesome and has brilliant music.
It stars Hulk Hogan as Randolph J. "Hurricane" Spencer and Chris Lemmon as Martin "Bru" Brubaker.
The real star of the show however, is the boat itself.

Weapons

6-barrel rotary cannon
- Probably an M134, turret mounted, usually housed in the port weapons compartment.
- It is used for shooting down incoming missiles, destroying smaller vessels and firing warning shots.
- The weapon has a supply of 2,750 rounds, has automatic stabilisation and individual temperature monitoring for each barrel.

6-tube missile launcher
- Fires a range of guided missiles including Maverick, M-426 and non-lethal types
- Normally stored in starboard compartment
- Reloads automatically, allowing it to fire far more than 6 missiles in rapid succession

Laser Prism
- The laser weapon is used to disable, destroy or deter smaller vessels as well as aerial targets such as helicopters.

Torpedo Launchers
Although never used in an episode, shots of Thunder's weapons control GUI show that the boat has 4 torpedo launchers.

Defences

Scarab Shell
Even with the scarab shell retracted, the boat can withstand prolonged exposure to small arms and mounted weapons fire, up to and including .50 calibre.
The scarab shell extends over the back of the boat, increasing the boat's protection even further.
It is also referred to as the stealth shell since its deployment renders the boat undetectable by radar.

Stealth Mode
- a blue glow sweeps over the hull from bow to stern when either ECM or adaptive camouflage are activated.

The hull also can be electrified to prevent enemies from boarding. This feature can either be triggered by the onboard computer when intruders are detected onboard or it can be activated manually by remote.

Hyperspeed
The hydra-thrust booster engine extends from the underside of the boat, allowing it to travel at over 400mph. The booster also allows the boat to jump at least several metres out of the water (Distant Sound of Thunder).

Oil Slick Dispenser
- the oil can be ignited to deter pursuers (Deadly Lessons, Part 1).

Shield Bubble
In the last episode, Thunder projects a geometric shield bubble that is capable of withstanding several missile hits but is progressively weakened by the impacts. If the shield is weakened on one side of the boat it can be recovered by keeping that side out of harm's way.

Q-Bomb
Also used in the last episode; the Q-Bomb appears to be an EMP-like weapon that projects a yellow shockwave that radiates out from the boat. It is not apparent whether it is a single-use weapon but one discharge destroys a large number of incoming missiles simultaneously.

Submersible Mode
In "Blast Off", Bru reveals that he is working on making Thunder able to operate underwater.

Support Craft

Thunder carries at least one Waverider jetski that is launched from the back of the boat.
The Waverider can be remotely piloted via Thunder's onboard computer by assigning it map coordinates.

Thunder also carries the GATOR drone that is lifted up on-deck through the starboard weapons hatch and deployed onto land. GATOR is a buggy that can be steered remotely by use of an onboard camera. It is equipped with a grenade launcher that can fire several stun grenades without needing resupply.

Internal

Weapons Locker
- Slides open to reveal an assortment of small arms
- The upper compartment contains submachineguns and handguns. The lower compartment contains larger weapons such as the M16 used in "Nature Of The Beast".

Dive chamber
- Doubles as brig

Prototype

The prototype version of Thunder that features in the pilot double-episode has a number of differences (as well as problems).

Visually, it is missing the cool 'spoiler/rollbar' when the scarab shell is retracted and boat looks overall less streamlined and futuristic.
The missile launcher and gatling gun look different when deployed, with the missile launcher being longer while the minigun has an enclosure around it.
The boat has a small radar dish that lifts up to receive satellite telemetry. This antenna is presumably internal in the finished version.

Availability

You can find the three compilation movies on DVD, while the whole 22-episode series was released on DVD in German.
The German DVDs are transfers from a VHS source.

The whole series is unofficially available in English on DVD, recorded from its original TV airing in 1994 from iOffer:

The Year is 2999

Star Fleet centres around the crew of the X-Bomber who must defend the galaxy from the evil Imperial Alliance. The Imperial Master is anxious because the dawn of the new millennium is nearly at hand and the only being in the universe who can stand against him (the F01) has still not been found. If the F01 lives into the 31 century then his plans to dominate the entire universe will be crushed. He entrusts the capture of the F01 to his emissary: the maniacal Commander Makara, who with her loyal aid: Captain Orion travels across the galaxy to our solar system, where she believes the F01 is in hiding.

Pluto alpha base is the first to fall under Imperial attack, and is completely destroyed. With Pluto Base gone the only thing in between Earth and Commander Makara is Moon Base and the crew of X-Bomber (A prototype vessel armed to the teeth and carrier of the devastating Dai-X). Will Dr Ben and a brave trio of earth cadets; Shiro Hagen, John Lee and Barry Hercules, along with Princess Lamia, her bodyguard Kirara and a perfectly programed android named: P.P.A. be able to save the earth from the evil Thalian invaders? And just who or what is the mysterious F01?...

Star Fleet is the English language version of the Japanese show; X Bomber. X Bomber was first shown in Japan in 1980 and was their answer to the Gerry Anderson shows that had been so popular. Unfortunately it never really took off in Japan, Luckily it was sold to the western market and was redubed as Star Fleet.

Star Fleet was first shown in the UK on Saturday the 30th October 1982 at 10am, just before Big Daddy's Saturday Show (EASY! EASY!) It was a big hit with British children right from the Start, and was featured on the cover of Look In magazine on the week of it's first transmission.

The show was unusual in the way that it had a continuing story arc rather than just stand alone episodes. The Japanese design was incredibly fresh and new to a British audience, and some of the alliance characters, in particular the Imperial Master were genuinely frightening to a young audience.

There were depictions of brainwashing, torture and death during the course of the series, and by the end of episode 24 there was a definite resolution to the story. This was still very much a kids show, but it did have dark themes running through it, which were often offset by Lamia's warm character and some comic banter between Hercules and P.P.A. This was a fairy tale with space ships and robots, it borrowed heavily from Star Wars but brought plenty of new ideas to the party.

The Star of the Show

Ask people about Star Fleet, and you can bet they will mention "the big red robot". The Dai X was one of the most memorable aspects of the show, and was arguably one of the first transforming style robots to be seen on British television as It predates Bandai's 1983 U.K. release of the Robomachine range by a year. Of course Giant Robots were nothing new to the Japanese audience. By the time Dai X first appeared on Star Fleet in 1982, the Japanese had already enjoyed well over a decade of this sort of giant robot action. Mazinger Z was one of the most popular of these giant robo's Go Nagi was the creator of Mazinger Z and many other classic robots including the Dai X.

Dai X made it's debut in Japan in 1980 in X Bomber. He also appeared in toy form in this year, with most of the X Bomber toy range dedicated to the Dai X. The Dai X toys were known by many other variant names like: Dekander Robo. This particular incarnation was in the same style as the other giant robo: "Jumbo" toys of the time, such as the Super Machinder line. Another version of the Dai X was: Dengeki Gashin, which was an incredibly detailed diecast version of the big guy. Unfortunately X Bomber was canceled after just 12 episodes, so he never really had the same chance to gather a big following in the same way as other Go Nagi creations. It would be another 2 years before the Dai X would return, this time to the U.K. in our version of X Bomber: Star Fleet.

The Dai X was a huge hit with children in the U.K. Look In magazine even ran an offer for a Big Dai X t-shirt because of his popularity. As mentioned above this was the U.K.'s first high profile transformer style robot to feature prominantley in a television show. And was also a sneak peak at the "guy in a robot suit" sort of action that was to be even more successful in the 1990's with the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. Work got a little tight for Dai X after Star Fleet finished it's run in 1983. He made an appearance on the cover of Brian May's Star Fleet Project mini album in 1984 but felt quite embarased about it afterwards. Since 1984 the Dai X has had a very low profile compared to other classic robot's such as Gundam which are still going strong today. He did appear as part of a set of Go Nagi character figures, but that was about it. Fear not though, we may not have seen the last of Big Dai X.

Japanese Origins

X Bomber was first transmitted in Japan on the 11th of October 1980. The show was due to run for 25 episodes but was canceled after only 12 due to poor viewing figures. While the repackaged and redubbed UK incarnation of this show was fresh and new to British viewers in the early Eighties, to a Japanese audience, X Bomber's story and style was old hat. Even Big Dai X was dismissed as a fairly bland looking piece of mecha compared to Go Nagi's past creations.

X Bomber was designed to be Japan's answer to Thunderbirds. The Space ships built for the show were incredible pieces of work and in the case of the X Bomber and Imperial Alliance Battle Cruiser absolutely massive in scale. These Impressive props were involved in some of the best model shot action sequences of any show of this type. The battle sequence between Makara's Cruiser and a fleet of EDF astro fighters in episode 1 is quite a spectacle. Thunderbirds had never pulled off anything that complex.

Add to this the fact that the show had it's very own transforming super robot: The Dai X which could fly around interacting in these battles, and you should have had a recipe for success. X Bomber again scored highly with the crafting and design of the puppets. Each puppet was around two and a half feet tall with beautifully sculptured anime style heads which had the usual remote control mechanisms for lip and eyelid movement that had been pioneered by the likes of Gerry Anderson.

The Imperial Alliance puppets were among the best designed for the show, with lots of intricate detail and lovingly made costumes. Bloody Mary (Makara) of course is a firm favorite with fans, but the other Imperial characters such as Lt. Kozlo (Orion), Professor Gedora (Caliban) and the Termoid soldiers all looked fantastic. The workshop crew even made a few puppets that were to only feature in an individual episode, or in the case of the two Imperial council members only in a few very short scenes. This attention to detail and the wonderful workmanship that went into these puppets goes to show that this project was a definite labor of love for the makers.

The only trouble with a puppet based show is the restrictions of the puppets themselves. These puppets were all rod based so any walking actions had to be acheived behind objects such as rocks etc to avoid the rod being seen. This must have caused a lot of headaches when tying to film them. The Imperial characters in particular seemed to be stationery for much of the series although the termoids did feature in a few action sequences. Because of the puppets lack of mobility most of the series action scenes had to be model ship based, or in the case of the Dai X a combination of models and a specially designed suit so Dai X could do some ground based stomping. This is one of the major factors of X Bomber's failure to win over a Japanese audience. From their point of view this type of story had been told many times before, the imagery was not immensely original, and the stationary nature of the puppets made the show, in one critics eyes almost unwatchable. The show's saving grace was it's space battles although even the Japanese audience grew tired of their repetitive nature. X Bomber failed because it told a generic story in an incredibly difficult and expensive medium. The puppet nature of the show was to be it's main selling point, but eventually led to it's cancellation. I personally don't know what my reaction to X Bomber/Star Fleet would have been If I hadn't watched it with fresh childlike eyes in 1982. Maybe if the British public had, had the same programing as the Japanese, Star Fleet might have been perceived as just another show, but I doubt it. There is something special about the show and the weirdness of it all definitely fitted in with the new romantic early Eighties British culture. At the end of the day Japan's loss was our gain.