Basic question about dreadnaught factor

[sirlynxalot]

When I destroy the first dreadnaught, the screen explodes and it tallies my score and the dreadnaught counter in the top left of the screen says 1.  Then none of the buttons on my joystick seem to do anything, but after 20 seconds, pressing start sends me out to destroy a dreadnaught again, but my counter goes back to 0, so I guess I'm starting a new game instead of going out to destroy dreadnaught 2?

 

Am I doing something wrong? How do I launch out to shoot down dreadnaughts sequentially?  (ps I just got an atari 5200 tonight and this is my first time playing the game) (pps the atari 5200 is really cool!) (ppps the atari lynx will not fit inside the controller holding area of the 5200)

[A Black Falcon]

In game 1 there is only one dreadnaught; this isn't an endless game, but one with an ending.  The other game modes increase the number of dreadnaughts up to 100 in the top one.  Well, difficulty 6 is 15, 7 1000... huge spike there!  See the manual here on Atari Age.  (It's also worth looking at for its awesome cover art. too... )

 

The Dreadnaught Factor is a pretty good game for the time, it's a nice early scrolling shmup.  The first dreadnaught is really easy, but it gets challenging eventually in the harder modes.

[edladdin]

The Start button is only used to start the game at the beginning.  By pressing it during a game, you are starting a new game.  To advance to the next Dreadnaught, just press the fire button. 

 

I LOVE this game.  Top tier Hall of Fame on the 5200 for me.

[Inky]

Absolutely love this game myself.  Out of all the 5200 titles, this makes the best use out of the non-centering joystick.

[Coleco]

Side note: Does anyone think the opening scene from The Last Jedi must have been inspired by this game? They even call it a Dreadnaught! Would be fun to see a Dreadnaught Factor 2 that uses the 2-ship fighter/bomber model... or that combined a Star Raiders-like combat/fighter stage followed by the bomber stage at the Dreadnaught.

[Inky]

Nahh.  Dreadnaught has been a term in use for ages.  Just a co-inky-dink

[sirlynxalot]

It seems especially fitting to play this game on 5200 given that the system is practically the dreadnaught of game systems based on its imposing size.